Breepee2 Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 OK, I'll confess... I am weak... I've just folded under pressure...I've switched camps!As of today I'm an MP3-player user. Until a month ago I was still holding on to me Precioussss Sharp MDMT190, which, despite the realtime recording, was a solid unit with superb sound quality. The thing was that I didn't want to wait anymore to record in realtime. I was left with two options: HiMD and Sonicstage or an MP3-player After having toyed with NWHD1 I downright hated SS. Some can bare the pain, I really couldn't. Also: the crippled MP3 playback and the absence of both HiFi equipment and a lossless format (thereby rendering it useless for a durable archive) we're taken into account. I decided to slightly adjust my needs for a future protable music companion: instead of being an allround and all-in HiFi-compatible solution, the device could be an on-to-go buddy only intended for portably uses (away missions my inner Kirk would say). I'd keep the HiFi part of it separate.After much hesitation (MD is not put aside lightly) I purchased a Rio Carbon. I was said to feature one of the best audio qualities that can be had on an MP3 player and after my Sharp I really wouldn't go lower in the food chain. By the way, the NWHD1 sounded horrible and some other cheapass MP3-player I'd tried too, so all the more hesitation to switch away from my Sharp.Although it sounds way better than any MP3-player I've tried (including the horrible iPod), it does not sound better than good ol' Sharp. It's almost on par, but not quite. It's hard to describe, but it seems there some sort of 'veil'. Some can be changed through the EQ, but not all.On the 'download' side of things, the Carbon is heaven: just drop your MP3's thanks to USB Mass Storage support. On startup, the unit selfdatabases every music and you can browse by artist/album/genre/year. Navigation is allright, though the unit is slow at times and the gui sort of hangs for a moment. The Sharp felt snappier. Carbon can show more info because of the tags though.Overall: the ability to quickly and hassle-freely transfer music is well worth it. Of course, depending on it for HiFi uses is much less an option than with the Sharp: that just was perfect audio to me. The Rio is not. Good thing, I've a decent HiFi set to compensate, but still. It has a decent battery of 20hrs, but it can't be replaced and no AA can be attached. We'll see how that play's out.All things considered: I'm happy with my new Rio. It's a decent device that does what I wan't (for the most part). The swith in my paradigm allows me to use a wider variaty of devices. That a plus compared to MD, there's dozens of manufacturers making hunderds of devices: you're bound to at least tolerate one as a portable. Nothing is lost on the HiFi side of things, because of a PC with huge amounts of FLAC and a good soundcard (and a decent AMP and speakers of course). Add that MD is said to be dying...If Sony or preferably Sharp ever strikes back with a new line of compact MD units, a line of HiFi decks and car units, which support a lossless format and can be downloaded in an open fashion (so that, for example, it's compatible with Linux) I'll be back too.Until then, I'll keep insisting on some much-needed changes in the MD format and reap the benefits of alternate formats. I still consider things in previous paragraph stated as th ideal situation.Sony: You've got the winning cards right there in your hands! You've only got to deal them, damnit!I thank you all for enduring this rather lengthy message and may we continue to conduct healthy debate and not rest before Sony, or another smart company, does as we want! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmachine Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 When you compare the sound quality of different devices, do you use the same headphones / HiFi ? I can't imagine any device with horrible sound quality as long as you don't use the stock or similar cheap phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Lifes too short for SonicStage after you've used another player. Personally after using HiMD I wouldn't go back to a realtime unit ever. I use my HiMD for recording and but as a player only occasionally. Takes to long to put music on a disk. For a player I'm currently using a iPod Shuffle and a Zen Micro. Both have excellent SQ, but you have to use higher bitrates (min192kps) usually 256-320kps and encode them using lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted November 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 When you compare the sound quality of different devices, do you use the same headphones / HiFi ? I can't imagine any device with horrible sound quality as long as you don't use the stock or similar cheap phones.Of course I used the same and not the standard headphones. They're Sony MDR EX71's btw. I also hooked it up to my HiFi set.And about the bitrates: I've always been a fan of high quality (thus high bitrates). Old SP versus Lame 3.97b1 preset standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Maybe it was just the player you were using then. Many of them have iffy SQ. I always heard the Rio was ok. never used one myself though, and SQ is subjective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMPlitude Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 i wouldnt touch a rio carbon for my life partly because my friends have in total wrecked about 6 of them because of the flimsy "jog dial" thingjust watch out for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted December 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 I was aware of that before purchase. The wheel is actually quite sturdy. As long as you take a little care not to drop it on the wheel (or not at all, like I do) there's nothing going on. The unit feels pretty solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 I was aware of that before purchase. The wheel is actually quite sturdy. As long as you take a little care not to drop it on the wheel (or not at all, like I do) there's nothing going on. The unit feels pretty solid."don't drop it on the wheel"LOL I'm sure they don't do it deliberately. I thik the problem was not just with dropping it. The Karma also had build quality problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted December 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 "don't drop it on the wheel"LOL I'm sure they don't do it deliberately. I thik the problem was not just with dropping it. The Karma also had build quality problems.Karma =! Carbon. Carbon has no build quality problems (Karma neither btw), a wheel constructed like that just can't handle high falls. Treat it gentile and it's not going to break. Some people are just not that careful, then shit happens. It's your own fault, not Rio's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Lots of clumsy people over on Head-Fi so, and the Rio forums. Well no point worrying it now since they shut down. Not like they are going to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted December 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 Lots of clumsy people over on Head-Fi so, and the Rio forums. Well no point worrying it now since they shut down. Not like they are going to fix it.Forums are no good reflection of the product. Most people will noyl come there when they got a problem. I you look here MD isn't rock solid either (while I've never ever had a glitch). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 No smoke without fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted December 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 Fires are incidental, not common Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky191 Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 So Sonic Stage isn't that buggy so because only the people who complain are on this forum. Everyone else is delighted how brilliant it is. Complainers are probably all cranks, lets dismiss them out of hand. You've made your point, I've made mine, we don't agree. We're probably both right. Have a beer on me...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcabpilot Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 (edited) Maybe I'm not an official 'switcher' but I did just buy a 30 gig ipod for the wife. This is not a minor purchase (at 300 clams) following my recent purchase of an MZ-M100 for myself at roughly the same price. So I've had the opportunity to compare.When it comes to user convienience the ipod is just a tits in your face all out winner. I'm gonna have to say that itunes is also a much better software interface. Keeping the wife satisfied with her old Mz-707 was beginning to be a chore. With the ipod it's easy - it will take her a year or so to get tired of the 8 gig I loaded up over the weekend. No discs, no thickness or bulk. The ipod is a slick unit. But it doesn't have the capabilities of the MZ-M100. There's a lot of music out there and I've listened to the ipod. I'm not gonna spend 99 cents a song when I can rip whole albums analog PCM off of Rhapsody, upload to WAV and convert to AAC and get the same quality.But in todays society there's no room nor time for such nonsense. Today we can buy WWII bomber jackets that look like they went through the 25 missions without us having to do it.cool, eh? Edited December 3, 2005 by kcabpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breepee2 Posted December 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 So Sonic Stage isn't that buggy so because only the people who complain are on this forum. Everyone else is delighted how brilliant it is. Complainers are probably all cranks, lets dismiss them out of hand. You've made your point, I've made mine, we don't agree. We're probably both right. Have a beer on me...!I find keeping my Rio from falling on it's wheel a helluva lot easier than working with SS Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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