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All posts tagged "quality"


Saturday, July 12, 2008

Do All MP3 Players Sound Alike?

Posted by Adam Krebs in "Digital Home Talk" @ 08:45 AM

http://mobilitysite.com/2008/07/do-...ers-sound-alike

"Recently I read a review of an mp3 player where the author purposely chose not to discuss sound quality because, in the author’s words, 'The chosen player has a great deal to do with how you access your music, but very little to do with how it sounds…' That got me thinking. Do all mp3 players sound alike? They are all digital, so it’s the same 1’s and 0’s playing the music, so how can there be a difference in sound quality? I have tested some mp3 players myself and have noticed drastic differences. I have trouble believing that mp3 players don’t influence sound quality that much. They have different components, circuitry, software and build tolerances, so how can there not be a difference?"

Mobility Site's Steve Laser writes on a very important topic in the portable media player discussion. I seem to recall that in 2001 when the iPod came out, other players on the market were focusing on more faithfully recreating their digital sound and used higher-quality audio parts and software decoders. The iPod on the other hand, was more focused on affordability and battery life, and went the "walkman" route in supporting a technology that was "good enough" for most people. Laser poses the question to audiophiles and tech reviewers from around the net, with surprising variance in their responses.


Wednesday, May 23, 2007

4 Out of 6 Prefer the Sound of the Zune Over the iPod

Posted by Damion Chaplin in "Zune Hardware" @ 05:00 PM

http://www.cliczune.com/2007/05/audio_quality_r.html

"Which one is better? The Zune or the iPod? Difficult to say but CNET-Crave found a way to avoid fan bias. They did a simple "Coke-Pepsi challenge" with people in the street. Participants had to listen to each player and tell them which one sounds the best. Of course, just like the old "Coke-Pepsi challenge", they didn’t know what player they were listening to. Results of the test: iPod: 2 and Zune: 4. So, based on a very small number of people, the Zune has a much better sound quality."

Much as I love the Zune (and dislike all things Apple), I think it would have a little more fair to ask a few more people. Like maybe 10? In any case, I'm glad to see the Zune hold its own in a 'blind' listening test. So, do you concur? Do you find the Zune to have superior sound quality to the iPod? I know the sound quality of the Zune is very good, but I've never owned an iPod to compare it to...


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