behavior of custom EQ?

MP3 players Sansa Clip | Clip+
1

Hi all, can anybody help explain the behavior of the Clip+'s custom EQ?

If I make a tiny change away from all-flat (ie, raise bass one notch), there is a significant change to the sound, but then no similar significant change if I keep going (ie, raise bass a second notch).

Is it that the all-flat setting in the Clip+ has a special behavior (ie, EQ circuit disengaged) – and, if so, does using EQ then reduce the sound quality? 

2

The equilizer on the Clip+ seems to work by subtraction. When you boost a certain frequency, it seems to subtract from the other frequencies rather than boosting the one you want boosted. Using the equilizer will also greatly decrease battery life. I suggest that you don’t use it.

3

@turnstyle wrote:

Hi all, can anybody help explain the behavior of the Clip+'s custom EQ?

 

If I make a tiny change away from all-flat (ie, raise bass one notch), there is a significant change to the sound, but then no similar significant change if I keep going (ie, raise bass a second notch).

 

Is it that the all-flat setting in the Clip+ has a special behavior (ie, EQ circuit disengaged) – and, if so, does using EQ then reduce the sound quality? 

The  custom EQ is  not implemented well at all. It’s best not to use it, unless the headphones you are using are really bad and need help. All flat is the same as having the EQ set on “Normal”, and that is the best sound you’re likely to get. I would suggest trying a different headphone, if possible.

4

I wouldn’t agree on that - the sound of “normal” EQ does not sound the best nor natural no matter, what some of reviewers are writting. I am an audiophile and I’ve heard a lot of music systems and not one of them which sounds natural does not sound as Clip on “neutral” EQ. Clip is after all just a piece of plastic to make you company on the subway and not a serious gear to listen music. So if you feel EQ makes your music more listenable just use it no matter what. I’m using it on my Clip.

5

@giltic wrote:
I wouldn’t agree on that - the sound of “normal” EQ does not sound the best nor natural no matter, what some of reviewers are writting. I am an audiophile and I’ve heard a lot of music systems and not one of them which sounds natural does not sound as Clip on “neutral” EQ. Clip is after all just a piece of plastic to make you company on the subway and not a serious gear to listen music. So if you feel EQ makes your music more listenable just use it no matter what. I’m using it on my Clip.

What sounds so unnatural about it? and what headphones are you using to make this determination? And if it’s just a piece of plastic, why do people use $1,000+ headphones with them so often?

Message Edited by Marvin_Martian on 11-09-2009 04:04 PM

6

$1,000+ headphones with an mp3 player? I doubt you will find headphones over $500 that can be powered by a Sandisk mp3 player without using an external amp.

7

@jk98 wrote:
$1,000+ headphones with an mp3 player? I doubt you will find headphones over $500 that can be powered by a Sandisk mp3 player without using an external amp.

2 examples come to mind…fuze_owner-GB has used his Grado GS-1000 headphones with a Sandisk player (all the Grados are 32ohm impedance) , and dfkt and WalkGood over at ABI have both used their UE11 Pros ( $1150 ) with the Clip. 

8

You can connect whatever you like to the Clip if the Clip is capable driving it. You could connect it as a source to your amp and try playing through your loudspeakers. If your system is reasonably good you would just hear it sound harsh on hights, lacking bass, compressed and not clear image, unnaturaly forwarded and echoed mids on “normal”, rather syntetic sound of instruments … etc.

But don’t get me wrong, Clip sounds very good as mp3 player - I’m listening to Clip every day at work. It also sounds good through my Cmoy amp. Just let we all get real - Clip just can not compare to serious gear soundwise; no mp3 player can. So let we all stay on the ground, shall we.

9

@giltic wrote:

Just let we all get real - Clip just can not compare to serious gear soundwise; no mp3 player can. So let we all stay on the ground, shall we.

I disagree with you there – it’s just not correct to say that no mp3 player can compare to hi-end gear. For example, if your comment was about mp3 files, fine, but note that the Clip (and many other players) support lossless formats. Also, many players support digital out – and even though the Clip does not, it provides a very clean and quiet sound.

10

@turnstyle wrote:

@giltic wrote:

Just let we all get real - Clip just can not compare to serious gear soundwise; no mp3 player can. So let we all stay on the ground, shall we.

 

 

I disagree with you there – it’s just not correct to say that no mp3 player can compare to hi-end gear. For example, if your comment was about mp3 files, fine, but note that the Clip (and many other players) support lossless formats. Also, many players support digital out – and even though the Clip does not, it provides a very clean and quiet sound.

I agree…when I had my Clip and Fuze, if I had FLAC files on them, and ran them into my home stereo, the only discernible  difference from the CD in my CD player was output volume…I would have to increase the receiver volume with Sansa (EQ Normal) as source to match the CD volume.

11

No, I was not talking about mp3 format. If you connect the Clip to your home stereo and hear no difference from CD player it does not necessarily means, that the Clip plays equaly good as any CD player or if you like any combination of a transport and external DAC with reasonably good connection cables. The better the music system, the more you hear. On my dads vintage (old and lo-life) system a can barely hear the difference between a CD and tape deck. In my system I can clearly hear huge difference between TDA 1543 and PCM1794 DAC. If I for instance replace the output caps from say Wima MKP to Audyn Cap MKP on my TDA1543 DAC I can hear big difference. I can hear a difference between LM3875 (so called gainclone) amp, Aleph 3 amp and EL 34 single ended 3W tube amp. But if I put in my system my first amp (Aiwa A-X950) which was very expensive that time around here I can not hear a **bleep** difference between Yamada 6700 cheap DVD player and my first CD player Pioneer PD-S 904, which was also very expensive that time.

And why not? Because expensive Aiwa is so lousy amp. So, If I put in my system my Aiwa amp and connect it to my first loudspeakers Jamo 307 I can also hear no difference between Yamada DVD, Clip (mp3 or anything else) and Pioneer CD (I have lousy amp and lousy loudspeakers in my music chain - how could I expect to hear a difference?). So my conclusion would be, that the Clip plays equaly good as Pioneer or Yamada.

Sorry guys for all that writings; I’m just killing time; don’t take me too seriously. Clip and Clip+ are fine players  but unfortunately can not be substitution for a serious music source. Oh; I totaly forgot to mention vinyl turntable with good RIAA phono preamp - totaly different sound.