Okay, I’ve played endlessly with the custom equalizer settings and the pre-sets on my Fuze+. The sound quality is still muffled. The sound lacks brightness/crispness, especially the highs. The bass is muddy. Its as if the sound is emanating from under a blanket!
I’ve tried both the stock headphones and noise-reduction head phones I own, which sound much better with my old Archos player. Before I splurge on replacement earbuds/phones, am I going to get any improvement in the sound quality? Somehow I don’t think so since I can’t get a brighter, crisper sound with my current phones. And I do want tight, full bass!
Appreciate any suggestions on adjusting the sound settings in the Fuze+ and/or better phones/earbuds.
Any more information about file format/quality, headphones, etc?
Yeah, that could make a difference; file format, bit-rate, etc. If you’re listening to 128kbps .mp3 files then yes, there’s so much of the music data already missing I could see where you might be dis-satisfied with the sound quality.
However, if your files are 256 kbps .mp3’s (or higher) or maybe FLAC, then you should be getting exceptional sound quality.
Are you sure the headphone plug is fully inserted? On Sandisk players the headphone jack is very tight when new, and it may take a bit of force to get the plug all the way in.
I’m using mp3 files that vary from 256 and higher. The sound quality on my previous Archos player was exceptional. So, I don’t believe the mp3 files are the cause of the muddy sound in the Fuze+.
However, my original post may imply the sound is so muddy that the music is un-listenable. That’s not true – it’s listenable, but not as bright as it should be, IMO.
Yes, the headphone plug is inserted all the way. I just think the stock phones are not very good quality to begin with. When I plug the Fuze+ into my home stereo, the sound is much improved (not near as muddy).
Never say never, hehe. The purpose of the EQ is to compensate for variations in listening tastes, and most importantly, to correct for variations in reproduction. Very few headphones sound alike, with some being more sensitive to bass, and others having a more “forward” or midrange-emphasized sound.
Start a favorite track playing, and go to Settings > Equalizer. Try various settings to see if one of the presets are tto your liking. Personally, I like the Jazz one best overall. You can also select Custom and try the individual volume sliders to make adjustments.
Yes, I agree the Jazz equalizer setting is the best pre-set overall. Even the custom equalizer settings can’t quite match the Jazz setting.
Also, I replaced the stock earphones with Sony MDR-EX310LP ear bud headphones, which improved the listening quality significantly. The muddiness is all but gone. The highs are crisper & clearer. The bass is good, but not superlative (could use a bit more oomph/definition).
Personally, I as far as earbuds go, I strongly recommend Sony and particulerly like my MDR-EX58 headphones. They are a night and day difference from the included earbuds.
