SunnyBoi said:
Well I'm a newbie idiot who says a Clip+ sounds better than a D2. I've sued UE triple fi 10, AT ESW9, Denon D5000 and for every headphone, the clip+ sounded better.
What would you like to have? a player that sounds good on paper or a player that sounds good in your ears?
^Sunny, sound is very subjective - and what sounds better to you, will not sound as good to someone else. It's not about the equipment, although we have access to very good equipment. It's also about your ears, and how well trained they are to instruments. Nothing teaches you music like being a musician...you'll never know how that note would sound till you produce it.
I have not tested a Sansa Clip so I cannot comment. I have, however, owned a Cowon D2 4 GB and an Apple iPod Touch - and can definitely comment on these. In my opinion, the iPod Touch has a touch more detail to the highs and a touch less warmth to the bass. Now this, IMO is not a bias - for it is the D2 that has a slight bias towards bass and against treble. This is because Cowon wanted an intimate mid-range - slightly more lush than the Touch or Classic (haven't spent much time with other pods). The graininess in the highs in some tracks with the D2s that I have tested is a result of it rolling off before the frequency of the note is hit (highs), but the reason is speculation on my part, though the problem is noticeable with some tracks.
The Touch also resolves some finer detail better, and less underlines certain guitar notes (like Clapton), where the D2 tries injects emotiveness, the Touch is more honest. This seems more accurate for someone who has played such musical instruments, for you know when you're listening to something that wasn't meant to be there. Try playing organ symphonies on the D2 and you'll find a few more flaws.
@ your answer - I would rather have a neutral player (source) and add other components to make a bias. After all, you may use your PMP with just cans, some might use an amp and cans. If you start with a warm player (for example) and add a warm amp and then warm cans - you get the picture?
^Desecrator (Gannu) - I'm surprised...You're not picking anything apart, because you simply don't seem to know enough to do so, or are being obtuse. I have not tried to be derogatory about anyones gear. Besides, on topic of bad mouthing the GTX 480 - I just tested two and was pretty impressed - their dissipation apart

If I were to conclude results as I felt like, I'd have to seek a job as a software programmer or something
Did I criticise a can or DAC you bought? I reiterate: If it's a DAC, and it's under 400$ - it's crap to me lol. Obviously nobody was born with such gear, though my dad loves his audio gear too, but some of us move up the chain - some don't...You sound like a disgruntled woman
@ blr_p - he can't find anything / doesn't know enough to nit, so he chooses to gripe about it, and is trying to make it seem like a flaunt on my part, which is wasn't. BTW there's something about CD players and listening to music on a disc that makes it sound so much better. I love my CD player too, and am upgrading it. Their DACs are pretty simple things, but since they're dedicated components, they do their job really well. No arguments

You should take your CDs and go to a CambridgeAudio, Denon and Marantz outlet and try their CD players - wonderful. I spent a happy weekend doing this...
@ Greenhorn, I used the sound meter app at first, this was with no load.
Then I proceeded to use a high sensitivity microphone loaned to me by a friend. With this, the load was a Grado SR225. I loved the mic - this thing actually picked up a whisper in a 15 x 12 room. It was a Sennheiser, forget the model, could ask the guy and tell you if you want to know.
@ Haste - iAudio 7 is good VFM. iTunes is sh1t, tell me about it...