3X0
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2006
- Posts
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This is going to be pretty short and sweet. I'll flesh it out later once my new portable set-up is complete (waiting on one item).
It looks great. The only problem is that while it comes with protective film on its front and back, it also has stickers on the back that were a pain to remove. I ended up with some sticky residue from the stickers that I can't quite scrape off with my fingernails (which leads me to ask: does anyone know of anything to get rid of the adhesive?). Nonetheless, it's very shiny and eye-catching. I chose black and I couldn't be happier about its looks (though I could do without the sticker residue on the back).
The screen on this thing is absolutely beautiful. If I had to hazard a comparison I'd say it's at least as good as the iPod 5.5G. It's 2.4" on diagonal and it's just fantastic. It absolutely KILLS the X5's screen in every possible way.
The touch pad is VERY finicky and extremely sensitive. It has a perceptible learning curve and gets easier with use. Despite its advanced-ness I prefer the joystick of the X5.
As for sound: when I first played music through it, I was amazed. However, as I cycled through more and more music, I grew curious. Some songs sounded "processed." I checked the settings, and sure enough, effects were enabled. I disabled all effects and tried again. It still sounded pretty good out of the headphone out. There's a thickness and vivacity to the sound that's very pleasing, and it's extremely loud. Anything higher than 5 (out of 40 digital volume steps) is unbearably loud on my KSC-75. It's very full-sounding and well-rounded. I'd say through the headphone-out it's almost as good as my X5, just lacking a little in detail. Its separation is better than the X5, and it also has a more intimate soundstage. It's also, step-for-step (they have the same number of digital volume steps), at least twice as loud.
For whatever reason, this all changes with an amp. I tested both through their headphone-outs at maximum volume with no effects and flat EQ. I used a Canare StarQuad interconnect terminated in 3.5mm Neutrik plugs. My amp of choice was the Go-Vibe V5.
When amped, the Miniplayer is a VERY dark sounding player, moreso than my X5. The hint of detail loss (in comparison to the X5) becomes more vast. It devolves an understated treble that successfully hammers the impression of less detail. Its mids and lows are more than fine, but its treble is quite lacking and recessed. Separation and soundstage become very disappointing (bad). It's actually rather surprising. In hindsight, I think the M6 may sound better without an amp than with!
I'm kind of disappointed as I was very much prepared to pair the MiniPlayer up with a nice amplifier for on the go use. I'm still keeping it, though, as its tiny and its headphone-out quality is pretty good, so I guess it can be a true pocketable portable.
My M6 MiniPlayer is the 4GB SP (Samsung screen) version, with the 2.001.1 firmware.
It looks great. The only problem is that while it comes with protective film on its front and back, it also has stickers on the back that were a pain to remove. I ended up with some sticky residue from the stickers that I can't quite scrape off with my fingernails (which leads me to ask: does anyone know of anything to get rid of the adhesive?). Nonetheless, it's very shiny and eye-catching. I chose black and I couldn't be happier about its looks (though I could do without the sticker residue on the back).
The screen on this thing is absolutely beautiful. If I had to hazard a comparison I'd say it's at least as good as the iPod 5.5G. It's 2.4" on diagonal and it's just fantastic. It absolutely KILLS the X5's screen in every possible way.
The touch pad is VERY finicky and extremely sensitive. It has a perceptible learning curve and gets easier with use. Despite its advanced-ness I prefer the joystick of the X5.
As for sound: when I first played music through it, I was amazed. However, as I cycled through more and more music, I grew curious. Some songs sounded "processed." I checked the settings, and sure enough, effects were enabled. I disabled all effects and tried again. It still sounded pretty good out of the headphone out. There's a thickness and vivacity to the sound that's very pleasing, and it's extremely loud. Anything higher than 5 (out of 40 digital volume steps) is unbearably loud on my KSC-75. It's very full-sounding and well-rounded. I'd say through the headphone-out it's almost as good as my X5, just lacking a little in detail. Its separation is better than the X5, and it also has a more intimate soundstage. It's also, step-for-step (they have the same number of digital volume steps), at least twice as loud.
For whatever reason, this all changes with an amp. I tested both through their headphone-outs at maximum volume with no effects and flat EQ. I used a Canare StarQuad interconnect terminated in 3.5mm Neutrik plugs. My amp of choice was the Go-Vibe V5.
When amped, the Miniplayer is a VERY dark sounding player, moreso than my X5. The hint of detail loss (in comparison to the X5) becomes more vast. It devolves an understated treble that successfully hammers the impression of less detail. Its mids and lows are more than fine, but its treble is quite lacking and recessed. Separation and soundstage become very disappointing (bad). It's actually rather surprising. In hindsight, I think the M6 may sound better without an amp than with!
I'm kind of disappointed as I was very much prepared to pair the MiniPlayer up with a nice amplifier for on the go use. I'm still keeping it, though, as its tiny and its headphone-out quality is pretty good, so I guess it can be a true pocketable portable.
My M6 MiniPlayer is the 4GB SP (Samsung screen) version, with the 2.001.1 firmware.
