[TechGamer]

Hey guys...! 
I recently was just listening to my music on a friend's iPhone... (PS I don't like iPhones...) and I could make out a huge amount of difference in the Audio Quality(Much Better and louder) as compared to my S4... 
So I was think about what could be the BEST Portable Audio Source....
The iPhone....? (I am hesitant to buy it Caz of its software restrictions....)
An iPod Nano or Touch...? (Preferably)
Or Any other Media Player....? (Models Please... I don't know much about others like Fiio and Cowon...) 
 
PS
I would like actual experiences....(Not just Technical Details...)
And I don't want any kind of fan boys....
 
Thanks guys....!  

 

[NZtechfreak]

If you want a phone as your portable music source, and you're not interested in using a portable DAC/amp with the phone, then the iPhones are tough to beat (I'm an Android guy, but had iPhones here and there too).
 
If you're talking all comers then you can go all the way up to the AK240 or Chord Hugo at more than $2000 each...

 

[TechGamer]

Damn...
I was probably looking somewhere around $300...
Anyways how about the iPod...
It's the same thing as an iPhone right... Without the SIM card....
I really really don't want to buy the iPhone...

 

[NZtechfreak]

Or buy a DAC/amp unit to use with the S4?

 

[TechGamer]

Nah... Too clunky...
I use my headphones more on the go...
I have a Fiio e6...
That's the only portable audio equipment I am OK with....

Isn't the sound quality of the iPod the same as the iPhone...?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Whether it's clunky or not depends on the unit in question. I use the Dragonfly 1.2, it's basically an in-line DAC/amp in this scenario.

 

[TechGamer]

But it connects through USB...
And not all my portable tech are compatible....

 

[NZtechfreak]

But it connects through USB...
And not all my portable tech are compatible....

Yes, it connects via USB OTG.

What is your other portable gear, by the way? You didn't mention it. It's not as if the iPod will be compatible with everything else either though. At least the Dragonfly/Herus/whatever will work with your laptop etc.

 

[TechGamer]

I listen to music on the go...
I can't use a lot of equipment...
Which is why I want a good audio source....

 

[NZtechfreak]

Have you seen the Dragonfly? If you're OK with the E6 the Dragonfly shouldn't present difficulties. The Dragonfly and USB OTG cable are easier to carry than an iPod.

But anyways, you seem pretty set on an iPod, so what headphones are you planning to use? I presume something easy to drive, otherwise you'll need an amp with iPod, which detracts from the point a fair bit.

I think for $300 you'd probably get a better DAP than an iPod, I prefer to use my phone as a transport so I don't know how any DAPs sound, perhaps somebody else can chime in on that score?

For reference, here is the Dragonfly, I use it on the go with phone in my pocket:

 

[USHI]

you can try the sound blaster e3, it have both usb and bluetooth and a mic too . alittle bigger than E6.

 

[ericr]

HRT's recently released dSp is probably worth looking into. It's very small and only draws 50 ma of power from your device.

FWIW, I own the HRT Microstreamer for when I travel and am very happy with it as a portable substitute for my Bifrost Uber and Project Ember amp.

http://www.hirestech.com/product/?pid=1675

EDIT: The dSp is just $69.

 

[TechGamer]

The Dragonfly... It's a new thing to me...probably I am a bit not welcoming enough....
But the Audio on my S4 did not nearly compare to my girlfriend's iPhone 5s...
It just blew my mind right off...
But I hate iPhones...they are useless in every other category... That's why I thought of an ipod... I am looking into the the next generation of the touch...
I plan to use the ath m50x or the Sennheiser IE80 (mostly)... Bose qc15

 

[H20Fidelity]

The Dragonfly... It's a new thing to me...probably I am a bit not welcoming enough....
But the Audio on my S4 did not nearly compare to my girlfriend's iPhone 5s...
It just blew my mind right off...
But I hate iPhones...they are useless in every other category... That's why I thought of an ipod... I am looking into the the next generation of the touch...
I plan to use the ath m50x or the Sennheiser IE80 (mostly)... Bose qc15

 
The iPod Touch 4G - 32GB might be what you're looking for, picked up for around $100 used on eBay. Plenty of apps you can install to tweak them, run FLAC, Equalizer apps, they're overall a nice sounding player / device. Good battery life, one that caught my attention enough to purchase as a stand-alone player within my collection for a while. If you want to steer further away from mainstream then FiiO X1 is pretty capable unit for $100. (there is a newer FiiO X3 II coming soon)
 
If you want to spend your full $300 then go for iBasso DX50. 
 
These are the options I would consider in your shoes:
 
iPod Touch 4G (or 5th if you want)
iBasso DX50
FiiO X3 II
FiiO X1
 
The only Cowons I'd bother looking up are either the S9 or J3, both are a little harder to find now. Honestly, if you like the sound of the iPhone you heard then picking up a used 4G Touch will do the job you're after nicely, and leave money to take your girlfriend out somewhere nice.

 

[TechGamer]

Hahaha... I will do that... (take my girlfriend out)
But what about the new Touch...?
The 6th Gen which is speculated to come up....
And thanks a lot for your advice...
Really helped me get to know these things... And...
Moved a step higher in my girlfriend's book....