the difference b/w $100 and $200 discmans

[melcol]

Hi all

Can anyone tell me whether there is any quality difference between a 100 and 200 dollar discman? Sony..in particular ? I know the cheaper ones are made of..maybe cheaper plastic and rubber buttons. But, is there any difference in sound quality? Or .. is it just that style costs a lot more?

Thanks

[Resident Loser]

...IMHO...while build quality may be better...improved shock isolation...the buffers may have more room(helping eliminate skipping or other problems) improved error correction making some error-prone discs more "playable"...longer battery life...using fewer of them...other than that, it's mostly bells and whistles...While I mention DBTs(Double Blind Testing) at my peril, I think you would be hard pressed to do any sort of testing that would reveal any significant audible difference. Further, I am of the opinion that one could connect a Discman-type device into one's home system and would be perfectly satisfied with the results as compared to a "hi-fi component".

Many home units (high-end and otherwise) use basic transports built by a few manufacturers and they all read zeros and ones in pretty much the same way...it's after the reading/decoding process that some design "subtleties" might take place, creating a specific "sonic signature"...and then of course it's how the unit is "packaged" and marketed. Generally, the same goes for portable units.

I have a real cheapo($7.00 after rebate) GPX portable from Sears with $5 Koss 'phones from Wal-Mart, a MOTR JVC DVD/CD player and a "component" Onkyo CD changer...they all do their job well enough that I have never been tempted to do any real comparison(blind or otherwise) between them...they all produce satisfying sound, only limited by the quality of the program material.

Of course, there are those who will say I'm just comparing cr@p vs. junk, but since digital is basically an "appliance" and a flawed medium to begin with, I see no real reason to seek "the Grail".

jimHJJ(...it's simply more convenient...Oh, mon Dieu! such sacrilege...)

[paul_pci]

The ultimate difference will be in the pain. For instance, you will kick yourself harder for spending $200 on a plastic piece of crap than you will for the $100. Plus, if you're contemplating spending $200 on a portable, you might as well step up to the iPod. And there's no room for the usual nonsense that you want CD quality sound because you can rip your CDs through a lossless protocol with iTunes and then transfer it to the iPod.

[This Guy]

but then the file size would be about 5 times bigger, so you would get about 5 times less songs on there. But I do see what you're saying, don't pay that much for a discman

[markw]

...tha headphones will ultimately determine the quality of what you hear. For portable use, I've always liked the RatShack $40 titanium (Nova 25/35?) ones that go on sale for half price quite often.

Now that was just about the best $20 I've ever spent on any sound system when you compare the before and after listening.

Markw (Jim.. .you listening, buddy?)

[paul_pci]

...tha headphones will ultimately determine the quality of what you hear. For portable use, I've always liked the RatShack $40 titanium (Nova 25/35?) ones that go on sale for half price quite often.

Now that was just about the best $20 I've ever spent on any sound system when you compare the before and after listening.

Markw (Jim.. .you listening, buddy?)

I agree that headphones are an important element, especially to avoid listening fatigue, but come on, these Sony discmans are junk and they breakdown easily.

[music_addict]

Hi all

Can anyone tell me whether there is any quality difference between a 100 and 200 dollar discman? Sony..in particular ? I know the cheaper ones are made of..maybe cheaper plastic and rubber buttons. But, is there any difference in sound quality? Or .. is it just that style costs a lot more?

Thanks

In terms of sound quality, it is your headphones that account for alot of it. If your not looking to jog, get a moderatly priced cd player, lets say a sony dnf420, and pair it up with a set of sennheiser px100's. These little over the head phones are dynamite, and will make a world of difference in sound. They will compete with alot of larger home stereo models, but are small and collapsible. Crisp sound and deep bass, this would be a good combo, for around $150.