|
|
The best-sounding MP3 players
The Source: CNet Reviews, 2006
Full article here
A group of CNET editors listened to a lineup of high-profile, high-capacity MP3 players and rated them based on sound quality. Purely a subjective (though blind) comparison, the experiment involved listening to high-quality MP3s in a variety of genres on players set at factory settings.
What sounds good to human ears may not necessarily sound good to a hard-core audio analyzer, which is able to detect noise, distortion, and other signals that are not true to the original audio source material. And thanks to the folks at Audio Precision, we were able to borrow an ATS-2A in order to test a group of MP3 players in an objective manner.
For our initial test series, we pitted 13 popular MP3 players against one another. Rather than testing each player at maximum volume (which differs widely among brands and models but also offers the best performance of an individual player), we analyzed a test tone at a consistent volume of -9.5dBV to 11.0dBV--on the loud side of typical listening levels--so that we could better compare players. We will publish results from the former methodology as well as results from additional players in the future.
All in all, the results at the high end aren't shocking, with the Archos Gmini 402 Camcorder, the Samsung YP-Z5, and the Apple iPod Shuffle performing the best overall. A positive surprise includes the Sony PSP, while the iRiver models ranked the lowest, despite our subjective opinions of the T10 and U10 being much higher. Audio quality starts with the player's audio processor (DSP) and the audio file. Apple's iPod Nano famously use a PortalPlayer chip, the Shuffle and the Samsung utilize a Sigmatel chip, and Cowon's iAudio U3 and SanDisk's c100 series use processors from Telechips. But the way a player is constructed (in other words, if there is LCD or hard drive electrical interference) will affect overall sound as well. Stay tuned as we continue to update these charts with MP3 players, PVPs, cell phones, and other audio playback devices.
Earlier in 2006, SPIRIT's MP3 codec fine-tuned for the ARM9E(TM) processor family had been successfully integrated into SigmaTel STMP36XX SoC (System on Chip). SPIRIT MP3 codec is proven to show the highest performance on ARM platforms (peak resource consumption is less then 10 MIPS). This feature has made it possible to achieve less than 45 mW total system power consumption while playing 128 Kbps MP3 on the chip, providing significantly longer battery life for the end-users.
Learn more >>
Signal-to-noise ratio
Not surprisingly, the Creative Zen Vision:M came out on top of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) heap. Basically, the higher the SNR, the less background hiss you'll perceive. The Creative Zen Vision:M has a rated SNR as high as 98dB, one of the most impressive figures we've seen or heard. Samsung's YP-Z5 and Cowon's iAudio X5 performed admirably, though humans will hardly notice the difference between the top nine players. We thought the more intriguing results were the relatively low SNRs of the Cowon iAudio U3 and the iRiver U10, both considered good-sounding players. Notice that the Apple iPod family has a relatively high SNR--interesting because Apple doesn't publish iPod SNRs and because many users dog the iPod for its poor audio quality.
Distortion
Distortion is a measurement of the total distortion and noise relative to the output level; higher absolute numbers are better. In this test, the Apple iPod Shuffle and the Samsung YP-Z5 performed admirably, while both iRiver models and the Cowon iAudio X5 ended up at the back of the pack.
|
