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Thread: PMP recommendations sought

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 138
    I'm Simon.

    Default PMP recommendations sought

    Hi everyone,
    I'm after recommendations for a new personal music player. I've been looking at reviews on the internet of course but most fail to mention at least one of the features that is important to me so it's a very slow and painful process. I'm hoping that by posting my list of must-have features here you'll be able to tell me whether the PMP you use has them all. Even if it doesn't it would be useful to tell me which features it doesn't have so that I can rule it out. Before I list the features I need to mention sound quality of course. I'm not going to be using it in a critical listening environment or connected to my main hi-fi so it doesn't have to be the highest of high fidelity players. However, it does need to sound reasonably good. My current PMP is a Sony NWZ-A818 and for the environments where I use it, this sounds good enough to me. If it supported gapless playback and was able to charge from USB while playing music at the same time I might not be posting this message. In terms of budget, I'm expecting to spend somewhere between £100 and £150. I know that's at the bottom end of the market for decent PMPs but as mentioned above - I'm not looking for something earth-shattering.

    Must-have features
    - Reasonable sound quality (see above)
    - Charge from USB while playing
    - USB for file transfers
    - Not require any proprietary software on the PC for transferring files
    - Gapless playback
    - Line out and headphone out (these can be the same socket if the level can be switched)
    - Either a large capacity or an expansion slot

    Nice to have features
    - Bluetooth
    - Non-proprietary connectors (the NWZ-A818 I currently have uses the USB protocol but has a non-standard connector at the PMP end which means that if I ever lose it then replacing it could be tricky and possibly expensive)
    - Video playback
    - Lossless audio playback

    Doesn't need
    - A touchscreen interface
    - AptX (My other Bluetooth devices don't support this anyway)
    - Headphones (I already have some nice ones) but it DOES need a proper headphone socket (see above)

    Many thanks in anticipation ...

    Simon.
    System 1: Marantz CD6000OSE, Beresford TC-7520, Marantz PM6010OSE, QED QNect II interconnect, Dual CS505 Mk3 turntable with Audiotechnica AT110E cartridge, Denon DRM-700A cassette deck, biwired B&W 685 S2 speakers on sand-filled Atacama SE24 supports.
    System 2: Marantz M-CR610, JPW Gold Monitors, Chord C-Screen speaker cables, NAS drive.
    System 3 (portable): Cayin N3
    My website: Foxysounds website
    My music: Foxysounds music

  2. #2
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: Glastonbury, UK

    Posts: 1,118
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Tricky set of requirements for the price but I think the Shanling M1 has most of that and is in budget.
    iFi ZEN Stream/TV/CXC >> RME ADI2 DAC >> XTZ Edge A2-300 >> Rogers LS8a

    PC >> Hugo 2 >> iFi Pro iCAN Sig >> Raal-Requisite CA-1a

  3. #3
    Join Date: Feb 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 138
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Thanks Chris - I'll check that out. I've also found another I think - the Cayin N3. Does anyone have any thoughts on that one?
    System 1: Marantz CD6000OSE, Beresford TC-7520, Marantz PM6010OSE, QED QNect II interconnect, Dual CS505 Mk3 turntable with Audiotechnica AT110E cartridge, Denon DRM-700A cassette deck, biwired B&W 685 S2 speakers on sand-filled Atacama SE24 supports.
    System 2: Marantz M-CR610, JPW Gold Monitors, Chord C-Screen speaker cables, NAS drive.
    System 3 (portable): Cayin N3
    My website: Foxysounds website
    My music: Foxysounds music

  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: Glastonbury, UK

    Posts: 1,118
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Head-Fi is probably the best place to research these things: https://www.head-fi.org/forums/portable-source-gear.15/
    iFi ZEN Stream/TV/CXC >> RME ADI2 DAC >> XTZ Edge A2-300 >> Rogers LS8a

    PC >> Hugo 2 >> iFi Pro iCAN Sig >> Raal-Requisite CA-1a

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 138
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Thanks Chris. I've had a bit of a read about the Shanling M1 and the Cayin N3 and there doesn't appear to be much to choose between them. However, as I've just managed to pick up an N3 for £77 new on eBay I guess I would be foolish not to try that one first :-) If I don't like it I can always sell it on...

    Thanks again,

    Simon.
    System 1: Marantz CD6000OSE, Beresford TC-7520, Marantz PM6010OSE, QED QNect II interconnect, Dual CS505 Mk3 turntable with Audiotechnica AT110E cartridge, Denon DRM-700A cassette deck, biwired B&W 685 S2 speakers on sand-filled Atacama SE24 supports.
    System 2: Marantz M-CR610, JPW Gold Monitors, Chord C-Screen speaker cables, NAS drive.
    System 3 (portable): Cayin N3
    My website: Foxysounds website
    My music: Foxysounds music

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2014

    Location: KY - Scotland

    Posts: 5,465
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Moto X Play smartphone

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