By Clay Valarezo
Chief DAP-a-holic Officer (CDO)
Introduction
Where do I begin with this post? I have written maybe
a dozen DAP reviews on Amazon, where I get on my soap box about how sound is
NOT the feature that users should be prioritizing when purchasing a DAP. So, I
feel a bit weird for posting about sound quality in the following few words.
There is just something about Cowon devices that sound
good to my ears. The Plenue D, Plenue R, and the Plenue J
(my favorite sounding device PERIOD) all sound so good to me, and I don’t know
why. So, I figured that I would give the Cowon iAudio 32 GB a shot. I mean why
not?
From a sound perspective, like all of its Cowon
relatives, the Cowon iAudio sounds great to my ears. I know, shocking! I
can’t say this is because they all utilize the same electronics, as the guts of
all the devices that I have listed, rely on different DAC/AMP chips. So, maybe
it is just the way the device is designed by Cowon engineers? I will never
know, I fear.
The FiiO M3 Pro, on the other hand, at least to my
ears has a harsher sound. In that case, why do I keep writing about it? I feel
that this device offers the best in class features for the price, and its EQ
CAN be adjusted… just not the extent of the Cowon iAudio.
The Why?
Why did I buy the Cowon iAudio in the first place?
Despite my curiosity for how it sounded, the iAudio is the only device in its
price range that offers internal storage. For a high-resolution audio device
that is priced in the budget level, this is impressive. Internal storage is one
of the features that companies like FiiO, Shanling, Cayin, and Hiby avoid
addressing as a means of cutting costs of their players.
The version that I purchased was the Cowon iAudio 32
GB, but they no longer offer it on Amazon, so I will link to the 128 GB version
for your viewing pleasure.
The Reason for this Post
I want to give readers a sense of where to spend the
next $100 of their gas money, so that they can continue to perpetuate their
DAP-a-holic urges. There are two camps that these devices represent. The camp
that prioritizes functionality (M3 Pro), and the camp that is always searching
for premium sound “on-a-budget (Cowon iAudio).” Let’s look at these two camps
separately, and then I will let you decide where to spend your finances,
funding your unhealthy addiction to the sound hobby.
The Functionality Camp: FiiO M3 Pro is the
Clear Winner
FiiO M3 Pro
I won’t give you an overblown list on all the functional benefits of the M3 Pro; I will focus on the features that matter the most to me.
First, the M3 Pro has a superior user experience; it
has a touch screen, audio recorder, e-book reader, and calculator (I know, that
darn calculator again). The iAudio has a touch-capacitive scroller, but it is
awkward to use.
Second, there is VERY LITTLE lag compared to notorious
lag monsters, like say, the Cowon Plenue D and J. The iAudio is not a lag sloth
by any means—it is quite snappy—but its interface looks dated, and not modern
at all.
Third, and even with all of these features, FiiO has
found a way to offer a device that operates through long periods of usage.
Typically, I get 13 hours of battery life on this lil’ guy (not lil’ gal, that
would sound weird). I get roughly 8 hours of battery life on the iAudio.
The Sound Camp: The Cowon iAudio is the
Clear Winner
Cowon iAudio
I will reiterate. I don’t like expressing my opinion
of sound quality as I feel that everyone listens to audio differently. In other
words, just because I argue that the Cowon iAudio sounds amazing, DOES NOT mean
that you will feel (or should feel) the same way. So please don’t take my
opinion on this subject too heavily. With that said…
The Cowon iAudio has the enormous benefit of a
well-structure and abundantly rich equalizer. The EQ is called JetEffects 5 and
BBE, and HOLY SH$T, the settings sound great, and are incredibly useful. There
is so much “punch” in the rock setting that I always forget that I am listening
to a $100 device. Wow!
My only criticism of the M3 Pro is its harsh sound
quality. I can’t imagine the benefits it would have it had JetEffects installed
as its EQ software. Yes, the M3 Pro has an EQ, but the settings are unusable.
They are not special in any way.
Conclusion
If you had to choose where to spend your next $100,
you first need to decide what camp you reside; are you a function kind-of guy
or gal, or do you prefer solely sound quality?
Right now, my preference leans towards the M3 Pro, but
that is only because I am partial towards functionality/battery life. I imagine
that most of you are sound campers, as the pivotal idea behind high-resolution
DAPs is sound-oriented.
Just to be clear, I own both devices, and I use them
in the same context: to exercise or fart around the house. As you might expect,
the flavor of the week for me has been the M3 Pro… I love this thing! But the
sound of the iAudio though…
Do you need either device if you already own multiple
devices or have a flagship DAP? No, you don’t. But, hey. We are all hopelessly
addicted to this hobby, so is another DAP going to hurt us? I think not!
At this point, I still don’t have a call-to-action.
Shoot an email if you are interested in sharing ideas about this obsession of high-resolution
music listening. I am totally pumped about this subject, and I bet y’all are
also. Until next time, stay listening!
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