Small hi-res player?

No answer, so I'll report my own findings. First, if you haven't tried listening to vinyl outdoors, try it. Cheaper than a health studio. The sweet spot no longer means only the listening chair.

Cowon's new O2 player is supposed to be able to play 96/24 files directly, yet it is a bit big, and I want to see some user reports first. The best sound is DSD, and I am investing in a Korg MR-1. It seems that the new Oppo will be able to play DSD discs.

hello

I agree that 16bit/44,1kHz (old rbcd) is not enough for music (it was never enough), and especially today when storage media (hard drives, SACD discs, DVD discs) allow for recording music in full resolution (DSD or PCM 24/96) hi-rez is a must in any hi-fi system, but never thought about playing high definition music through portable player :)

Have you listened to any hi-rez music on portable player yet? I'm very curious whether there's a difference between hi-rez files and standard consumer formats played on portable player

I do know I enjoy my 24/96 vinyl rips even downsampled to 16/44, and since these sound much better than CDs (on the Cowon D2), I have little doubt that the original 24/96 would sound better still (and, according to what people say, DSD to 24/96 another notch up). Note, good earphones are needed to appreciate the differences; I use the Shure E3 (moving around) and sometimes Sennheiser HD600 (sitting down).

I've finally invested in a DSD recorder, Korg Mr-1, following advice here on Audiogon. Like other users I enjoy the results. Even downsampled. The Korg Mr-1 DSD recordings sound noticeably better than my first PCM 24/96 solution - larger soundscape, more detail, better sculpturation of musical sound, improved treble, although not perfect - some digital glare remains, but much reduced. The main effect is improvement due to the higher information level. I use Shure E3 earplugs and Sennheiser HD600 headphones, comparing.

So, not just hi-res PCM, but DSD playback ability - that would be the dream small portable. I think this is a case of making business listen up to emerging general public demand.

Re Audioholik question:

Have you listened to any hi-rez music on portable player yet?

I have listened over the last months, jogging and walking. With a mixed repertoire on cd and vinyl recordings on the Cowon, I tend to skip the cd tracks. They don't give the same energy, musical feel and excitement as the vinyl. This is especially evident on the best vinyl (e g., the new Genesis 70-75 remastered LPs). Of course, the benefits of vinyl recordings will vary with the quality of the vinyl rig, - the pickup, arm, player and preamp, and the record itself. But from my experience, most of the benefits described here can be achieved on a moderate level of investment.