Disappointed with the S754

[David1]

I've bought an s754 (volume limited) to replace my a808. I'm disappointed with the player:

- Although 15-20 is fine in many cases, the volume is way too low for some pieces. My hearing is fine (checked in Nov. 2010), and I don't want to use the normalizer.

- The audio "scratches" my eardrums (high frequencies?). My ears feel tired. I've never had this problem with my a808 in almost four years. Is it fixable in the service menu (I tried the equalizer)?

- The NC function doesn't work well. It does cancel some sounds, but my cheap Sennheiser IEMs block more noise. At the library, I could clearly hear the noise of pages being turned, and in a windy street, I could barely hear the music.

Edit: I'm listening to "Dire Straits - What It Is". The volume is set to 12 (loud enough for this song), everything is off (equalizer, DSEE, VPE, Clear stereo, normalizer), but it's still doing something I don't like to my ears.

[CrowdAds]

[Just Some Guy]

Are you sure it's not your earphones?

Also, I found that sometimes, you can get noise from the headphone plug if you move or twist the plug around. Could that be causing any kind of interference with your listening?

[David1]

Originally Posted by Just Some Guy

Are you sure it's not your earphones?

Also, I found that sometimes, you can get noise from the headphone plug if you move or twist the plug around. Could that be causing any kind of interference with your listening?

The problem isn't interference due to poor electrical contact. Using the same phones, I can listen to the a808 for hours, but I have to take breaks when using the s754.

I've just found a post about the same thing:

http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...ad.php?t=61645

"... it feels to me that my ears start hurting despite its lower volume. Somehow the sound seems harsher and sharper: the music isn't "smooth" the way I'm used to on my old players ... the singing feels like it comes closer to screeching ...

"... the other issue (sharp music/singing that hurts my ears more) is troubling. ... What could be responsible for the impression of sharpness? In my case, it's somehow more unpleasant than before to listen to the player for an hour ..."

[nodirectionhome]

I can't say I've noticed any such problems with mine and I've owned a few Sony players including an older A series and an A845.

Noise cancelling I haven't tried out - but the included n/c iems are poor-sounding to me, the bass is drab and highs almost non-existent; vocals do indeed sound screechy.

For me, it is the perfect player.

[David1]

I've changed the DAC settings and set the equalizer to 0 1 1 0 -1 -1. It sounds much better to me and it doesn't hurt my ears anymore.

[David1]

Originally Posted by nodirectionhome

I can't say I've noticed any such problems with mine and I've owned a few Sony players including an older A series and an A845.

Noise cancelling I haven't tried out - but the included n/c iems are poor-sounding to me, the bass is drab and highs almost non-existent; vocals do indeed sound screechy.

For me, it is the perfect player.

What IEMs are you using with this player?

[David1]

I'm not sure if it's what I changed in the service menu or if I'm just getting used to the sound, but I'm listening to Robben Ford & the Blue Line (vol. 17, eq. 0 1 1 0 0 0, everything else is off) and I think it sounds good.

[nodirectionhome]

I'm using quite high-end ie8s, but I think you can get pretty good sound out of this player without breaking the budget.

Again, I don't really like the included n/c iems - if you must use the noise cancelling then they're probably ok.

But if you want to step up and appreciate what the Sony can really deliver, then I'd suggest the Hippo Vbs or perhaps the entry level Denons - if you search the forum you will get plenty of recommendations.

[David1]

Thanks.