D2 in the car or on the motorcycle/ Sound Issues

[jjr]

I decided that I would get a smaller player for my GL1800 Goldwing, my previous player was the Zen Nomad Jukebox extra. The Zen always sounded fantastic in the bike, all I had to do it turn the volume all the way up and plug it into the Mp3 audio plug that is built into the bike.

So when I was the D2 and read the ad on how it was a high out put player and had long battery life i decided to get one.

Well today I turned the D2 all the way up and turned on the bikes amp and they thing did not even sound close to what my old trusty Zen Extra did. i did screw around with all the equlizer settings starting with Norm, then to Pop and Rock and even went into (user) I thing where it lets you adjust the equlizer manually! No luck with that either.

Also I tried turning the D2 down a bit thinking that it may help with the sound but it did little. So now I got this supposed dream player and it will not work out for me, I have had it about a week and I doubt that i could return it with out getting whacked with a return charge.

I do not know what to do, had I been able to buy this thing from a retail store I could of walked out into the lot and tried it but now i think I have a BIG problem.

Any suggestions? Also BTW the Motorcycle is designed for use with a MP3 player just as most new cars are........

TIA,
John

I have taken the same song and played it through me Zen Extra and it sounds great when I took the same song and player it through the D2 it sounded poorly as if when the volume was turned up it distorted. I was led to believe that the unit would do the job, I guess not.

[Syndrome]

Have you tried using any of the enhancements? I've noticed that on sub-par stereo systems they enhancements make it sound a lot better.

[The DarkSide]

It sounds great in my car. Set the volume to 49, eq off (car stereo has it's own eq), and set to +3 on Mach3Bass, & + 1 on Stereo Enhance.

[jjr]

I have tried every possible setting with no such luck, also the GL1800 does have a better sound system then my car at 80WPC x 4 ( although the bikes sound syetem does not have a equlizer it does have setting for bass trebble which helps little) and has ALWAYS sounded great when using the Creative Zen Extra.

I suspect that the biggest problem is that the D2 has less output than the old Zen Extra and when I turn it up max it is casuing the distortion.

Same goes for my home stereo which is a McIntosh 4100 w/ the original version Klispch Heresy speakers. With the Zen Extra and even the Zen V they sounded great , with the D2 no so, its not even close and I have been using the ZenExtra primarliy as a home unit just for the stereo and has always sounded great. Also the Mac does have the EQ controls which did not help.

What I think is happening is when I turn the D2 up all the way it starts to (clip ?) At this point I do not know what to do as its a simple test to play the exact same song on the Zen Extra and the D2 to compare, the old Zen Extra still kicks its butt..

I was reading somewhere that there are pre-amps made to go between the Mp3 player and the head unit but I know little of them and again then I'm screwing around another device and am buying batteries.


So next stop is?????????????????????? Not a happy camper.... I guess that it is the problem of not being able to buy from a retail store which would of made this a simple walk out to the parking lot and a quick return because it was lacking in output.

Originally Posted by nywytboy68

It sounds great in my car. Set the volume to 49, eq off (car stereo has it's own eq), and set to +3 on Mach3Bass, & + 1 on Stereo Enhance.

[The DarkSide]

Maybe you have a faulty D2 as it contains a powerful amp that is pretty much louder then most players across the board. The fact that you state that the sound output is lower then your Creative products, as they really aren't known for their volume, tells me this (I've had a few so I should know). And if it IS a clipping prob the it's you music, not the player causing the issue. Here's a link to a prog to level your music called mp3Gain. I use it as well as a few others here & it's an excellent program: http://www.download.com/MP3Gain/3000...dlPid=10636601
Personally, it sounds like you need to exchange your D2 IMO though.

[jjr]

First thing that I did was to try mp3 gain and that did not help. I'm leery of returning it for repair as it took long enough to get here in the first place and if there like Creative they would just swap it out with somones refurbed unit.

At this point I would ask for my money back which I doubt that I would get even though I was told it had a 30 day return policy but again the person in Jetmall chat was extremely vague on what would happen. She just said that they would have to look at the unit first and take it from there. I really doubt that there is anything wrong with the D2 as it gets loud but just not loud enough, the difference between the Zen Extra and the D2 is not much but its just enough to not work all that good with the car, home stereo and the bike.

As far as the old Zen Nomad Jukebox Extra I did a lot of research before I purchased it as it did have one of the higest outputs of that time and believe me it still is better than a lof of the new stuff.

So now is just wait and see from the company who does not have a phone. I just wished that they would sell through retailers, they are realitivly new on the market and you taking chance buying online........

All in all its a nice player but just lacking a the powerful output as all the reviews and there ads stated......

Originally Posted by nywytboy68

Maybe you have a faulty D2 as it contains a powerful amp that is pretty much louder then most players across the board. The fact that you state that the sound output is lower then your Creative products, as they really aren't known for their volume, tells me this (I've had a few so I should know). And if it IS a clipping prob the it's you music, not the player causing the issue. Here's a link to a prog to level your music called mp3Gain. I use it as well as a few others here & it's an excellent program: http://www.download.com/MP3Gain/3000...dlPid=10636601
Personally, it sounds like you need to exchange your D2 IMO though.

[Syndrome]

What bitrate you using? I noticed that the D2 REALLY pulled out the flaws in my low quality music, maybe thats your problem. I have a really really hard time seeing a creative beating out the D2.

[jjr]

192 and up

Originally Posted by Syndrome

What bitrate you using? I noticed that the D2 REALLY pulled out the flaws in my low quality music, maybe thats your problem. I have a really really hard time seeing a creative beating out the D2.

[WalkGood]

I have to agree with nywytboy68, the d2 has a fantastic amp, better than the i7 (which I own) and do all the same connections you are describing except the goldwing and it sounds great I’d take a look at the firmware you are running, if it is not causing the problem, it’s a defective unit for sure. Oh, and it's not the bitrate.

[jjr]

Yahoo I great find, I went and removed the MpGain on my music and tried the D2 again. It sounded great through the bikes speakers and as well through my J&M Headphones built into my helmet. I guess my best bet is to stay away from that MP gain stuff as I must of done somthing wrong. I orignally set it to 105 which caused all the distortion when I truned up the player. Then I tried it by setting it so all the music was below clipping so then it was too soft.

Best be is to leave well enough alone.

Thanks again

John

[Syndrome]

So now that its working better, which to you think sounds better? The Cowon or the Creative?

[jjr]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

So now that its working better, which to you think sounds better? The Cowon or the Creative?

Tough call I would still say that the Zen Extra Nomad still sounds better but its extremely close. That is when I playing them both with the EQ flat. Being that the D2 has way too many EQ settings I fear that it would take me a few months to try all of them

My other question is how do those pre amps sound? Are they worth the investment? The only one that I know if is called Boosteroo or somthing like that?

Thanks,
John

[Syndrome]

A headphone amp? Yeah they're worth it if you have some headphones that need it, or a high quality stereo. But unless you dropped alot of money into your stereo then I think it would be over kill. The D2 does well enough alone, and if your zen does as good or better than the D2 then I don't really see why you would need an amp.

[jjr]

No dont really need the amp for either but was wondering if there would be any advantage to get one? Afterall there not that much money but on the other hand the only one I know if is the Boosteroo.

BTW the bike does have a high quality stereo that came stock with the bike.

Thanks,
John

Originally Posted by Syndrome

A headphone amp? Yeah they're worth it if you have some headphones that need it, or a high quality stereo. But unless you dropped alot of money into your stereo then I think it would be over kill. The D2 does well enough alone, and if your zen does as good or better than the D2 then I don't really see why you would need an amp.