iRiver hp 120 vs Edirol R1 comp

[dgodwin]

I've seen a couple people asking for this comparision so I picked up some RCA splitters and ran both the R1 and the iRiver tonight behind the schoeps.  I quickly made some flac files and tossed them on the web server.  Feel free to check them out:  if you need more of a comparision, let me know, and I'll see what else I can whip up tomorrow.  Here's the link:

http://upstatetapers.org/r1vs120/

[cgrooves]

Is this a comparison of the A/D's in both units?  If so, this comp. should be about the same as JB3 vs. R1 since the JB3 & iRiver reportedly uses the same A/D.  Wouldn't be surprised at all to find that the R1's A/D sounds better.  I was using the A/D in my m1 prior to getting the iRiver.  Didn't take long running the iRiver's A/D until I purchased a seperate A/D.  Hard to beat the iRiver as a bit bucket, IMO, but if you are depending on its' A/D stage it leaves something to be desired.

[Billy Mumphrey]

Is this a comparison of the A/D's in both units?  If so, this comp. should be about the same as JB3 vs. R1 since the JB3 & iRiver reportedly uses the same A/D.  Wouldn't be surprised at all to find that the R1's A/D sounds better.  I was using the A/D in my m1 prior to getting the iRiver.  Didn't take long running the iRiver's A/D until I purchased a seperate A/D.  Hard to beat the iRiver as a bit bucket, IMO, but if you are depending on its' A/D stage it leaves something to be desired.

I thought I just read yesterday that the jb3's gain is digital, while portions of the irivers gain is analog.

[cgrooves]

Wouldn't that be applicable to the preamp stage and not the A/D stage though? 
Only the A/D is reportedly the same for both the JB3 & iRiver.

[Billy Mumphrey]

Wouldn't that be applicable to the preamp stage and not the A/D stage though? 
Only the A/D is reportedly the same for both the JB3 & iRiver.

yes.

"You'll have to excuse my friend Harry. He's a little slow."

[Brian Skalinder]

Is this a comparison of the A/D's in both units?  If so, this comp. should be about the same as JB3 vs. R1 since the JB3 & iRiver reportedly uses the same A/D.

The analog input stage impacts sound quality in addition to the ADC, so even though the JB3 and iRiver may share the same ADC chip they may not sound the same.

[poorlyconditioned]

Is this a comparison of the A/D's in both units?  If so, this comp. should be about the same as JB3 vs. R1 since the JB3 & iRiver reportedly uses the same A/D.

The analog input stage impacts sound quality in addition to the ADC, so even though the JB3 and iRiver may share the same ADC chip they may not sound the same.

Most of these systems (R1/R09 and minidisc included) use a single chip (preamp, line driver, ADC, DAC, etc) and they use the "reference design", so there should be little difference.  I guess it pays to check though.

Thanks and +T to the OP for this nice comparison.

  Richard

[BayTaynt3d]

Is this a comparison of the A/D's in both units?  If so, this comp. should be about the same as JB3 vs. R1 since the JB3 & iRiver reportedly uses the same A/D.  Wouldn't be surprised at all to find that the R1's A/D sounds better.  I was using the A/D in my m1 prior to getting the iRiver.  Didn't take long running the iRiver's A/D until I purchased a seperate A/D.  Hard to beat the iRiver as a bit bucket, IMO, but if you are depending on its' A/D stage it leaves something to be desired.

I thought I just read yesterday that the jb3's gain is digital, while portions of the irivers gain is analog.

I thought I read an analysis somewhere on TS that stated the opposite, that what little gain you can use on the JB3 is analog (and thus better to use it than to not and have to make it up in post). But I could be wrong on that?