This article is more than 1 year old

Samsung YP-Q2 v. Sony E-series deathmatch

Sounding out two top 8GB media players

For those of you who like to fiddle with your music profiles, the Q2 lets you access all the settings directly from the Now Playing page, while Sony only allows access to the equaliser. To change the other settings, you need to get to them using the main Settings menu.

Sony Walkman E444

Also available in red

When it comes to sound reproduction, it’s tough to separate these two by more than a cigarette paper's thickness. Both produce a nicely balanced and detailed sound with plenty of warmth, depth and – equally as important for anyone planning on using it regularly on the Underground or aircraft – volume.

By way of detail, starting with the second movement of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony recorded live, the Sony revealed more detail and a more natural sense of space than the Q2 could manage. Change to the Foo Fighter's song The Pretender and the Samsung nosed ahead by delivering a more solid and energetic sound with a greater sense of coherence especially during loud and frantic passages.

Moving on to Christopher Warren-Green's recording of The Lark Ascending and Robyn's With Every Heartbeat we got similar results. More detail and space from the Sony when playing the Vaughan Williams, but more composure and impact from the Samsung when playing the Swedish lass.

Our tests revealed that making a recommendation on sound quality alone is not only impossible but also pointless, since both players are very good indeed. That's a no-change for the Q2, because the Q1 was a great sounding player too, but the E444 is major step forward over the E436, which often sounded a little too raucous for our liking.

Samsung YP-Q2

Also available in black

And good though they both are, neither displaces the Walkman S638/9F in our affections, which is, we still reckon, all round, just about the most musically competent media player on the market today.

Next page: Verdict

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like