Yeah the sound quality is fantastic. The Empeg is totally worth it, even for someone like myself who has to pay for it over the course of many months. You definitely do have to be someone who "gets it," if you're not, then you're better off with one of those AIWA CD mp3 player jobs. But if I ever meet anyone with one of those, I'd be scared to show them my Empeg for fear they break down crying.