Actually Sony Discmans are known for their sound quality, especially those that were manufactured between late 80s and early 90s. They are extremely popular among audiophiles for portable use, certain models are worth big bucks. I should know, I collect them:lol:. It's pretty unfair to compare Discmans with current DAPs though, electronics just aren't designed/built like that anymore.
Back on topic:
having owned many Creative players, I can definitely say they do have better EQ than iPods, but that's like saying which car has better seat heaters, doesn't make a difference to me because I don't use it.
However instead of providing useful information to help the OP's decision easier, this thread had turned into a huge flame war filled with biased personal opinions.
CBuck03, you should be more specific about what features you are looking for and how you will be use it. Not knowing exactly what you what, I can only suggest to focus on:
As a portable music player:
1. sound quality.
2. portability (size)
3. user interface.
As a portable video player:
1. what video formats does it support.
2. battery life on video playback.
3. are other functions (ex. camera) necessary?
The biggest factor to sound quality are the headphones. If you are comparing sound quality of players with standard earbuds than your argument is moot, what's the point of purchasing the "better sounding player" when you can't even hear the difference? I do not have experience with the new Archos players to comment on its sound, but having extensive experience with many different DAPs, IMO iPods' sound quality are just as good (if not better) than its competitors. Conclusion: the difference is soo small, I would be very impressed if it's noticeable on portable headphoens.