iPod Touch - *Short Report*

[KB]

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to get everyones take on a few things.

I told myself I would never buy a iTouch until they have at least 64gigs. Reports of the 2nd generation iTouch's ipod pins being different than the normal ipod because of the internal speakers had me concerned. Which was true, the 2nd Gen iTouch needs a slightly more complicated pin wiring than a regular ipod. The LOD for the iPhone and iTouch I am making work as a plug and play cable. Photos coming soon as well as a stocked ALO iPhone and iTouch cable, and our new bamboo iPhone/iTouch docking stations.

First I bought a 32gig 2Gen iTouch last week. Its thinner than I thought it would be and very slick looking, more so than my iPhone. The apps, games and add ones from the iTunes store is pretty sweet. I find myself loading more tv shows, cartoons for my daughter (Oswald!) and movies than music, well almost. However I thought that 32gb would be useless for any decent audio reasonable files. ie I would not be able to fit anything worthwhile on it. I loaded 62 albums on it (apple lossless .ALAC files) with 3 movies Crouching Tiger, Matrix Rev., and Zoolander as well as the cartoons, a whole bunch of South Parks, Daily Show etc... Yet I still have 2.5 Gigs left. So I am pretty happy with what it will hold. Yes I wish it had a larger capacity. The cover flow and use of album art is real neat.

The sound quality is good, with the portable amp we are making (ALO Double M3 portable headphone amp) it sounds very very good. I have seen posts of people saying that a classic or regular ipods sound being the same as a iMod, and moaning about the iMod. This is simply untrue. Sure I have a reason to be un bias but I would not sit here and tell anyone something untrue. I can switch a iTouch or ipod out with a iMod and there is a marked difference in sound quality, so ? go figure. The debate is pretty much documented and I would not want to wast too much time (none really) on the topic of a iMod. Anyhow the iTouch is something I use often now as a ultra portable source when I do not want to use a amp, when I want to watch a TV show say in bed when I am being lazy, or waiting at the dentist office, stuck on a plane, its great. I really was and am surprised how much I really ended up enjoying the thing, humph! I bought it to test on some cables and found myself unable to be with out it!

I think the coolest (all be it low/mid fi) is the Pandora app, very cool. For many reasons but why I like it so much is its just such a great way to be turned on to new music. If your not familiar with Pandora

Pandora Radio - Listen to Free Internet Radio, Find New Music

Its by no means perfect, but very cool if you have a WiFi network

Now my main gripe, and tell me if anyone has this problem. Is that my ALAC files will often jump or skip, not all the time but enough to be annoying. Has anyone else had this problem?. This is not a problem with the files themselves as they are fine, its the iTouch as far as I can tell.

I will post some additional photos and pictures of ALOs new cable soon.

Cheers

Ken @ ALO

[thatwunguy]

i like your write up!
I also bought a new touch (16gb) and I have about 4gb left after a lot of music (192 -320 kb/s) some apps (including pandora) some videos, and some podcasts. I was worried 16gb wouldn't be enough but i'm finding I an t ake all my music that I really would want/need to listen to.

I like the sound quality and the smooth look and os.

I have never had the skipping happen to me though, although it did run very slowly once. That was easily fixed by resetting the ipod (holding the sleep and home keys together for 10 sec).

[KB]

Originally Posted by thatwunguy

i like your write up!
I also bought a new touch (16gb) and I have about 4gb left after a lot of music (192 -320 kb/s) some apps (including pandora) some videos, and some podcasts. I was worried 16gb wouldn't be enough but i'm finding I an t ake all my music that I really would want/need to listen to.

I like the sound quality and the smooth look and os.

I have never had the skipping happen to me though, although it did run very slowly once. That was easily fixed by resetting the ipod (holding the sleep and home keys together for 10 sec).

Thanks Thatunguy,

FWIW the ALAC files are 900kbps - 1000kbps ish


Ken

[roxxor]

Perhaps you had problems during the encoding process?? On my older Athlon64 3200+, I encountered this problem. On my current Core2Duo, no problems whatsoever.

[roxxor]

Originally Posted by KB

...ALO Double M3 portable headphone amp...

This peaked my interest!! Anymore info on it?

[ElChupahueso]

Originally Posted by roxxor

Perhaps you had problems during the encoding process?? On my older Athlon64 3200+, I encountered this problem. On my current Core2Duo, no problems whatsoever.

Doubt it. It sounds like a decoding error. My iPod's done it to me a lot. Rockbox was unlistenable because of it.

[ElChupahueso]

Originally Posted by roxxor

This peaked my interest!! Anymore info on it?

So that's the official name of the un-named amp huh?

[KB]

Originally Posted by roxxor

Perhaps you had problems during the encoding process?? On my older Athlon64 3200+, I encountered this problem. On my current Core2Duo, no problems whatsoever.

No the files are fine, its totally the iTouch. I have been reading on other forums that the 2gen has hiccup problems with ALAC. I just hope it is addressed in the next version of the software.

kb

[KB]

Intro: The New ALO Cryo SXC 18G iTouch cable, works with all ipods and the iPhone - Plug and play.

The wire I had custom made for ALO exclusively. Tuned for what I wanted to hear in a portable audiophile grade cable. The wire starts with unusually hight strand count Ohno continuous cast mono crystal copper stranded wire that I had them silver plate each strand, then the wire is in a extremely flexible Polyethylene (PE) clear jacket. I made this for 2 main reasons, one to protect the copper from future oxidation (a primarily cosmetic coloring of the wire), this happens to wire that is physically handled a lot in a portable cable and two to give the cable a "silver" sounding detail to it. Both items are a total success and after our testing (as well as other independent testing) we are very happy with the outcome. so woot!

I then took all this a step further by contracting Cryo-Parts to cryo treat my entire shipment of wire, all my mini plugs and even the ipod connectors. So the entire cable from tip to tip - Cryo Treated. By CryoParts Cryo Treated Audio Parts

Hope to get this and many other stuffs made with this wire up soon on the coming new ALO website.

Thanks

ken

[KB]

Yeah looks like there are a lot of people reporting the ALAC hiccup on the 2gen I touch.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Apple Lossless Playback Hiccups ...

Anyone else having this problem please go here and report it to Apple and I hope they will fix it in a future update.

Apple - Feedback


Thx

Ken

[TheMarchingMule]

Originally Posted by KB

Yeah looks like there are a lot of people reporting the ALAC hiccup on the 2gen I touch.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Apple Lossless Playback Hiccups ...

Anyone else having this problem please go here and report it to Apple and I hope they will fix it in a future update.

Apple - Feedback


Thx

Ken

Heh, I get that too on the Classic. Glad to know Apple's being consistent with this.

[Austin 3:16]

Does anyone make (preferrably silicone)cases for these yet???

[blessingx]

It might be different if I have a better phone, but I swear my iPod touch is used now as much as a wifi device as a straight DAP. I really have trouble imagining being unable to get on the web with a player anymore.

[thejoneser]

As a temporary fix to the hiccup issue, turn off "auto screen lock." Seems to be the issue. This will have to do until a new firmware comes out.

[icsterm]

any new fix for the alac issue?