Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Source Gear › Has the iPod Classic's sound chip changed?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Has the iPod Classic's sound chip changed?

post #1 of 8
11/23/10 at 8:10am
Thread Starter 

Hey guys,

 

So I just replaced my 2009 iPod Classic with another 2010 iPod Classic. The last one got some cider on it, and the click wheel wasn't working right, so I had a friend at the Apple stores switch it out for me.

 

Now this is probably my imagination but it feels like the 2010 iPod is tinnier, a little thinner, and doesn't sound quite as good as my 2009 iPod. They're both the Classic, and I don't think there's been any kind of generational change. I just got this thing yesterday so maybe it needs to warm up (or maybe I need to warm up to it) but it sounds DIFFERENT.

 

I may be going crazy, I don't know. I bought the 2009 iPod Classic because I heard that the sound quality really improved due to new Cirrus DAC chips. I'd be really sad if I swapped out my slightly malfunctioning iPod for a worse-sounding one. 

 

Does anyone know anything definitive on this? Or am I just nuts?

Reply
post #2 of 8
11/23/10 at 8:57am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Punky View Post

Hey guys,

 

So I just replaced my 2009 iPod Classic with another 2010 iPod Classic. The last one got some cider on it, and the click wheel wasn't working right, so I had a friend at the Apple stores switch it out for me.

 

Now this is probably my imagination but it feels like the 2010 iPod is tinnier, a little thinner, and doesn't sound quite as good as my 2009 iPod. They're both the Classic, and I don't think there's been any kind of generational change. I just got this thing yesterday so maybe it needs to warm up (or maybe I need to warm up to it) but it sounds DIFFERENT.

 

I may be going crazy, I don't know. I bought the 2009 iPod Classic because I heard that the sound quality really improved due to new Cirrus DAC chips. I'd be really sad if I swapped out my slightly malfunctioning iPod for a worse-sounding one. 

 

Does anyone know anything definitive on this? Or am I just nuts?



Maybe it isn't burned in yet?rolleyes.gif

Reply
post #3 of 8
11/23/10 at 9:01am
Thread Starter 

I thought only headphones needed to burned in, not source devices.

Reply
post #4 of 8
11/23/10 at 9:14am

It's either your imagination or you got an old ipod classic I guess.

 

I think [wowthatsabigname] was being sarcastic, hence the rolleyes.gif.

Reply
post #5 of 8
11/23/10 at 9:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Punky View Post

I thought only headphones needed to burned in, not source devices.



That's why I had the rolling eyes smiley there, because that's what I think too....I was joking there.wink_face.gif But there are some people here who think source devices, even solid-state ones, need to burn in too....but I don't believe that. I think in one of the Hifiman threads, someone said it "needs to warm up" before it sounds right...I got a chuckle from that.

Reply
post #6 of 8
11/25/10 at 11:42am

I found the opposite to be the case, as the 2009 120gb classic sounds rough compared to my 2010 160gb classic. Even the bass boost setting is clear and powerful, but it's lacking on the 2009 model. And this is using the same HP's w/the iPods being side-by-side.

 

Strange, but it sounds like we're victims of Apple's wonky quality control, not a difference in the sound chips and such. Remember, there's another person who'll say the oppisite of my experience just around the corner - and another will refute that claim as well. I think it's Apple being careless w/the classic - we're low on the totem pole nowadays.

Reply
post #7 of 8
11/25/10 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nywytboy68 View Post

 

Strange, but it sounds like we're victims of Apple's wonky quality control, not a difference in the sound chips and such. Remember, there's another person who'll say the oppisite of my experience just around the corner - and another will refute that claim as well. I think it's Apple being careless w/the classic - we're low on the totem pole nowadays.



And that, right there, should be a sticky.

Reply
post #8 of 8
11/26/10 at 2:38pm
Thread Starter 

Argh. How frustrating. I'm getting used to the sound now, and I'm trying not to think about the differences. I'm definitely the kind of person who imagines stuff like this. I think after a few weeks, it might pass. I don't have my old 2009 iPod anymore to A-B test it, so I'm really sort of out of luck.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Portable Source Gear
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Source Gear › Has the iPod Classic's sound chip changed?