I’ve been listening to my Gen 5.5 Ipod Video (80gb) with the Rockbox software since I bought it two years ago. I recently picked up another identical Ipod (same 80gb model, right down to the serial number) and decided to try it out with the stock Ipod software. I was amazed to find that it sounded completely different! So I set up a test. I loaded the exact same music to both the Rockbox Ipod and the stock Ipod (mp3s at 320kbps). I compared them listening through the dock connector (line out) with the same equipment.
The difference is night and day. The stock Ipod puts out a slightly louder signal, the sound is brighter and more immediate (for lack of a better word), and the bass is more pronounced and well defined. In comparison, through Rockbox, the sound is more polite and laid back, and the bass is less defined. Note that I’m not saying one necessarily sounds better than the other – they’re just very, very different.
Is this normal? What is going on here? Does the Ipod software have some kind of built in processing that adds EQ, boosts bass, etc.? Keep in mind that this is through the dock/lineout and not the headphone jack.
