[royhendo]

So this doesn't work with later generation iPods than the 5.5? Is that right lads?

 

[Likwid]

That is something I will have to do research on. We are focusing on the 5.5gen right now with multiple mods potentially in the works (Storage etc), but I am sure we will be adding others in the future! I know it is possible in certain models of the iTouch and Nano as well as the Classic and some older models. If there is a specific model that you are looking for, let us know!

 

[warp08]

Quote:

So this doesn't work with later generation iPods than the 5.5? Is that right lads?

The 6G and later iPods, including the Nanos contain a different DAC chip, that is of lesser quality.  That's why the original iMods were (and to my knowledge, still are) limited to 4, 5 and 5.5G versions only.

 

[royhendo]

Thanks mate - that's interesting - so earlier gen ipods (5.5) are actually better in terms of SQ.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Thanks mate - that's interesting - so earlier gen ipods (5.5) are actually better in terms of SQ.

For the most part, yes.  They have been designed to be single-purpose devices--music players instead of the iPod Touch-generation pocket computers where music playback is just one peripheral function.
 
Kinda like the Head-Direct HifiMAN line of products.  No frills, no games, just music playback.  Do one thing, but do it well.

 

[grokit]

The 5.5 was called the iPod Video, so it does a few more things than just music; I'm pretty sure it has address book/calendar/simple games as well as movies/photos/podcasts.

 

[eugeneyou]

it seems like not much people go for WhipMOD

 

[tnmike1]

Quote:

it seems like not much people go for WhipMOD

I've thought the same thing for several weeks now.  Wonder what's going on??  Too expensive???  Still building stuff??  O well, the market will dictate

 

[monsieurguzel]

What about the fact that you're paying a big premium for an ipod that is 4-5 years old now.  Granted it sounded good when the original iMod came out, there are now cheaper dedicated audiophile players from Hifiman.  Also with devices like the Solo which grabs digital out from the iPod, then the need for these products isn't as popular as they used to be.  Just a thought.

 
Quote:

Quote:

it seems like not much people go for WhipMOD

I've thought the same thing for several weeks now.  Wonder what's going on??  Too expensive???  Still building stuff??  O well, the market will dictate

 

[eugeneyou]

Quote:

What about the fact that you're paying a big premium for an ipod that is 4-5 years old now.  Granted it sounded good when the original iMod came out, there are now cheaper dedicated audiophile players from Hifiman.  Also with devices like the Solo which grabs digital out from the iPod, then the need for these products isn't as popular as they used to be.  Just a thought.

 
Quote:

Quote:

it seems like not much people go for WhipMOD

I've thought the same thing for several weeks now.  Wonder what's going on??  Too expensive???  Still building stuff??  O well, the market will dictate

 

 
 
you have the points...Colorfly and Hifiman should be worthy that mOdded ipod
 

 

[LevA]

Quote:

What about the fact that you're paying a big premium for an ipod that is 4-5 years old now.  Granted it sounded good when the original iMod came out, there are now cheaper dedicated audiophile players from Hifiman.  Also with devices like the Solo which grabs digital out from the iPod, then the need for these products isn't as popular as they used to be.  Just a thought.

 

I agree on the big premium for the modification. I myself just bought an unopened, new ipod 5.5 gen and would like to get it modified but atm just cant justify the cost, especially when you consider mod + LOD you are looking at close to $400 and upwards. 
I understand the modification is not too easy and need good soldering skills and quality cables (though a lot of DIYs have managed to do quite well with the mod), but still, costing more than a brand new ipod is a bit too rich for me, considering with an ipod at least you get material cost, design, R&D, UI, retail distribution etc. whereas with the mod? I know this discussion has been done before, some pointing to the R&D of the imod, but seriously how much money are we talking about for R&D? yeah there may have been some ipods lost during experimentation, but again, seriously how many are we talking about?
the price here seems to be  based on the willingness of the audiophile market to pay extreme markup for attaining better sound quality. thats not an insult to any owners, as I consider myself tempted as well, ironic isnt it?
 
as for hifiman and solo etc. I mod still has some advantages on these. hifiman is seriously flawed from all the accounts I have read. UI is pretty much worst out of all the DAPs you can buy at any retailer shop, battery life is pretty bad (even without extended battery, I get around 14~15 hrs of normal use using ALAC on my ipod 5.5gen). problems with mac computers, problems with not being able to read all SD cards, no Gapless playback etc. 
while solo sounds great, it pretty much is pushing the envolope in the portability department. not only do you have 3 items stacked, but you have cables on both sides to contend when carrying. and again we come down to the cost, with over $600 when you consider the need for interconnects, which can range from the very cheap ~30 dollars from DIYers to all the way of +$100...

 

[eugeneyou]

i tried to ask Whiplash owner bout the significant of the FAT BOY LOD but seemed like he was avoiding to answer

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Quote:

What about the fact that you're paying a big premium for an ipod that is 4-5 years old now.  Granted it sounded good when the original iMod came out, there are now cheaper dedicated audiophile players from Hifiman.  Also with devices like the Solo which grabs digital out from the iPod, then the need for these products isn't as popular as they used to be.  Just a thought.

 

I agree on the big premium for the modification. I myself just bought an unopened, new ipod 5.5 gen and would like to get it modified but atm just cant justify the cost, especially when you consider mod + LOD you are looking at close to $400 and upwards. 
I understand the modification is not too easy and need good soldering skills and quality cables (though a lot of DIYs have managed to do quite well with the mod), but still, costing more than a brand new ipod is a bit too rich for me, considering with an ipod at least you get material cost, design, R&D, UI, retail distribution etc. whereas with the mod? I know this discussion has been done before, some pointing to the R&D of the imod, but seriously how much money are we talking about for R&D? yeah there may have been some ipods lost during experimentation, but again, seriously how many are we talking about?
the price here seems to be  based on the willingness of the audiophile market to pay extreme markup for attaining better sound quality. thats not an insult to any owners, as I consider myself tempted as well, ironic isnt it?
 
as for hifiman and solo etc. I mod still has some advantages on these. hifiman is seriously flawed from all the accounts I have read. UI is pretty much worst out of all the DAPs you can buy at any retailer shop, battery life is pretty bad (even without extended battery, I get around 14~15 hrs of normal use using ALAC on my ipod 5.5gen). problems with mac computers, problems with not being able to read all SD cards, no Gapless playback etc. 
while solo sounds great, it pretty much is pushing the envolope in the portability department. not only do you have 3 items stacked, but you have cables on both sides to contend when carrying. and again we come down to the cost, with over $600 when you consider the need for interconnects, which can range from the very cheap ~30 dollars from DIYers to all the way of +$100...

I agree with LevA's points above.  The only additional comment I have that the WhipMOD should not be viewed or used just like any other DAP.  The advantage over the iMod and other devices lay in leveraging the additional synergy and associated SQ gains by pairing it with TWag-based WhipLODs and preferably TWag HP/IEM cables.  That way the enhanced internal wiring that's part of the WhipMOD process and the external cabling can yield some really amazing results...especially when paired with the Fat Boy Reference WhipLOD.
 
I did place a preorder for a Solo for evaluation but I do not see myself carrying a 3-stack portable rig on the go, no matter how good it may sound.  I will most likely use it with my iPad instead.

 

[tnmike1]

I'm probably different than a lot of people here, only because I want music only on my iMod--no pics, no games, no nothin' but music.  To that end, I bought several 30gig 5g iMods for about $75 each, had Vinnie mod them for $200 each then got one ALO iMod cable for $195.  Each iMod is dedicated to one particular genre of music--jazz, symphony/opera and "other classical"
 
The 30 gig format fit me well and I now have one iMod for each genre I want for that particular time or day.  Just didn't want a large-=capacity iMod since I already have a iPod classic with my entire library loaded.
 
I think I've saved a few hundred over the WHiplash combinations, but even if that isn't so I have several iMods totally customized to my particular taste

 

[dj nellie]

I don't know that we can be so sure that the WhipMOD isn't selling as expected.  The number of posts about a product on Head-fi isn't always a great indicator, since I hardly see posts about the iMod anymore but (based on a meet I went to and general feeling)--the iMod seems like one of RWA's best-selling products.
 
In any event, the WhipMOD has been a very good purchase for me.  The ability to choose from 240gb of FLAC, WV, APE, and M4A files (with Rockbox) is something that no other player can offer.  While the WhipMOD's sound quality may not match the HM-801's (especially with the full-size cans I have), it's still excellent.  Portability is definitely an advantage; the Whip plus a portable amp is more compact than the HM-801, plus you have the option to use the headphone out.  And while I'm gradually moving away from Apple products, everyone has hardware to support them so it's nice to be able to play it on a friend's iPod stereo dock, or using the line-in of a car stereo (an awesome way to hear the power of the TWag Elite Reference LOD).
 
For me, the Whip makes the most sense if you have a huge library of music in a variety of formats and not much time/opportunity to rotate the music on your player.  The 240GB+Elite Ref LOD combo may be a bit of a luxury combo, but if you're like me and you travel a lot and get quickly tired of hearing the same songs, it's far preferable to swapping out SD cards or rotating between several old iPods.