[Manny Calavera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apnk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bet its not cheap, at least $100.

The higher end ones yeah,but worth it,it would seem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Engadget.com wanted to mention the new iMod but boy did they screw the story up. http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/16/r...r-audiophiles/

Amazing the amount of idiots in the comments section...


Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif All, A while back I modded the 5G, but did not do it the same way that I am now doing it. I don't believe I was performing it properly... I was trying my best to fit the upgraded caps into the unit, and deactivate the headphone jack to make it the modded line-out (just like I do for the 4G iMod). I suspect that I was not performing this mod correctly because I was NOT getting the results that I am now getting. Back thenI ran into some problems, had to throw away a few 5Gs (well, I saved some parts) and decided to not offer the mods for the 5G... it was just way too much of a PITA! Not too long ago I had an idea... I spoke with Ken of ALO and asked him if it was possible to install the caps into his dock cable. He told me that he'd give it a try, and then send me the resulting cable to me right before the HE2007 show. There was no burn-in on those caps and already this modded 5.5G was able to keep up with the modded 4G (that had hundreds of hours of burn-in)... and let me tell you, it is getting even better as I use it! The bass is even more defined and has more presence. The rest of the sound is very, very similar to that of the 4G iMod. Does the 5G iMod blow away the 4G iMod... NO. Do I prefer the sound of the modded 5G with ALO iMod cable... YES, and like I mentioned, it isn't even burned in yet! I really do wish I teamed up with ALO on this ealier because he makes a really great sounding cable and does really good work. Regarding pricing.... one needs to understand that it is much harder working inside of that 5G/5.5G iPod. Even without installing the upgraded caps into the unit, it is taking me a lot more time to do the mod because I need to take the entire unit apart to access the area of the board where I perform the mods. And they are much more difficult to do, and even more risky. Some of the parts that I am removing are extremely tiny and take extreme precison (microscope, delicate desoldering equipment, etc). Remember, this is why I didn't even want to get involved with the 5G/5.5G iMod in the first place.... it is a ROYAL pain in the neck to work in there (literally... I get cramped neck muscles! ), and I need to replace motherboards when a mistake is made. Everything is so delicate in there and reseaching how to do the mod and actually performing the mod that I am performing is not as easy as some might think. Regarding what Ken is doing at ALO, I've seen pictures of the internal of that iMod Dock cable with those caps installed... it is NOT easy to build! Those tiny dock connector pins that he solderes the caps directly to are very tedious to work with. Ken also uses really good wire and offers great customer service. He needs to make a living as well. We both do this full-time and this is our only source of income. I also support my customers for as long as they own their iMod. When you need a battery replacement, a new hard drive, a new LCD, whatever... you can just send me the part (I can even help you them online) and I'll do the repair at no charge to you. This is not cheap for me, but if my customers are going to put this kind of investment into their iPods to get the best sound quality possible, it is very important that you are getting the very best cusotmer support possible. As long as you are a RWA customer, you will be well-supported. I appreciate those who understand the type of work this is and how time consuming and difficult is, and realize that it comes with a cost. To those who think the price "doesn't add up," I am sorry but until you try to do what I am doing and try to offer the customer service that I offer, you probably don't understand where I am coming from. I am not insulted and everyone is allowed to express their own opinion. Best regards, Vinnie

I have done some soldering work in my day,and have replaced more then a few batteries in Ipods,for me and a few friends,and I for one can appreciate the detailed and hassle inducing work you are doing.That and the obvious excellent CS makes this new Imod more then worth the scratch

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gotta chime in regarding pricing here. As a lover of antique Chris Craft wooden boats, I can tell you customization of anything isn't cheap. Used to spending $100 per hour for a custom cabinetmaker to do interiors on these vessels, perhaps $75 per hour for professional restoration of exteriror planking. In other words, these boats aren't SeaRays or the like--they're wooden antiques maintained by professional craftsmen. So people like Vinnie, Ken, Ray Samuels and others in this hobby are similar craftsmen--people doing highly skilled work on very technical items. As such, if you can't pay for their skills that's OK. Just don't slam their efforts, their expertise or their skills in custom manufacturing

Here Here !!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madgravity34 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is just an example of how people with money to blow are highly irresponsible. Just because you can, you do so. And when people that actually value their expenditures and want to get true value speak up, we tend to get pushed aside.

You are full of it,who are you tell us we dont,or cannot appreciate the value of a dollar ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenkelby /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there any chance you can make the IMOD LOD cable with an extra plug or cable in it so you can charge from AC or USB while listening through the line out?

Great idea,and one I'd like to see as well.

 

[nfusion770]

I am a little annoyed at what I have read here as well. There are a lot of great people in this hobby, but Vinnie and Ken 2 of the best people I have ever dealt with. I have purchased 2 imods from Vinnie, and several cables from Ken, both guys have exceptional products that may actually be exceeded by their customer service. In dealing with both, I find it extremely difficult they would mislead their customers.

If the 5g sounds better, it's perfectly conceivable that Vinnie's claims of the superior 4g DAC were result of a faulty implementation as stated- I don't find that the least bit difficult to believe. With the supply of 4g's drying up, he was forced to look at a method of continuing sales. Just like any other entrepreneur on earth, he innovated. Just like many other innovations, he potentially found a better way or at least a more versatile way, of doing things. Of course we won't know if it's better, equal, or worse than the original imod, until we have some real world testing of both models.

Essentially you are paying an extra $150 (compared against finding your own near perfect condition 4g) for a new innovation that actually happens to be more versatile and larger capacity than the last model. You are actually paying over half of that price for the ipod itself, which of course, will drop in price once it becomes a previous generation model. Of course you can increase the price if you want a better cable, but that would increase the cost of either model, rather than the cost difference between them. All in all, Ken and Vinnie are "ripping you off" for a whole $70 (you can complain at Apple for the other $80) on what has been described as a PITA of a process. I don't claim to know enough to judge the veracity of those statements, but judging by their track record, I think most honest people can reconcile this increase in price with the work involved.

I can understand the frustration of watching the price rise on an exciting new product while having limited funds, but the "rip off" and "mislead" comments are completely out of line and come across as simple whining.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfusion770 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am a little annoyed at what I have read here as well. There are a lot of great people in this hobby, but Vinnie and Ken 2 of the best people I have ever dealt with. I have purchased 2 imods from Vinnie, and several cables from Ken, both guys have exceptional products that may actually be exceeded by their customer service. In dealing with both, I find it extremely difficult they would mislead their customers. If the 5g sounds better, it's perfectly conceivable that Vinnie's claims of the superior 4g DAC were result of a faulty implementation as stated- I don't find that the least bit difficult to believe. With the supply of 4g's drying up, he was forced to look at a method of continuing sales. Just like any other entrepreneur on earth, he innovated. Just like many other innovations, he potentially found a better way or at least a more versatile way, of doing things. Of course we won't know if it's better, equal, or worse than the original imod, until we have some real world testing of both models. Essentially you are paying an extra $150 (compared against finding your own near perfect condition 4g) for a new innovation that actually happens to be more versatile and larger capacity than the last model. You are actually paying over half of that price for the ipod itself, which of course, will drop in price once it becomes a previous generation model. Of course you can increase the price if you want a better cable, but that would increase the cost of either model, rather than the cost difference between them. All in all, Ken and Vinnie are "ripping you off" for a whole $70 (you can complain at Apple for the other $80) on what has been described as a PITA of a process. I don't claim to know enough to judge the veracity of those statements, but judging by their track record, I think most honest people can reconcile this increase in price with the work involved. I can understand the frustration of watching the price rise on an exciting new product while having limited funds, but the "rip off" and "mislead" comments are completely out of line and come across as simple whining.

Well said!

 

[zippy2001]

Vinnie for Red Wine Audio and Ken of ALO Audio both produce great products and stand behind their work.

This is exactly what I have been waiting for. As soon as I heard the news I ordered a new 5.5G 80GB iPod from Apple and had it sent directly to Vinnie.
And then contacted Ken about the new 5G iMod cable.

I can't wait to see and hear the results.

 

[cpk]

I just picked up a refurbished 4g from Ken. He is a great guy to deal with. Also dealing with Vinnie is great. I had him return a call to me personally, which is great customer service. Both of these guys are class acts. They both want to make sure their customers are happy. Which we are!


[size=medium]WTB Senn HD 600[/size]

 

[Vinnie R.]

All,

I just want to thank those of you who have posted in support of the iMod (and ALO) and who understand that besides the actual iMod, your purchase comes with customer service and support for as long as you own your iMod. If you have any questions, concerns, troubles, etc. with your iMod, it is very important that you know you can count on RWA for support. This is the least I can do for all your appreciation, support, and love for your iMods. It is definitely a two-way street and I want you guys to love listening to you music collection with the iMod for as long as you own one.

A few other things to note:

-- I am working on getting custom-made tags that will be applied to the rear case of iMods (they are backed with a super-strong adhesive). They will be small (approx 1.25" wide x 0.5" tall) and will be laser-etched aluminum and will say something simple such as "iMod by Red Wine Audio." These will be applied to all 5G/5.5G iMods. They are also extremely durable, so they won't wear out or scratch easily.

-- I plan to update the iMod page on my website soon (hopefully it will be finished sometime next week) with all the latest info.

-- If you can remember, PLEASE email me (vinnie@redwineaudio.com) instead of sending private messages through headfi. I check my email much more frequently than remembering to look at my headfi PMs, and it is much easier for me to check all my messages in one place.

Right now things are extremely busy, but I will try to respond to emails as soon as I can.

-- Once the 5G/5.5G iMods are in production (expected time is at the end of this month), I will soon follow up with research into modding the Nano. I have a 2nd Generation Nano here (8GB) that I will look into modding the same way as the 5G/5.5G.

-- Regarding being able to connect a power adapter to the 5G/5.5G ALO iMod dock cable, I will be working with Ken on developing this feature. I believe this will be an option to his cable for those who require it. Keep in mind that for best sonic results, it is best NOT to connect your iMod to any power supply (except battery) as this will add noise (especially using those switch-mode power supplies). Of course I understand that during the break-in process of the iMod, it is much easier to leave it on repeat-mode and connected to a power supply for a few days

Thanks again, everyone!

Vinnie

 

[Thelonious Monk]

guys, about the audiophile telephone... you know, the legendary 300b tube was originally used to amplify telephone signals.

 

[Vinnie R.]

Regarding the iPhone.. Telephone signals (voice signals) are unfortunately bandwidth limited to approx 400Hz to 4000Hz. That is a lot worse than MP3!

 

[nickknutson]

Vinnie,
Have you heard anything about the iTank iMod cases?

 

[cpk]

Vinnie how is the 5g sounding now? Inquiring mind need to know.

Thanks

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif -- Once the 5G/5.5G iMods are in production (expected time is at the end of this month), I will soon follow up with research into modding the Nano. I have a 2nd Generation Nano here (8GB) that I will look into modding the same way as the 5G/5.5G. ... Thanks again, everyone! Vinnie

Excellent! Lets hope the research lead to a finished product...

 

[Killercrush]

This would be my dream come true right there !!!

 

[aluren]

so the headphone out of the 5G imod is preserved. what happens when i adjust the volume through the headphon out? and what happens if i use the ALO imod cable? will i be able to adjust the volume through the ipod if the dock is attached?

 

[theory_87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif -- I am working on getting custom-made tags that will be applied to the rear case of iMods (they are backed with a super-strong adhesive). They will be small (approx 1.25" wide x 0.5" tall) and will be laser-etched aluminum and will say something simple such as "iMod by Red Wine Audio." These will be applied to all 5G/5.5G iMods. They are also extremely durable, so they won't wear out or scratch easily.

Will it be made for the 4th Gen imod too?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif -- Once the 5G/5.5G iMods are in production (expected time is at the end of this month), I will soon follow up with research into modding the Nano. I have a 2nd Generation Nano here (8GB) that I will look into modding the same way as the 5G/5.5G.

Will you consider 1 Gen Nano since you did 1 before?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif -- Regarding being able to connect a power adapter to the 5G/5.5G ALO iMod dock cable, I will be working with Ken on developing this feature. I believe this will be an option to his cable for those who require it. Keep in mind that for best sonic results, it is best NOT to connect your iMod to any power supply (except battery) as this will add noise (especially using those switch-mode power supplies). Of course I understand that during the break-in process of the iMod, it is much easier to leave it on repeat-mode and connected to a power supply for a few days Vinnie

This is a nice idea. One will need it during burn in period.

 

[shiezan]

SWEET!