[stymie miasma]

The folks over at iPod Lounge seem to think highly enough of the "scotch tape fix" that they have posted a news article to help spread the word.

For those in the know, just how successful is this "fix"? I have read conflicting reports as to whether this actually addresses the problem or not.

 

[kugino]

i think it's a terrible "fix"...plus, many have said that the metal on metal is not the problem.

i think a better temporary solution is to use something like the iskin...i've noticed on my 4g ipod that the iskin provides a think buffer between the metal of the ipod and the metal of my ety 4s plug...but if the problem is bad, i say the only solution is to exchange it for one that works.

 

[Taphil]

It wasn't a fix for my 4G iPod. And it also doesn't explain why I can hear the whine through my Senn MX400 earbuds that doesn't have a metal base on its plug.

 

[raisin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taphil It wasn't a fix for my 4G iPod. And it also doesn't explain why I can hear the whine through my Senn MX400 earbuds that doesn't have a metal base on its plug.

Exactly my experience, I think all these hardware compatability issues in association with the ipod sound defect, only deal with exacerbation of an deep-rooted underlying design flaw (and obviously not easily fixed, as the release of the similiarly affected photopod illustrates).

 

[stymie miasma]

Thanks for chiming in guys. This is what I thought also from reading people's experiences here. I wonder why iPod Lounge are buying the "metal on metal" hypothesis?

 

[TWIFOSP]

Dunno, but I only notice it with certain headphones with a wide connector base. If I pull the connector out like a milimeter, the defect goes away. To me, metal on metal seems to be the culprit?

If it's not chassis to headphone conduction, then what is it? Chassis vibration that's picked up through the cable an interpereted by the drivers? Heheh

I do not notice any line noise or audio defects when using the lineout on the apple dock. Therefore I also logically conclude that the problem resides in the headphone jack, and is the culprit. My theory is metal to metal contact, or chassis vibration that's picked up by the connector/wire assembly of headphones.


Either way, I'm not using scotch tape, but pulling the connector out a smidge seems to fix it. I'll try scotch tape, or my iskin when it comes in in 2 days and post back...

Note, headphones that I've personally used that are affected and fixed by the "pull-out" (not that kind

):
Sony 3ks
Beyerdynamic 831s
ETY ER6

Headphones that don't seem to be affected
Grado 225s
Porta Pros

 

[BRBJackson]

It seems that there is a metal-to-metal contact noise problem which is fairly common, and a much less frequently reported hard drive whirring/static issue which is independant of the mini plug's construction. Taphil, sounds like you've got the latter.

For me, the 'fix' was to bitch at AppleCare about it, and get a replacement Pod from them 2 days later. No scotch tape, no pulling the plug out slightly, and NO hard drive noise through the headphones anymore

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRBJackson For me, the 'fix' was to bitch at AppleCare about it, and get a replacement Pod from them 2 days later. No scotch tape, no pulling the plug out slightly, and NO hard drive noise through the headphones anymore

that's what i'm talkin' about!

 

[TWIFOSP]

Hrm, I wasn't aware that it varied pod to pod... I had assumed that it was a problem with each one... interesting.

 

[BRBJackson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWIFOSP Hrm, I wasn't aware that it varied pod to pod... I had assumed that it was a problem with each one... interesting.

The "official" poll on iPodlounge.com seemed to show that more 4G owners did not have the defect. This was mirrored in the few other ad-hoc polls conducted there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iPodlounge.com Of the 158 responses we collected from our initial story on the defect, 85 readers posted the results of their own 4G iPod testing, and of that group, 54 readers (63.5%) reported no problems, while 31 readers (36.5%) reported the same problems we had found. While we emphasize that the results of our inquiry are comprised of strictly voluntary submissions from readers, and should not be taken as scientific or conclusive, they do suggest that the problem may be more widespread than we had originally hoped.

I'm of a mind that the more common defect (metal contact) was likely confined to a bad batch or two, but I could be way off...

 

[KellDammit]

I sent my first one (hd noise defect in both channels) back to apple, and the new replacement they sent had it only in the left channel (sigh)...my ipod photo does it in the right channel, and availability for a swap-out is nil at this time...
at least on the photo, it finishes spinning before the music starts...so, till there's availability, i can live with it.
otherwise, i'm really really happy with it!

 

[raisin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWIFOSP Hrm, I wasn't aware that it varied pod to pod... I had assumed that it was a problem with each one... interesting.

Being that myself and several others made serial attempts to find pristine 4g ipods, and failed after multiple CONSECUTIVE units, I seriously doubt the "poll" results that are bandied about. Its more likely that the neophyte users are just too inexperienced to either hear or percieve the problem, especially with the stock earbuds that most people use. If it was entirely negative aftermarket equipment synergys, than apple would be happy to absolve themselves of any accountability, and announce it as such. Instead we get the deathly silence of a guilty corporate conscience.

And of course, if the metal base headphone was the entire problem, then why is the pocketdock lineout comprimised in a similar manner?

 

[steel102]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stymie miasma The folks over at iPod Lounge seem to think highly enough of the "scotch tape fix"

of course, if there had been no static defect on the ipod, they would have been all over the rio carbon saying that the tape fix sucks, rio sucks, all mp3 players other than apples suck, and etc. you know how those ipod people are...

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steel102 you know how those ipod people are...

no, i don't. can you enlighten us?

 

[Taphil]

obsessive Apple/iPod zealots? or something like that. some are anyway.

If it's true that all 4G iPods have the real "audio defect" problem, which I can believe, involving a high-pitched constant tone squeal (doesn't sound at all like static!) when the hard drive is spinning, then I'm sure only a few people can actually hear it because (1) they don't know what to listen for and (2) you can't hear it (or at least I can't) with the Apple earbuds. There are also people who claim to hear it, but are really just describing the static hissing (that goes away once music starts playing) the newer iPods make compared to 3G and previous ones.