[mdickerman]

To the folks who've upgraded your iPods to 240Gb - do you use the stock firmware or Rockbox or both? What software do you use to sync with it? Do you notice a different in sound quality between Rockbox and the stock firmware?

 

[mrarroyo]

I use the stock firmware and iTunes, no difference.

 

[desktophifi]

Rockbox firmware Its more sophisticated. 

 

[Freeze]

arent the 240gb hdd's thicker then the 160gb. Doesnt it make the ipod all thick and messed up.

 

[mdickerman]

Quote:

Rockbox firmware Its more sophisticated. 

I know Rockbox is drag-and-drop, do you use any other media manager to sync, though?

 

[icedtrip]

I use both OF and Rockbox.  For OF syncing, I use iTunes for the ease; and for Rockbox, I use an Applescript within iTunes to copy over playlists and associated music files as well as manual drag and drop for FLAC files.  As for the sound quality, I don't hear a drastic difference, but since Rockbox allows you to customize so much more, the overall sound itself can be adjusted to you what you want.  Playing around with Channel Width, the EQ, Crossfeed, etc opens up a lot of difference between RB and OF.
 
@Freeze
As for the thickness of the drive, it will be the same as the 160GB as both are 2 platter drives.  I replaced a 60GB and the 2 drives were the same size.  The 30GB uses the thinner drive, so if you replace the drive in a 30GB with a 240GB, you'll need to also buy a larger back panel for the iPod.  Also, RAM in the 30GB will become an issue quicker than it will in one of the others (32MB vs 64MB RAM).  I have read that the OF in iPods with 64MB will even have issues at a certain point (~20,000 songs from what I have read) due to building the database.  I have ~18,000 and no issues so far myself.  Rockbox shouldn't have the same issues.

 

[mdickerman]

Has anyone experienced the issues with too many files? I'm trying to figure out what my strategy will be as I've got about 29000 on my 160g Classic right now and plan to add lots more.

 

[icedtrip]

Quote:

Has anyone experienced the issues with too many files? I'm trying to figure out what my strategy will be as I've got about 29000 on my 160g Classic right now and plan to add lots more.

If you're not having problems with 29k on a 160GB, I don't think there would be a problem with the the equivalent on the 240GB, but I just don't know how high it would go.  I've read ~20k as I mentioned above, but if you have 29k w/o a problem on the 160GB (which has 64MB RAM just like the 5G and 5.5G, other than the 30GB model), then my ~20k number seems off.  
 
The threads I have read deal with a combination of music, videos, and a lot of other items that may force the database being built to be quite large.  I'll try to hunt down those threads.  I'm pretty sure I read them on the Rockbox site actually.

 

[icedtrip]

Here is one of the threads.  It was over at RapidRepair and mostly deals with the 30GB (apparently where I got my ~20k number), but there are a couple mentions of other iPods. 
 
Another thing to note is that the 240GB only works with 5G and 5.5G Video iPods, not the "Classics" such as the 160GB.
 
http://www.rapidrepair.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2508

 

[Hero Kid]

Isn't it true that you need a special version of Rockbox to get it to with a 240gb hard drive?
Also to clarify, if I buy a 30gb iPod 5.5g (Much easier to find than the 80gb version) I could upgrade to a 240gb hard drive simply by getting a  5 or was it 8mm backplate?
 
While I'm on the subject can anyone recommend somewhere on the web that sells refurbished 80gb 5.5g iPods? I'm thinking I might get one as a high capacity player and have the option of going the whole hogged 240gb if I choose to at a later date, and possibly iMod.

 

[crumpler]

Quote:

Isn't it true that you need a special version of Rockbox to get it to with a 240gb hard drive?
Also to clarify, if I buy a 30gb iPod 5.5g (Much easier to find than the 80gb version) I could upgrade to a 240gb hard drive simply by getting a  5 or was it 8mm backplate?
 
While I'm on the subject can anyone recommend somewhere on the web that sells refurbished 80gb 5.5g iPods? I'm thinking I might get one as a high capacity player and have the option of going the whole hogged 240gb if I choose to at a later date, and possibly iMod.

 
Yup! You would need a special version of Rockbox if you decide to install any hard disk larger than 80GB on a 5/5.5G iPod. More details see here!
 

 

[barbes]

Quote:

To the folks who've upgraded your iPods to 240Gb - do you use the stock firmware or Rockbox or both? What software do you use to sync with it? Do you notice a different in sound quality between Rockbox and the stock firmware?

Note that the folks who originated the iMod, at Red Wine Audio and ALO, strongly recommend not using Rockbox and will not provide support for Rockboxed iMods:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/479449/alo-rwa-super-imods/30
 
I've got a 240 gb iMod and it died after being Rockboxed.  Can't prove cause and effect but I'm not trying again.

 

[QRomo]

Hero Kid, ipodzens offers a refurbed 5.5 video with a 240GB drive installed for a pretty good price if you want to avoid having to do the installation yourself (and making sure you have a the right backplate, etc.).  Based on the model number, it looks like these units are based on a 5.5 80GB, which is slightly better than a 30GB as it has twice the RAM (should result in less frequent disk reads and therefore longer battery life).
 
As for getting rockbox running on a 240GB 5.5 gen, as of a few days ago it looks like it's super easy.  3.6 was just released and appears to have large drive support, so you can just follow the official installation instructions and it should just work.

 

[crumpler]

Quote:

Hero Kid, ipodzens offers a refurbed 5.5 video with a 240GB drive installed for a pretty good price if you want to avoid having to do the installation yourself (and making sure you have a the right backplate, etc.).  Based on the model number, it looks like these units are based on a 5.5 80GB, which is slightly better than a 30GB as it has twice the RAM (should result in less frequent disk reads and therefore longer battery life).
 
As for getting rockbox running on a 240GB 5.5 gen, as of a few days ago it looks like it's super easy.  3.6 was just released and appears to have large drive support, so you can just follow the official installation instructions and it should just work.

 
Thanks for that QRomo! I'll be sure to check the Rockbox 3.6 out myself!