[bpfiguer]

There are several reports (about sound quality) on Head-Fi that support the following:

4 gen iMod (Rocboxed) > 4 gen iMod (Apple firmware)

5.5 gen imod (Apple firmware) > 4 gen iMod (Apple firmware)

Question:
5.5 gen imod (Apple firmware) > 4 gen iMod (Rocboxed)?

I would like to known the answer from somebody playing the same lossless files (ALAC), using the same AMP, same headphones, similar interconnects, and equalizer turned off.

Thanks

 

[Gnus]

It's probably all placebo, since Rockbox users generally use FLAC while Apple firmware users will use ALAC.

Both are lossless, so there shouldn't be any difference in sound. If anything, Rockbox's short battery life makes it less useful.

 

[LDMES]

One of the reasons Rockbox is preferred by a number of Head-Fiers over the stock Apple Firmware IS the Rockbox EQ and Sound Settings. (So comparing the two firmwares without taking advantage of the Rockbox setting options seems pointless as Gnus pointed out you will just be comparing lossless files)

And yes Rockbox for now has a shorter battery life...but the BTI Ipod Battery 2 solves that issue with my 4g iMod.

 

[bpfiguer]

Thank you. I also have a Rockboxed 4 gen iMod and the BTI Ipod Battery II. You need to turn off the battery before turning off the player to avoid starting-up again. Also, sometimes the Rockboxed iMod freeze during start-up when the player is connected to the battery which is turned on. The Rockbox's equalizer can fix the Shure E500 recessive high frequency response.

 

[MarcusL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDMES /img/forum/go_quote.gif One of the reasons Rockbox is preferred by a number of Head-Fiers over the stock Apple Firmware IS the Rockbox EQ and Sound Settings.

And iMod means its utilizing the line-out so using equalization shouldnt be covered in the comparison.

 

[bbird1927]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnus /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's probably all placebo, since Rockbox users generally use FLAC while Apple firmware users will use ALAC. Both are lossless, so there shouldn't be any difference in sound. If anything, Rockbox's short battery life makes it less useful.

Totally agreed !!
Compared 4G rockbox vs 4G apple firmware side by side, couldnt tell any difference.
I'l go for apple firmware for the extra battery life

 

[Febs]

See this thread for my RMAA comparison of the original firmware versus Rockbox on an iPod 60 GB Video.

 

[grndslm]

I don't think people realize how easy it is to TRY rockbox!!

If you're interested, just try it....it's sooo easy to install & uninstall.

Even when Rockbox *is* installed, you can still access the stock firmware by holding down left or something like that when the player boots.

Rockbox is relatively easy compared to trying out most other Linux distros.

 

[Gnus]

I have my iMod on dual boot, so yes it's easy to install.

The problem is there's no point using it because, on top of battery issues, the firmware is very unstable in my experiences. I've tried tons of builds, none work properly. People say they use FLAC without problems, but my library is in ALAC because I wanted the dual benefits of both firmwares.

Alas, it seems ALAC is unstable on Rockbox and I see no reasons to convert my library into FLAC.

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndslm /img/forum/go_quote.gif Even when Rockbox *is* installed, you can still access the stock firmware by holding down left or something like that when the player boots.

Hold Menu as the iPod boots, or turn on the player and immediately turn the hold button to "on."

 

[bpfiguer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have my iMod on dual boot, so yes it's easy to install. The problem is there's no point using it because, on top of battery issues, the firmware is very unstable in my experiences. I've tried tons of builds, none work properly. People say they use FLAC without problems, but my library is in ALAC because I wanted the dual benefits of both firmwares. Alas, it seems ALAC is unstable on Rockbox and I see no reasons to convert my library into FLAC.

I use "No Frequency Scaling" (http://mikeage.net/content/rockbox-custom-builds/) build from mikeage. The Rockbox build date is 20070301. I don't have stability problems playing big ALAC files (I listen mostly classical music files, and some of them can be 15-30 min long). A few times I have had a short pause (few seconds) in the song.

 

[bpfiguer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs /img/forum/go_quote.gif See this thread for my RMAA comparison of the original firmware versus Rockbox on an iPod 60 GB Video.

Thank you for the information

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndslm /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think people realize how easy it is to TRY rockbox!! If you're interested, just try it....it's sooo easy to install & uninstall.

Well, sounds like you have not tried to install Rockbox on a HFS+ formatted iPod then.

Cause its a pain in the *** to manually apply partition tables, format partitions, etc. before even getting to the point of installing Rockbox.

If only Rockbox had full iPod support!