[estreeter]

Couldnt agree more on the QC issue - unforgiveable, but I guess it comes with the sheer volume of players Apple have to churn out each year. I've also read of folk buying refurb iPods from the Apple Store (older models) and finding everything from larger hard drives to, in their opinion, considerably improved SQ over 'stock'. The latter is almost certainly placebo, but nothing would surprise me after some of the experiences recounted in this thread. If a company like Sandisk can make a player like the Clip+ for very reasonable cost and gain the reputation that they have over the last few short years, surely Apple can improve on that baseline for their flagship portable player ?

 

[lamewing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elfary /img/forum/go_quote.gif After 3 days switching back and forth between the 09 Classic and the iPhone 3GS i still think that it has they have the same sound signature. The iPhone sounds slightly more clear but the gap is really tiny. I only can notice it on some albums that i know by heart and listening on a "psycho" critical mode. As for music goes if could only have one device i will go with Classic with no hesitation. But hey the iPhone do tons of other things nicely. On a couple of years a 128Gb iPhone will kill the Classic for me.Until then i'll be using it a lot. Recapping the reviews given on the thread can leave you scared since it seems that the sound quality of an Apple device depends on how lucky one is which is hard to believe actually. I still can't buy that theory. iPods are very reliable and that's a symptom of a good QC. It might be more related to personal tastes imo. Anyway i'm listening more music than ever before. and music is what it's all about in the end. Using allmusic as a guide to discover new artists is great really

I use my iPhone 3GS to play my podcasts, but using the iPod App is just another way to quickly drain the battery. I need a separate device to play my music.

I find that I can tell the difference in the sound signature of the iPods, Sonys, and Cowons. But where I listen to them, at the university, the slight difference just isn't that important to me. At home prefer to dock an iPod and use the line-out with my home stereo.

I think the best advantage of the iPods is that they are so ubiquitous. You can go on ebay or an internet store and find parts for a broken iPod within minutes. I can even buy replacement batteries at the local battery shop and we have a shop nearby that does iPod repairs as well. Everything, such as HDD, batteries, HP jacks, new backs/fronts, scroll wheelsetc, etc. are everywhere. Try doing that with a Sony or Cowon.

This is one of the most important reasons I finally gave up on minidiscs, Sony DAP/PMP, and Cowon too. I am going to give the Cowon S9 a shot, but if history repeats itself, I will end up just using a 5.5 gen iPod and my iPhone 3GS.

 

[kostalex]

I burned-in 2009 Classic 160 GB for 27 hours and compared it to 5.5 gen 80 GB using HP out feeding PK1 and ER-4S. It was not easy comparison but I riddled it.

Well, 2009 Classic sounds more clear, the details seem to be more emphasized and background is blacker. Some may mistake this for better SQ. But I hear how 2009 Classic loses a whole layer of microdetails in comparison to 5.5 gen. Due to this loss some bigger details stand out, background becomes blacker and decays stop sharply, providing the delusion of more precise and faster sound. But this is just a simplified approach in comparison to rich, warm and well detailed sound of 5.5 gen. I think this loss is also a reason for an opposite sound signature of 2009 Classic, which is dry, cold and lifeless.

On the other hand, it seems that 2009 Classic 160 GB has some slight improvements over 2008 (2007?) Classic indeed. My memory tells me that older Classic was dethroned by 5.5 gen easier. But I already sold older version, so I can not compare it to 2009 Classic for sure.

Nevertheless, improved or not, 2009 Classic can not stand well against 5.5 gen.

 

[kostalex]

And yes, I also tried the second, silver 2009 Classic burned-in for 10 hours. It sounds the same.

 

[ericinmd]

Well here are my intitial impressions of 2009 160GB #2 that I purchased. I'm not experienced enough to use all the fancey lingo yet so I'm gonna go with this old standby.. IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can honestly say if this were my first iPod, it would be my last.

To be clear, I'm not calling anyone a liar, or even an exaggerator about this whoopass SQ this thing supposedly has so I'm going to part ways with it (the sooner the better) because this ain't a burn-in issue I can tell you. I'm going to figure it has something to do with:

1. Me or my ears are dumb (probable)
2. My Koss KSC75's finally found a player they didn't like (doubtful)
3. I bought the only 2 that sucked (maybe)
4. Keep in mind I'm using headphone out only and maybe that's the deal

My $39 (4gb on sale @ BB) Sansa Clip+ throws this $235+ player to the ground, stomps all over it, taunts it, then laughs at it and walks away SQ wise. So does every other iPod I've ever owned especially the pair of 3G Touches we have.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just joking around but it is a darn shame. Would have loved to have all that music with me at once, but for me it's all about the music and if the music doesn't sound good to my ears, it's not going to work for me.

To the guys here that have the 2009 160GB classic and love the SQ, my hats off to you and I sincerely hope you enjoy it for many years to come. It all comes down to personal preferrence and what your ears like and apparently we are all different when it comes to that.

There won't be a 3rd one for me I'm afraid. I'm going to stick with the 3G touch and the clip+ until something better comes along then jump ship. I have no brand loyalty with this deal.

-eric

 

[Sparky191]

None of this is persuading me that the 2009 is significantly closer to what I like than any of the other Classic iPods.

 

[humanafterall]

A friend wanted me to load her first gen nano with some music, as she does not have a computer but received a hand me down nano. I had the pleasure of auditioning it to see what I have been missing, as I sold my first 30GB 5.5g a few years ago (I know..doh!), and "upgraded" to a 2007 Classic.

Let me tell you, I used to think the 2007 Classic sounded great, but I have to agree with some other members on here, the Classic is definitely missing something. This first gen nano spanks it (Classic) hands down imo, the nano offers warmth and an airy presence that I just cannot hear from the Classic I have owned for a few years. I am really enjoying the SQ of this thing, so much that I broke down and bought a 80GB 5.5G online. I am hoping it will be close to sounding as good as this first gen nano.

I'm a believer now, wolfson chips sound more involving and enjoyable than the late cirrus logic chips that the 2007-09 iPods have adopted. Note: I am using it straight out of the HO, not LOD. Not that the cirrus logic chips suck, but it can't hold a flame to the wolfson chips..Hopefully Apple will go back to them one day for future gen iPods. Here's hoping..

 

[3X0]

I don't like the Wolfsons (in my 5.5G). What you guys perceive as endearing, I perceived as blurry warmth. I just can't stand warm sources, and that's been a fairly recent realization of mine.

 

[humanafterall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3X0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't like the Wolfsons (in my 5.5G). What you guys perceive as endearing, I perceived as blurry warmth. I just can't stand warm sources, and that's been a fairly recent realization of mine.

To each his own...I go back and forth between the two characteristics, warm vs clear analytical..depends on the music and mood for me, but I definitely lean towards warm.

 

[bikeboy999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by humanafterall /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm a believer now, wolfson chips sound more involving and enjoyable than the late cirrus logic chips that the 2007-09 iPods have adopted. Note: I am using it straight out of the HO, not LOD. Not that the cirrus logic chips suck, but it can't hold a flame to the wolfson chips..Hopefully Apple will go back to them one day for future gen iPods. Here's hoping..

I am not sure which DAC is in the ver7 of the Classic IPOD 2009 etc.. (you get the picture on the name). My tester (son) has fairly good ears trained well as sound person at the church for past 8-10 yrs. I found lossless songs on his Video 80g 5.5 gen IPOD and matched them with the same lossless on my 2009 160gb Classic. I used my LOD and amp (Headsix), picked three songs and swapped at my readiness (or faked a swap) between players. It was an interesting venture as it was his first time hearing the 2009 version. It was with his SR225's so he was comfortable with any sound from his own. He said he could not tell the diff between players, when he did I had not changed player at that test moment. I do not call this an accurate test, but it makes me wonder about the DAC. I do not recall seeing anywhere about the DAC in the new model not being Wolfson. It was an interesting test to see how close the two models compare in this households viewpoint anyways.


B

BTW the music was Led Zepplin II Whole Lotta Love, Tubular Bells III The source of secrets & Secrets.

 

[xguntherc]

Hm.. well, I have a 2007 80GB classic sitting next to me. (Not mine) and my personal 32GB 3rd Gen Touch. and I can tell you that for sure, without a doubt, These 2 ipods sound different. there's no doubt in my mind. There's something different between the 2. the Classic does seem a little louder on my OK2's, but louder doesn't mean better.

I'm going to give them both a try tonight and see what I think.

 

[kostalex]

Try some delicate vocal to discover the difference. As I wrote, it was not easy comparison until i tried this track:

Artist Name : Eva Cassidy
Track Title : Autumn Leaves
Album Title : Live At Blues Alley

Starting from 1:50, there are some tiny details in voice which are presented with 5.5 gen and dropped by 2009 Classic.

Do these minor things really matter? I believe YES. You unlikely hear them taken separately but they rather convey emotions instead of distinctive sounds.

 

[estreeter]

For me, the big pluses with the current Classic are support for a lossless format straight out of the box and a huge hard drive. The fact that I can happily listen to the thing through my integrated amp is a major plus, and I look forward to auditioning the Onkyo transport as soon as it reaches Oz. For a truly portable player, there are better choices and many of them are made by companies other than Apple. Sure, who wants to be ripping music to both ALAC and FLAC/LAME/whatever - for me, its a small price to pay to have the best of both worlds.

FWIW, if I can use an analogy, I think the 68 Corvette was the best thing GM ever did, but I wouldn't want to have to rely on one to get to work each day - the 5/5.5GB Classic is fast becoming the equivalent in terms of consumer electronics. Until someone else releases a 160GB hard-drive based player for the price of the Classic, I'm prepared to live with the fact that the SQ isn't to the unanimous satisfaction of the iPod faithful. If anything, its the suggestions of a 'bad batch' that might make me think long and hard before I'd consider another Apple player.

 

[kostalex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif For me, the big pluses with the current Classic are support for a lossless format straight out of the box and a huge hard drive... Until someone else releases a 160GB hard-drive based player for the price of the Classic.

Ah, prices... 5.5 gen supports for a lossless format straight out of the box. Modded with even more huge 240 GB hard drive, it will cost you like $400 - the same dollars per gigabyte as 2009 Classic does.

Or you may get three of 5.5 gen 80 GB for the price of 2009 160 GB Classic. It is less convenient but provides even more capacity for the money.

estreeter,

have you ever listened to 5.5 gen vs these new Classics?

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kostalex /img/forum/go_quote.gif estreeter, have you ever listened to 5.5 gen vs these new Classics?

No, but I'd happily pit my X series against anything Apple have ever sold over the counter. Any stock player at all - not the iMod - only condition would be that it would be my music and my headphones. Pricewise, its an unfair comparison, but not when you start to add a DAC/amp to get what you really want from that iPod .....

Would I like to try the iMod or a rockboxed 5G iPod from something like the iBasso ? Of course I would, but I still have to ask whether it would be an improvement over the HiFiMan (again, I can only go on what I have read). As I pointed out in the other thread, we often say we want 'the best SQ from a portable source', then turn purple when we see the asking price for the few devices that can make that claim. The lead-in to Xmas is a tough time to be thinking about $650 DAPs, no matter how good they are.