[rextrade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls20 192 cbr or ~192vbr, mp3, no video, no photos, no eq, 50% volume level

Definitely send it back for repair, the battery life is way off--Apple service is great, you'll have a new one within a week.

 

[QualiaSense]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiritboxer It's what I started with and I'm familiar with the software etc. It's convenient and I'm happy with the sound (headphone out/line out) and the back up service. Working on trading for a 5G 60GB soon. I drive a Lexus instead of a Porche, gets me where I gotta go........

lol, funny... u konw the finest in cars, but not your taste in portable audio tho...

I get your point that you understand Lexus is simply the best all around car u can buy at this moment, I have both Lexus and P, but if I have to choose one, it will always be the Lexus; but for Ipods, God, where do I begin, a OK design that SONY give away to Ipod for free, made so many ppl in love with it, this world is Banana!!! Using MP3 is a crime, not even mention bad battery, bad software, bad design, cheap material, lack of technology, and nonsense functions!!!

so goof 4 u driving simply the world best all around car, Lexus, but choice for portable audio? well I guess everyone has it's own preferrneces!

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QualiaSense Using MP3 is a crime,

For purely portable use, why? Personally when I'm riding the bus or aircraft I can't hear much difference between lossy & lossless, and just don't care... I just want to carry around a lot of music at once. My vintage PCDPs are for "transportable" use in the home (or office) to carry from place to place, in a quiet environment. That's where I do care about fidelity, although admittedly using *any* portable device is somewhat of a sound quality compromise.

 

[Jasper994]

I'm still not in love with its UI or the fact that the battery isn't user replaceable, but the price to performance ratio finally lined up for me, and the small form factor is damn hard to argue with (it's about 1/3-1/2 the size of my Zen Xtra). The 5th Gen screen is beautiful, and while the battery life rather sucks with video, it's good enough to watch an episode of Seinfeld or something while eating lunch. Besides, it sounds great with the UE-10s!

The fact that it supports Apple Lossless is gravy...

 

[Comfy]

Answering the OP's question from my point of view...
I think iPods have become more popular at Head-Fi mainly because of three things:

- First of all, the iPod itself has brought a lot of people to Head-Fi. People who had just bought an expensive portable player, and wanted better headphones to go with it. I for one found the site this way.
- Secondly, people have found ways to make the iPod sound better. The line-out (first the Pocket Dock and Sik Din, now mostly Turbo Dock), the portable amp boom, the iMods (hardware iMod by Red Wine, various software mods), better compression codecs... All of these things have made it easier to achieve good quality sound using the iPod as source.
- Then of course the iPods are getting better with each generation. Better batteries, sleeker looks, new abilities, more memory.

Some people really seem to dislike the UI and design of the iPod, but I guess the majority still thinks that iPod's iconic looks and the really simple and intuitive UI are definitive pluses when choosing their MP3-player.
And last but not least: The iPod is already a classic. It used to be FOTM, but now it's a standard. In ten more years it'll be retro cool.

 

[scrypt]

Truthfully, I wasn't intending to purchase another BiPod after Pod Gen III, as my amorous propensities failed to be stirred by the Nanogiggle, the me-Ruffle, the you-Fondle or even the he-Falsie Mini. After all, I already possessed an ensemble of exquisite l'il outfits for the III and felt content to fritter away the hours dressing my tiny voomens in pink and chartreuse silicone (while eating nurse-white fritters -- m-m-m-m-m-m, the delicious agony). Yes, it is twoo I had diverted future attentions to the X5 and the soon-to-plop-down-from-conceptual-knob-heaven Neuros III, but that's not important right now.

Then came the Video Notice-Me-Me-Me-Pod Gen V. Pardon my incontinent malamute, but believe-You-i-Me, I squirted unabashed joy whilst learning of the V's stereo 24-bit recording capabilities. That, and the pelvis-numbing thrill of owning a non-Caucasian iGland, cinched the likelihood I'd spoon over the extra cash for yet another Myself-Prod despite my previous bleats and bellows to the contrary. It's true -- I swear it! -- or my name, she ain't Lawrence of Ole-bia, Meester Navia.

 

[Sparky191]

Speaking of the "...V's stereo 24-bit recording capabilities..." has any practical use been made of this yet?

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comfy It used to be FOTM, but now it's a standard. In ten more years it'll be retro cool.

And undoubtedly ten years hence fewtch would be hawking it as the last word in sound quality and arguing that compared to our stick-on-to-skin terabyte players, the 5G iPod he got for peanuts is used for transportable use and therefore having it being a pocket doesn't bother him. It's not about the money at all of course, it's about the quality...

 

[s2pidstoner]

reply to 1st post

I was hugely pro-Rio before they went away, and i even stayed with them after my old Eigen's hard drive broke and bought myself a Carbon. But now with no more firmware updates or new products and such from them, i switched to a 4 gig nano that i got as a christmas/bday present and I'm very satisfied so far.

 

[Tunster]

No iPod lover/converter could ever convince me... for the pure and simple reason, I always feel Apple want to control what you do with your player. Has limited codec support (essential for me), limited EQ/SQ enhancement and iTunes puts me right off. The new features/improvements are coming slowly, but too slowly.

I'm more than satisfied with my iAudio M3. Love the remote/screen and sexy design. Along with a wide-span codec support, great sound quality and easy navigation menu. I don't care it doesn't have a ID3-Tag database. If you're sensible and folder everything right, I can instantly get to what I want quickly. I'm just waiting for my M3 to pack-in so I can get the new X5. Looks like I'm gonna have to wait a while

. Over one year and counting......

 

[scrypt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky191 Speaking of the "...V's stereo 24-bit recording capabilities..." has any practical use been made of this yet?

That issue is precisely what stopped me from picking up a new VidPod at J&R yesterday: Mike adapters made for older iPods don't work with Apple's newest because the port they require is no longer part of the design. No third party has offered a recording solution for the 5G yet, which makes me wonder whether the recording option advertised by Apple initially has been quashed due to later considerations (such as the RIAA). I've heard rumors about "closed firmware" and won't actually buy a new iPod until the recording feature's practicality has been substantiated.

I've done cursory searches for info; as far as I can hurl, no one has reported making usable recordings with the 5G. The only positive recording results I've read about with any iPod are those involving Podzilla and 3G models. I'll be trying out that option with a 3G at some point in January.

 

[solvexyz]

I think things that iPod did right are the huge size of the player and suports of lossless codecs. There are not many players out there that is over 40G with lossless codec supports. When you decide to go for lossless codec, you are in need of a 60gig.

I have seen some people picked iPod because of that reason.

 

[omendelovitz]

I'm a convert too... away from the iPod, that is. After owning 3 iPods and having had enough with Apple's arrognance and poor competitiveness feature-wise, I switched to iAudio's X5. Granted, there is a 50/50 split b/w the good iPod features vs. most of the other guys, but I care about sound quality above all else, and iPods' 100 Hz bass rolloff is unacceptable to these ears; I love the fact that I get audiophile-esque sound out of the X5's headphone out and even better sound when a good amp's attached. The only pluses I'd give to the iPod these days is that their battery life and UI is unparalled. If video is important to you and not only music, then add a nice screen to the iPod list of pluses.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by omendelovitz but I care about sound quality above all else, and iPods' 100 Hz bass rolloff is unacceptable to these ears; I love the fact that I get audiophile-esque sound out of the X5's headphone out and even better sound when a good amp's attached.

Hmmm...

Hrmmm...

The X5's dock LO actually sounds OK. Not brilliant in any way and certainly not better than the iPod since even the 5G (which I have a feeling is inferior to the mono iPods when amped) has a cleaner, better separated sound overall. It's just that response is not what you expect when amping with an amp load. When you amp the headphone out with all effects turned off, it's fairly close to the 5G's performance, since the HP out has very similar performance.

 

[PixelSquish]

the x5 line-out has a known drop off.

he was speaking about the headphone.

also, since he HAS owned, as in past tense, ipods, he was almost definitely speaking about up to the 4g ipod.

i guess he got sick and tired of apple screwin around for four generations with sound quality, and went with a company that tried harder earlier on