[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky191 /img/forum/go_quote.gif When I blind tested my HiMD and older MD's against my other MP3 players I was surprised that I only rated them average. I "preferred" my Zen Micro and 1G Shuffle. The MD/HiMD were better than most of the other iPods, PCDP and MP3 players I had to test with. The exception was the 5.5 which seemed pretty neutral and was ok to listen to, better than average but thats all. At the end of the day its what YOU like that matters.

Out of curiosity how did you "blind" test them, did you have an assistant , how did you ensure that the volume levels were identical ? level matching is pretty difficult, when I sighted tested my two CD players I found that one had something like an extra 0.5V on its line out this made serious testing nigh on impossible.

 

[Sparky191]

A friend and an old MD set on rec/pause used to check levels. Not very accurate but it was just for fun and curiousity rather than a serious test. If I can't hear a difference, or need a lot of effort and gear to hear a difference then I'm going to ignore that. Since most of my listening isn't at 100% concentration and in a less then ideal enviroment.

 

[scompton]

The only other DAP I can compare my iPod to is my old Rio Cali. The iPod sounds better. With the portable amps and the portable headphones that I have, the headphones sound better out of the headphone out. The amps are so loud they're unlistenable, at least to me. They go from no sound to too loud with nothing in between. I can't compare my non-portable headphones between the headphone out and the line out, because the headphone out won't drive them.

Personally, I like the sound of the iPod with the headphones that I use with it regularly - im716, UM1, PX100, KSC75. Do I like the sound of my higher end headphones from amps, sure, but I believe that is more a function of the headphones are just plain better.

iTunes and the iPod have features that no other software or DAP have. Even if a DAP has better sound than the iPod, without these features, they're worthless to me. The chief feature is that an iPod can play multi-disc CDs in the correct order without requiring me to create a playlist. If anyone can point out another player that can do this, and sounds better than the iPod, I'd be willing to check it out. But since I've posted this request on numerous threads with lots if iPod bashing and no one has been able to answer this, I doubt if there will be a different result now.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif The thing is, when it comes to comparing iPods to other DAPs, you hear alot of opinions but never much evidence.

I sometimes wonder how many of the iPod bashers have actually heard an iPod and how many are bashing it because it's the big seller.

 

[dissembled]

I'm an Ipod basher recently...retired. The fact that a quality Wolfson DAC is in it to begin with was what made me respect the device more, personally.

The RWA site was definately informative.

 

[musblue4]

I think what ever is the most popular, people will as bash. Personally I love my ipod, and others that I have had in the past.

 

[ozz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I sometimes wonder how many of the iPod bashers have actually heard an iPod and how many are bashing it because it's the big seller.

or have actually owned a 5.5 and spent some time listening to it i find its
sound is neutral but then i don't care for warm or bright colored audio eq.

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...The chief feature is that an iPod can play multi-disc CDs in the correct order without requiring me to create a playlist....

Not a feature I've had a problem since I normal name/tag multidisc CD's with a disc number. But I'm curious about this after a comment in another forum about HiMD and play order. What does the iPod use to order them, and how are you sorting in order to see disks of the same name in the correct order.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky191 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not a feature I've had a problem since I normal name/tag multidisc CD's with a disc number. But I'm curious about this after a comment in another forum about HiMD and play order. What does the iPod use to order them, and how are you sorting in order to see disks of the same name in the correct order.

It uses the disk number tag. The album name is the same for all discs. In iTunes, you can sort by any field that is being displayed. I haven't completely figured out how sorting works. It doesn't always always work the same way. For instance, if I sort by Kind (AAC, Apple Lossless), and then by Album, it loses the sort by Kind. However, if I sort by track number, disc number, then Album, it retains the first 2 sorts withing the last.

Normally, I play shuffle by album on a smart playlist that only includes lossless files. I sort by the ordinal number that is always on the left side of the pane, and albums automatically play in disc/track order. I don't have to worry about it.


Do you include the disc number in the album name or do you use the disc number ID3 tag and if you use the ID3 tag, what program do you use? I've never seen a program other than iTunes that uses it. That doesn't mean they don't exist, just no one has been able to point them out to me.

 

[Sparky191]

You talking about sorting in iTunes or on the iPod itself? I assume that the iPod is up to date with all the tags in the iTunes and sorts by album and disc number when sorting by album.

I see what you mean now. iTunes has ID tag for Disc number. I use MediaMonkey and v2.x doesn't but v3.x does. Never really noticed this before. This is the problem with ID tags. Many devices/applications have their own proprietary tags, that aren't on other devices/applications. So if you decided to use another player or application you can lose some functionality that you've got used to. Pain in the butt. The only way around this is to suit yourself and organise your music the way you want to. IMO.

I use a mixture of players that use Filetree and/or ID Tags. So I've got into the habit of tagging/folder naming multidisc albums as

scompton hits 1
scompton hits 2
scompton hits 3

etc. For some albums where I want date in the order and often the publish date of the remaster CD is different to original release date I do something crazy like

2001 scomptons warbles
2002 scomptons Masterpieces
2007 scompton hits 1
2007 scompton hits 2
2007 scompton hits 3

Ugly, but works for tags and filetree.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky191 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You talking about sorting in iTunes or on the iPod itself?

iTunes. On the iPod it's sorted alphabetically by what ever you are looking at, Albums, Artists, Songs, Composers, Playlists, etc. As you drill in you eventually get a listing of songs in alpha order. Playlists are listed in album/song order since I shuffle by album.

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverlordXenu /img/forum/go_quote.gif So people aren't allowed to present their opposing opinions or evidence? Either way, I've heard base ipods, and they sound like crap.

When you are ready to post evidence vs. talking trash let me know.

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pata2001 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Many people correlates boomy bass/loudness = better sound quality, which IMO they're not.

Yes, I drive up next to these people with their bazooka bass all the time. It also reminds me back in college when loudness came out and people would crank that up (or bass or treble) vs just turning up the volume a little more and getting the whole picture. I'd shake my head and walk away.

I've always equated flavoring music like picking up a book and randomly skipping words/sentences. Sure you can get the meaning of the book but you've missed the nuance. Still if bass boost/loudness/EQing things to death floats your boat, it's your experience not mine.

 

[pesciolino]

what kind of dac does the 5.5 version have?

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky191 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see what you mean now. iTunes has ID tag for Disc number. I use MediaMonkey and v2.x doesn't but v3.x does. Never really noticed this before. This is the problem with ID tags. Many devices/applications have their own proprietary tags, that aren't on other devices/applications. So if you decided to use another player or application you can lose some functionality that you've got used to. Pain in the butt. The only way around this is to suit yourself and organise your music the way you want to. IMO.

Or just use iTunes and have the best organizing tools available.

See ya
Steve