[yeahx]

I was thinking about reviving a thread like this but didn't see this one. I recently was given back my old Shuffle and started using it again. Posted a little about it in another thread but had to stop but had to stop to avoid derailing it. Didn't really like the Shuffle when I got it because I needed something for a full work day and I change my mind about what I want to listen to a lot and never got into random playlist. At the time I also hadn't noticed much special about sound quality because I didn't have any decent headphones.
 
So lately I've been using it for short walks or as my bed rig with my HD555 (re-terminated and cable shortened). It still amazes me to have so much sound coming from such a little device. The shuffle has become my new way to audition my latest CDs or music downloads because its perfect for just listening to certain albums without having to put them on the Nano. The headphone jack on mine has minor issue, the USB cap is missing and its a little scratched up but still works great.
 
It seems weird to me that it doesn't support ALAC or even AIFF but can play WAV files, but I would rather fit more onto it with AAC anyways. It even plays true VBR encoded files encoded at higher bitrates which are a nice compromise and I'm sure its over kill but sounds great. I don't have an encoder that does AAC CBR higher than 320 but that seems like a waste of space anyways and my shuffle is only a 512MB.
 
Of course there is some hiss with my Triple Fi 10s but I don't think I minded it too much when the music was playing. Maybe I will listen with these later today to see if I'm wrong because someone said they were a horrible match but last week when I tried, they sounded pretty good to me when songs were not too quiet or paused.

 

[keepitsimple]

^I have 2 4g nanos and think the shuffle sounds better.i would try out the px 100s if i was you.i love how easy the shuffle is (no wire-straight into usb port) 

 

[yeahx]

PX100s were my first decent headphones that showed me what better sound was but mine were stolen before I got the shuffle and I was stuck with cheaper in ears for years before I got anything much more than $30. I'm sure they would be great because my HD555 work well with it. Even with the slightly shorter cable and the smaller jack its kind of funny to have that little player connected to a big pair of headphones. Back when I first got the shuffle I didn't have good access to a USB port so I had to use a cable but now I just plug it straight in.
 
For the longest time I would only use the 4G Nano with an amp and LOD but after a while I started using without and its not great but good enough for being outside. The shuffle does sound a lot better to me and its great for when Im not too far from the computer so I can change out the songs if I want to. It's an impressive little device, but it was very pricey when it came out so at least it made up for it somehow.

 

[Sparky191]

I loved my 1st gen shuffles. But they all died. I would get another except for that. 

 

[keepitsimple]

^^^i bid on e bay all the time for them.my max bid is about £7.i have about 15 but some are broke.

 

[yeahx]

Mine has gone back to retirement for now. Back into a drawer to wait. Although I did recently get a new pair of cans I haven't tried it with yet.

 

[keepitsimple]

^^^^is there much of a difference between your 128GB 5G iPod and your shuffle soundwise

 

[yeahx]

Not really sure. Only recently got the 5G and it definitely sounds better than my old 4G Nano. My guess is they are similar because I think they might use the same opamp if I recall correctly.

 

[Sparky191]

You got me thinking about shuffles, and curious about the voice over feature of the current 4th Generation Shuffles. So I picked one up. Partly to see would it work for one of the kids as they find the Clip+ menu a bit fussy/tricky. I was also curious about the SQ. There seems to be good availability 2nd hand also.
 
SQ wise I was impressed. I use my Zip with no EQ and low end IEM's. The Shuffle has no hiss, SQ was on a par with the Zip but different. If I EQ'd the Zip I would probably have got them more similar. I would say it has more bass. Wider sound-stage. Top end is almost on a par with the Zip, but I think the Zip,  has just touch more. I was A-B with a classical strings piece  I always use.
 
That said I really like it. Tiny design, makes the Zip seem huge. I loved using it. The voice over functionality really aids usability. You set up playlists, I set one up with all albums and a one each for each album. So Voice over speaks the playlists and you select which one you want. Very handle. The 2GB seemed a bit small after my 16GB players. One of the kids uses audio books a lot and it would only fit two books. One of the other kids mainly listens to the same 10 or so albums and it worked well for them. On the flip side it got me focused on just a few albums rather than jumping around a lot as I do when I've more stuff on a MP3 player. Battery life was ok, Lasted me most of week of occasional use. The proprietary cable is a pain. Scared of losing it, so don't carry it, so when the Shuffle runs out of juice I can't charge it.  I'm rarely far from a USB charger or Micro USB cable. So a proprietary is a real downside. 
 
In the end I bought two. One of the kids, and one for me to play with. At the moment I dunno if I'll hand this one over to them yet. 

 

[keepitsimple]

^^have you tried the first gen shuffle-no display or eq.

 

[Sparky191]

  I loved my 1st gen shuffles. But they all died. I would get another except for that. 

 
In the past. (See above) Not had any in many years. So can't compare them directly. 
 
My memory is that I used to rate my 1st gen Shuffle just a bit above my Clip+ at the time. 
 
None of the Shuffles (of any generation) have a screen. I assume none of them had EQ either. I never messed with the EQ anyway. 
 
We also had a 2nd gen shuffle at some point but I never really like the SQ of that and it had a lot of hiss. When it died (battery) I never bothered fixing it, just binned it. 

 

[keepitsimple]

i am going to become the first gen champion-just like musicday with his tera

 

[Sparky191]

I ended up getting two 4th gen shuffles for the kids. They didn't like them so they ended up with my Zip and I use the Shuffles. I still really like them.