I had the inordinate pleasure of doing business with Vinnie since almost last December (2005) trying to figure out if I wanted to pull the trigger on an iModded 4th gen iPod. Well, the 60gb photo arrived from Vinnie last week.
First, let me say what a wonderfully patient and helpful person Vinnie is. I had so many questions back and forth and he was just so kind, thoughtful and quck to respond (even gave me - a technology idiot! - a quick tutorial on how to find and import in AIFF!!). He runs a good reliable and solid business and his customer service is the very best.
I hooked up my modded iPod to one of Alex's AG-16s mini-mini (overkill? Quite possibly!), then to Xin's SM3 and culminating in a new set of AKG K81DJs (as portables). Obviously, nothing, except Xin's amp, is yet burned in! So how does it compare with what I have been using - a Sony D-EJ2000 pcdp with a Sliver Dragon mini-mini, Xin's SM3 and DT880s or K501s? I listen to mostly classical and some jazz, so please keep this in mind. (Everyting on the iPod is AIFF 1411kbs.) The frequency response ranges are there top and bottom albethey a bit recessed (but tight, yes), the instrument separation definitely, soundstage, yes, mids, yes, but there is some roll-off on top and a little muddiness on the bottom at the moment. Clearly the K81s have some issue with a muddy bass, or rather they are quite bass heavy. When I listen with the DT880s and K501s (obviously not portable here!) there is much improvement overall on all sound dimensions. Both cans are well broken-in with over 300 hours a piece. There is some less extension with the iPod at the top and bottom than with the pcdp, but the sound is really well balanced. For me what is most astounding is the "blackness" with iPod. It's so quiet! Would I go back to the pcdp set up? From time to time, yes, but I really don't think the difference will be that great ultimately, except for the dynamic range....for now!
The whole rig needs time to burn in, so please recognize that. Vinnie tells me the caps (Black Gate) need at least 200 hours, but what is there right now is so well worth listening to and the cost (let alone not carting about a load of CDs!) well worth the returns. I really think that the iMod warrants, perhaps even demands, ripping with a lossless format. Vinnie tells me that the 60gb can hold 90 CDs with lossless which, as he would say, is not too "shabby!"
In summary: great service; great product in the iModded iPod.
More later.
