[EraserXIV]

So basically I have a 5.5g Ipod video and i'm getting pretty bored of it, the background hiss is pissing me off and I want a cleaner source. I heard that the DIYMOD does wonders and I figured I'd give it a try.

I was thinking of converting it to a compact flash ipod and performing the DIYMOD with internal capacitors (Black Gate NX Hi-Q 47uf). Everything is pretty cheap except for the price of the actual compact flash which is about $70-$80 for 32GB. All other parts will probably total about $40, making it about $120 for the complete DIYMOD.

I figured if it were just $30-40 for the entire mod, hey why not, but once it starts hitting over $100 the wallet starts feeling it. I was wondering if it was worth all the hassle AND the money to perform this mod when there are better DAPs out there to be had (like the X1000).

Basically what I'm asking is:
Is the increase in SQ worth the hassle and money ($120) to mod my ipod?
Especially considering I could just shell out the extra money to get something like the X1000 which has comparable SQ and more features (browser, games, much better UI and screen, etc).

How is the SQ of an DIYMOD compared to the X1000? I've heard mixed reactions saying the X1000 is just as good, if not better, while some say the DIYMOD edges it out a bit.


EDIT: I realize I would need a separate amp, as of right now I only have a Fiio E1. Yeah I know it sucks, but how would that scale on this setup?
In the future I'd probably save for a CMOY, Headsix/Corda XXS, or something of the sort.

 

[Menisk]

Do you use a LOD? If you don't I'd be interested to hear if that makes a difference to the noise.

 

[dissembled]

I love both. I really do. I'll have to say though that my X Walkman is bested sonically by the 5.5G diyMod. The diymod with the Pico amp exudes more details. Everything is brought more forward. Vocals, instruments. The notes themselves seem like they have this distinct sharpness to them. Everything overall seems a bit more refined. With the X Walkman, notes sound a bit smoothed out. Having said that, I must say that comparing an unamped player and an amped one is completely unfair.

But since you asked, I've decided to blabber my thoughts on the matter.
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I'll have to say though that the X Walkman is the best sounding unamped MP3 player that I've heard. In fact it's so good that I feel that it's only bested by an amped setup.

I plan to purchase the dock for the X to take advantage of its line out. I'll tell you how it fares against the diyMod. To me, that would make for a more fair comparison.

 

[EraserXIV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love both. I really do. I'll have to say though that my X Walkman is bested sonically by the 5.5G diyMod. The diymod with the Pico amp exudes more details. Everything is brought more forward. Vocals, instruments. The notes themselves seem like they have this distinct sharpness to them. Everything overall seems a bit more refined. With the X Walkman, notes sound a bit smoothed out. Having said that, I must say that comparing an unamped player and an amped one is completely unfair. But since you asked, I've decided to blabber my thoughts on the matter. . I'll have to say though that the X Walkman is the best sounding unamped MP3 player that I've heard. In fact it's so good that I feel that it's only bested by an amped setup. I plan to purchase the dock for the X to take advantage of its line out. I'll tell you how it fares against the diyMod. To me, that would make for a more fair comparison.

thanks for your opinion, that's exactly what I was looking for. I was afraid there wouldn't be many people here who would actually have both a 5.5G diyMod and a Sony X1000 to make a direction comparison.

As of right now, I don't have a particularly good amp (Fiio) and I don't quite have the funds to invest in one, but do you think the diyMod would be hindered greatly if the amp isn't necessarily that great?

I tend to lean towards the Fiio because most amps are too large for me to be considered portable, and the additional cost of an amp bumps the cost of the entire venture even closer to the price i would pay if i just bought a Sony X1000. So as of right now, let's assume that I do not have that great of an amp to bundle my diyMod with, would your opinion on the SQ change?

I'm expecting that a diyMod bundled with a not so great amp will be beaten by the Sony X1000, but if the SQ is close enough to the X100 that an extra $200 is not worth it, I might consider going to diyMod route and save the extra $200. if the not so great amp pulls the SQ of the diyMod so low that it's just like the regular headphone out, then I might have to reconsider.

Also, please let me know what you find out comparing the line-out from the walkman!

 

[dissembled]

Unfortunately, I don't own a budget amp to compare the Pico with. However, I would think a high end amp would be a wise investment to take full advantage of what the diymod has to offer. The sonical benefits make the expenditure worth it.

There's a diymod mega thread somewhere. Try asking there perhaps? Maybe someone there could give you a concrete description of the overall sonical characteristics of the player when coupled with a budget amp.