[majurglery]

Well, im running out of room on my 16 gig ipod touch, and am in need of a large capacity player, and i am wondering which is the better buy, zune or classic? I really like the the fact that the classic has a large battery life, but does the zune sound better? Are there any other consideration for a high capacity player (60+ gigs) that one might have? any feedback would be greatly appreciated

 

[Drag0n]

For some reason, every Ipod i hear has the "Ipod Sound".
Its like a reverb or lively sound and forward mids or something. Hard to explain, but i hear this effect in every Ipod ive heard.
I like the more dead solid sound the Zunes have better than the Ipods sound.
Its like playing a stereo in a live room like a bathroom or kitchen as opposed to a living room with a thick carpet.
With the right headphone matching, i can get the Ipod to sound good, but i still like my Zunes better than my Ipod.

 

[tstarn06]

After much comparison listening of late, I also prefer the Zune80 signature sound over the two iPods I own (out of the HP jack, no amp). No need for EQ with the Zune, at least not with the SA6s or the X10s (as you know, the Zune has no EQ feature).

Now, using the new LOD I have and the MiniboxE+, the Touch and the 5.5g (30GB) I own both sound pretty awesome, on par with or even better than the Zune. But that's not a fair comparison, to me.

So based on HP out, the Zune sounds richer, fuller and more appealing to me. If you are planning to not use an amp/LOD, I'd choose the Zune.

 

[Tomikans]

Zune for me. I got the zune 120 on the days when walmart thought it was cheaper than the 80. so got it for 199 instead of it's original price.

Though i prefer the zune sound a whole lot better than my ipod. It's much more richer and full bodied than the ipod imo. The only thing the ipod has is a clean LOD which isn't a biggy if you've don't got an amp.

Though i still have to test the ipod/amp sound. ( i haven't bought an lod for my ipod, but i've got a d2 boa that's currently my dac/amp for my laptop. (which is amazing paired with my hd650's) But that's off topic.

all in all. Zune if you don't have an amp. Ipod if you like having a big "rig" in your pocket.

 

[tds101]

I agree, the Zune sounds so much better than the iPod through the headphone out. I love the SQ it produces, though I'd still love to get the coveted EQ on board. The EQ on the iPod is useless, so comparing them is pretty easy for me. My son now has a classic 80gb, he's getting a Zune 120 next.
The only real advantage I see w/the iPod, and I'm not touching on the sweet features or performance of the Touch, is iTunes. I compare the Zune software to iTunes this way:
iTunes = a well run cruise ship, fully staffed
Zune software = a leaky rowboat w/no oars
I'm waiting for the ship to come pick me up w/my Zune. If you own a Zune, and I love my Zune, you better know how to swim, till the coast guard comes to get you.

 

[jsplice]

I have an iPod 5g 30 gig that I have no plans on getting rid of any time soon. I haven't really heard many other portables to make a true comparison, but I know that once I start using the line out with an amp, the sound should improve dramatically. I'm also planning on doing the DIY version of Red Wine Audio's iMod. However, the DIY version I found disables the headphone jack, so I'd have to get a second player as my "portable" mp3 player, and keep the modded iPod for use with an amp at work, and at other locations where it's practical to setup a headphone amp.

 

[tstarn06]

Funny you should mention a 5.5g iPod (30GB) with a disabled HP out. I "inherited" my daughter's, which has only one channel working, and tried it out with my LOD cable from Lil Knight (highly recommended) and MiniboxE+ amp, and wow is all I can say. Of course, I am not gonna lug around that rig either, but for home listening, it's great.

Now, I also have a Touch and it too improves with the LOD/amp. In fact, it's the reason I bought the LOD cable in the first place. But I use the Touch mainly for the fun stuff, like email, web, games, video, etc, when on the go. I use either the Zune80 or Sony A818 for walking around, and I walk a lot (a dog in the city).

So I hear what you are saying. The LOD is so superior to the HP out on the iPod, you should just try the cable/amp option first. Not sure what the iMod costs, even via DIY, but the cable/amp is very good, and you may not even need the iMod.

 

[majurglery]

thanks for all the replies. Just a quick question: About how many hours of play time does a 120 gig zune have playing lossless?

 

[tstarn06]

Wow, that's way too much math for my feeble mind. If lossless (FLAC) is 10MB per track on average, that's 12,000 tracks or so. If they average 4 minutes, that's 48,000 minutes, which is 800 hours. Is that right? I have no idea. Ballpark even?

 

[Calexico]

I think he means battery life.

 

[PepsiCo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, that's way too much math for my feeble mind. If lossless (FLAC) is 10MB per track on average, that's 12,000 tracks or so. If they average 4 minutes, that's 48,000 minutes, which is 800 hours. Is that right? I have no idea. Ballpark even?

I think they mean what's the battery life on the Zune while playing lossless..

 

[tstarn06]

Oops, that's what I get for reading in a hurry. Nevermind.

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majurglery /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for all the replies. Just a quick question: About how many hours of play time does a 120 gig zune have playing lossless?

as per Product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news - CNET review, the Zune 120 can get up to 32 hours of audio playback with a mixture of tracks with variable bitrates.

I dont expect the Zune 120 playing WMA Lossless for more than 20 hours. Maybe 24 hours.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif After much comparison listening of late, I also prefer the Zune80 signature sound over the two iPods I own (out of the HP jack, no amp). No need for EQ with the Zune, at least not with the SA6s or the X10s (as you know, the Zune has no EQ feature). Now, using the new LOD I have and the MiniboxE+, the Touch and the 5.5g (30GB) I own both sound pretty awesome, on par with or even better than the Zune. But that's not a fair comparison, to me. So based on HP out, the Zune sounds richer, fuller and more appealing to me. If you are planning to not use an amp/LOD, I'd choose the Zune.

Amp the Zune it does'nt need to have the LOD connection to the amp. I believe the Zune has a Wolfson Dac in it. (I don't know if this is the same generation Wolfson, but the first Ipod chosen for the IMod was chosen because it had a Wolfson Dac). The only thing you need is a half decent mini cable. If you like the sound of amped Pods because they are "on par or even better" than the un-amped Zune you should just love the sound of Zune amped as there really is'nt much comparison once you've done so.

 

[tstarn06]

I've done it in the past (but not for a long time) and it didn't seem to make that much of an impression, but I will give it a second try. I have a couple of decent mini to mini cables. I'll do a comparo. It's just that the Zune HP out sounds so nice, I like the simplicity. But with the iPods, especially the 5.5g, the LOD the amp/LOD takes it to another level. I will say, though, that the HP out on the Touch 2G is also very good, nearly as smooth, clean and robust as the Zune.

Anyway, thanks. I will give it a listen.

When it comes to the OP's question, I think the 120 Zune is the right choice if no amp is part of the mix, especially because it offers a much better overall experience, with video, FM, etc.