[russdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino $149-200?!?! what did TO do with the boomtube? i think we paid $45 for the boomtube with the rechargeable battery. i'm not sure about how it will sound as a speaker for the ipod...will wait to see when i get my imod back...

Sounds good for what it is...

About the price... TO did nothing to it... the amp'd version was $200 before, you just got one on the old label's closeout, just like I did... I don't know if it's worth $200, but at the $39 I paid, it's a steal...

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by russdog Sounds good for what it is... About the price... TO did nothing to it... the amp'd version was $200 before, you just got one on the old label's closeout, just like I did... I don't know if it's worth $200, but at the $39 I paid, it's a steal...

welcome to head-fi...sorry 'bout the wallet, though...

i just googled "boomtube" and you're right...it's $200! here's pcmag's review on it: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1764006,00.asp

i just hooked it up to my shuffle and it was way underpowered...could be that my shuffle's headphone output's max volume is limited so i don't blow out my ears, though.

 

[kiwirugby]

dc_guy,

I have the same combination you do with the iMod and the DJ81s (I also have a Xin SuperMacro IV as my transportable amp). I have been travelling quite a bit and provided you sit forward of the wings (and engines) on a plane, all works well, albeit with some attenuation of the bass. Th DJ81s do not islotae completely, obviously.

I have my rig in a Headroom Gigabag and it works well, save for the ICs sticking out the top a tad (I have the Wyvern AG16s).

I'll be interested to hear what you come up with for speakers.

 

[russdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino welcome to head-fi...sorry 'bout the wallet, though... i just googled "boomtube" and you're right...it's $200! here's pcmag's review on it: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1764006,00.asp i just hooked it up to my shuffle and it was way underpowered...could be that my shuffle's headphone output's max volume is limited so i don't blow out my ears, though.

With my iPod 5G it's as loud as it could be in a hotel room without causing mgt to knock on the door... AFAIK, it's the best airplane-bag solution...

It got alot better for me once I figured out that the Vol. knob for the bass module rotates backwards, at first I accidently had the bass turned all the way down...

All in all, I think it's pretty amazing... sounds a lot bigger than it is...

 

[dcguy73]

As I mentioned in another thread, I had a chance this weekend to try out the Saitek A-200 over the past weekend (@ MicroCenter), and was pretty impressed by it. The sound was nicely balanced, and while the bass was nowhere near subwoofer-quality/quantity (heh, not that I expect a portable to do that), it was definitely a better overall sound than my existing Altec Lansing im-1.

I am still curious about the Altec Lansing im-4, which I will check out @ the Apple Store later this week.

I just wish there was some place around here to try out the H201 boomtube.

 

[dcguy73]

My Waterfield iPod Speaker Case crapped out on me in the security line @ Detroit metro airport this weekend. It's designed for an Altec Lansing speaker + ipod accessories on the other side, but I tried to use it to hold all my portable stuff but one of the pockets tore open...plus I had trouble getting my mini cable connected btw/ iMod & amp...

So the search for the case goes on...

 

[kugino]

vinnie received my ipod before the weekend and he's already shipped it back to me today...mighty fast. btw, if some of you have an invisible skin on your ipod but don't want to take it off, you can use an xacto blade to cut the flaps that go over the ipod case seams. i did that with mine and vinnie said it was no problem opening the ipod.

since i'm selling my UM2s and my supermini IV probably won't be here for another month, i'll be stuck using my imod only at home for awhile...oh well.

 

[aluren]

Is it worth it for me to sell my 5G 60gb and get a 4G 40gb imodded? How much can i get a 4G 60gb photo nowadays?

 

[dcguy73]

I got my 4G 60 gb iPod -- new, not refurbished -- for $299 online via eBay. If you look around enough, you could probably find a better deal. Vinnie's mod is ~$200.

As to whether it's worth it to jettison your 5G 60gb, I can't say. You'd be basically giving up convenience (loss of headphone jack + remote control) for better sound. You've got a portable amp already, which is good, but it's important to realize that you won't be able to use the headphone out on your iPod again (unless you have a pair of headphones with a built-in volume control.) The 5G is also a little lighter and easier to transport around.

I'm still burning my iMod in, so I can't quite speak to the sound yet. I like it so far. Maybe others could chime in.

--Marc

Quote:

Originally Posted by aluren Is it worth it for me to sell my 5G 60gb and get a 4G 40gb imodded? How much can i get a 4G 60gb photo nowadays?

 

[warrior05]

i am more than satisfied with my iMod'd iPod. i have it mated with a RSA Hornet and cycle between SR225s, DR150s and K81DJs. the best way i can describe the sound is... sophisticated. it just sounds so full and rich that i can't get over this level of fidelity can be reached in a portable package. i can't wait to hear my set up through a pair of K701s (to be ordered in the near future).

oh, by the way - mine is rockbox'd and i only listen to FLAC files.

personally, i think the iMod is a bargain at $215. of course it doesn't hurt that i got my brand new 60gb iPod at a steal for $240!

 

[kugino]

my imod might be arriving any minute now...or tomorrow definitely.

anyway, one of the prime benefits of the imod (aside from the better sound) is that one can now use the lineout while connected to a power source. i picked up these home/car chargers today for $10...some of you imod freaks may be interested. not the prettiest, but certainly practical.

update: one hour later and my imod is here! it's now burning in...sweet!

update 2: i have the original battery in my ipod and i bought it when it was announced a couple years ago. i just got barely short of 9 hours continuous playback with a 50-50 mix of ALAC and AAC/mp3 files. not too bad, methinks.

 

[dcguy73]

Okay, here's my two-minute review of the iMod:

iPod = eh
iMod = good
iMod + Rockbox = great

I finished burning in the iMod and plugged it into my SR-71 with a Cablepro Panorama mini-mini cable, using AKG k81dj phones. Great combo. The sound was good. Quieter background, better bass, better overall sound. Definitely much better than my 3G iPod, but not quite the incrediwonder that others had painted it.

So I installed Rockbox. That did it. I was ecstatic when I got in some listening sessions with Rockbox (even before EQ tweaks.) The combination produced incredible sound -- blacker background, incredible clarity, a nice crispness to notes. However, those listening sessions were often cut short by skipping or freezes -- I got very frustrated with trying to get Rockbox to run with some stability on my 4G iMod. Freeze, freeze, freeze. It doesn't like parsing ALACs. No peak meters. No touching the EQ. USB connections make it crazy (unless you patch it.) All kinds of rules to make it squeak along without hiccups or chokes. I finally took Rockbox off my iMod and am now using it with the regular Apple firmware.

Now the sound quality has reverted from great to good. Clarity reduced, crispness gone, dulled over a little bit after switching away from Rockbox to the default firmware. My EQ options are gone. Sad am I.

The iMod is still a decent purchase, but I need Rockbox back to make it a great one. Rockbox has to come a little further along for me to be completely satisfied with my iMod -- and it's open-source software, so who's to say when it'll be there? I monitor the Rockbox forums and wait.