[originalsnuffy]

OK, I admit I am daunted by the 185 pages on this topic.  Is there a wiki that reviews some of the options for the ipod 5.5 video?
 
I guess I should review the basics....such as understanding the voltage issues with this unit (12V vs. 5 V), how to replace batteries and video screens, etc.
 
As I understand it, the audio benefits from the Wolfson chip are only heard via the headphone out but not the 30 pin connector?
 
With Rockbox, one can natively play higher bit rate files?
 
To upgrade storage, there are approaches using both compact flash 3.3V or less microSSD cards?  Or special SATA adaptors are needed.
 
I know I am a ninny on this particular matter, so thanks for helping out.

 

[DR650SE]

Storage offers a wide array of options. You can go with a compact flash card, a regular hard drive, a solid state drive, or a compact flash adapter to an SD card. Right now my 5.5G iMod runs on a 128gb SD card perfectly with good battery life.

The Wolfson chip benefits all aspects. Via the headphone out, and the line out (30pin) But to really shine it requires a mod to bypass a lot of the logic board. This includes the cheap capacitors apple used. I'll try and get some pics of my mod. My mod is the Red Wine Audio iMod. This kind of mod requires a special LOD or 30pin connector with capacitors in I to block the DC voltage offset. This will protect your amp or other gear you have your iPod plugged into.

 

[dr408517]

I wonder if there is a sudden buildup of extreme heat that could potentially kill the adapter. That extreme heat could be the combination of heat-prone msata drive like the Crucial and a bad battery.

At this point, my suggestion is to get the Miliamp 850 mAh battery and recharge before letting the battery completely drained. Since I got the Miliamp, the msata mod has been acting normally and flawlessly. At one point, I noticed the ipod was still playing with only 2% battery reserve indicated by RB.  Before I got the Miliamp, the ipod shut off at 30% or even more battery reserve.

I may give that Mushkin 480GB mSATA a shot when I run out of GB's in the future.

I just read that Samsung makes a 500g EVO mSata chip. Runs $299 at B&H photo. Since their 1T works, one could assume the 500g would lbe a good bet.

 

[dr408517]

Mayeb this adapter with USB3?



So far, I have not come to the need for a reformat, but you never know when I start shifting things around.

BTW Dr., please try this Mushkin 480GB mSATA and let us know how it performs. :wink_face:

I may get one of these adapters. When i bought mine, i was not sure the mSata would work in my iPod, so i wanted an adapter that could do double duty in my computer. If the 1T Samsung had not been released when it was, i probably would have tried the mushkin. With the experiences i've had in the last three months, my next build will be another TeraPod, or a 500g CF V7 ipod. It will be a while, though ($$$)

 

[dr408517]

OK, I admit I am daunted by the 185 pages on this topic.  Is there a wiki that reviews some of the options for the ipod 5.5 video?

I guess I should review the basics....such as understanding the voltage issues with this unit (12V vs. 5 V), how to replace batteries and video screens, etc.

As I understand it, the audio benefits from the Wolfson chip are only heard via the headphone out but not the 30 pin connector?

With Rockbox, one can natively play higher bit rate files?

To upgrade storage, there are approaches using both compact flash 3.3V or less microSSD cards?  Or special SATA adaptors are needed.

I know I am a ninny on this particular matter, so thanks for helping out.

Decide what ypu want to build first. RB will play just about everything. The storage options will depend on the generation of the ipod you choose to work with. Not all media will work on all ipods or generations. If you go with the 5.5, you can go mSata up to 1T, SD up to 128g, SSD up to 480g, and HD up to 256g. If you want a lot of files loaded (>50K), or want storage above 256g, you will want to use RB. Only media rated at 3.3v will work in the ipod. Yes, an mSata adapter is needed, but it is easy to find.

Tell me how how much storage you want, and i can provide a parts list.

 

[originalsnuffy]

One of the things I love about head-fi is how supportive the community is.  So thank you all.
 
So I do already have the 5.5 ipod Video with 80gb.  This is the fat unit.
 
I will need, for sure, to upgrade or replace the video display and battery.  The video display is starting to fade a bit, and the battery has never been replaced so it must be time.
 
With regards to storage, I would most likely want solid state of 128 or 256gb.  I am not sure what is cheapest and most reliable of the various options, so I am open to choice of technologies. 
 
I am unlikely to "mod" the basic circuitry at this time, but that would remain an option at some point in the future.
 
One area where I could use a pointer is understanding the behavior of these older units in a Sony clock radio dock.  I tried putting the unit in a newer 30 pin Sony dock and it would not charge or play.  I was under the impression that this had something to do with the old 12V power system on the unit.  I do know that is connects to a regular PC with USB for the sync to itunes.
 
I am reading the Rockbox documentation to figure things out.  I put Rockbox back in after not using it for a while.  I did notice that the unit sounds better with Rockbox than standard firmware; which seems odd but perhaps Rockbox makes better use of the DAC ?  I had removed it from the dock and played headphone over the unit for the sound comparison; I am sure the nuances would be lost using the Sony clock radio.

 

[jazzman7]

Rockbox will play the 24/96 files but will downrez them to 16/48. I got this straight from another head-fier who develops for Rockbox. I listen to such files all the time on my Rockboxed 5.5g Video. He suggested to convert the files, but I do not like dual libraries myself. They need to be WAV files to keep the processing load low, though.

I went with the Tarkan board and a 128GB Compact flash card. Updated the battery too. It is a very reliable player and pairs well with a line out dock to a portable amp.

 

[dr408517]

One of the things I love about head-fi is how supportive the community is.  So thank you all.

So I do already have the 5.5 ipod Video with 80gb.  This is the fat unit.

I will need, for sure, to upgrade or replace the video display and battery.  The video display is starting to fade a bit, and the battery has never been replaced so it must be time.

With regards to storage, I would most likely want solid state of 128 or 256gb.  I am not sure what is cheapest and most reliable of the various options, so I am open to choice of technologies. 

I am unlikely to "mod" the basic circuitry at this time, but that would remain an option at some point in the future.

One area where I could use a pointer is understanding the behavior of these older units in a Sony clock radio dock.  I tried putting the unit in a newer 30 pin Sony dock and it would not charge or play.  I was under the impression that this had something to do with the old 12V power system on the unit.  I do know that is connects to a regular PC with USB for the sync to itunes.

I am reading the Rockbox documentation to figure things out.  I put Rockbox back in after not using it for a while.  I did notice that the unit sounds better with Rockbox than standard firmware; which seems odd but perhaps Rockbox makes better use of the DAC ?  I had removed it from the dock and played headphone over the unit for the sound comparison; I am sure the nuances would be lost using the Sony clock radio.

No problem, this is good info. Here's what i recommend: get the toshiba 256gb HD if you want simplicity. Just pull the 80g and insert the 256g in its place. You'll get 223g of storage in the fat V5.5 and it will work with iTunes, or RB if you later decide to switch. It is THE most reliable upgrade available. If you need the solid state upgrade (because you own a Toyota with the iPod USB link, as I do) get the Tarkan adapter for an SD drive and buy a Transend 128g Sdxc class 10 card. I've not yet tested CF cards, but there are experts on this forum who can recommend CF options. Neither of these upgrades require RB, and both are reliable. The SD option with the Tarkan allows the potential for upgrade to the limit of an SD card once we figure out the problems associated with 256g.

If you want to go the mSata route, choose the BP4 brand 256g chip, and the following mSata-to-zif adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/CY-PCI-E-Adapter-Toshiba-Hitachi/dp/B00HP01QXI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398127702&sr=8-2&keywords=Msata+to+zif

This one is Amazon, there are others cheaper. They are all the same, and all pretty crappy. If you go mSata at 256g, just use BeyondWind's RB update and forget Apple's firmware.

 

[DR650SE]

Grrr, 5.5 hours into my 6 hour trip my SD card suddenly has 0 songs on it but still shows the capacity full. Now I have to fight to load songs on it because the iPod likes to not load many songs at once. It may be worth using rock box because then I can just pop the SD card out, trow it in my laptop and load music directly to the card. But Rockbox is sooooo slow and laggy. And I like iTunes shuffling all 90GB of my music. Makes me listen to stuff I haven't heard in a while. Decisions decisions :/

Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

 

[cmarti]

Grrr, 5.5 hours into my 6 hour trip my SD card suddenly has 0 songs on it but still shows the capacity full. Now I have to fight to load songs on it because the iPod likes to not load many songs at once. It may be worth using rock box because then I can just pop the SD card out, trow it in my laptop and load music directly to the card. But Rockbox is sooooo slow and laggy. And I like iTunes shuffling all 90GB of my music. Makes me listen to stuff I haven't heard in a while. Decisions decisions :/

Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Nope, it doesn't work that way. When you remove the SD card and put it in your computer windows will prompt you to format it. I already tried that.  Sorry but I forgot, what is the card you are using?

 

[DMinor]

Sorry to hear what has happened to your SD card.
 
I strongly suggest guys in the future to avoid using the SD cards due to ....
 
1) added complexity and less power efficiency due to extra adapter (SD to CF)
2) slow file transfer speed
3) potential corruption of files if you use RB for the transfer
4) to these ears the sdxc's sound less dynamic than the CF's
 
I personally have written off the SDXC's for any future mods.

 

[DMinor]

   
I wonder if there is a sudden buildup of extreme heat that could potentially kill the adapter. That extreme heat could be the combination of heat-prone msata drive like the Crucial and a bad battery.
 
At this point, my suggestion is to get the Miliamp 850 mAh battery and recharge before letting the battery completely drained. Since I got the Miliamp, the msata mod has been acting normally and flawlessly. At one point, I noticed the ipod was still playing with only 2% battery reserve indicated by RB.  Before I got the Miliamp, the ipod shut off at 30% or even more battery reserve.
 
I may give that Mushkin 480GB mSATA a shot when I run out of GB's in the future.

 
The future only lasted for a couple of days before I caved in.  I just scored a NIB Mushkin 480GB mSATA off eBay for about 198 bucks. Damn it this wallet-draining hobby.

 

[neosoul]

I thought this may be of interest to you modders, saw this on ebay, the seller also has just the casing for sale, and no I am not affiliated with this seller in any way whatsoever. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPod-Classic-5-5-Gen-256GB-SSD-Custom-Colored-Your-Choice-w-Extras-/301160128394?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item461e8adf8a

 

[cmarti]

  I thought this may be of interest to you modders, saw this on ebay, the seller also has just the casing for sale, and no I am not affiliated with this seller in any way whatsoever. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPod-Classic-5-5-Gen-256GB-SSD-Custom-Colored-Your-Choice-w-Extras-/301160128394?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item461e8adf8a

I have the contact information for Michael (The eBay seller for these iPods and faceplates) I can share it with anyone who is interested in getting his iPod modded like this.

 

[rbhawaii]

  I am reading the Rockbox documentation to figure things out.  I put Rockbox back in after not using it for a while.  I did notice that the unit sounds better with Rockbox than standard firmware; which seems odd but perhaps Rockbox makes better use of the DAC ?  I had removed it from the dock and played headphone over the unit for the sound comparison; I am sure the nuances would be lost using the Sony clock radio.

 
the fastest way to hear rock box ipod sound great is...
turn on the eq
boost 18000 hz by 10% to 50%
 
you can play with all the eq bands (each one uses more cpu and battery) but 18000 hz is the main one to open up the sound.
 
it does not matter if its line out or headphones results are great in both although line out is cleaner.
 
some people think line out is fixed level but its not. the line out level from 0 to 100% is at the lower 20% of the head phone volume out. so in other words turn the volume down to zero and then you can control the line out volume going up.