[kenli729]

Hi all,
I've been using a 10gb ipod (windows) for a couple of months and realized that the bass gets fuzzy at higher volumes.
I'm looking to replace it with either the Nomad ZEN or Jukebox 3.
Any recommendations?

I've used the original jukebox and the volume was way too low. Do either of these units sound better and louder than both the ipod or jukebox?

thanks,
Ken

 

[austonia]

i am a big supporter of Nomad Zen. You can find much information from me by searching this forum, also visit nomadness.net Zen forums. or, just get one and see for yourself

 

[Wodgy]

This is precisely the kind of thing that a headphone amp will improve. You should consider buying an amp instead. The bass will be stronger and tighter with an amp.

 

[kenli729]

Hey guys,
thanks for the reply.
But an amp would be a bit kludgey to travel with. Oddly, my minidisc portable provides better bass, but it clips off some of the treble.

I've searched thru some of the other comments here. Seems the zen or jukebox 3 has better bass and headphone output than ipod.

Can anyone confirm?
Ken

 

[Wodgy]

You could consider Fixup's SuperMini amp. It's really small (about half the size of the ipod).

 

[Taphil]

Quote:

Originally posted by kenli729 I've searched thru some of the other comments here. Seems the zen or jukebox 3 has better bass and headphone output than ipod. Can anyone confirm?

I'll confirm that. I've noticed that the lower the impedence of the headphone, the more bass the NJB3/Zen headphone out has over the iPod. It's really noticable with cheapo Sony headphones and Koss PortaPro. With the Senn HD590, the difference is very slight. The volume on the NJB3/Zen goes louder than the iPod, but not by much at all, but it drives headphones better, IMO.

What headphones are you using?

 

[kenli729]

I use a combination of either the IPOD headphones (which are surprisingly competent), the Sony 888 (forget the actual denominations), and Bang and Olufsen clip-on earbuds. It depends on the type of music.

The Ipod just falls short on the bass. there's noticeable fuzz on all the headphones on bass-heavy tracks.

Ken

 

[PodMan]

My brother's NZ-505 NetMD seems to deliver more bass than my iPod using KSC-50s. However, the iPod sounds clearer, I'd gladly trade a bit of bass for more clarity.

Hmm, you might be better off trying a new set of headphones before you give up on the iPod. Are you mainly an earbud-type of user?

 

[austonia]

ipod headphone output : 60mw


zen headphone output : 100mw.
that's damn powerful for a portable, and its clean too.


if for some reason that's not enough power then get a Fixup mini amp.

 

[Peddler]

I use the Nomad Jukebox 3 now virtually all the time. The headphone output can drive Koss KSC-35's to surprisingly high levels - although not as high as from my Airhead amp.

The outputs are very clean and clear and do not distort at higher volumes. The Jukebox 3 works very well with my Ety' 4P's and the use of an additional amplifier is usually not necessary.

I hope this helps.

 

[Spad]

Quote:

Originally posted by austonia ipod headphone output : 60mw zen headphone output : 100mw. that's damn powerful for a portable, and its clean too. if for some reason that's not enough power then get a Fixup mini amp.

Of course you fellows realize this is only about a 2db difference, right? OTOH, the SuperMini puts out about 450mw, a very significant difference.

It's hard for me to believe someone can actually drive an iPod to clipping with ER-4Ps--at least while they are wearing them. I'd have to use a headband to keep them in personally.

At 60mw the iPod would be driving the ER-4Ps at approximately 102db!

I'm not disputing anyone's experience here. And there are too many reports of low iPod output to simply be a fluke. But I wonder if this is something peculiar to the Windows version. Has anyone had or heard of a similar level problem with Macintosh versions? I have a couple of them and both are capable of driving W2002s, CD3Ks and Ety-4Ps far, far beyond my ability to endure.

Spad

 

[Taphil]

I don't think volume is a problem with any of these players. But there are small differences in terms of sound quality, with the more powerful amp able to drive headphones a bit better.

 

[Spad]

If the iPod put out more bass to my CD3Ks, ER-4Ps, or W2002s I would take steps to cut it. The bass performance, particularly with the CD3Ks is absolutely superb IMO.

We are discussing the same item here, right? The card-deck-sized, white and silver MP3 player by Apple?

Spad

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by kenli729 I use a combination of either the IPOD headphones (which are surprisingly competent), the Sony 888 (forget the actual denominations), and Bang and Olufsen clip-on earbuds. It depends on the type of music. The Ipod just falls short on the bass.

The three headphones you listed are all known for having poor bass. Rather than spending a few hundred bucks on a new player (which won't give you any better bass using those headphones), you might want to try some different headphones

The excellent Koss portables (KSC-35, PortaPro, etc.) all provide great bass with the iPod.