Alucard
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
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Last month I bought a 5.5g 80GB iPod on eBay and it arrived two days ago.
After the recommended initial battery charge of 4 hours I started to rip some of my CD's to the harddrive using iTunes and apple-lossless.
I must say that iTunes is really handy and easy to use, and I just love that it can download the cover art of the albums on your harddrive.
Well, after I’d transferred some albums to the iPod I started my first listen, using my A900LTD. I was not impressed actually and felt that it sounded a bit muddy. But I thought it was because I had listened to my RS2 during the ripping. I also made sure that there were no EQ-ing going on.
I also listened with my PortaPro’s and still thought that something just didn’t feel right about the sound, a bit muddy and dull.
I had no opportunity to try the RS2 with the iPod because I don't have any 1/4"->1/8" adapter.
Then I compared it against my 8-9 year old pcdp, a Panasonic SL-SX410.
"This is how it should sound!" I said to myself the minute I pressed the play button on my cdp.
Everything seemed more alive with more details and less muddiness.
After some more testing I felt more and more insecure about the difference and thought that it was placebo as I’d read that the iPod didn’t sound as good as other DAP's, like the Zune for example.
So today I brought the two players over to my parent’s house along with my Audio Technica cans for my father to have a listen to them. He is somewhat of an audiophile, so I thought that he should be able to tell if there was any difference. I didn't speak so much with him of what I thought prior to the test so his opinion wouldn't get affected.
He started listen to the single Ayreon - Come Back to Me. Firstly track 2 using the iPod, and then track 3.
He then switched over to my Panasonic cdp and repeated the same procedure. When he reached track 3 he started to laugh(!) really loud and stopped the music.
"The iPod sound is completely flat and doesn't have any layering or depth at all compared to the cdp." he said.
Even my mother heard the difference. And said it was huge.
So I wasn't wrong after all, and my iPod has now found itself a new home at my former girlfriend that promised me to buy it for the same price I paid (quite cheap).
I told her about the sound but she didn't heed my warning. I almost feel sorry for her (ears) now.
But she doesn't care so much so she won't suffer.
Well, I guess I have to stick with my pcdp for a while then. It sounds really good and I would love to keep it, but it has started to break down due to excessive use.
But I do not regret buying the iPod, it was fun to test it out, but a little sad that I liked the software better than the hardware. :/
I hope that Zune will compare better when it's released over here, hopefully by the end of the year.
After the recommended initial battery charge of 4 hours I started to rip some of my CD's to the harddrive using iTunes and apple-lossless.
I must say that iTunes is really handy and easy to use, and I just love that it can download the cover art of the albums on your harddrive.
Well, after I’d transferred some albums to the iPod I started my first listen, using my A900LTD. I was not impressed actually and felt that it sounded a bit muddy. But I thought it was because I had listened to my RS2 during the ripping. I also made sure that there were no EQ-ing going on.
I also listened with my PortaPro’s and still thought that something just didn’t feel right about the sound, a bit muddy and dull.
I had no opportunity to try the RS2 with the iPod because I don't have any 1/4"->1/8" adapter.
Then I compared it against my 8-9 year old pcdp, a Panasonic SL-SX410.
"This is how it should sound!" I said to myself the minute I pressed the play button on my cdp.
Everything seemed more alive with more details and less muddiness.
After some more testing I felt more and more insecure about the difference and thought that it was placebo as I’d read that the iPod didn’t sound as good as other DAP's, like the Zune for example.
So today I brought the two players over to my parent’s house along with my Audio Technica cans for my father to have a listen to them. He is somewhat of an audiophile, so I thought that he should be able to tell if there was any difference. I didn't speak so much with him of what I thought prior to the test so his opinion wouldn't get affected.
He started listen to the single Ayreon - Come Back to Me. Firstly track 2 using the iPod, and then track 3.
He then switched over to my Panasonic cdp and repeated the same procedure. When he reached track 3 he started to laugh(!) really loud and stopped the music.
"The iPod sound is completely flat and doesn't have any layering or depth at all compared to the cdp." he said.
Even my mother heard the difference. And said it was huge.
So I wasn't wrong after all, and my iPod has now found itself a new home at my former girlfriend that promised me to buy it for the same price I paid (quite cheap).
I told her about the sound but she didn't heed my warning. I almost feel sorry for her (ears) now.
But she doesn't care so much so she won't suffer.
Well, I guess I have to stick with my pcdp for a while then. It sounds really good and I would love to keep it, but it has started to break down due to excessive use.
But I do not regret buying the iPod, it was fun to test it out, but a little sad that I liked the software better than the hardware. :/
I hope that Zune will compare better when it's released over here, hopefully by the end of the year.
