Which iPod For Best Storage, Battery Life & Sound W/ Modding?

[Ringmaster]

I currently have an 80GB iPod Classic (6th gen/slim) that is taken apart, as I was initially planning on upgrading the battery, HDD to SSD and the front/backplates. However, after doing some researching regarding the sound quality of the 6g/7g (using the Cirrus chip), people claim it isn't as good as the 5g/5/5g (using the Wolfson chip). 
 
I have heard of the iMod before, and while it looks very appealing to me, I'm not sure it would be worth the price over DIY'ing it. Also, I'm not sure if I should sell my 6g for an older gen iPod for better sound quality, as the lower battery life could become a concern for a 5g or 5g.
 
Ideally, the iPod I'm looking for needs to be compatible with the following modifications:
 

1. High capacity battery (1500mAh) with 60+ hours of continuous playback.
2. 128/256GB SSD.
3. Best (without an expensive iMod-like mod) sound quality through LOD/amp.

 
 
Any expertise in this subject would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Ringmaster

 

[Sefelt103]

I once owned a 6th gen and a 5th gen Classic. I was curious for a long time about the 6th gens capabilities. The two are quite different players. For Apple the 6th gen was at a time when media players (not just the Classic) seemed to change and were more customer focussed. Whereas the 5th gen stemmed from the 4th the 6th was a departure into new areas. I didn't like the sound of the 6th gen as much, mostly with over the ear headphones which of course is not its intended use. With IEMs performance was better but I still prefered the 5th gen. Whether it was the DAC in the 6th gen that caused the lower sound quality is hard to say. I often read about criticism of the output stage of the 5th gen that lead to modifications like the iMod. Your list of requirements is OK apart from the 60 hours+ battery life. Given the 5th gens 400-600mah battery you may struggle to achieve that battery duration even with a high capacity battery. I suppose an SSD would improve the duration but they are expensive. Doing a DIY iMod would naturally reduce significantly the battery duration. Playing lossless files also lowers battery duration. My advice would be to buy a good 80GB 5th gen and live with 20 hours or more battery life. You could upgrade the HDD for more capacity utilising rockbox and play flac files.

 

[neosoul]

you may want to consider the ipod mini. $20 for the dap, $100 for a 128gb compact flash card, high capacity battery on a monocramatic screen will give you close to what you want, plus you can diy.