do IPOD's suck?

[NUSound]

The problem may just be with your color choice, I've heard that the blue nano gives a slightly cooler, calming sound, as opposed to the warmer sound of the orange one. Let me tell you, you haven't heard death metal until you've heard it on a black iPod! Christian rock on a white iPod is simply divine.

[RoadRanger]

I'm actually trying to find a cheap rackmount MP3 player as havin' an iPod hangin' off a cable just seems half-ass to me. So far all the ones I've found have various "issues":

 

Straight players:

Pyle PDJ150U (no random play , sort plays WMA but only half way through)

Cortex HDC-500 (wall wart)

Denon DN-F300 (wall wart, no XLR)

American Audio Media Operator (wall wart)

Rolls MP322 (half rack unit rack mount extra, wall wart, no XLR)

 

CD + SDcard player:

Rolls HR72 (kinda pricey, half rack, random play only with extra cost remote)

 

Recorder/Players: (much more $$$)

Marantz PMD560 / PMD570 / PMD580

Tascam SS-R1

Rolls HR73

 

I'm rather surprised at the universal lack of WMA support - my $10 Sandisk player does everything I need just fine, maybe I oughta see if I can rackmount it .

[Gordon Sound]

Get a dock with a audio output, I think it sounds a little better is more of a true line out, plus i always accidently bump the volume with the dock it bypasses the volume control.

[Dogoth]

I'm gonna puke...

Maybe it should be called Cheesy audio (to go along with the red wine).

Hmmm they show the wine glass but no bottle, I'd bet it came out of a box

[agedhorse]

You know, I don't seem to have the problems with all these things that some of you have. I think your faulting the D/A's and output amps and all this crap is looking for something to blame rather than the realization that none of these aspects cause a great different in sound under controlled listening. In fact, I doubt you could even tell one D/A from another. The difference in encoding compression is quite audible IME, and even software that clames to handle a signal one way often handles things in an unpredictable manner when going across platforms.

PS, I don't sniff corks.

[Coaster]

ah, so all devices sound exactly the same and the problem lies with me. i see now.

[agedhorse]

ah, so all devices sound exactly the same and the problem lies with me. i see now.

 

 

I didn't say that.

 

I said that "you all" may be assigning blame to an area where no meaningful difference exists. I never said there was no difference but suggested that the difference is more likely in the encoding technique and possible problems cross-platform. In fact I'm pretty sure this is the most likely cause since I have taken files from the same source encoded differently and played back over the same device and the files sound different. Nothing with the device changed, just the file and it's encoding and/or translation.

[Coaster]

i agree that different encoding can sound different. the software i am using doesnt re-encode the mp3's, it just moves them to the ipod. i can move them back if i want and they are the same mp3.

 

there is an option in floola to re-encode but i have never set it up or used it. i encode cd audio to mp3 in itunes, and then use floola to put them in the ipod.

 

is it not possible that the headphone output has an odd load associated/required with it compared to a traditional line out?

[Dogoth]

I can say for an absolute fact that the EXACT SAME FILES sound different when played back through a Sound Blaster audio device, into AKG K240m headphones as compared to whatever audio device is in my laptop (same phones, same files, same media player). There was no change in the compression algorythm at all they were exact copies put onto a thumb drive.

The difference is either the converters or the output electronics. Everything else is the same (even the same windows service pack and all). Volume didn't seem to be an issue as I turned it up and down and still got the same poor results from the lap top. Now the AKG phones are like 600 ohms and not very efficient but it didn't sound like clipping at all, more like smeared high end (phase junk). Not unlistenable but absolutly not as clear. I tried it again since my last post and got the same results.

Next time my laptop is home (it usualy lives at work), I'll do an A/B test. That will tell for sure.

[agedhorse]

I can say for an absolute fact that the EXACT SAME FILES sound different when played back through a Sound Blaster audio device, into AKG K240m headphones as compared to whatever audio device is in my laptop (same phones, same files, same media player). There was no change in the compression algorythm at all they were exact copies put onto a thumb drive. The difference is either the converters or the output electronics. Everything else is the same (even the same windows service pack and all). Volume didn't seem to be an issue as I turned it up and down and still got the same poor results from the lap top. Now the AKG phones are like 600 ohms and not very efficient but it didn't sound like clipping at all, more like smeared high end (phase junk). Not unlistenable but absolutly not as clear. I tried it again since my last post and got the same results. Next time my laptop is home (it usualy lives at work), I'll do an A/B test. That will tell for sure.

 

 

OR the software that translates the files back into audio. That's not done with just a D/A converter. It has to be reconstructed. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes.

 

I would imagine that 600 ohm phones wouldn't work all that well with the 2.5V and 3V headphone driver circuits being used in many devices these days unless a boost converter/charge pump is being employed.

[ckcondon]

It's simple... You just need to transfer your mp3's to the ipod with a Monster cable!

[Dogoth]

OR the software that translates the files back into audio. That's not done with just a D/A converter. It has to be reconstructed. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes. I would imagine that 600 ohm phones wouldn't work all that well with the 2.5V and 3V headphone driver circuits being used in many devices these days unless a boost converter/charge pump is being employed.

 

 

You are correct about the headphones. I've even thought about making a couple of voltage step up transformer boxes (say 10:1) which would make them look more like 60 ohm phones. I just own several of these phones for my studio (and love their sound quality for their price point). AKG's new version is a much lower impedence and (of course) much more efficient. Even with a dedicated HP distro amp they are only good to moderate volumes before you hit the voltage rail (current isn't a problem at all though, you could paralell 10 of them and it still not be a problem :>).

 

I shouldn't have been so absolute about my findings (I will take my laptop home and put the outputs into my studio board and listen again (a direct A/B with the other system)).

[agedhorse]

So many goofy things happen within the software and firmware, bugs and misdirected applications of intended operations. Hardware is the easy part actually.