iPods - do they really sound that good?
Disclaimer - if you like your iPod, you might not want to read this. I tested on music alone, discounting any other features each one may have.
So, I've done some listening tests, using a variety of fairly cheap (around £30) 'phones, both on ear and in ear, then my hifi system. I tried an iPod Nano 8Gb, iPod Touch 8Gb, and my Samsung YP-K3 (a £50 MP3 player), played at roughly the same level, with the same tracks and the same bitrates.
The iPod Touch was the worst, easily. It was nearing unlistenable, then I played with the eq settings (Jazz sounded about the best). It got to a point where I could listen to it, but not seriously. The midrange was all wrong, the bass and treble were detail-less, but still managed to be fatiguing. Sure, you could get thuds, but there was no texture to the bass guitar in Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, for example.
Next was the Nano. Playing Put Your Lights On, by Satana, it could've impressed - the midrange was far smoother than that of the Touch, the bass had more detailed, and the timbre of cymbals etc were getting there. Stereo imaging was wide, with instruments placed with reasonable aaccuracy
Put on my MP3 player, and it was clear what was missing from the Nano - the vocals sounded much nicer, and the different frequencies of the voices were more coherant. The bass carried more texture, but still wasn't completely right (referenced to my PC). The treble was similar. The stereo imaging was a little narrower, but the positioning was a little better.
I know that the Nano has far more features than mine, but surely, for that sort of money, they could get the music spot on? The iPod touch... well, I'm not sure how it's managed to pick up any awards for multimedia. Sure, it plays videos, but if it's noticably fatiguing to listen to, what's the point? Even my sister, who loathes my obsession with hifi, had to mess with the eq to make it sound better.
Anyone else with similar experiences?
Chris
Test tracks were:
Stanley Road album, by Paul Weller
Money for Nothing album, Dire Straits
Supernatural, Carlos Santana
No not really, they just sound brilliant.
I find that with a pair of Shure SE110 headphones the iPhone sounds very neutral and quite detailed. The bass lacks punch and it seems to be wanting for dynamics with some music. I have to have the EQ on classical to add a little bass and drop the midrange a tad, how I seem to prefer my audio.
It's the best portable music device I've ever used, but in the same way as I find for hifi, you need to spend some decent cash on the speakers/phones bit. Other portable music players I've used sound very coloured, often at the cost of detail.
Unless you were playing lossless files, your findings are worthless. If you were playing compressed files, it could easily be argued that the iPods were best at revealing the deficiencies in the original!
I used the highest bitrates available (320k) to compare the MP3 player to the iPods, then used lossless for my PC vs the iPods.
The speakers I use are about level to £800 worth of speaker (they're DIY, but I've asked several people to listen, and the values given went to £1000). The amplifier is about the same.
Off on holidays now, back in a week.
Chris
ipod touch second gen sounds the best the first gen lacks something which i carnt put my finger on , the bose in ear phones sound amazing with the ipod
You're using cheap headphones to compare the devices? That isn't exactly a great comparison. I love my iPod Touch with Ortofon e-Q7s--it is far, far better than my old iPod Video 5.5G and my mates current Nano. It absolutely owns MP3 players as it can do lossless and they can't!
After owning 4 iPods, I must agree with HiFiAddict.
By far my iPod 'fatty' Nano was the best sounding one after the original iPod Mini.
I've had the previous Classic 120GB and it sounded bloodless and boring.
I now have the Touch 64GB, and while better than the Classic above, is still not as good as the Nano.
As I like to say, WRT iPods Jobs' attitude toward sound quality is: Today is not your day, and tomorrow does not look good either.
igglebert:I find that with a pair of Shure SE110 headphones the iPhone sounds very neutral and quite detailed. The bass lacks punch and it seems to be wanting for dynamics with some music. I have to have the EQ on classical to add a little bass and drop the midrange a tad, how I seem to prefer my audio. It's the best portable music device I've ever used, but in the same way as I find for hifi, you need to spend some decent cash on the speakers/phones bit. Other portable music players I've used sound very coloured, often at the cost of detail.
Great to know you like the SE110s, I also had them and IMO they're only good if you like mud in your ears.
I gave them to my friend - he loved them too. Oh well - did my bit for charity.
Mud in your ears? Do you mean the way they fit with their foam buds or do you find the midrange muddy? Any recommendations for phones that have greater dynamics?
Having previoulsy owned two Sony MiniDisc Walkmans, then a Sony HDD network Walkman - when I finally gave in and got an iPod I was very dissapointed with the sound quality. It always feels like its struggling to keep up, it easily distorts and there is a very small 'sweet spot' within the volume range where it sounds 'ok'. I have a 50 quid pair of Sony in-ear earphones - which I have had since my first MiniDisc Walkman.
I have been impressed with the sound from my Nano and iPhone.
Enough so that I decided to sell my Cyrus CD6s as I found the sound from my iPods in conjunction with my Onkyo DS-A2X was very similar.
My ipod touch sounds good to me. I often find myself doing something that would prolly make the elite cringe. I hook my touch up to the stereo via the headphone socket and listen to spotify tracks. Its not even a 50£ gold plated cable!
I just enjoy the music though, i dont sit still with my eyes closed and listen for faults 
ipods needs headphone with plenty of bass and warm sounding like the bose in ear this ear phone sound too bassy with hifi amps headphone out but great with ipod
igglebert:Mud in your ears? Do you mean the way they fit with their foam buds or do you find the midrange muddy? Any recommendations for phones that have greater dynamics?
Yes, they're the earphone equivalent of NAD hifi 
- Login to post comments
No not really. Sound great to me.