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Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 12:26 PM
Could someone send me in the right direction as I don't know a damned thing about these?

Thanks
Ken

speakerdave
12-04-2005, 12:44 PM
Go to the Apple site and read. Don't buy an imitation. Bought one for our younger son last year. Order early.

David

sfellini
12-04-2005, 02:04 PM
This is probably what you want...

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

Titanium Dome
12-04-2005, 02:21 PM
I own a lot of Apple gear and have frequently bought refurbs. Original packaging and warranty applies. Look like brand new. Never had a single problem.

Of course, YMMV.

Scroll about halfway down the page linked below for the iPods. Look at the "Apple Certified Refurbished iPod with color display" models. They'll kick the iPon Nano's ass, but they're not as cute. However, they have bigger screens and much higher capacity, and they're priced better as refurbs..


http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/72202/wo/zo59IhdSURjH2DmLNHs1II5Syjh/0.0.19.1.0.8.63.0.0.0.0.0.0.3.1.1.0?90,50

Titanium Dome
12-04-2005, 02:36 PM
BTW Ken, I remember you as a Windows guy, so if your son is too, he'll need to have iTunes installed on his computer. This is not a big deal, and lots of Windows machines have it pre-installed. The Compaq/HP laptop I bought my GF had it already.

It's a nice music management app, and it gives you lots of choices for ripping and encoding files. I've encoded my "audition tracks" in lossless and take the iPod around when checking out speakers and other gear.

I've got songs, photos, my calendar, contacts, audio books, and to do lists on mine. I took it to my GF's college graduation and uploaded photos into it and ran a sweet musical slide show off it at the reception. Major points, Bud, major points.

Someday I'll buy the video capable iPod that just came out so I can watch the Simpsons, Futurama, and Family Guy when Fox starts to sell them at the iTunes Store. :homer: Woo hoo!

Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 02:48 PM
I appreciate the help guys.

Ken

boputnam
12-04-2005, 05:48 PM
Hey, Ken...

I'd suggest a lookie at these: http://www1.archos.com/home.html?culture=us-en&country=us&lang=en

I've got the Gmini 200 - 20 Gbyte monster. Reads .wav, .mp3, etc. - no special formatting required. I pay Steve Jobs nuthin'... :applaud:

Easy to load, works EXTREMELY well. Taken it to South Africa, Russia, Japan, anywhere. Fits inside the Bose Quiet2 headphone case...

Titanium Dome
12-04-2005, 06:43 PM
(snip)I've got the Gmini 200 - 20 Gbyte monster. Reads .wav, .mp3, etc. - no special formatting required(snip)

That's a nice unit that does MP3, WMA and WAV files. I guess the WMA is the "etc." The Apple won't do WMA, but it will do AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, and WAV. So, Bo I'm not sure what your "special formatting" comment is meant to imply. I'm pretty sure WAV, AIFF, MP3, and AAC are industry standards. Apple Lossless and WMA are not, though both Apple and Microsoft would like to make them so.

This part from the Archos site is misleading (but typical of MP3 player claims):



Rip :
Easily record and transfer up to 500 CDs1 on the Gmini XS200
Plays MP3, WMA and WAV files
Rock :
Listen and store up to 10,0001 of your favorite songs
Roll :
Take your Gmini XS200 anywhere and listen for up to 10 hours with its long-life Li Ion battery.

What's with the extra 1s in the above quote? Well, they should be superscript but I guess the forum doesn't support them. Anyway, Archos comes clean in footnote #1 at the bottom:


1 On average. Music capacity based on 3.5 minutes per song and 64 kbps WMA encoding. For better quality 128 Kbit/s encoding or more recommended.

If you want listenable music, then cut the numbers in half or more: 250 CD and 5,000 songs. That's still a lot, so why not just say so?

I don't know about anyone else, but 192 kbps is the minimum I'd use, and even tin-eared people can tell the difference between 64 and 128, so 128 kbps is the floor as far as I'm concerned. Apple's storage figures are based on 128 kbps.

Also, there's this little detail:


Gmini XS 200: 20GB Pocket Audio Player
Part No. 500669
In Stock: No


There might be some in the retail supply chain, though, where you could check one out where you could compare apples to Apples. ;)

Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 06:44 PM
Will check it out Bo

Thanks

boputnam
12-04-2005, 07:06 PM
Ti...

Not sure what all your points are - except that I'm stupid - but regardless what I MEANT was, the Archos plays anything and does not require signing onto, or paying any one source. It's open. It's easy.

I had zero trouble finding mine, so that point is moot, too. But, whatever... :dont-know

Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 07:13 PM
I found the Gmini XS 200 at Amazon for 174.00 with free shipping. Seems reasonable. Will search around a little more. I really do appreciate all the opinions guys.

Turns out Julie wants one as well.

Ken

boputnam
12-04-2005, 07:28 PM
Well, I'm not real smart, so it worked good for me. It is basically an outboard HD, that has audio software on it. Slick as deer guts, man. I've put all manner of data on mine, at times, not just music. It has huge capacity at 20 Gb - you can decide your own format. I intermix between .wav's and .mp3's - depends on whether I care to convert.

I'm sure all these are very comparable - isn't that their intention? - and you should chose on form and function, and whether you want to deal with Apple, after market. You do not have to deal with Archos after market.

porschedpm
12-04-2005, 08:10 PM
'Son Wants an Ipod for Christmas'

Hi, Ken. It sounds like your son asked specifically for an iPod. I'm afraid if your son is like mine, nothing but the iPod will do. If however he asked for an MP3 player, not specifically an iPod, there are several to choose from that have features as good and sometimes better than the iPod. But the last I heard the iPod holds about 80% of the MP3 player market. So the iPod is the player most buyers are choosing. Regardless of which player you go with you may first want to determine how much music your son has. If he has 100's of CD's the he may want a 20 or 30GB player. If he has 50 or so CD's then maybe a 4 or 5GB player will do. You should also consider how discriminating a listener he is. I'd say most people store music on their players at 128Kbps. But at that bit rate, a discriminating listener can hear the difference the CD and the MP3. Songs stored at 256 become harder to tell the difference but use twice as much disc space. Apple Lossless is supposed to be indiscernable from the CD but uses 4 to 5 storage space. Think of the old reel-to-reels. Albums recorded at 3-3/4ips were close to the original album but not quite identical. 7-1/2ips got you close and good enough for most listening. And 15ips got you so close most couldn't tell the difference between the tape and the album. I have a 40GB iPod that I have stored all songs at Apple Lossless and have a little over 1000 songs on it. I can't hear a difference. If you're looking at iPods here's the iPod line up:

iPod Shuffle........512kb........ $ 99....... holds 125 songs at 128kbps
iPod Shuffle...........1GB........ $ 129......holds 250 songs
iPod Nano..............2GB........ $ 199......holds 500 songs
iPod Nano..............4GB........ $ 249......holds 1000 songs
iPod....................30GB........ $ 299......holds 7500 songs
iPod....................60GB........ $ 399......holds 15000 songs

The 30GB and 60GB models now also have the capability to store video clips and pictures in addition to music. So lots of decisions for you to make. You may want to ask your son if it was specifically an iPod he wants and if so which model he had in mind. Hope this helps.

Ed

Audiobeer
12-04-2005, 09:06 PM
porschedpm (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/member.php?u=727) is right. I went through the same thing with my daughter. I bought her a great "Brand X" and she's had it for a year. She's graduating from college this December and took my wife aside and asked her specificaly for an Ipod. The kids all use it and the learning curve is low when all your frieinds have one. I know Bo and he's a guru when it comes to the Tech stuff as well as the other posters. This is one area where you will find that this is kind of a cult thing with the kids.

Mr. Widget
12-04-2005, 09:09 PM
Hi, Ken. It sounds like your son asked specifically for an iPod. I'm afraid if your son is like mine, nothing but the iPod will do. I am not a father, well at least as far as anyone has told me... but I do recall being a teenager and having the right brand of shoes, pants etc. meant everything... it isn't rational, but then I hear there is a group of old farts that have a ridiculous fascination with a certain brand of loudspeakers...


Widget

Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 09:18 PM
Bo, I appreciate your input. I am not sure what direction I will go but its always nice to have multiple options. The fact that you own this brand and its been a positive experience is a good thing to know. I would have never considered it. The reason "no brand recognition".

As for Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. I am sure both would be amused by reading this.

Ken

Ken Pachkowsky
12-04-2005, 09:19 PM
This son is in his twenties and the brand does not matter.

Ken

morbo!
12-04-2005, 09:33 PM
my little bro has the 1500 song one
and it rockz
thay really need better headphones though

Titanium Dome
12-04-2005, 10:04 PM
Ti...

Not sure what all your points are - except that I'm stupid - but regardless what I MEANT was, the Archos plays anything and does not require signing onto, or paying any one source. It's open. It's easy.

I had zero trouble finding mine, so that point is moot, too. But, whatever... :dont-know

Bo

Didn't mean to offend you. As I wrote, the Archos is a nice unit and it's bound to be in the supply chain for purchase. I never said you couldn't find it. It struck me as funny that the manufacturer didn't have any.

Your implication that the iPod is somehow locking you into a system is just not correct. You can get your MP3s from anywhere. I've got a couple thousand songs on mine, and I didn't have to buy a single one from Apple. I'll admit I got a hundred or so free songs from them (free songs every Tuesday), but the rest I obtained legally from multiple sources, including those swell folks at Sony/BMG.

Never had to sign an agreement, join a download service, purchase a minimum from Apple, or agree to limit myself to Apple encoded music. Any CD, MP3, WAV, or AIFF will do.

I apologize for offending you.

boputnam
12-05-2005, 08:39 AM
Just the overall tone, dood. It doen't matter - I simply don't have the energy to fight anything. I am reminded - and always surprised at - how defensive Appleheads are. Maybe you aren't one, but you coulda been! :rotfl:

I only did surficial due diligence on this - my neighbors were very early and fanatical adopters, and raved - but I watched my kids close hand. I'm of the understanding that iPods reformat input data (song files). My kids wail at having to deal with that, and it requires Apple software uploads to the PC, and that use seems intent on drawing one into iTunes which makes sense for Apple (reminds of aol marketing on the GUI...:biting: ) and suits Apple's crossmarketing needs. Apple had to soften it's business stance on iPod because they were almost too exclusive and competing devices came onto the market, quickly. Invasive technology tends to do that. :yes:

My other neighbor who is an IT specialist (Apple and PC... :yes: ) recommended Archos to me. I find his advice, well, "sound"... I don't know - it all just seems easier with Archos. Archos is simply a storage device with a media player on it. No reformating needed, uploading or downloading. No cross-marketing, no nothing.

But as I said, I don't give a damn. I only responded to this thread with an alternative suggestion, because "iPod" is quickly becoming a generic term (like Kleenex or Xerox) of which Jobs should be proud, but which will surely be vigorously protected!

There are even cooler, smaller devices I've seen on the London Underground, but never got a name. They are sized like a fat magic marker. Everybody is into tunes on the Tube...

Mr. Widget
12-05-2005, 10:32 AM
I only responded to this thread with an alternative suggestion, because "iPod" is quickly becoming a generic term (like Kleenex or Xerox) of which Jobs should be proud, but which will surely be vigorously protected!Yeah Kleenex!!! Have you ever tried those other brands... your nose is a bloody stump in no time... damn it I did it again...:offtopic:



Widget

boputnam
12-05-2005, 10:45 AM
Yeah Kleenex!!! Have you ever tried those other brands... your nose is a bloody stump in no time...Yea, and that's why branding IS so vigorously defended! :p

Mr. Widget
12-05-2005, 10:54 AM
Yea, and that's why branding IS so vigorously defended! :p.... yep, look at Budweiser and Bose!

However good brands like Kimberly Clark's Kleenex and most 3M products actually do offer quality commensurate with their price.;)


Widget

Earl K
12-05-2005, 11:59 AM
- Some good info here . Now, back on topic . :p
- What about the RIO ? ( I think that's a name for one of these playback devices ).
- I don't have any of these units, so I'm quite interested in any & all rumours about cross-platform problems when file sharing.


I only did surficial ( superficial ?) due diligence on this - my neighbors were very early and fanatical adopters, and raved - but I watched my kids close hand. I'm of the understanding that iPods reformat input data (song files). My kids wail at having to deal with that, and it requires Apple software uploads to the PC, and that use seems intent on drawing one into iTunes which makes sense for Apple (reminds of aol marketing on the GUI... ) and suits Apple's crossmarketing needs. Apple had to soften it's business stance on iPod because they were almost too exclusive and competing devices came onto the market, quickly. Invasive technology tends to do that.

- Bo, do you mean to say that , MP3/WAV files ripped on some kids Brand "X" machine ,won't seamlessly playback on Apples' iPod units / without additional file conversion performed by Apples' iTune software ?
- If so, is the opposite also true ?

- I guess if this is true , then there's a builtin hassle factor to contend with.
- Kids who swap music files like baseball cards will want to have similar technology just to avoid the hassle of file conversion.

regards

boputnam
12-05-2005, 12:20 PM
- Bo, do you mean to say that , MP3/WAV files ripped on some kids Brand "X" machine ,won't seamlessly playback on Apples' iPod units / without additional file conversion performed by Apples' iTune software ?
- If so, is the opposite also true ?

- I guess if this is true , then there's a builtin hassle factor to contend with. Kids who swap music files like baseball cards will want to have similar technology to avoid the hassle. Hi, Earl...

Yea, as I understand it, the iPod and software can convert (most?) all available formats, but the 'pods' require their own compression result. That means, what's on the 'pod' cannot be downloaded onto another PC for use. The intent was, I believe, to protect artists copyrights (good) and keep iTunes a profit center for Apple (no opinion).

And yea, that RIO line is a contender, too.

Earl K
12-05-2005, 12:28 PM
- Okay !

- So , would MP3/WAV files ripped on an Archos, playback on something like a RIO without additional file conversion ?

- Thanks for any clarification you can offer :)

boputnam
12-05-2005, 12:31 PM
[QUOTE=Earl K- So , would MP3/WAV files ripped on an Archos, playback on something like a RIO ? [/QUOTE]Archos is merely a storage device - it makes no formatting change to the data being loaded onto it.

Dunno enough about RIO, but if it can read .mp3 and .wav, it certainly can take those data off Archos.

chad
12-05-2005, 01:17 PM
.... but then I hear there is a group of old farts that have a ridiculous fascination with a certain brand of loudspeakers...


Widget

Pathetic.

JuniorJBL
12-05-2005, 01:28 PM
I have had more problems with ipod software on the PC and people keep telling me they hate windows because thier ipod does not work. :blink:

After further examination I find it is the Apple software not working with the cd drive and driver so the cd drive just dissapears from the drive list.:bs:


Anyways just my 2c worth I would choose any mainstream MP3 player. Archos and Rio are both fine players;)

Titanium Dome
12-05-2005, 06:28 PM
In August of this year, here's how MP3 player marketshare looked:



Music Player Company Unit Share Dollar Share
20GB iPod w/Color LCD Apple 14.5% 22.1%
4GB Silver iPod Mini Apple 12.7% 12.8%
512MB iPod shuffle Apple 7.7% 3.9%
4GB Blue iPod Mini Apple 7.3% 7.4%
4GB Pink iPod Mini Apple 6.7% 6.8%
4GB Green iPod Mini Apple 6% 6.1%
1GB iPod shuffle Apple 4.9% 3.2%
60GB iPod w/Color LCD Apple 4.2% 8.5%
6GB Silver iPod Mini Apple 2.3% 2.9%
512MB Blue MP3/WMA w/FM Radio Sandisk 2% 1%
Others 31.7% 25.3%

Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld for Aug. 2005

If you're interested in a device that has the most users (over 70%) in the most standardized formats (MP3, WAV, AIFF, AAC) from the source with the most legal downloads (550 million+), AND that has JBL branded gear specifically designed for it http://jbl.com/home/products/series.aspx?SerId=HMM , then look no further than an iPod. :yes:

Other devices are fine. Sony finally designed a useable MP3 player, Samsung has some great gear, the Archos and RIO models are pretty cool, but all of them together do not create a universe as prolific or pervasive as an iPod.

This may not matter to us, but it matters to a lot of the members of generations younger than us, and sadly again this year some parents will buy a quite workable MP3 player that they think is an iPod but isn't. Their kids will freak, the real deal will eventually get purchased, and Mom or Dad will likely inherit the rejected machine, which they probably think is fine becuase they're not interested in sharing music with their friends.

boputnam
12-05-2005, 07:18 PM
...AND that has JBL branded gear specifically designed for it And Bose, too!!! :nutz:

:baby:

Ken Pachkowsky
12-05-2005, 07:30 PM
You guys should get married!:bouncy:

Seriously, I appreciate the input.

Ken

Titanium Dome
12-05-2005, 09:20 PM
You guys should get married!:bouncy:

Seriously, I appreciate the input.

Ken

if I get to be on top.

morbo!
12-06-2005, 07:41 AM
awsome post Ti

morbo is with you

more to life than making money!

morbo is pleased!

im glad im not the only one here doing selfless kinda stuff
sounds like yours is tougher than mine though!
i think karma is kool
prolly what keeps me on this planet as some1 who should be dead about 5 times
i was blown up(by a detonator) and put through a car windscreen when i was a kid (2 diffrent stayes in hospital) and alot of learing to walk
and havnt had a real easy life by most peoples standards(that i know anyway).
and i know if it wasn`t for my stepfather teaching me about moto`s, electronics, and music i would prolly be in jail now

so a big thumbs up dood

thats some mighty fine work your doin (never mind the pics posted here)not to insult any one but its just all a luxery!

venting my spleen

morbo!

John Nebel
12-06-2005, 12:16 PM
FWIW, I have an original Ipod and never have had any kind of trouble. It also works fine as portable storage and appears to be pretty idiot proof.

http://hifiipod.streamlinenettrial.co.uk/

Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.02, -0.10
Noise level, dB (A): -105.8
Dynamic range, dB (A): 86.5
THD, %: 0.0095
IMD + Noise, %: 0.015
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -104.9 (graph not shown below)

boputnam
12-06-2005, 12:40 PM
Nice post, John and great Link!

Wardsweb
12-06-2005, 01:25 PM
Here are a couple more points in your matrix. My wife (52) got the 30 gig ipod and my daughter (20) the 60 gig. My wife uses her's for music and audio books. She has it tied into her car sound system so she can listen to books while driving. My daughter uses her's for music and pictures. She already has something like 20 gigs used. They are relatively simple to use and installed easily on a couple Dell's at home. My daughter also uploads and downloads while at friends houses that also have ipods. As for me, I'm a vinyl guy and as for digital that all gets played on my Shanling.

Ken Pachkowsky
12-06-2005, 02:54 PM
FWIW, I have an original Ipod and never have had any kind of trouble. It also works fine as portable storage and appears to be pretty idiot proof.



John, thanks for the post. I see your in Colorado! Do me a favor and run over to Boulder Amplifiers and tell them to get the rag out! I am chomping at the bit to hear these using only Boulder amps.

Seriously, an interesting post and link.

Ken

Ken Pachkowsky
12-13-2005, 10:05 AM
I bought the above.

Thanks to everyone for the passionate and spirited answer's to my enquiry. I feel like a shit disturber sometime?

Ken

Earl K
12-14-2005, 08:58 AM
- If I was PC based & considering an iPod ( & hooked up with a DSL connection ) , I would go to this Apple link (http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/) and download the latest iTunes software ( 6.0 at this writing ) .

- Having this software on your computer will allow one to determine if the iPod software & the computers' ( CD ) hardware is compatible. I'd certainly check this before buying an iPod ( or any other PMA for that matter ) . As earlier mentioned, some users' CD-RW & DVD-R drives might not be recognized by the software. This would make the whole enterprise of ripping ones' favourite CDs' to MP3 file , impossible.
- Of course, this same caution applies to any MP3 player on the market.
- What's the typical "free" PC "ripping software" ? / and where can it be downloaded ?

- I'm pretty well a committed Mac fan. So business wise , I'm not likely to ever change. The reason ? It's the one platform that seems to be consistantly ignored by virus writers and their evil cohorts . .
- Here's the link to (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/7200504/wo/D32HQ1tz5Zua2c2IIk411NLCbwX/0.SLID?mco=E59FFEF8&nclm=Macmini) the Mac mini. For my purposes it's small enough to be classified as a portable ( just add the screen and keyboard ). I think a G4 is roughly compatible with the older P4 chip .

:p

Titanium Dome
03-05-2006, 11:01 PM
We've had references to iPods in many threads, even Bo's poll (iPod Poll). Comments good and bad flowed back and forth. The point of this thread is to give actual iPod and iTunes users a place to exchange information, ideas, experiences, and tips.

If you want to take a shot at iPods, iTunes, or their users, please start a separate thread. Thank you.

Here's an interesting article from Stereophile about the iPod and the new iPod Hi-Fi.

http://www.stereophile.com/news/030606menace/

Today I bought my third iPod, a 512MB iPod Shuffle. I'll use this for the ol' treadmill, weight lifting, and aerobic work. I find the bulk of the other iPods to be distracting, and the screen is a nuisance in this application. The feather light, screenless iPod Shuffle should fill the bill nicely.

My iPod universe currently contains a 1G (5GB) iPod on loan to my GF, an iPod Photo (30GB), and the new iPod Shuffle. I have an iPod Dock for my main system, and an Airport Express on the main system to stream music from iTunes on my PowerBook to the FAP T1+, FAA1000.5 (two of them) and JBL Performance Series. At work, I've got the JBL Creature II hooked into my PowerBook for iTunes play, and an iPod Dock direct into the Carver, Soundcraftsmen, and JBL 4430/B360 system.

In the shop/garage I use the Griffin iTrip to broadcast to the three receivers there when running the various speakers, and on the road the iTrip does its duty there as well.

porschedpm
03-06-2006, 01:31 AM
I've been using a 3rd Generation 40GB iPod for over two years. Everything I've transferred from my CD collection was transferred at Apple Lossless rate. Because of the bigger file sizes with Apple Lossless, I'm only able to load about 1100 songs onto the 40GB hard drive, vs 10,000 if I had recorded using the common MP3 format. With Apple Lossless, though, I'm able to get quality which is virtually the same as the original CD. I know I'll get arguments here. But let me clarify. Apple Lossless is not an identical copy of the CD but it approximates it so closely it is virtually the same. I'm sure there are audiophiles out there that can tell the difference but 99% of the time my old ears can't. And even then I have to really concentrate to hear any difference.

So far Apple's main focus with the iPod has ben the Gen X and Gen Y crowd. The fact that Apple Lossless became available at all was probably a fluke since nothing else Apple has done seems to cater to the high end crowd. I'm hoping, though, that someday Apple will offer an iPod with features aimed at the audiophile crowd.

By transferring all my best music to the iPod, it has allowed me to carry my music wherever I go and play CD quality music on whatever system I have an iPod dock hooked up to. I have a dock hooked up to every system I have, playing 4343's (living room), 240Ti's (office in the Bay Area), 120Ti's (bedroom), XPL200's and 4412's (Garage). When I fly anywhere, I use a pair of Etymotic earphones. To me, the convenience of carrying my music collection, in near CD quality, with me wherever I go is enough to forego that last 1% of music quality that Apple Lossless gives up.

Titanium Dome
03-06-2006, 10:05 AM
What do you like about the Etymotic headphones? IMO the Apple earbuds are the weakest part of the package.

porschedpm
03-06-2006, 11:17 AM
I have the Etymotic ER-4P. At the time I purchased them they were the most highly regarded earphone on Headfi.org for their sound quality. Headfi.org is a forum dedicated to portable music sources and headphones. About a year after I purchased the Etymotics, the Shure E5C came out which reviewers on Headfi seem to prefer. Here is a link to a review of both on Headfi:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=74816

In general I like the Etymotics for their sound quality-I think there's adequate, if not neutral, bass and good detail in the mids and highs. I especially like their ability to block out outside noise. I have on more than a few occasions sat next to crying infants on flights. With the music on even at a low to medium setting I don't even hear the kid enough so I'm able to sleep (I never listen to headphones real loud because of possible hearing loss). I also like their small size. Not only the fact that they take up very little room in my briefcase (much less than the noise cancelling headphones) but when they're in my ears, about 75% of the time the flight attendants pass me by when they're telling people to turn off electronics in preparation for landing. They must think they're just earplugs. I usually don't get away with it before take off, but it doesn't take that long to get to 10,000 feet versus they'll tell passengers to stow their electronics 30 -45 mins before actually touching down. I've read the reviews on the Shures but I like my Etymotics enough and I don't think there are enough differences that I'm not willing to trade them in.....yet.

Titanium Dome
03-08-2006, 12:35 PM
Since I got the iPod Photo many moons ago, I've been trying to get album art, since there's so much unused space on the HD. Of course, whatever you download from iTunes brings the art with it, but most of my stuff is downloaded legally off other sites or ripped from my own CDs or LPs.

I can't get much help for my LPs except to indivually search out the art on the Internet, but I've got a couple of friends when it comes to CD art. Since these are Dashboard Widgets, they only work on Mac OS X versions that support Widgets.

http://www.widget-foundry.com/widgets/amazonart.htm

http://www.liquidx.net/albumartwidget/

Does anyone have any Windows software that does the same thing?

Titanium Dome
03-09-2006, 02:50 PM
Apparently the Pope totally digs the IPod but wasn't so thrilled by the earphones.

"They don't look dignified, and they sound like the wailing of souls in Purgatory, only with cotton stuffed in their mouths."

The Vatican staff took the Pontiff's hint and went to the Papal hat shop, took a Pope hat to the Papal Electricians Guild, and had it fitted with Harman Sound Sticks inside special ear pouches that hang next to the Pontiff's head.

While the sound quality improved and the look was more dignified, the Pope lamented:

"It still sounds like the wailing of souls in Purgatory, only now it's very clear."

Puzzled Vatican staff examined the Pontiff's Nano to discover someone had loaded the entire N'Sync catalog into it. A quick deletion of the offending music solved the problem.

"It's like the singing of angels in Heaven," the Pontiff purred.

Titanium Dome
03-18-2006, 03:46 PM
As evidenced by the photos of the SoCal Taco Surf Ten

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=101313&postcount=81

many of us are getting along in years, but it looks like there's still some rebel in some of us despite our ages.

So then I see this:

http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/DumbingDownAudio.php

:rotfl: :applaud: :rotfl:

As I'm sitting here streaming 4 Strings, Dyce, M.Y.C., Ashley Jade and others wirelessly through iTunes into an Airport Express to the FAPT1+, the FAA1000.5s, and out the Performance Series, I'm amused and bemused by the old fartiness of this op-ed piece.

When I got my first NEC five transistor radio, with real leather case, from The Andersons in Maumee, OH for $8.76 in 1958, it was a musical revelation to me. Yeah, it only tuned AM, and when I turned it up real loud through the built in speaker, it distorted like crazy and it annoyed adults wherever I went. :D "You're going to ruin your hearing!"

I took that thing everywhere, and even listened through the single earphone in bed at night until the 9V battery would give up. My love affair with music came first through that obnoxious little device. Sure, later, I played the trumpet and the bass guitar and sang in choir and did vocal gigs with garage bands, but it all came after.

Now I read in this article all of the old, tired, pointless, complaining, griping points of the old fart school of thought. Is it inevitable that we all become these old, whining, hissy-fitting, dogma-spouting douche bags? Gosh, I hope not.

Love of music is love of music, whatever form it takes. Just because it's not MY preferred form, or preferred genre, or preferred playback system does not make it any less real than my own. The arrogant, condescending, know-it-all posturing of pedantic hacks posing as audiophiles (audiophile, n.--lover of music) is burdensome and offensive to me.

Okay, so the five tranistor NEC eventually became an Allied Electronics AM/FM, which became a Heathkit AM/FM/SW, which became a Radio Shack radio/cassette, which became an Electrophonic three-piece stereo (in real wood, mind you) which became a Kenwood KR6160, Dual 1219, JBL L100 Century honest to goodness stereo.

So now I've got 64 JBLs (consumer, pro, multimedia, and auto), a season's subscription to 14 live music events, and three iPods full of music.

My use of iPods apparently means I've really dumbed down. It apparently means my musical tastes and appreciations have been vandalized and usurped by brilliant marketers who have fooled me into thinking I'm enjoying music more than ever when in fact I'm apparently too stupid to know what I'm doing sucks. I wish I could be as intelligent as Mr. DellaSala, who knows what's right not only for himself but for an entire generation. It must be amazing to be so perceptive and constructively critical of so many people, so many products, and so many preferences. It's a shame he can't just think and choose for us all. (Note: This paragraph is sarcasm.)

Oh wait, wait! I know. How about if we accept the musical choices that people make without putting them down or unnecessarily criticizing them, or assuming we always know better? How about if we let the old fart syndrome die with our generation? How about we just accept that people make the choices they make and if they develop a love for music in any form, it's a step in the right direction.

From that initial love it's easy to bring them along, as long as we don't insult them or their choices in the process. (Yes, we've teased each other about things like me liking Ti radiators and someone else liking horns, etc., but I don't recall any of us ever saying the others were "gullible," judgmentally impaired," people who "don't know any better," or members "of a generation of ignorance." We've never marked it up to anything more than a difference in taste, a good tease, and an excuse to have a beer. :cheers: )

With my two ears I can love my iPods and my JBLs both. Unfortunately, I really need three hands: One to hold onto my iPods, one to hold onto my JBLs, and one to hold onto the gun that you will have to pry from my cold, dead hand to get the other two. :die: (OK, I would not actually shoot anyone over this. Relax.)

Thanks, it's been fun sharing this with you, and thanks for the inspiration Gene. (Incidentally, there was a lot of great info packed into the article, but IMO it was used for the wrong purpose.)

Infredible
03-21-2006, 10:48 PM
Hody!

I just bought myself some Shure E5C sound isolating in ear earphones, they cost a premium but forget about those white Apple ear buds. The Shure have dual transducteurs with inline crossover. They are a little hard to get used too and a little bit akward to install/wear but after a while you get used to them and here is the reward! Imaging, it's like sitting in front of your (put your model number here) JBL speakers. I mean by that that those guys have an incredible frequency response and have a super imaging. Sound stage is like being there. I think that they have a little dip in the mid range but that must be because of my strange ear canal. If you manage to get a really tight seal (I recomend the tripple flange silicon ear bits which you can cut to accomodate your ear canal) then you get rewarded with some incredible low end and subtle highs. If you travel by plane a lot these are a must. -30/35 dB noise reduction on most of the frequency range, much better than the Booze. I have a 5G 30 Gig video Ipod filed with Apple lossless compression tunes (about 2000 tunes) and it is worth it. They are really efficient, 122 dB SPL/mW so you save some Ipod battery by listening a little less loud.

Fred.

Titanium Dome
04-06-2006, 01:27 PM
Fred says, "Give yourself a threat."

I'm betting you meant "treat." I bet there are some guys here who'd prefer it the first way you wrote it, though. :rotfl:

boputnam
04-06-2006, 02:05 PM
Yea, baby... :applaud:

These are top-of-class. I posted on them somewhere, so long ago I cannot find it!! :banghead:

I've personally used these for about 6-years on-stage. They are wonderful, and besides their great freqency response have reduced my risk to hearing damage from high SPL on-stage.

If you really like them, get the flange ear pieces (PA755). They are more comforable and seal better than the alternative choices. You can trim off the smallest cone if it's not needed (worked best for me).

Titanium Dome
04-06-2006, 04:23 PM
On ebay, the BIN ranges from $349 to $509. That's quite a spread, but even at $349, that's a lot of coin. Is that the price range you guys paid?

boputnam
04-06-2006, 05:06 PM
Oh, yea. When I bought mine, there was no liquidity on eBay.

But, I never regretted the purchase, and they are still working perfectly.

Titanium Dome
05-02-2006, 01:40 PM
At this point it looks like Apple: 2 - Record Giants: 0

Whether you like Jobs, Apple, iPod, iTunes or not, I like to see the big boys get stuffed. I've always resented the price fixing on CDs and the ridiculous margins on CDs, DVDs, DVD-As, and SACDs. I guess the "variable pricing" model (read: raising the prices on anything that sells) will have to wait 'til the next contract.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1711

SUPERBEE
05-03-2006, 04:57 PM
Could someone send me in the right direction as I don't know a damned thing about these?

Thanks
Ken


WWW.THROWITINTHETRASH.COM

Titanium Dome
05-03-2006, 07:17 PM
WWW.THROWITINTHETRASH.COM

Really funny. An advertising site. I laughed 'til I closed it (about .03 seconds). Guess I didn't get it. :confused:

Titanium Dome
05-08-2006, 08:00 PM
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2006/05/08/apple_vs_apple_why_didnt_apple_the_music_one_win_w e_explain_all.html

So on to round two, I suppose. In the meantime, keep downloading your free songs each week.

BMWCCA
05-08-2006, 09:38 PM
Now that you all have solved all the problems of the universe, those of you who were lucky enough to have chosen Apple over all others are probably overwhelmed by the plethora of accessories available for the iPod. I don't even own one but my daughter does. In anticipation of the other two daughters having an iPod some day, I'm proactively purchasing this little toy:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/55-996-602-01.JPG
It's the Kensington Stereo iPod Dock with remote, regularly about $89 or better but now only $27.99 after rebate here (http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10410686&adid=17662). Free shipping, too. I just thought the deal was too good not to share. This site (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855996602) will show you pics of the unit and all that comes with it, and go here (http://us.kensington.com/html/11176.html#stereodock) to read some reviews. It has A/V as well as S-video output as well as a bunch of cables and adapters included so you can even charge your iPod while playing video through your home theater and/or audio files through your JBLs. All normal disclaimers apply and I've not yet received mine to tell you any more. It just seemed like a great way to play your iPod through your stereo. Let me know what you think. $10 mail-in rebate set to expire 5/14/06, not that it's not a good deal even without the hassle of mailing the rebate!

Edit: Sorry, I've confused two different units since the seller's information is so sparse. Here's the manufacturer's site (http://us.kensington.com/html/6529.html). This is the unit on sale (the Stereo Dock) and it does not have a video connection (probably why it's on sale! The other is the Entertainment Dock) but does do all the other audio stuff as described above including the remote. I've left the above post intact thinking it would make more sense than to just correct it. I did change the image and link to the correct product, so now go here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855996602) for more photos, specs, and other information. My apologies for any confusion. :banghead:

-Phil

Titanium Dome
05-08-2006, 09:59 PM
Thanks, Phil.

Titanium Dome
05-09-2006, 07:36 AM
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BDEE113DA%2D30F9%2D45F5%2DB339%2 D76CFDDDB298F%7D&dist=newsfinder&siteid=mktw&link=&keyword=Apple

Just when you thought there were no more products to be made...

Titanium Dome
05-09-2006, 12:26 PM
Apparently the look of the JBL Time Machine is popular, as it's emulated in the Radial.

http://playlistmag.com/news/2006/05/09/radial/index.php?lsrc=plrss

BMWCCA
05-09-2006, 01:30 PM
I searched everywhere and couldn't come up with a photo. Thanks! Free CAT-scans, too?
http://playlistmag.com/images/content/2006/05/09/radial.jpg

johnaec
05-09-2006, 01:49 PM
Quote from article: "The system includes four aluminum-domed Odyssey(R) full-range drivers, which are driven by powerful neodymium magnets, for superior dynamic range. Further, the low-frequency driver is capable of peak-to-peak travel of nearly one inch, providing astonishing and accurate bass reproduction."

Where in that little unit can they even place a speaker with 1" travel??

John

BMWCCA
05-10-2006, 11:47 AM
My Kensington iPod Stereo Dock from Buy.com showed up UPS this morning. That "free shipping" got it to me less than two days from when I placed the order. I ordered on-line late Monday evening, got a confirmation of the order from the site within minutes, and in less than twelve hours got an "order shipped" notification. The Dock was delivered to my doorstep within 36 hours of my placing the order. I've printed off the rebate form and it will be in the mail today. If anyone's interested in seeing what this thing really looks like, just let me know. I'll not clog this thread with any more photos if no one is interested. So far it looks to be as nice as advertised. Cool deal for $27.99, shipping included. As a reminder, current rebate offer expires 5/14. See back a few posts for details.

Interesting info on the packaging: :deal:
• 5-year warranty, free tech support, and 800 number included
• "Includes 7-ft gold-plated RCA output cable"
• "Add the iPod to your home system*. (*Requires a home stereo. iPod not included.)"

Damn, I thought they'd at least include the iPod and a home stereo for $30!

-Phil

SEAWOLF97
08-20-2006, 06:22 PM
got my nano about a year ago. Had Worked for intel and used a PC since DOS 3.0 . Fairly PC literate.

cant stand iTunes. Its doesnt do what you want and does do things you dont want. Its only real advantage is that it will detect firmware upgrades for your Apple player. It also must have Quicktime installed ( 85mb) to run. YUK !!!

went looking for an alternative..auditioned many different SW. Settled on one and havnt looked back. its called "Mediamonkey" and is freeware.
( www.mediamonkey.com (http://www.mediamonkey.com)) . works with iPods and almost every other player. Love it.

TOM

Titanium Dome
08-23-2006, 11:03 AM
My Kensington iPod Stereo Dock from Buy.com showed up UPS this morning. That "free shipping" got it to me less than two days from when I placed the order. I ordered on-line late Monday evening, got a confirmation of the order from the site within minutes, and in less than twelve hours got an "order shipped" notification. The Dock was delivered to my doorstep within 36 hours of my placing the order. I've printed off the rebate form and it will be in the mail today. If anyone's interested in seeing what this thing really looks like, just let me know. I'll not clog this thread with any more photos if no one is interested. So far it looks to be as nice as advertised. Cool deal for $27.99, shipping included. As a reminder, current rebate offer expires 5/14. See back a few posts for details.

Interesting info on the packaging: :deal:
• 5-year warranty, free tech support, and 800 number included
• "Includes 7-ft gold-plated RCA output cable"
• "Add the iPod to your home system*. (*Requires a home stereo. iPod not included.)"

Damn, I thought they'd at least include the iPod and a home stereo for $30!

-Phil

Hey Phil

I want to follow up with a big thanks for this tip. I purchased three of the Kensington iPod Stereo Docks. Now that I'm nearly four months into using them, I have a really good vibe from the product.

They were deployed in three locations: main office, secondary office, and home. They allow me to travel with my iPod from place to place and continue listening without skipping a beat. The remotes took about 20 seconds to figure out, then worked perfectly ever since. The volume control is very nice, giving me a lot more dynamic range that just the iPod's scroll wheel.

Yes, there are a couple of limitations, but for less than $30, I'm not complaining. Once I install the iPod and select a playlist, I'm good for the day. Everything else is controlled from the remote at my desk.

Thanks again for the tip and for enhancing my iPod experience with such a handy device. :bouncy:

Titanium Dome
08-23-2006, 11:14 AM
got my nano about a year ago. Had Worked for intel and used a PC since DOS 3.0 . Fairly PC literate.

cant stand iTunes. Its doesnt do what you want and does do things you dont want. Its only real advantage is that it will detect firmware upgrades for your Apple player. It also must have Quicktime installed ( 85mb) to run. YUK !!!

went looking for an alternative..auditioned many different SW. Settled on one and havnt looked back. its called "Mediamonkey" and is freeware.
( www.mediamonkey.com (http://www.mediamonkey.com)) . works with iPods and almost every other player. Love it.

TOM

If I'm reading the site correctly, some features in the free version are time limited and others are available with the $19.95 version? Is that correct?

SEAWOLF97
08-26-2006, 04:14 PM
if you read their own forums , most users state there is no reason to go with the pay-for-it version.

SEAWOLF97
08-26-2006, 04:16 PM
If I'm reading the site correctly, some features in the free version are time limited and others are available with the $19.95 version? Is that correct?

the MP3 encoder is 30 day limited , but then they instruct you on how to plug in a free LAME encoder to bypass limitation

takenodisk
08-27-2006, 06:39 AM
Bear in mind that if battery life is done so does the whole thing and have to throw to the bin,wife owe's one and is happy with.

Titanium Dome
08-27-2006, 08:30 AM
I bought a replacement battery off ebay for my original, first generation iPod. It was very easy to install and cost less than ten dollars. :yes:

So my original iPod is working fine after several years.

If anyone has an iPod with a dead battery and plans to throw it away, send it to me, and I will pay the shipping.

takenodisk
08-27-2006, 02:37 PM
Hi titanium,i was talking about the brand new slim thing:D ,i would be glad to replace battery at this price but can't even find a hole for screwdriver,anyway i'll make a search see if there's any available on the net,that would save me from throwing it away(to you):nanana: .
I'm kidding Titan,thx for the useful info,regards .


I bought a replacement battery off ebay for my original, first generation iPod. It was very easy to install and cost less than ten dollars. :yes:

So my original iPod is working fine after several years.

If anyone has an iPod with a dead battery and plans to throw it away, send it to me, and I will pay the shipping.

Titanium Dome
08-27-2006, 03:07 PM
Oh, maintenant je le comprends.

Titanium Dome
09-09-2006, 01:05 PM
Here's a review of four iPod docking speaker units. The JBL Radial comes out as a) the most expensive and b) the best.

http://playlistmag.com/reviews/2006/09/desktopspeakers/index.php?lsrc=plrss

QwertyAccess
09-10-2006, 04:19 AM
Since its 4am in the morning where im at, and at this point i wish i saw this thread earlier,

Has anyone taken a look at Creative's Zen offerings?
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331

First of all, Best sound quality, from the makers of your sound card (I do hope you dont use standard motherboard intergrated audio)

2nd. The screen displays a wider range of colors then the Ipod

3rd it supports more media types, and
Rhapsody to go service which lets you add unlimited songs from a collection of nearly 2 million difference songs from the rhapsody service,

I have an ipod, and i use an ipod, I dont like it, Its annoying i hate how people refer to it as though it was a seperate category, my school rule book says, "No Ipods, No Mp3 Players" WHY the hell is IPOD a word of its own?

To me Ipod is like Bose, Only not do they advertise, but once you buy music from Itunes you are tied to that store, you cant use that music on players other then Ipod, When you buy a song you should be able to do as you feel free with it. It should be illegal, it isn't, but I believe it'll be broken soon.

Rhapsody is a music service that allows you access to download an unlimited amount of songs as long as your subscribed you will be able to play them and listen to them and transfer it to the creative mp3 player, and other supported players, (Not an Ipod cause they do not support WMA licensing, so they can control their market)

I do wish i found this thread earlier, I spend alot of time involving gadgets and whatever technology out there,

On a side note my music collection contains over 8,000 songs most of them mp3s that are atleast 192-320kbps only few are lower, and i have lossless in it too :P

Titanium Dome
09-10-2006, 09:17 AM
Since its 4am in the morning where im at, and at this point i wish i saw this thread earlier,

Has anyone taken a look at Creative's Zen offerings?
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331

First of all, Best sound quality, from the makers of your sound card (I do hope you dont use standard motherboard intergrated audio)

Zen: no stats on Web site
iPod: 20Hz–20kHz.
Since you made the claim, can you post a link?


2nd. The screen displays a wider range of colors then the Ipod
Zen: 262,144 colors in a 320x240 2.5" TFT display
iPod 65,000+ colors in a 320x240 2.5" Transflective display


3rd it supports more media types, and
Rhapsody to go service which lets you add unlimited songs from a collection of nearly 2 million difference songs from the rhapsody service,

Zen audio: MP3, WMA (inc MS PD DRM), WAV
Zen video: DivX™ 4 & 5 (if they are encoded as standard MPEG-4 Simple (SP) or Advanced Simple Profile (ASP) without GMC support), XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9, Motion-JPEG
iPod audio: AAC, Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
iPod video: H.264 video up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 480 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

The iPod supports many more media types and is far superior in this respect. Also, your claim about Rhapsody is not a plus. The service is average, nothing more, and does not represent an advantage.



I have an ipod, and i use an ipod, I dont like it, Its annoying i hate how people refer to it as though it was a seperate category, my school rule book says, "No Ipods, No Mp3 Players" WHY the hell is IPOD a word of its own?

Is this really worth pointing out? Interestingly, in the next two quotes, you try to claim one of its defects is that the iPod IS a separate category and doesn't play well with others.


To me Ipod is like Bose, Only not do they advertise, but once you buy music from Itunes you are tied to that store, you cant use that music on players other then Ipod, When you buy a song you should be able to do as you feel free with it. It should be illegal, it isn't, but I believe it'll be broken soon.

I don't think Bose ties your music to Bose only systems, does it? Maybe that's not what you meant, but it's what you wrote.

I've used the music I got from iTunes on my car radio, on my stereos and HT systems at home, and on an Archos player my GF has. I can burn it to CDs and play it in CD and DVD players. Many people who make this claim have never actually tried to do this. It's easy and doesn't take a smart person to do it.


Rhapsody is a music service that allows you access to download an unlimited amount of songs as long as your subscribed you will be able to play them and listen to them and transfer it to the creative mp3 player, and other supported players, (Not an Ipod cause they do not support WMA licensing, so they can control their market)

As I wrote above, Rhapsody is an average service, nothing special. It is compatible with Mac and Windows, but US only. It uses the proprietary and closed Microsoft DRM and only accesses 20-25% of MP3 players sold in the US today.

I have used most of the services that compete with iTunes. Except for eMusic, I think they aren't worth my time. I've downloaded hundreds of songs legally through these services and they all reside and play on my iPod, so I don't know why you think they won't.

If you like the subscription model, that's fine. I think it's a waste of money.


I do wish i found this thread earlier, I spend alot of time involving gadgets and whatever technology out there,

On a side note my music collection contains over 8,000 songs most of them mp3s that are atleast 192-320kbps only few are lower, and i have lossless in it too :P

That's a nice sized collection. Are those all songs you bought, or are some of them subscription songs that will disappear if you miss a payment? If you do miss a payment, when you reactivate your subscription, will your songs reload automatically, do you have to download them all over again, or are they still there on your player taking up space but just not playable until you pay?

QwertyAccess
09-10-2006, 06:52 PM
Yeah, probably cause it was 4pm i have a totally different mind set (-_-) (I should get more sleep). Well in any case, whatever, though as for Rhapsopdy you dont have to redownload all the songs, its just a matter of re-activation.

Hmm dont even remember writing last night, Alas my sanity must be dissolved to the lowest form when i wake up for so long.

As for an alternative for Itunes, you could try looking into Alltunes if you havent, they offer multiple types of bitrates through the store, and songs are often priced at 10-20 cents, its an interesting alternative anyway, you could choose from many different bitrates and codecs for certain songs, including lossless ape, flac, mp3, etc

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331&nav=technicalSpecifications
As far as frequency response is concerned it doesnt pale, but everyone knows specs means shit for sound anyway.

As for my music collection, it comes from many numerous differnt places, I organize it by artists usually, if subscription stopped it wouldn't effect it, (I still have a subscription since i continuously have songs i like, an add it) Its a music collection i've been building for 2-3 years.

Now I just personally hope the closed market that Apple has created opens up for competition, there is nothing worse then having companies provide us products and putting them in a closed market. It costs approximately 75-80$ parts and labor and all to manufacture an ipod. Not to mention revenue from the over a billion plus songs sold on itunes. After you make about 4 million ipods, it makes you wonder.

Now if only people didnt group ipods as a seperate category from mp3 players, *Imagines a world where the word speakers is replaced with Bose*

Titanium Dome
09-11-2006, 08:55 AM
(snip)

Now if only people didnt group ipods as a seperate category from mp3 players, *Imagines a world where the word speakers is replaced with Bose*

Thanks for the reply.

As for your last statement, you and I are 180 degrees away from each other.

*Imagine a world in which I had to say "speakers" instead of JBLs.*

JBL is a distinct category within the general topic of speakers.

Zen (or iPod) is a distinct category within the general topic of digital music players.

Titanium Dome
09-11-2006, 09:35 AM
I have an old first generation (1G) iPod that bit the dust after several years due to my GF's unfortunate dropping of the unit while the firewire cable was plugged in. This precipitated the dreaded firewire plug broken solder issue. it's basically a design flaw in which the eight or so solder connections to the motherboard break.

Since so many people talk about the iPod being impossible to repair, I put off doing anything until last night, when I decided to open her up and see what was what. Getting the iPod apart was delicate but not difficult. Like so many things electronic, one just has to avoid being a bull in a china shop and things will go well.

The iPod is like an ogre: it has layers.

rear casing (steel)
battery
hard drive
mother board
front casing (plastic)

Of course, the solder connections are on the front of the motherboard, so the entire thing has to be taken apart. After prying, unclipping, detaching, unscrewing, unsticking, and unpeeling things for a few minutes, the broken connectors were in plain sight. Unfortunately, with my aging eyes, I couldn't see them without a magnifying glass.

So began a ballet of holding a magnifying glass, squinting with one eye closed to get the focus, holding the part in place with a thermoplastic pick, holding the solder in place, and wielding the soldering iron all at the same time. The connections are tiny and closely spaced of course, so any error would result in messing up the circuits.

Then I reassembled everything, with a few "what is this?" moments, installed a new battery while I was in there, and gave it a test.

It works! :bouncy:

QwertyAccess
09-11-2006, 08:49 PM
My ipod has been through alot of abuse, through the magics of taking it apart and putting it back together is how i kept it going, First it probably dropped atleast 50 times, atleast 2-3 feet each time too, if not a bit more, (once it fell and the case just flew off). And before that it was drenched in water, (screen still has top right corner that looks like its still wet somehow) Alas it hasnt dropped since in recent months :) (yay finally learned all the ways to possibly drop it)

Offtopic though, I'm stuck with a dead 035Ti tweeter due to lack of welding skills (How the hell do you weld it if the copper wire right next to the coil is where it is cut, T_T my poor tweeter suffers just from a simple solder issue it would seem.)

Titanium Dome
01-31-2007, 11:09 AM
My ipod has been through alot of abuse, through the magics of taking it apart and putting it back together is how i kept it going, First it probably dropped atleast 50 times, atleast 2-3 feet each time too, if not a bit more, (once it fell and the case just flew off). And before that it was drenched in water, (screen still has top right corner that looks like its still wet somehow) Alas it hasnt dropped since in recent months :) (yay finally learned all the ways to possibly drop it)
(snip)

My first generation iPod is still resisting the forces of evil since its resurrection: dropping everywhere including a skid across a tiled bathroom floor into an in-use urinal, a tumble off the roof of the Sorento followed by a passover with the front tire, and immersion via a spill of iced tea. It's the L'il' Bastard of MP3 players.

Titanium Dome
01-31-2007, 11:13 AM
For those who feel that the musical quality of iPod hosted music is inadequate or even worthy of stern disapproval, wait until I get one of these:

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ikaraoke/

"I'll teach you the meaning of respect."

Titanium Dome
02-13-2007, 08:12 PM
Here's a review of the JBL Radial High Performance unit. Aside from the remote, it gets very high marks, and it puts a JBL brand in front of a whole generation of users.

http://www.ipodobserver.com/story/29500

Audiobeer
02-17-2007, 09:52 PM
I recieved a Zune for Christmas. I was dissapointed initialy because I wanted an Ipod. I honestly can't say I am missing anything. It's a great player!:D

hjames
02-18-2007, 05:03 AM
I recieved a Zune for Christmas. I was dissapointed initialy because I wanted an Ipod. I honestly can't say I am missing anything. It's a great player!:D

So - you have no first hand experience with an iPod or the iTunes software?
I've no experience with the Zune so I guess we are even there!

Can you set the encoding rate when "ripping" music from your CDs to load your player? I know the songs purchased from Apple have a default rate of 128kbps (small files = faster downloads from the web) - but I increased the rate for songs from my own CDs to 192kbps initially, then 256 and I'm currently using 320kbps. The files are larger so I can't store as many songs in the player (my pod is only 30gig), but I think the fidelity is greatly improved with the higher bitrate.

Audiobeer
02-24-2007, 10:51 PM
My daughters have the Ipod and the Dell version. I bought the Dell Version for the one Daughter 2 years ago and she dumped it for an Ipod. I wanted an Ipod and had always seen the girls by the Itunes. They had to convert thier CDs to a type of File format then they could get in on thier I pod. With my Zune, I like how easy iy is ripping right from a Cd to the Zune via the Windows software. I have never determined the file size or was asked by the software, but a typical song is measured in megs so I'm assuming there isn't any trimming of the tunes. I only mention the Zune to see if anyone else had purchased on. In my limited experience I wouldn't know which is the best.

Titanium Dome
02-25-2007, 12:56 AM
The one that's best is usually the one that fits your budget and does what you want it to do.

...at least until you see someone else's doing it better.;)

Titanium Dome
09-12-2007, 07:49 AM
My daughters have the Ipod and the Dell version. I bought the Dell Version for the one Daughter 2 years ago and she dumped it for an Ipod. I wanted an Ipod and had always seen the girls by the Itunes. They had to convert thier CDs to a type of File format then they could get in on thier I pod. With my Zune, I like how easy iy is ripping right from a Cd to the Zune via the Windows software. I have never determined the file size or was asked by the software, but a typical song is measured in megs so I'm assuming there isn't any trimming of the tunes. I only mention the Zune to see if anyone else had purchased on. In my limited experience I wouldn't know which is the best.

The default Zune ripping rate is 128 Kbps in Windows Media Audio. If you buy from the Zune Marketplace, this DRMed format can only be played on the Zune, not on any other player, including Microsoft's "Plays For Sure" partners and the iPod.

Microsoft recently lowered the price of the Zune in light of virtually nonexistent sales and the new, lower-priced iPod line up. Someone could get a deal on the 30 GB Zune if they didn't mind a now three-year-old design (or was the original Toshiba unit out more than three years ago?).

Fred Sanford
09-12-2007, 07:59 AM
I'm still doing my best to kill a Rio Nitrus that my wife bought years ago, but has never used. 1.5 GB, tiny display, but I really can't complain, 'cause it's also a tiny player and it always works. $300 in 2003 or so.

je

Titanium Dome
09-12-2007, 08:55 AM
Poor RIO really was the tip of the spear on this MP3 thing, putting out the first real player and getting hit with a lawsuit from the RIAA. Then the dot.com crash, bankruptcy, acquisition, the hard drive malfunction disaster...whew!

But some of the earlier models were nearly bullet proof, as you've discovered. :bouncy:

Audiobeer
10-24-2007, 08:56 PM
So - you have no first hand experience with an iPod or the iTunes software?
I've no experience with the Zune so I guess we are even there!

Can you set the encoding rate when "ripping" music from your CDs to load your player? I know the songs purchased from Apple have a default rate of 128kbps (small files = faster downloads from the web) - but I increased the rate for songs from my own CDs to 192kbps initially, then 256 and I'm currently using 320kbps. The files are larger so I can't store as many songs in the player (my pod is only 30gig), but I think the fidelity is greatly improved with the higher bitrate.

I've had experience with all 3. I like the Zune but the battery time is way to low, even with the screen set to shortest time. I have found that the library through Zune is as not large as I would like it to be but burning from the laptop is a lot easier. If I had it all to do over if the Zune Radio had good reception I would have been happy.....It sucks however, and I would have gone with the Ipod.

Titanium Dome
02-05-2008, 11:48 AM
http://ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/idesign-the-art-of-jbls-ipod-speakers/

Fred Sanford
02-05-2008, 12:07 PM
http://ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/idesign-the-art-of-jbls-ipod-speakers/

Hey, Ti, where ya been? I was worried about you. Had nobody to talk to about Ian Gillan. Nobody to critique me on the density of my studio.

Seriously, hope all is well, good to see you post.

je

Titanium Dome
05-27-2008, 12:13 PM
These guys take iPod products seriously. Even I didn't know JBL had three models of its flying saucer, the On Stage III.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/jbl-on-stage-iiip/

SEAWOLF97
06-02-2008, 04:39 PM
These guys take iPod products seriously.

Me too....Oh man am I gonna be a hit at the beach with BIG tunes this summer !!!

Audiobeer
09-20-2009, 02:04 PM
The one that's best is usually the one that fits your budget and does what you want it to do.

...at least until you see someone else's doing it better.;)

Your right TD. I was using both the Zune 30G and the Ipod. Then I just got the Zune HD. I love listening to HD radio without commercials. In my area KSHE (93.7) is unbelievable. If you hear a song you like you just put it in the cart for download later. I'm sure Ipod will be coming out with that soon.

SEAWOLF97
09-13-2010, 06:16 PM
.
.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/the-unofficial-guide-to-installing-itunes-10-without-bloatware/2390

I tried some of the above linked tips yesterday , found out I didnt need Bonjour service, removed it and gained some overall speed.

BMWCCA
09-13-2010, 06:53 PM
In my area KSHE (93.7) is unbelievable. Now that, my friend, is a real "blast from the past" for me! Haven't heard those call letters in over 45 years.

BMWCCA
02-12-2023, 04:37 PM
Hi titanium,i was talking about the brand new slim thing:D ,i would be glad to replace battery at this price but can't even find a hole for screwdriver,anyway i'll make a search see if there's any available on the net,that would save me from throwing it away(to you):nanana: .
I'm kidding Titan,thx for the useful info,regards .

Thread revival:

I have the last generation iPod Classic (Gen7) and the battery goes dead when plugged in to my USB in the car when the car is turned off, and the car won't recognize the dead iPod to start it and charge it. When Apple discontinued the iPod I went out the next day (September 2014) and bought the only two new ones I could find in my area. Still have them, in their original sealed boxes. But I figured I'd try to replace the battery in my old one before messing with my backups. So I ordered a battery and tools ($10) and some more tools ($7) just in case.

Today, rainy and cold, I thought I'd give it a try. Watched probably eight YouTube videos and saw many different methods. Each one cautioned that it was not for the faint at heart. I polished up my small putty knives, and tried to crack the case with the tools that came with the battery. The tool for popping the clips broke in two on the first attempt. The other set only had one "splitter" but six "guitar picks" and other tools. Long story short, I got it open. Actually bending the case on one side (Left) seems to be the only way in. The clips you're supposed to be "releasing" are seemingly impossible to release and prying will just bend them out of the way, allowing the case to come apart. So I pried the side open enough to get a 2-inch thin putty knife in there and used it to bend the case back enough that after about a half-hour of bending, wedging, shining a flashlight inside, it finally separated. You then have to bend the clips back so they'll hold the case together, dead-blow the case back into shape, pry out the old battery without damaging the ribbon connector that runs under it or the headphone connector, or the ribbon to the hard-drive. It's stuck in with sticky tape underneath it. Bend the ribbon on the new battery to an angle that lets you get it back into the circuit board connector, snap the lock back on it, and snap the case back to the front. I managed the repair without any visible damage, which apparently is some feat—at least according to the Internet chats.

The sad thing is now that I've have it apart and see how the clips work, I'm not sure I learned anything useful for the next time I have to do it. Probably easier on one that has already been breached, but other than knowing the location of the clips now, I think the case still has to be sprung to get it off. The original iPods with the plastic front are much easier to snap on and off. These last-Gen versions are certainly not!

But, all is well and working. I even plugged it into my harmon/kardon iPod "boom box" Go+Play designed by JBL which I used while we were building the house. Pretty incredible sound quality for what it is:


Advanced Technology
To deliver unmatched high-performance sound, the system features a number of proprietary technologies, including dual-proprietary Ridge transducers. They're made from aluminum, which is inherently strong yet lightweight. This design allows these drivers to reproduce sound with unparalleled accuracy and detail for their size, and means that your music will be played back with a rich midrange and crystal-clear highs, without distortion.

The new Go + Play delivers an incredible sound experience from most dockable iPod models, MP3 players, or other audio devices, regardless of where you happen to be. View larger.

To deliver thunderous bass, the Go + Play uses dual Atlas woofers, which maximize audible output. The Atlas woofers are a high-excursion design, which allows them to deliver the bass response of much larger woofers, and means you'll hear tight, deep bass that will make your music sound more dynamic.

Powering the speakers are two 30-watt Harman Kardon amplifiers, which are designed to deliver high output with minimal distortion. The system even uses highly advanced digital signal processing and equalization to deliver cool, efficient power. All of that technology comes together in the Harman Kardon Go + Play system to provide a sound experience--whether on the go or in your personal entertainment space--you need to hear to believe.
So, all's well with the ipod. And you can still send T-dome all your old Gen iPods, but send me the newer stuff—before chucking them in the trash!

Thanks

DerekTheGreat
02-13-2023, 07:46 AM
Glad I've never attempted to crack either of my last gen 160gb iPods apart. One has needed a replacement headphone jack for years but I still use it via the Apple connector for the car and such. Batteries are still OK on both.

If I could find a music player that is compatible with my iTunes library and also allows me to bitstream to a DAC, that would be awesome. I don't think such a device exists though.