The iPod Classic - how do you use yours?

Hi folks,

The Apple-reviving iPod is 12 years old and despite speculation that it would be discontinued from September, is still very much part of the Apple line-up. I guess Tim Cook and his team realise there are still iPod diehards around, and despite falling numbers, it remains a profitable product. There are six generations of iPod (the Classic in current guise).

I bought my first one in 2007, a fifth generation unit, 80GB version - the desktop computer it syncs with via iTunes is long gone, and it crashed on me just once. I use it plugged into my car audio these days.

Along the way, I also tried it with various docks - including the transport dock from Wadia - but never had the patience to build on it.

Earlier this year, I got the Classic, 160GB version, and have been gradually filling it up. I'm trying to see if I can build a decent hi-fi system around it, using it just as part of a transport system.

1. Audiolab iQ dock - Recent product, one of the rare ones like the older Wadia that outputs only the iPod's digital signal. One can pick a DAC of choice. I've yet to settle on a DAC because ...

2. ... this came my way now - HRT iStreamer, which extracts only the digital signal and converts it via the asynchronous DAC - the limitation is that it does 16/48 tops. Still, it sounds very promising plugged into my main system, via a decent set of RCA cables.

Would appreciate if anyone has any iPod experiences to share, in the context of fitting it into their hi-fi system.

bassraptor wrote:
Would appreciate if anyone has any iPod experiences to share, in the context of fitting it into their hi-fi system.

Hi there! I use Ipod touch docked on Onkyo NDS1 to listen to oldies where it sounded pretty good. Never really attempted for perfection as the music in Ipod  is of low rez.

Regards.

The music on my older iPod is all mp3... on the newer Classic, I've taken the trouble of ripping in WAV format.

I once did an A/B rip on a friend's iPod - same track in WAV and Apple Lossless. He listened a few times and said he couldn't hear the difference ....

Me too. IMHO, the default setting of the IPod file format is good enough but same files via DAC is another story. For musical enjoyment I am okay with iPod sound.

BR,

I used to connect via Wadia dock connected to an upsampling DAC. It does give more excitement compared to direct RCA hook up from ipod to an amp.

The only problem for me was that I had to get myself up from the sofa each time I need to choose a song.

So now, i connect to the MF CLiC which you can use the remote to browse the iPod content.

MP3 is still ok as long as its not the lower spec ones... I rip to 48kHz 320 mbps and sounds superb.

I hear generation 5-5.5 of the iPod was the best sonically, as they used Wolfson DAC chips. Apple allegedly used a cheaper DAC for the current six-gen model .... however, since I use mine as transport only, that's academic ....

U r correct in that one BR. Older generation ipod comes with a better DAC and output level. Comparing between my iPod video (bought in 2005) and iPod Touch(bought in 2009) and even iPhone, I prefer the sound from the 2005 model may it be connected to my hifi or using it with headphones.

I agree.
I have an iPod mini and iPod Classic.. older model sounded 'better'...

Time to start a hunt for used ones, then...? Lol... let's corner the market!

BR,

For used ones... Only advisable if you are going to permanently dock it and not for portable use... Reason being is that the built in battery might not be rechargeable anymore...

I have the 60 GB and 30 GB iPod video from 2005. Both can only be run when connected to a power source/dock. Take it off and the unit just dies off.

Yes, that's a good point.

theres a terrific variety of different ages of Ipods and the sonics do vary quite a lot.

If one wanted to go down this path, what should one rip their music into? Flac? or just mp3 at 360 thinggumies? And how do you rip your cd's... with the normal programs that come with windows and apple, or do you download a speciality program? 

For some reason i find listening to ripped music (and even hd downloads) very difficult to listen to thro my big rig. headphones are quite satisfactory, but not my big rig.

The audio gurus say wav is the way to go. My old iPod is all mp3. My new one, all wav. See my post earlier about wav vs Lossless. I also rip via dbamp at uncompressed flac for my Linn Majik DS. As I don't possess "magic" ears", sounds pretty good mostly for hifi listening. High end listening may be a different matter, though...  

bal wrote:If one wanted to go down this path, what should one rip their music into? Flac? or just mp3 at 360 thinggumies? And how do you rip your cd's... with the normal programs that come with windows and apple, or do you download a speciality program? 

For some reason i find listening to ripped music (and even hd downloads) very difficult to listen to thro my big rig. headphones are quite satisfactory, but not my big rig.

Are you implying that ripped files/hd downloads sound too "digital" ?

WAV is usually accepted as the best rip on iTunes. But once played on iPod (direct without external DAC) my untrained ears cannot differentiate between WAV, ALAC or high quality MP3 48kHz 320 kbps.

U will need a special app to play FLAC on iPod... not sure the older iPod can support this or not.

As for the iPod not performing in a big system, that I agree if it is connected directly via RCA...but given a decent dock that allows raw file to be extracted and fed into a decent DAC, it can easily match a decent CDP.

Kamfei, no...., it's not the digititis. In MY SET up, in MY room, I find that the soundstage suffers, gets smaller and shorter, not as high. Some thing seems amiss, but i'm not sure what.

Sounds great with my headphones though (stax). Can't really understand why.

BR... you don't possess 'magic ears' eh? .....Hmmmmm:lol!:

I have actually ripped most of my cd's (1k plus cd's... took nearly forever to do) into WAV using db. Slow as hell with my internet. Thank God most of it is done.
 
And i'm cheating.... I don't use an ipod, I use my Mac (same same family... ) with a program called decibel. Decibel takes the digital bits directly from the mac and so you can use an external dac, which I do. Still sounds 'not the same' as the actual cd with my CEC transport.
 
Anyway, I have decided that I really like touching and 'fondling' the paper work that comes with it.  
 
So it will be sometime yet before I really get serious about computer and I pod systems.

I recently took delivery of a Denon RCD N-8... most music listening I've done over a weekend! Using iPod as well. Go on, find out what it is ... lol

Bal: I've never ever claimed to have "magic ears!" I just know what I like... 

Hi Bal,

But of course....using Mac is a different ball game all together as you are going into CAS.... eventhough...it is the same file that is on your Mac and the one transferred onto the iPod.

If you do connect the Mac to a DAC and compare it with the CEC transport, it should sound different. If not, thats the end of our joyful journey of getting more updated DACs  

And of course....your Stax is one great pair of cans...

bassraptor wrote:I recently took delivery of a Denon RCD N-8... most music listening I've done over a weekend! Using iPod as well. Go on, find out what it is ... lol

Bal: I've never ever claimed to have "magic ears!" I just know what I like... 

Hi,
Thank you! I think you just rekindled my interest in the Ipod (the last one I had got stolen a few years back). Makes perfect sense for the car. On WAV it's better than having to swap CDs every now and then. These days there are fantastic earphones so mobility is a definite plus.
As for the home, vinyl still rules!