IPod Photo: Poor Sound Quality - Updates

Question

As most of us who have bought the iPod Photo already know, the sound quality IS FLAWED. The distorsion (or background crackling) of high frequency/high output sound (such as piano, high output electric guitar & some deep bass output - however the vocals seem to be fine) is there and something needs to be done about it. Some good examples of where this kind of problem occurs, from what I have found are: Radiohead (most of the OK Computer album), The Hives (the iPod Photo cannot seem to cope with their loud distorted guitar style & very high output), and Incubus (a lot of Morning View). Some people who are still using the tinny, lacklustre stock earbuds, or just don't listen to their music carefully enough, or listen niavely, may still not recognise this.
I refuse to let this issue drop, as I have spent good money on what should be, a technically flawless sound player. I do like this player though (mine is 60GB). The features are good, the photo element is excellent, the 60GB storage is unrivalled, but the main function of the player, to play music, is not good for this one issue. It is so disappointing considering Apple have obviously overlooked this issue (or simply let it slip by thinking nobody would notice), for what is otherwise an excellent piece of equipment.
I record all my music on iTunes, using the MP3 encoder. Some people think the MP3 encoder in iTunes is poor, but it is as good as most. It is all ripped at 224kbps VBR. I use Shure E2c earphones, which are also excellent, and by far the best value for money if you're looking for a warm tone & deep bass in your sound. The step up in price to the Shure E3c might be worth it if you prefer a more detailed, but possibly colder sound.
All that considered, there is absolutely no reason why the sound should be poor on my iPod Photo (when it is fine on the iPod Mini, and using Audio software on my PC), apart from there being a hardware/software glitch. There simply must be. Either that, or something in the sound has been compromised to accomodate the photo elements or colour screen.
I have sent an e-mail to Apple regarding all this, and will hopefully hear from them soon about what is going to be done to resolve this. I will keep this post updated as and when I hear news from them. I also have a case number in motion with their customer services department, and they cannot ignore this anymore.
Something must be done! Redeem yourselves, Apple!

Answer 1

yes i know what distortion and clipping are - i don't hear them.
anyway perhaps this website:
http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?article.133
has a solution that will work for you, it's at least worth a try.
here's a sample:
"All mp3 files have a default volume tag of around 95 to 105dB (decibels - a unit of loudness). When the iPod plays at this output volume, distortion does not occur. When you boost the iPod's bass however, with the equalizer, you are increasing the volume of the lower frequencies past this value (in order to make them more prominent amongst the other frequencies of the sound), and this, in turn, causes clipping and distortion. Basically, the iPod's amp is trying to output a volume that is greater than its inbuilt volume limit - so it serves crackling. By using MP3Gain to reduce the volume tag of your mp3 files to around 89dB, we can leave some headroom to further boost some frequencies without overdriving the iPod's amplifier."
"For example: if you boost the 60Hz frequency (low bass) by around 10dB, the iPod will output that frequency at 99dB (89 + 10). At 99dB, distortion does not occur. If you boost a song playing at 105dB by 10dB, however, we get a total of 115dB which, no doubt, has passed the threshold of distortion. From experience, 105dB is about the limit; we need to reduce the volume tag value of our mp3's significantly below 105dB to avoid distortion. 89dB is the value recommended by MP3Gain developers, and I concur, as this value has eliminated all distortion on my iPod that used to result from boosting frequencies via equalizer presets."
the other "fix" that comes up time and time again involves using higher impedance headphones. I think the basic idea is to go no lower than the stock buds, stick to 32ohm+. a lot of people report problems with 16-25ohm 'phones.
Along the same lines; you could use a pocket-dock (to get line-out) and a 3rd party amp, then use the headphones of your choice...