Ipod sound quality in hi-fi

hey.
my friend is thinking to buy a new IPOD, and one of his major considerations is the sound quality while connecting the IPOD to a top-class hi-fi stereo.
can anyone help from his experience?
thanks!

From my experience the quality of my music is improving with the system I'm playing it on.
I have my music on my G4 and played through JBL Creature speakers and the quality and the things I hear is way beyond what I've heard my music when put through hi-fi's and other 'mini' systems.
As the AAC codec gets updated and improved I re-import all my music and as I purchase better speakers the quality keeps going up and up. If I really wanted the music to sound good I would get a top quality amp and speakers and hook them up, but I ain't got the space and to be honest the quality is already good at present, can't wait to get my Soundsticks II as an upgrade to my creatures. I'm sure I'll be noticing more and more detail I never noticed before.
At some point though the quality of the system and the difference the human ear can perceive will be virtually none existent so as long as the user can hear the music in as good a detail as they are happy with then there really isn't a need to purchase amazing pieces of kit.

Similar Messages

Poor iPhone4 (iPod) sound quality

I have an iPhone4 (iOS-4.3.4 | 32GB) that is only 1 month old and I'm finding that the phone's iPod sound quality basically stinks. It's extremely tin can quality even Vs my iPod. My cheap earbuds that came with the iPod sound 1000% better than my $400 Monster earbuds.
I know that unlike the iPod you can download your music on the iPhone at about any data size, but went with the lower to keep the size of the music library smaller. But, did that kill the sound quality or is there some problem with the iPhone4 and the way it operates, especially on the iPod?
The same music sounds fine on the iPod, but when played on the iPhone4 the quality is so bad that it hurts my ears. It's like I'm listening to music between two tin cans attached by sting.
Is there a way around this or is this just simply a problem with the iPhone4?
It's amazing that my tiny iPodnano can produce better sound than the iPhone4 even with the same headphones or earbuds.
Thanks for any hints...
Mike

I have not tried it with the phone on, it's always been in the airplane mode when I listen to the music. So with airplane mode the 3G and Wi-Fi are off. Not sure what BT is.
Odd thing is that podcasts, tv shows and films all are okay ... I don't hear any real difference. It's only with the music. Know that when I downloaded my music from both the MBP and MBA I used the lower bit rate, but would not think that should make a difference. Since the iPodnano is loaded at the same bit rate as well.
There are previous posts here in Discussions that seem to show there is a problem with the iPod on the iPhone4. But, most of those were posted in the last year with nothing recent. So if it was an iPhone4 firmware issue I thought maybe it had been resolved over time. Now I'm wondering.
I did just to the latest update this week on the iPhone4, maybe that's what did it?

Ipod sound quality dropped

hay,my ipods sound quality has dropped with the earpods and I even use the earpod with other devices and the quality is perfect but still having the problem with my ipod.any suggestions?

Go and see if your EQ acidently got changed. Or the format of your songs.

Poor iPod sound quality

I have a third generation 15GB iPod and have never been impressed with the sound quality. I've tried all variations of the EQ and have replaced the iPod earbuds and rip most of my music at 168kb mp3 formats. I'm sure the quality is subpar after listening to a friend's Samsung mp3 player with my own headphones and hearing a big difference. Is there anything I can do to remedy my iPod's sound? Would restoring the factory settings and reloading the music help? I've got all the latest iPod software, according to iTunes.

I have not tried it with the phone on, it's always been in the airplane mode when I listen to the music. So with airplane mode the 3G and Wi-Fi are off. Not sure what BT is.
Odd thing is that podcasts, tv shows and films all are okay ... I don't hear any real difference. It's only with the music. Know that when I downloaded my music from both the MBP and MBA I used the lower bit rate, but would not think that should make a difference. Since the iPodnano is loaded at the same bit rate as well.
There are previous posts here in Discussions that seem to show there is a problem with the iPod on the iPhone4. But, most of those were posted in the last year with nothing recent. So if it was an iPhone4 firmware issue I thought maybe it had been resolved over time. Now I'm wondering.
I did just to the latest update this week on the iPhone4, maybe that's what did it?

Ipod sound quality worse than iTunes

I'm not too knowledgable in this area so this may be an obvious answer to some. Though my ipod doesn't seem defective, I've noticed that sound quality seems to decrease (compared to listening to songs on iTunes with the same headphones). Is this decrease in quality, which is not huge but still noticeable, an expected occurence?

perhaps try working through the possibilities from the following document:
iTunes and QuickTime for Windows: Songs and other audio don't play correctly

IPod sound quality

Does music converted to AAC format sound as good as CDs? because if they do, I'm going to start buying digital albums. Thanks for the help.

That really depends on who you ask. In *theory* compressed files like AAC and MP3 will never sound as good as the original CD. AAC are supposed to sound somewhat better than MP3s at the same bit rate (e.g. a 128-kbps AAC is supposed to sound as good as a 160-kbps MP3 or better). Of course the way to check is simply import one of your favorite CDs as AAC file format and then compare that file to the original.
Patrick

Has Apple addressed poor sound quality issues with new 160GB iPod classic?

I just bought a new 160GB iPod classic, replacing a perfectly good 80GB iPod Video (5.5), thinking that the newer one would be superior to my 3 year old model. I discovered that the sound of the new unit was flat and muddy compared to the older model. I found that the 5th gen iPod video was more "spacial", if that's an appropriate word to use; the bass was more present and more clearly defined, as was the rest of the sonic spectrum. I searched several forums to research this issue and while there were numerous references to this issue, all of the posts I found referred to the original iPod classics (80GB and 160GB) and not the later 120GB classics nor the new 160GB classics like the one I bought. Has Apple done anything to address this issue since the first classics were released or are the new ones still suffering from the same sound quality issues as the original classics?

Based on your observations here, they apparently have not changed the sound quality since the original 160GB classic. I noticed a clear narrowing of the sound stage (ambiance) between the 5.5G 80Gb and my 6G 160GB. You're describing the same characteristic. I don't own the newest 160GB version and came here today to see if it might have improved the sound quality back to the 5.5 spaciousness. Note that the 5.5G has a higher signal to noise ratio than the 6G, making it difficult for me to enjoy it through efficient balanced armature in ear monitors like the Shure SE530s or Ulimate Ears Triple.Fi 10s.

Ipod second Generation sound quality problem.

Hello there,
i´ve been using my nano for 1 year without any problems, with the first version (i think 1.1.3) that came with the equipment.
The sound quality was great until i update it to the last FW. The sound quality is terrible. Very very bad.
Please, how can i reinstall the old version of the FW?
many thanks to anyone
Nuno

I'm having the same problem. If you find a solution please let me know. Ever since I installed the last update my nano sound quality is awful when I try to play it in my car via my iPod connector or use headphones.

New Ipod Touch 5g, poor sound quality?

Hi,
I recently got given a silver ipod touch for christmas, after having had a 5G nano ipod for a few years. i had always had no problem with sound quality with that ipod. However, I have noticed that even with my Bose headphones and on my Bose dock, certain songs heavy in bass (seems to be a lot of hip hop), such as my Jay-Z and Drake albums, the bass is very bad and fuzzy and messy. It sounds terrible. I have listened to the very same songs through my Macbook Pro through headphones and there is no problem. All my music is from itunes/amazonmp3/CDs so I don't understand whether my ipod is faulty or whether this is just how the new Ipod Touch is? If so I am returning it pronto! I need my bass!

Try:
- Reset the iPod. Nothing will be lost
Reset iPod touch: Hold down the On/Off button and the Home button at the same time for at
least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
- Power off and then back on the router
- Reset network settings: Settings>GeneralReset>Reset Network Settings
- iOS: Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections
- iOS: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points
- Restore from backup
- Restore to factory settings/new iPod.
- Make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar

Rebuilding library after hard drive crash AND sound quality of iPod files?

Hi all,
I had a hard drive crash and hadn't done a back-up in awhile. My iPod was up-to-date though. I used third-party software to grab the music off the iPod. So now I a good portion of my library back up to another hard drive AND the entire library pulled off my iPod. Should I just direct iTunes to the files I pulled off the iPod or direct it to the backup and add the missing files from my iPod files? Clear as mud?
Also what will be the sound quality of the files I pulled from the iPod?

If you copied the files from the iPod to a folder on your computer then open iTunes and go to File>Add Folder to library and add the songs back into iTunes (or simply drag the folder from it's location to the iTunes Source pane, - the long pane on the left. They should sound fine since they are simply copies of the originals. Before you add them check your iTunes preferences, go to Edit>Preferences>Advanced and make sure the boc "Copt files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" is checked.

IPod w/Cassette Adapter-How to Optimize Sound Quality?

I have I believe a G2 iPod (15 GB), and I play it in my car using a cassette adapter. I've found that to keep the sound from degrading at above average volumes, I have to make some adjustments. One, I have to set the EQ to 'Bass Reducer'. Two, I have to make sure the volume on the iPod is at about 80%. If I go above that, the sound distorts. The lower you go below that, the more hissing you get w/ the playback. I also turn the 'Sound Check' setting on.
Any other recommendations on how to optimize the sound quality when playing it through your vehicle sound system? Also, I'm thinking about getting a G5 unit (most likely the 4 GB Nano). Anyone have any feedback on whether I can expect better sound quality, in particular in my vehicle with the setup outlined above, by upgrading to the newer unit?

Various Methods to Connect to a Car Stereo System, or Listen to Your iPod in the Vehicle
Best:
Direct connection via the dock connector or headphone jack of your iPod, to the mini-jack input (or AUX RCA input jacks) of your car stereo. Not many low/moderate-end cars have this feature yet, but it is becoming more popular. Some aftermarket auto stereo units may have this feature.
There are also some after-market, moderate to fairly expensive direct interfaces, that hook into your existing car stereo to provide a high-quality, direct connection. Most will also power/charge the iPod. Pretty slick, but can be pricey ($80-$300). If money is no object, a clean way to go. Not very portable from car to car – if at all.
http://logjamelectronics.com/ipodproducts.html
http://www.myradiostore.us/auxadapters/blitzsafe/blitzsafe-m-link-ipod-interface .html
http://www.theistore.com/ipod2car.html
http://www.mp3yourcar.com/
Better:
Connect your iPod to a cassette adaptor and play your tunes through your car's cassette player. Some new cars no longer come with a cassette player, so it may not be an option. It will provide even better audio quality if you can run the audio feed out of the dock connector (see the SendStation link below). Can be portable between cars that have a cassette player and also be used in your home cassette system. $5 to $20 for the adaptors, with large variations in quality (even with the same model).
Good:
Attach an FM transmitter to your iPod and play the tunes through an unused FM station. Convenient, but wireless FM transmitter signals are susceptible to static and outside interference, and can vary in strength and quality depending on your location. Some noticeable degradation and distortion, depending on the quality of the transmitter, the sensitivity of your ears and the airwave congestion in your area. Highly portable between cars, and may be used in a home system. FM transmitters that need to be plugged into a DC auto jack may not work in a home environment (without some sort of adaptor). You can pay from $15 to more than $80 for some of these.....but for FM quality audio, how much is too much?
Marginal:
Attach an external speaker system to the iPod and play it in the car. Workable, but not too good - unless you spring for a $300+ Bose (or similar) system. But why? Only if your vehicle has no Stereo system, perhaps.
Brave Techno-Geek:
This site gives some directions on adapting a car stereo by yourself. Risky, but it has been successfully accomplished by a forum member. Fairly inexpensive....unless you screw it up.
Whichever you choose, power the iPod through your car’s DC power -- either from a power adapter, or as part of the combined audio adaptor. Have a method to secure the iPod to the dash/console/etc. See the reviews for all the various accessories at the iLounge
You will also get better audio output if the dock connection plug is used, rather than the headphone jack. See Sendstation for a novel adaptor called a PocketDock. Others types are also available via this site.
I have read positive and negative reviews of each method, and within methods there are great variations in performance of different manufacture's systems – and peoples’ opinions of their performance. Some cassette adaptors/FM transmitters work poorly, some better.
FWIW: I have the iTrip Mini & the Newer Technology RoadTrip!+ FM transmitters, a Belkin cassette adaptor (used both with & w/out the PocketDock) and two vehicles with the BlitzSafe direct interface. Using the same song in the same car, I found that the FM transmitters worked, but not as good as the cassette adapter via the headphone jack. Using the PocketDock on the cassette adapter resulted in a significant audio quality improvement. As expected, the Blitzsafe direct connect was exceptionally better than everything else: less tinny, a more warmer/richer sound, and close to true CD quality.

Which ipod I should buy? - sound quality

I have bought ipod photo to replace my ipod 3G 15GB, i feel disappointed about ipod photo. It seems that it is quieter than my old ipod, and if I turn the volume to be louder, the sound seems distorted. Also, the detail of music sounds worse than before too.
So I am looking for ipod mini or ipod shuffle. I only consider sound quality, which one should I buy?
Espeically those with one or more ipod, please come to share your point of view. I know different ipod sounds a little bit different. So I wanna know how do they differ?

Well Ipod Mini And Ipod Shuffle have the same apple earphones but if your looking for a better device go with mini.. this is goanna cost you more but the shuffle is cheaper and it also has great sound but i suggest the mini it has a screen and holds more songs

How can I improve the sound quality of my new iPod?

Hey there,
I just received my new iPod with my new MacBook Pro computer.
I have read every bit of documentation i received plus I have scoured resources here on the forum, but I am baffled.
I just synced my iPod for the first time to my Macbook, iTunes,
With the supplied earbuds (from the iPod), the sound is not very good at all. In fact, it the sound of each song seems to break up quite a bit, and the clarity is not very good.
As an experiment, I plugged the earbuds directly into my MacBook using the same songs, same quality, etc, and the MacBook sounds decidedly better.
What can I do to improve the tonal quality that is so lacking in my iPod compared to the same recordings on my computer?
Any tips? Tricks?
Thanks for your input.
Joel
www.readyacoustics.com

Ok Joel, I think I have the answer for you.
First, the iPod sound. The 5th Gen iPod is a good sounding unit. It has been designed to have a flat, neutral - uncoloured - sound, which is a good thing.
There should not be that much of a difference in sound quality between the iPod and the MacBok Pro. Are you sure that all settings are equal on both units? For instance, make sure that the eq is flat on both units, and same goes for the output level. For the same material being played, the louder one will be perceived as sounding better.
There are ways to improve dramatically the sound you hear from your iPod: (a) better headphones (b) a mini, portable headphone amp.
(a) better headphones: For a good roundup, check out these two sites:
http://store.earphonesolutions.com/shureearphones.html
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=2
I would say that the new Shure E500 (around US$450) would be on top of my list, price not being an issue. It seems like they're good no matter what you're listening to. All others seem to sound good on, say, classical/acoustic, but are way too flat - read boring - for modern music, such as techno or house, or R&B. The brand "Etymoyics" fall into this category, for example. But then again, some people would disagree, so read as much as you can on one of the forums I mentioned above, Headfi - really good.
(b) mini headphone amp: These are very small and portable, and people who have bought them swear by them. Check out Headfi again, this time on their amp forum:
http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=3
Think about spending about around $500 for a great little portable amp. They're made by enthusists, small-scale companies. Real jewels, some of them, and I mean jewel in terms of quality, not just looks.
Anyway, this should get you started...Good luck.
A.

New iPod Touch Sound Quality

I am really interested in comparisons of sound quality between the various generations of iPod.
Unquestionably, compression method and headphones play a critical factor, but taking these aside, I would be interested in people’s comments on particularly the 2nd Generation iPod Touch, and if anybody is aware of any technical analysis to compliment their listening views.
Has the sound quality changed over this last year with new software releases for the iPod touch in general?
I am aware of Mark Heijliger’s excellent analysis up to the 6G iPod at http://homepage.mac.com/marc.heijlig...surements.html, and was wondering if anybody was aware of a similar analysis for the iPod Touchs.
Finally (sorry!), with the new 120GB iPod Classic, does this have the same Cirrus Logic audio codec chip as the older 80GB and 160GB versions. I.e. can I presume that the sound quality (which has been questioned by a number of posters on this forum) is going to be the same?

Well I don't have time to experiment in detail with and document technical analyses about the device but I will say that I did briefly compare it to the 2nd generation Nano as well as my home stereo using the same files (a couple of 256kbit AAC files ripped by myself in iTunes 8; one rock and one hip hop) several times and I enjoyed the resulting similarity throughout the various sources.
I'm quite content with the sound quality coming from this device... and I'm pretty anal about these things generally.

IPod classic sound quality issues

Hi guys,
I understand probably it's too much early to discuss this topic but anyway I try to ask.
In order to the release of the new model (yesterday's event in USA)of the classic, anybody has any news about the sound quality complaints arised in the previous months?
I mean, anybody knows if the quality sound problems, due to the change of the sound micro-chip, have been solved in the new modelMany thanks in advance for the help.

Excellent question, the answer to which I eagerly await. If the sound quality improves, I might purchase a 120GB, otherwise, there are now alternatives by competitors with 120GB capacity, similar form factors, built in FM radio, subscription music services, and wireless sync of the music library for the same price as Apple's 120GB. They don't have the sound stage issue as the 160GB Classic. There is even a 240GB model being offered by a competitor.
Too bad Apple didn't release a 240GB Ipod classic. Toshiba, Apple's hard drive manufacturer, announced a 240GB 1.8" drive on 9/9, coincident with the Apple Ipod announcements. I have a large and growing library of classical recordings as I explore the classical catalog, as well as many Podcasts. I could really use the space! I've input this request on Apple's Ipod feedback page and suggest that any like minded customers do the same.

Ipod sound quality in hi-fi

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