Nano 6G vs Shuffle 4G sound quality

Hi all,
I have recent purchased a 4G shuffle for use at the gym and have noticed that the sound quality is pretty poor when compared to listening to the same material on my iPhone 4G.
As stated, I am using the same material at the same bit rate. I also realise that you are not going to get the same quality from a £40 product as you would from a product costing £430.
My question is, would switching to a 6G Nano provide any noticable improvement in sound quality over the Shuffle or would I just be paying for the additional features / better interface?
Many thanks in advance for your help. It would be much appreciated.
Matt

Clearly not a crowd pleaser! Anyway, I found a Nano 6G on EBay for £63 so I figured that it was worth a punt and bought it.

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Sound quality of the various generations of iPods

Hi, I wondered if anyone has any opinions about the overall sound quality of the various generations of iPods.
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I can only speak for myself, I have not used 1st, 2nd,6th Generation and new Nano of iPods, but the differential of sound quality among 3rdG, mini and Nano are not noticeable. I read an article in Hong Kong (I may no agree with), indicating that iPod Shuffle's sound quality is not as good as other iPod models, but iPod Shuffle's sound qualtiy is still above other MP3 players.
Having said that, believe your ears.

IPod Shuffle vs Nano sound quality

Hello.
I'm planning on buying the new iPod Shuffle. Is the sound quality the same as the latest iPod Nano?
~Matt

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6th gen Nano: Sound quality and updates?

So I'm looking at possibly getting a 6G nano, couple questions. How is the sound quality? I recently bought a pair of $75 headphones and was very pleased with the them listening on my ipod touch 2nd gen, not so much on my 2nd gen shuffle. Can anyone compare the sound quality of the 6th gen nano to the 2nd gen ipod touch, or even the 2nd gen shuffle?
One feature that may keep me from buying this is the fact that it automatically sleeps after 60 seconds and there is no way to change this. So you have to wake the thing after every 60 seconds, which would be very annoying, especially if you are on a bike. Can/will apple do an update via itunes to add the ability to change these settings? For example the ipod touch has options to sleep after 1,2,3,4,5 minutes and never sleep. Thanks.

I think the sound is really good for such a small device. I don't notice much of a difference between the 6g nano and my 2nd gen touch. I do use better headphones. For exercise I use some sennheisers and also have a $200 pair of Dr Dre monster head phones that sound great! I do have the soundcheck turned on to even out volume levels between tracks.
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Shuffle 2nd Gen won't connect, awful sound quality,

Hi
I just tried to connect my ipod to my pc, the light flashed for three times, then it stopped. it was still charging, since it was getting hot, but it didn't show up in itunes or windows taskbar. I tried with different PCs and USB ports.
i tried to listen to it after that, but the sound quality became awful, like an FM station 200 miles away in a hilly area, and I can only listen to the right earphone, the left one was mute.
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Thanks

If you have other Apple devices, connect ONLY the shuffle, with iTunes running.
If it's the only Apple device connected, and the shuffle is really not being recognized by iTunes, the heading DEVICES should not be in the iTunes sidebar at all (since iTunes sees no devices connected). If you DO see DEVICES in the sidebar (with nothing listed below), the list of devices may be hidden. When you move your mouse pointer over DEVICES in the sidebar, you should see a Show or Hide "toggle" to the right. If that says Show, click it to show the list of devices.
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Poor sound quality with 7g Nano through docking speaker.

Very poor sound quality with 7g Nano through docking speaker. Sound through ear bud is fine. A different 7g Nano sounds fine through the same speakers. There does not seem to be debris in the lightning port. Any suggestions?

Hey Failagain,
Thanks for the question. The following article may help you to isolate this issue further. Based on the information you provided, the next best step may be to restore the iPod nano:
Troubleshooting iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch accessories
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2634
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Matt M.

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I have recently bought an ipod nano having had a Sony hard drive walkman for a few years. The sound quality and memory size of the Sony was amazing, but if the unit moves too much it freezes so I decided to change to ipod.
I am really happy with the ipod apart from the sound quality with some of my songs.
A couple of albums (such as Andrea Bocelli) crackle during certain songs when played on the ipod even with the equalizer off or flat. They do not do this when played throught the computer with the same headphones, and I have tried recording the albums in different formats and frequencies. The majority of my albums play without any distortion.
Is there some way to overcome this?

I have had such an experience while listening to "Il Divo". I think you might have to play a round with the equalizer. It probably affects operatic songs.

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ive been an ipod user for 5 years and i must say im was very satisfied with everything....i use to own an ipod video was using it for 3 years for almost everyday...then just last week i upgraded to an ipod touch 2g...i was very dissapointed witht he sound quality...when i used it for music for the first time, i immediately noticed the inferiority of the sound quality. and i uploaded the same mp3's thatw as in my old ipod 5th gen... ipod touch 2g's too high pitched! even when eq setting is set to treble reducer. i use to listen to my ipod video for as long as 8 hours, but i cant even last an hour with the ipod touch 2g cause of the hihg treble, my ear starts to hurt after an hour! is apple doing anything about this? can they rectify this with future updates? i regreted upgrading to the touch. everything improved in the touch from the 5th gen except with the one thing that matters most. sound quality!

There are very few complaints on the forums about sound quality of the Touch. I've got 9 iPods at home and the Touch's sound almost on a par with the iPod 4G, different, but equal in quality to the Nano 2G, and far superior to the Shuffle 2G's. I've listened to them all through decent headphones and a high end stereo system. I would in no way characterize the Touch as having too much treble. If you want to hear gross treble reproduction, listen to a Toyota Sienna 2007 audio system. It's downright awful, not to mention the muddy bass. Your mention of the "slight uplift in treble..." doesn't really jibe with the OP's description anyways--that or he is grossly exaggerating, which I doubt. I'd be more inclined to think he has a defective unit, rather than him describing a normal-sounding Touch. But of course that's conjecture on the subject and I could be wrong.

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.

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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

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In an attempt to bypass the infamous volume cap that plagues iPods sold in the EU, in the past I fiddled with the volume slider of many of my MP3 tracks, either directly or via third party applications (such as euPod). Afterwards I have changed my mind and reset the slider.
Later on, I have read a few sources claiming that the above procedure would cause a permanent modification of the MP3 file and/or affect sound quality.
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The third one is a hardware issue: The earbuds jack
is very loose. Apparently, the iPod automatically
pauses playback when the headphones are disconnected.
Hence, I only have to wiggle the connector a bit and
the nano stops playing. This really would be annoying
if I were to go jogging with my iPod ...
hmmm.. that happens to my ipod too and i only got it for christmas. so i was a bit gentle with it.so hence it comes out very easily.
but whilst reading all the replys i decided to be harsher to my ipod and just push my earbuds in all the way..it worked!! that might be the same for u or i might have just been a bit too forgetfull and thought that my ipod was delicate coz its like.. so preety:)
lol im in love with my ipod ..
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Improve/extend equalizer and add 3D sound. Sound quality really poor.

I've been using the 2g nano for a while now and i must say the audio quality is really poor if compared with my 3 year old iRiver (which only has 256mb memory). Lots of people keep saying how great the sound quality is but i believe people saysing that just dont know any better. For those who do hear the difference the only satisfaction is the storage capacity.
The Equalizer is a big shock. People (even Apple fans) say its best to leave it off for improvement. Why ? because turned on the music gets heavily distorted. People even blame their earbuds. So people go off and buy a €40 earbud just for that extra bit of improvement which the nano should already provide with the nano itself.
So this is what should be done :
- improve overall sound quality
- add custom equalizer
- add Xtreme 3D sound (= is a really big ++ iRiver users understand)

iPod Feedback:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html

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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?
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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

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?
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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.

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