Topic: iPod upgrade for better audio?

[jmz93]

http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html

What do people think of that? I'm tempted. All I have currently is the 1GB Shuffle.
If I could Rockbox it and have the audio output upgraded by them ... sounds sweet to me.

[Tim]

Keep an eye out for the new Wadia docking station

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/wadia-digital-intros-itransport-the-audiophiles-ipod-dock/

[Sanjay]

With a 1 gig shuffle you are wasting your money since you wouldn't be able to fit much music in non mp3 form, enabling you to really hear the difference.  Now if you had a 160 gig ipod it might be worth it, but keep in mind, its still coming through your headphone jack, not the most ideal transmittal.

[Frank in JC]

Red Wine Audio only works on two models, see below.  I understand the results are worth it, but you'll be giving up the headphone output.


"Please Note -- The iMod is only offered for the 4th Generation and 5th/5.5 Generation iPods, as they contain the high-quality internal Wolfson dac chip that makes doing the iMod worthwhile.

We DO NOT and WILL NOT modify any of the other iPods, including the new 6th Generation iPod Classic, iPhone, iTouch, or any of the Nanos."

[cheshirecat]

No headphone jack makes your ipod rather useless for portable audio.  I think for home playback it is still difficult to beat the Squeezebox.

[Frank in JC]

No headphone jack makes your ipod rather useless for portable audio.  I think for home playback it is still difficult to beat the Squeezebox.

The intention is to use it for home playback and/or with a quality headphone amp. An iPod + tiny headphone amp combination is still very portable.  I think you're right about the Squeezebox, though.

[BC]

Red Wine Audio only works on two models, see below.  I understand the results are worth it, but you'll be giving up the headphone output.


"Please Note -- The iMod is only offered for the 4th Generation and 5th/5.5 Generation iPods, as they contain the high-quality internal Wolfson dac chip that makes doing the iMod worthwhile.

We DO NOT and WILL NOT modify any of the other iPods, including the new 6th Generation iPod Classic, iPhone, iTouch, or any of the Nanos."

this mod disables the headphone output? Is it just me or does that seem totally ridiculous to kill the headphone out on a portable music player? 
I don't know what these guys were smoking when they came up with this decision, lol.

[BC]

ok, just noticed this, makes a little more sense to me.


Unlike the 4th Generation iMod (see above), the 5G/5.5G iMod does NOT in any way alter the stock headphone output… it is not modified or disabled. Its functionality and sound quality of the headphone output remain “stock.

[Church-Audio]

http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html

What do people think of that? I'm tempted. All I have currently is the 1GB Shuffle.
If I could Rockbox it and have the audio output upgraded by them ... sounds sweet to me.

Really sounds like a lot of bullshit to me... Increased sound stage... please its a freaking ipod... if you were concerned about audio you would not be listing to a compressed format in the first place Dont waste your money on snake oil. Why dont they have a before and after sound sample so you can hear the differences? I wonder why.... Red wine audio hummmm makes me think how much red wine do I need to drink before things actually start to sound better.. lol....
 

[Frank in JC]

ok, just noticed this, makes a little more sense to me.


Unlike the 4th Generation iMod (see above), the 5G/5.5G iMod does NOT in any way alter the stock headphone output… it is not modified or disabled. Its functionality and sound quality of the headphone output remain “stock.

Thanks for pointing that out... I didn't know they changed their approach.

[Frank in JC]

http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html

What do people think of that? I'm tempted. All I have currently is the 1GB Shuffle.
If I could Rockbox it and have the audio output upgraded by them ... sounds sweet to me.

Really sounds like a lot of bullshit to me... Increased sound stage... please its a freaking ipod... if you were concerned about audio you would not be listing to a compressed format in the first place Dont waste your money on snake oil. Why dont they have a before and after sound sample so you can hear the differences? I wonder why.... Red wine audio hummmm makes me think how much red wine do I need to drink before things actually start to sound better.. lol....
 

Before and after sound samples???  Uh... isn't that kinda like demonstrating a new television's picture quality by displaying a picture of the TV on your existing set? 

"Wow, that does look better than my TV!" 

[Church-Audio]

http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html

What do people think of that? I'm tempted. All I have currently is the 1GB Shuffle.
If I could Rockbox it and have the audio output upgraded by them ... sounds sweet to me.

Really sounds like a lot of bullshit to me... Increased sound stage... please its a freaking ipod... if you were concerned about audio you would not be listing to a compressed format in the first place Dont waste your money on snake oil. Why dont they have a before and after sound sample so you can hear the differences? I wonder why.... Red wine audio hummmm makes me think how much red wine do I need to drink before things actually start to sound better.. lol....
 

Before and after sound samples???  Uh... isn't that kinda like demonstrating a new television's picture quality by displaying a picture of the TV on your existing set? 

"Wow, that does look better than my TV!" 

Yes before and after samples I know its a novel concept for some people that charge that much for a simple mod.. but yeah. Its not rocket science.. You take your ipudd plug it into a recorder play the same song back. Then you mod that same ipudd AFTER THE MAGIC MOD LOL.... and play back the same file.. corrected for level.. So that its a fair comparison. And then people way way to much money on there hands can make a good educated comparison.. Wow that would almost be a first for the mod business..

[BC]

Yes before and after samples I know its a novel concept for some people that charge that much for a simple mod.. but yeah. Its not rocket science.. You take your ipudd plug it into a recorder play the same song back. Then you mod that same ipudd AFTER THE MAGIC MOD LOL.... and play back the same file.. corrected for level.. So that its a fair comparison. And then people way way to much money on there hands can make a good educated comparison.. Wow that would almost be a first for the mod business..

haha, fat chance of that happening.

[Tim]

Really sounds like a lot of bullshit to me... Increased sound stage... please its a freaking ipod... if you were concerned about audio you would not be listing to a compressed format in the first place

I have no idea how this sounds but for the record let's be clear - you can play uncompressed audio on the iPod as well as lossless compressed audio on a stock ipod (Apple Lossless). You can also utilize Rockbox and listen to flac's on an otherwise stock ipod.

If you're going to just flat out mock products that you've never heard it would be a good idea to have knowledge of the basic facts.

edit:
I'm guessing you are missing the irony of your position. You are mocking people who would pay for such an upgrade and attacking the "mod" business over "before & after" samples when you, yourself, have never heard this product. So it's okay for you to call a piece of gear that you have never heard "snake oil"? Does the term "double-standard" mean anything to you?

Like I said, I've never heard this and I'll never buy one but I don't think it's asking too much for critics to show a little consistency.

[BC]

I have no idea how this sounds but for the record let's be clear - you can play uncompressed audio on the iPod as well as lossless compressed audio on a stock ipod (Apple Lossless). You can also utilize Rockbox and listen to flac's on an otherwise stock ipod.

good point, the larger storage models have enough space where you could use lossless files and still have a decent # of shows on there.