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mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
Love the sound quality on my 7th generation ipod Nano but want higher capacity.I also love the sound of new earpods.If i were to buy an ipod classic and use earpods with it,would i have same high quality sound as my present 7th gen. Nano?
 

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
the ipod nano probably uses a better DAC. I know that ipod video 5.5 has the best sound of the ipod classic line..

If you want good sound I would get an ipod classic 5.5 (It's an enhanced ipod video, came out in late 2006). Lots of sellers on ebay have upgraded them to new batteries and hard drives. You can get a 80 gb or 120 gb for around $120.

The ipod video's can't play itunes movies, but if you have an iphone or ipad, does that matter?
 

Scarlet Fever

macrumors 68040
Jul 22, 2005
3,262
0
Bookshop!
You're never going to hear a difference between iPod models with the Earpods. They're just not good enough quality to make out the difference in DACs.
 

kunai

macrumors regular
Jun 3, 2013
178
1
You won't notice any difference between the classic and the 7G nano with earpods; they suck horribly. Also, AACs pretty much make the comparison moot. Get an Etymotic IEM pair; the E5 is a good starter; so is the Klipsch S4i. If you want a headphone, the ATH-M50 is an excellent pair and a good pro headphone. Too expensive? The Sony MDR-7506 or Sennheiser HD 280 Pro should suit you fine. I own a pair of 280s, and the great thing about it is that you can EQ it any way you like without hurting the sound quality. You can make the HD280 like a pair of Beats, or have a positive slope frequency response for classical music, or a V-shaped EQ for jazz. It's up to you. If you want more natural and colored sound like you'd get at a live concert, buy an open headphone; the Grado SR80i is a definite pick and one of the best headphones you can buy.

Second, buy a good portable amp. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B003N0XDT4

Third, buy a LOD to connect your iPod to the amp. If you're using a Lightning iPod, you'll have to shell out $30 for Apple's overpriced piece of **** adapter. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-L-Shaped-Line-Cable-iPhone/dp/B005N6ZAT2/ref=pd_cp_e_2

Fourth, buy your music on CDs and rip them to ALAC lossless.

No, I'm not kidding. CD-quality audio is still not beat by anything. Vinyls are impractical and imperfect; optical media still rules for quality. With a good set of headphones, you WILL notice the difference. Friends don't let friends buy from iTunes.

As far as actual sound quality difference goes, there's really no comparison. Both have fairly decent sound quality, but nanos, thanks to the Lightning connector, are a bit of a hassle to set up for a portable audiophile setup. The iPod comes with the 30-pin, and is probably the best iPod in the lineup, with the most bang for your buck, with a massive amount of space for your ALACs and movies, and week-long battery life. Also, who can forget that the iPod's killer feature for more than a decade -- the clickwheel -- isn't on the nano?

Get the Classic. It will do you well. It has for me, and thousands others.
 
Last edited:

mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
Thanks but why does everyone dump on the earpods.Let them play about 80 hours and put some foamies on them.I hated them until I read about this simple procedure and it changed everything.The soundstage alone is amazing.
 

kunai

macrumors regular
Jun 3, 2013
178
1
Thanks but why does everyone dump on the earpods.Let them play about 80 hours and put some foamies on them.I hated them until I read about this simple procedure and it changed everything.The soundstage alone is amazing.

They're somewhat decent, but again, until you've heard a pair of Etymotics you don't know what you're missing.
 

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
I use sennheiser 595's, and yes, I can tell differences.

Anyway, quit crapping on the guy, the ear pods came free. At least he doesn't do something stupid, like buy Dr Dre Beats for music...
 
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Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
Thanks but why does everyone dump on the earpods.Let them play about 80 hours and put some foamies on them.I hated them until I read about this simple procedure and it changed everything.The soundstage alone is amazing.

I had two pairs give up on me within three months. My brother went through one pair in a month too. The original earphones that came standard for many years at least lasted a quarter of a year.

The sound was good otherwise.

The quality of headphones are greater in importance than the MP3 player itself, that's all they're trying to say. I have $30 Sennheisers I use with my 7th gen.
 

yly3

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2011
345
4
It's quote a bit frustrating actually.
I believe you. I really wanted to buy a Classic the other day but then I tested the new iPod Touch. The quality is simply better on the Touch and I hate to say it, that alone kills the buying impulse for me.

I still have my 5.5 iPod Video with me but since my 240gb hard drive died after just 3 months I have used my iPhone 4 for quite a while as a temporary replacement.
Problem is, the 240 hard drive are running for shy of 200$ right now so why not just buy a 250$ iPod, right ?
Well I simply couldn't do it for the reasons I stated above.
It's also frustrating because I REALLY like the UI of the Classic in Albums view. It helps a lot to see te artwork when you have lots of music like I do.

Another interesting fact is that after running my iPhone 4 as a music player I appreciated its more precise sound comparing to my 5.5G Video.
The iPhone is exactly in the middle of 5.5G and 7G 2009 Classic. It's warm but also precise.

The 5.5G indeed gives you a richer and warm sound with lots of omph! but after resurrecting it for 5 minutes last night I immediately noticed the slight (but noticeable) lack of precision compared to my iPhone 4.
Although I still prefer both of
Them over the 7G Classic hands down.

Another thing to take into account is that music production has also changed a lot since 2006.
Music is much more detailed and crisp driven than before. That is why if I listen to Usher's Confessions album from 2004 on my 5.5G it sounds better on it than on my iPhone 4.
If I listen to Bonobo's latest album it sounds better on my iPhone 4 than on the old iPod.

I was lucky enough to find in the Apple Store a 2009 Classic and a 5th Gen Touch which had the same tracks.
I listened to them both and there was no contest. The Touch had a more surrounding and richer sound than the Classic, but the Video was still the warmest.
I wouldn't be surprised if Cirrus produces in the upcoming years a DAC which finally beats the iPod 5.5G. They are closely getting there.

Btw, all my tests were done with a pair of Sennheiser MX 985.
 

mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
So how do you like your Sennheiser 985.Reviews on these buds are so positive its hard to not wonder what they sound like.Would they make a good choice for the 7th gen ipod nano if my earbuds prove to have poor reliability.I still love their soundstage but if they die early im not going for another pair.
 

yly3

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2011
345
4
Glad you asked.

I have been craving YEARS to find "oldskool" earbuds. Not in-ear-cannal, no over the head big headphones, just simple plain classic earbuds with 2013 quality. I know I am in a minority and that is why buying this pair makes it even more enjoyable since there are so few of them produced in this style nowadays, that you can count them on your fingers.

You had the Yurin and other brand as a contestant but those really looked/felt like 25$ buds, excluding the sound quality of course.

Make no mistake, sound quality is mostly subjective but I find the MX985 to be perfect as in the way I prefer headphones. I mean, they are balanced, you heard soft and crisp details and they make vocals sound as the vocalist is singing next to your year. That is, for earbuds standard of course. Tou can find on head-fi forums proper detailed reviews.

I see they are now running for around 130$ which IMO is a STEAL, considering the materials and everything which comes with the package.
Remember that the model before them, MX 980, were running for around 300$ !

When I'll have money to burn I'm gonna buy another pair and use them after the current ones break. You never know if Sennheiser will ever produce this style of buds anytime soon or will have the MX985 in stock for long.

This style, like the iPod Classic, is a dying breed.
 

mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
The only thing keeping me back from buying these is a few reviewers stated the treble tends to be a bit harsh which is something Im sensitive.My Earpods were harsh when i first used them but i was instructed to burn them in for about 50 hours and to put foamies on them and that tamed the harsh treble.
Have you found the 985 to be harsh and does burning them in for 50 hours or so tame this harshness as it did in the earpods? Thanks
 

yly3

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2011
345
4
Honestly the treble is just fine.
I've been using the headphones for 3 months I think, daily, like 2 hours at least a day and I can't find anything to complain about them.

I've just tested the treble on my iPhone 4 on the track Darkside - Greek Light (Psychic album name) in 320 kbps in local file no streaming, If you listen to that track I think you can understand why it might be a good treble tester.
I maxed the volume and it was crispy clear with no distortion with no harshness.

And btw, this was with NO foams. I remember them sounding even better with foams.
I quit foams like after 2 weeks since when I was waking up in the morning there were not on my buds anymore :) I like to fall asleep at night on some ambiental albums. Another reason why I don't like in-ear buds since they aren't comfortable.
It's not like the foams are falling easily, it's just that I'd rather have a piece of mind of not
Losing them.
Now that I am posting this I might get back
To them just to get the full potential again...

Anyway, the only thing I might "complain" about is that some people may find the bass "weak".
They surely do not lack bass, but it's rather more subtle and stealthy, it's there. It's exactly the way I like them. It's just like a quality helper, rather then getting in your face like most headphones do.

I immediately noticed this on Frank Ocean's album. Trust me, I have listened to that album on my ex 4S for at least 200 times. I know it backwards.
When I put my 985 on, I immediately started hearing nuances of bass I never heard before, and very subtle reverbs on vocals and percussion, which sounded like how the album was produced and intended to be listended to, rather than an artificial enhancement of a pair of buds.

Like I said, it's all in the details with the 985.
I trully love em.
For this price, you can at least give them a try and if you don't dig them (which I really doubt) you can return them.
 

mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
Thanks,Ill pick them up in a few weeks at a local best buy so I can easily return if needed.By the way do you recommend burn in time before critical listening?
 

boateng

macrumors 6502
Sep 8, 2012
440
10
You won't notice any difference between the classic and the 7G nano with earpods; they suck horribly. Also, AACs pretty much make the comparison moot. Get an Etymotic IEM pair; the E5 is a good starter; so is the Klipsch S4i. If you want a headphone, the ATH-M50 is an excellent pair and a good pro headphone. Too expensive? The Sony MDR-7506 or Sennheiser HD 280 Pro should suit you fine. I own a pair of 280s, and the great thing about it is that you can EQ it any way you like without hurting the sound quality. You can make the HD280 like a pair of Beats, or have a positive slope frequency response for classical music, or a V-shaped EQ for jazz. It's up to you. If you want more natural and colored sound like you'd get at a live concert, buy an open headphone; the Grado SR80i is a definite pick and one of the best headphones you can buy.

Second, buy a good portable amp. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B003N0XDT4

Third, buy a LOD to connect your iPod to the amp. If you're using a Lightning iPod, you'll have to shell out $30 for Apple's overpriced piece of **** adapter. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-L-Shaped-Line-Cable-iPhone/dp/B005N6ZAT2/ref=pd_cp_e_2

Fourth, buy your music on CDs and rip them to ALAC lossless.

No, I'm not kidding. CD-quality audio is still not beat by anything. Vinyls are impractical and imperfect; optical media still rules for quality. With a good set of headphones, you WILL notice the difference. Friends don't let friends buy from iTunes.

As far as actual sound quality difference goes, there's really no comparison. Both have fairly decent sound quality, but nanos, thanks to the Lightning connector, are a bit of a hassle to set up for a portable audiophile setup. The iPod comes with the 30-pin, and is probably the best iPod in the lineup, with the most bang for your buck, with a massive amount of space for your ALACs and movies, and week-long battery life. Also, who can forget that the iPod's killer feature for more than a decade -- the clickwheel -- isn't on the nano?

Get the Classic. It will do you well. It has for me, and thousands others.

Late bump but is iTunes music not good quality as in bought from the iTunes store?
 

kunai

macrumors regular
Jun 3, 2013
178
1
Late bump but is iTunes music not good quality as in bought from the iTunes store?

No. iTunes music quality is awful. Always buy your music on CDs; it's as close to a perfect representation of an audio waveform you're ever going to get.
 

mattg3

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
411
9
ma.
Totally agree.I have all my music burnt from cds into Itunes.One of the reasons Im pretty upset that new Imacs took out the optical drive.I also hate the fact that I keep getting itunes gift cards for Christmas.
 

iPodJedi

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2013
711
0
Apple Store, USA
Probably...

I own the new iPod nano 7 as well, i think it has pretty good sound quality although i think the new EARPODS have average quality for music. I like them and they fit in my ears (as oppose to the EARPHONES Apple use to have) but many of my friends don't like them because of the shape doesn't fit them as well. You will probably get similar sound quality on the Classic but i think the nano has a nice true sound quality (not much bass). Out of all the iphones, ipads and ipods i've tried, i think the new nano is in the top 3(if you have good earbuds to listen to).

Hope my opinion was valid. Thanks.
 
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