I want to know how it will match up, in terms of audio fidelity, to some other players on the market. This upgrade might see my point-n'-shoot and Sansa Fuze combine into an 88 gram package of sexiness.
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iPod touch Anyone know what DAC is in the new Touch?
- Thread starter MJNBGA
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20hz to 20,000hz, frequency response, is this what you mean?
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
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Apparently it is a Cirrus DAC.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/627754/iphone-5-and-new-ipod-touch-dac
Personally I prefer the Cirrus DAC to the Wolfson.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/627754/iphone-5-and-new-ipod-touch-dac
Personally I prefer the Cirrus DAC to the Wolfson.
They say iPhone 5 has worse audio chip than iPhone 4S, and the new touch has the same chip as iPhone 5, so the conclusion is pretty simple... worse audio quality than previous generation. Most people probably won't even notice...
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Just because it sounds deeper with more bass and overall the sound has more "soul" to it, while the cirrus chips sound extremely flat and soulless with higher notes being reproduced harshly. You have to plug some very warm sounding earphones to iPods to really enjoy the music.
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And I prefer Wolfson
Just because it sounds deeper with more bass and overall the sound has more "soul" to it, while the cirrus chips sound extremely flat and soulless with higher notes being reproduced harshly. You have to plug some very warm sounding earphones to iPods to really enjoy the music.And I prefer Wolfson
For most people, I dare say you are right. Unlike most, I like my bass lean and tight.
The combination of Etymotic ER-4P canal phones with my 2nd Gen Cirrus chipped touch sounds great to me. That touch sounds far better to me than any of my other 8 or so iPods (including a 5.5 gen Video). The 7th gen classic also has a cirrus chip evidently, but the headphone amp doesn't seem as strong as the touch.
It has the terrible Cirrus DAC. True POS compared to Wolfson (and for the people disagreeing, look up some specs and professional comparisons. Don't be ridiculous; it's like comparing a Corolla to a Mustang) and absolutely one of the things I most deeply miss from my Nexus S. Remembering how that thing sounded and how my iPhone sounds just makes me cringe that Apple is still this stubborn. And they still can't manage to put a custom EQ. Ugh.
Likely iFixit or whomever has done teardowns. But of course no one has the full picture because we're trying to backwards engineer something ridiculously complicated just based on what part numbers are stamped on pieces of it. Anecdotally, the 4S seems to be the best sounding iPhone, though, and it measures best, too, irrespective of chip...
Is there any truth to this? It seems like most people agree that Cirrus chips are now just as good, if not better than the older Wolfson ones and that Wolfson fans are just brand fanboys. If it's true it's kind of confusing that Apple would take a step down in audio quality over such a trivially cheap part--these are music players first and foremost, after all, and look at the recent surge in popularity of high-end audio (beats, monster, bose, etc.).
I just love my external Wolfson-based DAC (WM8742, according to the guy who built it) and even cheap headphones sound better through it, but it's my understanding that the actual chip is less important than what it's built around (I would hope so given that it's a $10 chip and this cost me $160 used!).
I'm only asking since it's very easy for anyone to say anything in the forums. The OP has already stated that he's not now getting a new Touch since the reply "They say iPhone 5 has worse audio chip than iPhone 4S" from Goodboy. I don't know if it's worse or not but all of Goodboy's many post have been very critical of the Touch so I was hoping he would post his source or say it's hearsay.
Note - I don't remember iFixit mentioning it in their teardown but I might be wrong.
I don't remember either. I just remember I've read somewhere about this. An iPhone 5 got worse audio chip than previous gen, so we can easily assume based on this single factor alone that iPod touch 5th gen didn't get anything better... It's not a huge deal for me, I'm getting the new touch regardless of audio quality or the iPad mini I'll decide on tuesday. I think the audio quality has became less important feature among consumers who buy iPod touches.
It's weird that it would be since the "beats audio" features in other smartphones are being touted pretty widely. And Apple certainly puts emphasis on display quality. Maybe it's just the transition from music player to gaming device...
a long discussion here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/627754/iphone-5-and-new-ipod-touch-dac
and iphone 5 vs others...
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/iphone-vs-rivals-audio-tests/
http://www.head-fi.org/t/627754/iphone-5-and-new-ipod-touch-dac
and iphone 5 vs others...
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/iphone-vs-rivals-audio-tests/
Lol most people here sure. It's an Apple forum, they'll defend anything. Cirrus Logic is horse feces compared to Wolfson. It's the one thing Samsung phones have better than iPhones. I miss the sound from my old Nexus S with Voodoo.
Wolfson vs. Cirrus is very subjective and the idea that one is objectively better than the other is a myth. Newer Cirrus chipsets in more recent iPhones/iPods are also much better than the ones they used a few years back.
Cirrus chips improved over the years, but they never managed to come close to wolfson's idea of audiophile grade sound quality. Cirrus chips are average at best. iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch 3rd gen. I never liked them. The sound was always lacking on many levels. Listening to cirrus chips leaves an impression like there's something missing in the sound. It's the overal enjoyment of listening to music. Wolfson provides much deeper, fuller sound and much more enjoyment.
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I think you'll find even in audiophile communities that is far from objective fact.
Of course it was a bit of exhagarration. I meant an audiophile in regards to what mp3 can deliver, not audiophile in general. Nevetherless wolfson chips are as close as possible to best sound you can get on the mp3 player.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/iphone-vs-rivals-audio-tests/
And the score from engadget. Higher = better.
Attachments
Newest Samsung phones no longer use Wolfson.
That FIIO they're using for reference uses Wolfson. gg.
I believe the GS3 international has a Wolfson DAC and it scores worst. Not 100% on this.
Both GS3s score not so great compared with the iPhones...maybe surprisingly.
On the high end Wolfson might be great (and the fio 17, despite its price, has some high end parts) but I'm not sure it's so clear with smartphones what's best. And of course it's also all subjective.
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I'm not too familar in audiophile subjects, but asking from curiousity. What was the reason Apple couldn't put better chips in? Size?
Contracts if not stubbornness. Apple is known to make stupid decisions every once in a while. This is one of them.
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That's because they use software EQs that overemphasize certain frequencies and thus remove any benefit of having a Wolfson. They didn't test one with Voodoo on it.
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