Three weeks ago, I finally received my moonlit market iPod classic 7th get with 256gb memory, haptic engine, usb-c, wireless charging, bluetooth. It took 4 months of waiting and $300 plus but along with the kit I got a pristine condition iPod (the price has increased after I paid). Yes it expensive, yes, I wish apple would just release a modern click wheel iPod for $1k because honestly I've spent about $1k on various iPods but I digress.
My gym buddy who is an engineer said it best, we are trying to fit older tech with new tech and the results are mixed. With that being said, this should lay out our expectations.
The good: it's an iPod bought to modern specs with caveats. It's great!
I have 6000 songs with more than 120gb left. Yes the click wheel vibrates, and interestingly if you turn off "click" function in the menu, the haptic also turns off. Interesting how this new taptic engine works with the old software. Wireless charging works as described but I've only used this once thus far. The iPod got a little warm and the wireless coil is located in the lower half of the iPod closer to the click wheel portion. If I lay my iPod upside down on my car charger, it charges!!
USB-C. Wow I love this feature. I have an iPod mini, and modded 5th gen (bluetooth but crappy range, it BROKE
), and classic 7th gen, it's annoying trying to find iPod charging cord. It's another cord to carry in my bag and another cord to place in my car. Not only that I have to use USB-A when my stuff is USB-C. It such a joy plugging in my iPod with the same cord as my 15 iPhone, MacBook, iPad. I love this.
The caveat: USB-C is power only there's no date syncing unless you solder the connections and this is not offered by moonlit market. The do offer a guide to do so.
Bluetooth: my modded 5th gen iPod was custom build with bluetooth but the big problem is anytime the iPod was near my body or away from my AirPods (2 feet or more), the audio cuts out. At work, at the park at home, the connection on the moonlit iPod is solid and I can be 10 feet away. It works; the plastic body goes a long way helping the connection stay solid. Pairing this with my AirPods and Beats noise cancelling earbuds was simple. Turn the Bluetooth on the iPod, and double click the button. The light will start flashing on/off. Press and hold the pair button the AirPods and wait a few seconds and done! The good news is if you pair the AirPods and you don't pair it back to your i-devices it remains locked to the iPod. Very cool. I may need to buy another set of headphones for this iPod.
The caveat: ok this part sucks, in the gym with multiple Bluetooth headphones from the patrons, plus TVs, the bluetooth keeps cutting out. I really wanted to use this iPod at the gym but because of this interference issue it's a poor listening experience. The audio will stop for ten seconds, 20 seconds, wash rinse repeat. Very annoying. I was pretty disappointed about this fact and I would have second thoughts buying this if I had known this would be an issue.
Lights: there's a bluetooth status light that's white, light blue, and dark blue in color. Each one tells you what's going on with the bluetooth. This little feature is such a stand out feature. If it's off there no ight, bluetooth is off! Light colored blue it's connected to bluetooth. If its flashing blue it's connecting. When I had the modded 5th gen, there's only a hold switch that acts as a button for bluetooth. You had to remember if the bluetooth is on or off. Inevitable my iPod was always dead because I keep forgetting the Bluetooth was. I never knew if it was on or off.
The caveat: remember what I said about melding old tech and new tech? The bluetooth acts independent of the iPod software so you have to manually turn off the bluetooth, otherwise the iPod can be off but Bluetooth continues to draw energy. It's why the light is helpful.
Battery: my modded 5th gen (before I had bluetooth installed), and 7th gen iPod classic have excellent battery that last for days! The mini last about 16-20 hrs. The moonlit ipod has lights, Bluetooth, so it last about 2 work days, approximately 16 hours give or take. I saw the clear backplate offered by moonlit market which you can see the battery; it much smaller than the modded 2000mah in the 5th gen iPod. The battery gauge is not accurate, again we are fitting new tech with old (the same thing is seen in the 5th gen modded iPod); plug the iPod in via usb-c and its half full in 5 mins. According to moonlit market it takes 40 mins to charge the iPod.
I am pretty happy with this purchase, minus the Bluetooth interference issue at the gym which is the most challenging environment for headphones apparently. Sound quality is great, battery and charging is excellent. Bluetooth connection outside of the gym environment is SOLID! I hope this helps those who are considering this purchase or purchasing the moonlit market kit.
On a side note my engineer gym bud has been modding iPod classic, and he just bought airfly bluetooth transmitted. According to him wireless connection is solid in the gym environment with this transmitter so he plans to disassemble the airfly and solder this to the battery and the board in his iPod; this is the same procedure he he has done using cheaper bluetooth transmitted into his iPod. I am really interested if he is successful and the iPod wireless connection conquers the challenging gym environment.
My gym buddy who is an engineer said it best, we are trying to fit older tech with new tech and the results are mixed. With that being said, this should lay out our expectations.
The good: it's an iPod bought to modern specs with caveats. It's great!
I have 6000 songs with more than 120gb left. Yes the click wheel vibrates, and interestingly if you turn off "click" function in the menu, the haptic also turns off. Interesting how this new taptic engine works with the old software. Wireless charging works as described but I've only used this once thus far. The iPod got a little warm and the wireless coil is located in the lower half of the iPod closer to the click wheel portion. If I lay my iPod upside down on my car charger, it charges!!
USB-C. Wow I love this feature. I have an iPod mini, and modded 5th gen (bluetooth but crappy range, it BROKE
), and classic 7th gen, it's annoying trying to find iPod charging cord. It's another cord to carry in my bag and another cord to place in my car. Not only that I have to use USB-A when my stuff is USB-C. It such a joy plugging in my iPod with the same cord as my 15 iPhone, MacBook, iPad. I love this.The caveat: USB-C is power only there's no date syncing unless you solder the connections and this is not offered by moonlit market. The do offer a guide to do so.
Bluetooth: my modded 5th gen iPod was custom build with bluetooth but the big problem is anytime the iPod was near my body or away from my AirPods (2 feet or more), the audio cuts out. At work, at the park at home, the connection on the moonlit iPod is solid and I can be 10 feet away. It works; the plastic body goes a long way helping the connection stay solid. Pairing this with my AirPods and Beats noise cancelling earbuds was simple. Turn the Bluetooth on the iPod, and double click the button. The light will start flashing on/off. Press and hold the pair button the AirPods and wait a few seconds and done! The good news is if you pair the AirPods and you don't pair it back to your i-devices it remains locked to the iPod. Very cool. I may need to buy another set of headphones for this iPod.
The caveat: ok this part sucks, in the gym with multiple Bluetooth headphones from the patrons, plus TVs, the bluetooth keeps cutting out. I really wanted to use this iPod at the gym but because of this interference issue it's a poor listening experience. The audio will stop for ten seconds, 20 seconds, wash rinse repeat. Very annoying. I was pretty disappointed about this fact and I would have second thoughts buying this if I had known this would be an issue.
Lights: there's a bluetooth status light that's white, light blue, and dark blue in color. Each one tells you what's going on with the bluetooth. This little feature is such a stand out feature. If it's off there no ight, bluetooth is off! Light colored blue it's connected to bluetooth. If its flashing blue it's connecting. When I had the modded 5th gen, there's only a hold switch that acts as a button for bluetooth. You had to remember if the bluetooth is on or off. Inevitable my iPod was always dead because I keep forgetting the Bluetooth was. I never knew if it was on or off.
The caveat: remember what I said about melding old tech and new tech? The bluetooth acts independent of the iPod software so you have to manually turn off the bluetooth, otherwise the iPod can be off but Bluetooth continues to draw energy. It's why the light is helpful.
Battery: my modded 5th gen (before I had bluetooth installed), and 7th gen iPod classic have excellent battery that last for days! The mini last about 16-20 hrs. The moonlit ipod has lights, Bluetooth, so it last about 2 work days, approximately 16 hours give or take. I saw the clear backplate offered by moonlit market which you can see the battery; it much smaller than the modded 2000mah in the 5th gen iPod. The battery gauge is not accurate, again we are fitting new tech with old (the same thing is seen in the 5th gen modded iPod); plug the iPod in via usb-c and its half full in 5 mins. According to moonlit market it takes 40 mins to charge the iPod.
I am pretty happy with this purchase, minus the Bluetooth interference issue at the gym which is the most challenging environment for headphones apparently. Sound quality is great, battery and charging is excellent. Bluetooth connection outside of the gym environment is SOLID! I hope this helps those who are considering this purchase or purchasing the moonlit market kit.
On a side note my engineer gym bud has been modding iPod classic, and he just bought airfly bluetooth transmitted. According to him wireless connection is solid in the gym environment with this transmitter so he plans to disassemble the airfly and solder this to the battery and the board in his iPod; this is the same procedure he he has done using cheaper bluetooth transmitted into his iPod. I am really interested if he is successful and the iPod wireless connection conquers the challenging gym environment.
