iPod Should I get an iPod?

[ThirdPrize]

I have an iRiver H340 and am contemplating getting an iPod now they have one big enough for my collection. There are a few questions I would like answered before I part with my cash though. Thought you lot might be able to help.

1-EQ. The H340 has a few built in EQ settings. one called SRS WOW is amazing and makes the default setting sound like dull vinyl in comparisson. Am I right in thinking that the iPod doesn't have much in the way of EQ?
2-Would the group "The Orb" be filed under T or O in the list of groups?
3-I make a custom playlist on my mac with two albums by three bands in it. I take it iTunes copy this to the iPod? What happens if a couple of the albums are not synced? Either itunes or the iPod would handle this alright?
4-How long does it take to start up?
5-The line out on the dock works as a standard line out? For some reason the H340s line out goes up and down with the headphone volume?!?!?
6-if I want to get a case for it then one that fits the old 60Gb version should fit the new 80 Gb version?
7-there are no issues playlists and long song/album/band names? The H340 wouldn't play anything in a playlist if the path was over 52 chars long.

Shaun

 

[Osarkon]

In regard to number 4, it starts up faster than anything i've ever seen in my life. I had a creative zen before mine, and i got really confused cos i didn't think my ipod was turning off, it comes on instantly. Still find that somewhat disconcerting actually..i'd rather it turned off as in off.

 

[sanford]

I have an iRiver H340 and am contemplating getting an iPod now they have one big enough for my collection. There are a few questions I would like answered before I part with my cash though. Thought you lot might be able to help.

1-EQ. The H340 has a few built in EQ settings. one called SRS WOW is amazing and makes the default setting sound like dull vinyl in comparisson. Am I right in thinking that the iPod doesn't have much in the way of EQ?

** I don't use EQ much but nothing makes me say WOW.

2-Would the group "The Orb" be filed under T or O in the list of groups?

** O

3-I make a custom playlist on my mac with two albums by three bands in it. I take it iTunes copy this to the iPod? What happens if a couple of the albums are not synced? Either itunes or the iPod would handle this alright?

** iTunes transfers playlists to your iPod. Songs in playlists that are not set to be synced with the iPod just don't show up on the iPod version of that playlist. Seamless.

4-How long does it take to start up?

** Instant on unless after a while it goes into low-power mode. From low-power mode, maybe 20 seconds.

5-The line out on the dock works as a standard line out? For some reason the H340s line out goes up and down with the headphone volume?!?!?

** The remote and the volume control will now adjust the line out volume on the new docks, as I recall. This is supposed to be a feature because of people who like to plug an iPod into speakers and then control volume from the iPod.

6-if I want to get a case for it then one that fits the old 60Gb version should fit the new 80 Gb version?

** Oh don't bet on it. But new accessories hit quickly these days.

7-there are no issues playlists and long song/album/band names? The H340 wouldn't play anything in a playlist if the path was over 52 chars long.

** Not that I've ever seen.

Shaun

If you want the nicest to use digital music player you will be happy. If you are a wirehead with lots of special circumstances and crazy encoding formats you will complain.

 

[ThirdPrize]

I would be using my iPod through headphones and a hifi. On my H340 a volume of 10 is good for headphones and 30 is good for the line out. This is ok except if you forget to change back when switching between the two.

 

[weg]

In regard to number 4, it starts up faster than anything i've ever seen in my life. I had a creative zen before mine, and i got really confused cos i didn't think my ipod was turning off, it comes on instantly. Still find that somewhat disconcerting actually..i'd rather it turned off as in off.

Hmm.. I have a 3G iPod (B/W Display) and an iRiver iFP180T (flash), and compared to the iRiver, my iPod takes AGES to run on.. but that's probably not a fair comparison, since both devices are more than 2 years old, and I'm comparing a hard-disk player to a flash-player.
If I would be in the market for a new MP3 player, I'd stick to iRiver, though.. (probably a matter of taste.. you don't need to install any software for the iRiver, just plug it in and drag and drop your MP3s to it. My impression is also that it sounds better, but that's a highly subjective opinion).

 

[sanford]

I would be using my iPod through headphones and a hifi. On my H340 a volume of 10 is good for headphones and 30 is good for the line out. This is ok except if you forget to change back when switching between the two.

It holds different values for headphones and line-out, as far as I remember. There are no number values but to use them for sake of example, if you have the volume set while using headphones to 50, then use line-out at 75, when you go back to the headphone jack it's still at 50 not 75. Go to a store with a demo model and have them show you how it works, or just play around with it. When I use line-out on my iPods I either us a a JBL OnStage II, which has its own volume control, or I'm patched up to a hifi and use that amplifier's volume control -- so I don't have much experience with controlling the line-out with the iPod volume. But still I don't believe it uses the same values for the headphone jack and the line-out.

 

[ThirdPrize]

Getting back to the EQ, does the iPod have any settings? Even if its just stuff like "big hall", "small hall", "live", etc. This is probably going to be the clincher for me. I gather the standard earphones are not much cop.

Thanks.

 

[robbieduncan]

Getting back to the EQ, does the iPod have any settings? Even if its just stuff like "big hall", "small hall", "live", etc. This is probably going to be the clincher for me. I gather the standard earphones are not much cop.

Thanks.

The iPod has an extensive EQ list but it's more musical styles with a few generic transforms than locations. The start of the list: Off, Acoustic, Bass Booster, Bass Reducer, Classical, Dance, Deep, Electronic, Flat, Hip Hop....

 

[sanford]

Getting back to the EQ, does the iPod have any settings? Even if its just stuff like "big hall", "small hall", "live", etc. This is probably going to be the clincher for me. I gather the standard earphones are not much cop.

Thanks.

Yeah what Robbie said. It sounds like you are talking more about spatial effects that are created by digital audio post-processing. The iPod doesn't do any audio processing of the common DSP variety. It does however have a digital EQ and EQ presets, for what they are worth.

By the way, that SRS WOW process you were talking about yesterday just became available for iTunes today, as a plug-in. It's called SRS iWOW -- go figure. Now mind you that's for iTunes not for iPod.

 

[Chundles]

I have an iRiver H340 and am contemplating getting an iPod now they have one big enough for my collection. There are a few questions I would like answered before I part with my cash though. Thought you lot might be able to help.

1-EQ. The H340 has a few built in EQ settings. one called SRS WOW is amazing and makes the default setting sound like dull vinyl in comparisson. Am I right in thinking that the iPod doesn't have much in the way of EQ?
2-Would the group "The Orb" be filed under T or O in the list of groups?
3-I make a custom playlist on my mac with two albums by three bands in it. I take it iTunes copy this to the iPod? What happens if a couple of the albums are not synced? Either itunes or the iPod would handle this alright?
4-How long does it take to start up?
5-The line out on the dock works as a standard line out? For some reason the H340s line out goes up and down with the headphone volume?!?!?
6-if I want to get a case for it then one that fits the old 60Gb version should fit the new 80 Gb version?
7-there are no issues playlists and long song/album/band names? The H340 wouldn't play anything in a playlist if the path was over 52 chars long.

Shaun

1. The iPod has a number of built-in EQ settings:
- Off
- Acoustic
- Bass Booster
- Bass Reducer
- Classical
- Dance
- Deep
- Electronic
- Flat
- Hip Hop
- Jazz
- Latin
- Loudness
- Lounge
- Piano
- Pop
- R&B
- Rock
- Small Speakers
- Spoken Word
- Treble Booster
- Treble Reducer
- Vocal Booster

iTunes also has a 10-band graphic equaliser but custom settings are not transferable to the iPod

2. Filed under "O"

3. If you keep your iPod on the default "Autosync" setting, anything you do to your library or playlists will be mirrored on the iPod.

4. Unless it's been off for a while and has gone into hibernation (from which it would take 10 to 20 seconds) your iPod will be ready as soon as you touch a button.

5. It is a standard line-out but now has a varying output, on 5G iPods the volume is regulated internally, on older iPods it's done externally. But yeah, standard line-out.

6. Yes it does. The 80GB iPod is the exact same size and weight as the old 60GB iPod.

7. With iTunes and the iPod you don't worry about paths and folders and organising your music at the file structure level. iTunes keeps your music organised at the basic level - you do all the stuff you want through iTunes. I have never looked inside the iTunes Music folder on my Mac - there's simply no need. Playlists and Smart Playlists are easier and more powerful. That said, I've not heard of any such character limit on song files for the iPod.