iLounge

iPod vs. high-end audio

I’m not sure the point of the article by this author.  The iPod is not a high fidelity device on par with a mid priced CD/DVD player but it does give decent sound (using AAC).  Anything that is compressed will not sound exactly like its original regardless of codec and different types of music will reveal that fault.  But that’s not why I bought an iPod-not for high fidelity, but for portabiity.  It sounds slightly better than a good cassette deck but it holds 2/3rd of my music collection in a package in the same size as a cassette tape..  Plug in and enjoy the music!

Posted by cwh on January 24, 2004 at 8:02 PM (PDT)

First Pepsi iTunes giveaway bottles appear

lol dave

Hope this giveaway is valid in Canada though.

Posted by noname in Ottawa on January 24, 2004 at 7:33 PM (PDT)

First Pepsi iTunes giveaway bottles appear

well this is cool - i dont drink soda - but at least it will take off some heat from us downloaders - 

Posted by gabe on January 24, 2004 at 7:02 PM (PDT)

First Pepsi iTunes giveaway bottles appear

I’m having my own contest, whoever wins gets a link to soulseek.

Posted by dave on January 24, 2004 at 5:31 PM (PDT)

First Pepsi iTunes giveaway bottles appear

Heck yeah. I’m gonna be rollin’ in free songs. I already drink a six pack a day.

Posted by robot brian on January 24, 2004 at 5:08 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

And we pay $400 for an ipod with a mini jack? That my friends is just cheap.

the price is for the apple brand name. everything apple or with mac compatibility cost much more than any far superior product.

Posted by kades on January 24, 2004 at 4:50 PM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

“Don’t be a #####.  The overwhelming majority of football fans are in the United States.  Further, a much smaller percentage of Canadians watch football.  Marketing has always been about playing the numbers.  Canadians are not any of Pepsi’s concern when it comes to this commercial during the Superbowl.  Smarten up.  Your sarcastic comment is neither insightful or well done.

By duke on Jan 23, 04 7:32 am”

The superbowl is watched by over 800 million people world wide in 220 countries.  If you think that Pepsi doesn’t think about that and only cares about its exposure in the USA then you have to be the dumbest person I have met on the iPodlounge so far.

Mike

Posted by Mike on January 24, 2004 at 4:43 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I’m not an audiophile but I enjoy listening to all genres of music - country to hard rock to classical. I like my iPod because it makes all those different types of music accessable at anytime. AAC or MP3? $500K or $299? Doesn’t matter - my iPod simply works for me.

The article was a wonderful compliment to the iPod from someone who obviously has a finely tuned ear.

Posted by Joel Mason on January 24, 2004 at 3:56 PM (PDT)

iTunes Music Store Europe held up by red tape

the tape is red because it is reflecting the red wavelengths of light. this means it is absorbing the blue wavelengths, and since blue light has more energy than red, the tape is stronger. =)

Posted by kauffee on January 24, 2004 at 3:50 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

The point about the analog minijack is spot-on - it makes for blurry noise and a high sound floor.

I can’t understand why Apple hasn’t put a digital output on the iPod. Some of the older mp3 players have RCA digital outputs while the newer ones now have TOSLink optical digital output. And we pay $400 for an ipod with a mini jack? That my friends is just cheap.

Posted by minijack on January 24, 2004 at 3:44 PM (PDT)

iTunes Music Store Europe held up by red tape

i fail to see what the color of the tape has to do with anything

Posted by dave on January 24, 2004 at 2:22 PM (PDT)

"The iPod is the modern-day equivalent of the Samurai sword"

You guys might want to go back and read the entire article at [url=http://www.penny-arcade.com]http://www.penny-arcade.com[/url] , it might make more sense if you read it in full.

It is an unwieldy analogy, but I tried my hamfisted best with it. 

I am speaking in very broad, general terms when I say that there is equivalent tech out there for less money.  I’m speaking about players that are:

1) roughly the same size (I’m not going to get into fractions of an inch here)
2) have a large capacity drive
3) play compressed music files.

We are all clearly residents of the technology arena, so our tech pedigree tends to precede us, and perhaps cloud our judgement of the general populace.  Imagine for example, your *mother*, going into CompUSA for the first time to purchase a music player for her nephew.  How would her perception of “usability” come into play?  Or would the reputation of the iPod form a basis for her judgement?  I think that the latter is more true, for the benefit of apple.  It really *is* a cultural icon, and I think that is one of the only things that the lay person understands when it comes down to it, spinning touch wheels nonwithstanding.

That said, I really, really like the iPod.  I think that it is a great innovation in style, usability, and technology.  To me, that’s what Apple is all about, so hats off!

Best wishes,

Stormy

Posted by Storm Shadow on January 24, 2004 at 2:21 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

“Tell that to the editors of Stereophile .....”

I don’t care what they say, I don’t consider an analog line-out by way of mini-jack “high-end”.  It’s a great walkman though.

Posted by jr on January 24, 2004 at 2:13 PM (PDT)

iTunes Music Store Europe held up by red tape

Canada doesn’t have it yet unfortunatly.

Posted by GarageBoy on January 24, 2004 at 2:11 PM (PDT)

iTunes Music Store Europe held up by red tape

That “release date that differs by country” crap is a big reason why people resort to illegal downloading in the first place.  Come on, just release the damn thing at the same time in different countries for Christ’s sake!

Posted by Fenn on January 24, 2004 at 12:47 PM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

Bad enough business sense that they’re laughing all the way to the bank!

  Oh no, uptight nerds are revolting that they can’t experience their ipod flying one way, their battery another, and some random fiddly bit flying a third if they ever drop their iPods!  noooooooooooooo!

Posted by Chuck Heston on January 24, 2004 at 12:38 PM (PDT)

Apple past, present, future, Analyst says iPod the leader for only 2 more years?

I take it they’re making a profit, no? 

While it’s great to be #1, it’s great to be breaking even and or making some income/revenue. 

Posted by Schiano on January 24, 2004 at 10:52 AM (PDT)

iTunes Music Store Europe held up by red tape

Forget agricultural harmonisation and economic strength through unity, that’s got to be about the best argument I’ve ever seen for greater European intregration!...actually I’ve just thought, would it be charged in Euros or Pounds if you are buying in the UK? Is iTMS available in Canada? If so how does it work there?

Posted by pomegranate on January 24, 2004 at 9:22 AM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I was surprised at how much better an LP sounded on a decent turntable compared the a CD of the same material.  I think people just assume digital equals better and that’s definitely not the case.  Keep in mind that CDs are technically compressed audio to begin with, not in the same way as mp3/aac is compressed, just in that a lot of information is lost or thrown out.  The SACD and DVD-A formats improve on this but digital still has a long way to go.  Of course, I still own an iPod (two actually) as its the best at what it is. 

Posted by TWinbrook46636 on January 24, 2004 at 8:27 AM (PDT)

NYTimes looks at the Griffin iTalk

it says it supports an external mic. Could this be used for line in recording? Hopefully it will be the long awaited answer to the line in recording feature on the ipod

Posted by luke on January 24, 2004 at 8:07 AM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I, too was able to marvel at the high-end gear at Alexis Park during CES.  Some truly amazing gear—and interestingly, some real crap.  I learned that high price doesn’t equal high quality.  I found this article spot-on.  What I learned that afternoon is that there are, indeed, people with such discerning ears, that they can detect minute and subtle differences in audio quality.  I have decent ears, but nothing like my friend who escorted me through show.  With him, I was able to get a better understanding of what to listen for, what to avoid, etc.  As for the random test of the iPod with the half million dollar system—I’m sure no iPod has ever sounded better.  The limitations of digital are obvious—especially to anyone who has listened to an excellent analog, i.e, LP recording.  I have many tools in my toolset.  iPod is my tool of convenience.  When I want to sit and really listen to music, even if I have my iPod with AIFF, uncompressed audio, it can’t match up to a high-end CD player or turntable with a discreet DAC.  It just can’t—nor should it.  Thanks for insightful post.

Posted by Eric Silver on January 24, 2004 at 7:29 AM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

Take it easy on the Canadian. At least they are smart enough to keep religion out of government, hell, the whole country mostly—and elect progressive politicians, not corporate shills. That’s why they have universal health care, a free press, etc. Sigh.

Posted by Cheney on January 24, 2004 at 5:25 AM (PDT)

Windows: euPOD PRO 1.6 released

Oh, was just going to ask. I installed the program on a sub-directory of my desktop. If I move it to the program files directory will that break it?

Posted by Gordon Hodgson on January 24, 2004 at 4:12 AM (PDT)

Windows: euPOD PRO 1.6 released

Brilliant. As someone said before this will make using the iPod on the London Underground that much more pleasurable. Was going to ask if the program had to be reapplied each time mp3s are added, but I can see the answer is yes.

Anyone who wonders about what this sprogram actually does, if you click “get info” on a file in iTunes, it will show you the volume level has been boosted for the file (in the options tab). So it’s not a change to the file, just a change to the attributes affecting it. I guess, really it’s just a program for changing that attribute as a batch operation.

I think I can afford to buy you a beer for this improvement to my travel arrangements.

Posted by Gordon Hodgson on January 24, 2004 at 3:51 AM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

I’m with Dr. Webster (hey - the guy’s a DOCTOR, people) - Apple makes it difficult to replace the battery because they want you to pony up for the next model instead of buying a new battery to keep your old one going.  They’re clever folks - if they wanted to design a reliable, user-changeable battery, they’d do it.  But it makes bad business sense.

Posted by I, Claudius on January 24, 2004 at 3:32 AM (PDT)