iLounge

iPod vs. high-end audio

well, remember that comment about the audio being blanketed or in a small box? When listening to 128 kbs AAC and comparing it with CD, I also noticed this. The cool part is, at least I know that I explained it right to people who asked me why I’m starting to care about audio quality. However, I haven’t really had the same experience with mp3’s. With mp3’s it has usually been the obnoxious crunching or watery sound that comes out of those files.

I don’t see why everyone is so disgusted with the article. It’s common sense that the ipod playing compressed music will not sound as good as really expensive hi-fi systems.

Posted by Fiddytree on January 23, 2004 at 3:35 PM (PDT)

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

yes Raven you are correct. i just come here to pi$$ off “real” owners of iPods. if you must know i do own one. you sound so corporate defending poor little Apple. its a proven fact that ipods overhead is greatly exaggerated. unless iPods were made in the USA by Union labor which would skyrocket the cost. but as with most electronics they come from foreign places. ahh slave labor. gotta love it.

Posted by Jaguares in Bay Area, Ca on January 23, 2004 at 3:34 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

For you brain-surgeons that don’t get it, it’s a COMPLIMENT to the iPod!
For god’s sake, someone moderate the dip$hit level in here…

SB

Posted by Jeezus on January 23, 2004 at 3:21 PM (PDT)

Updated: Audio Outfitters looking for beta testers for new iPod product

Charlie,

I can’t send my completed survey back to you as your mail server rejected it due to your being over quota.  I will try later or please provide an alternative email

Thanks!

Posted by sarrett on January 23, 2004 at 3:21 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

THis is the fist time in a year that, in looking at the news updates on this site, I laughed.  Literally laughed out loud.
It’s obvious that this was not a hardcore test for the iPod…it seems that the reporter simply wanted to see how well the iPod delievered on a super high-end system.  And the designer is obviously well-versed in the subject, given that he creates the means to play music.  He simply said that the soprano was not so good and the piano didn’t sound organic.  Now, this makes me feel damn good.  It means that I have something that smaller than a pack of cigarettes that can sound relatively nice on a $350k amp. 
You guys need to get a life and lighten up! 

Posted by iPodFunkfreek on January 23, 2004 at 3:02 PM (PDT)

Updated: Audio Outfitters looking for beta testers for new iPod product

Hey I got my survay but cant fill it out it dosnt seam to work write

Posted by iamgodAKAroot on January 23, 2004 at 2:52 PM (PDT)

iPod mini icons released

thats pretty funny dave!

Posted by jr on January 23, 2004 at 2:52 PM (PDT)

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

If He’s So Smart…Steve Jobs, Apple, and the Limits of Innovation

If Apple is really the brains of the industry—if its products are so much better than Microsoft’s or Dell’s or IBM’s or Hewlett-Packard’s—then why is the company so damned small?

“Innovate,” Jobs bellowed from the stage. “That’s what we do.” He’s right—and that’s the trouble. For most of its existence, Apple has devoted itself single-mindedly, religiously, to innovation.

But wait. What can possibly be wrong with that? After all, we worship innovation as an absolute corporate good, along with such things as teamwork and leadership. Even more than these virtues, it has come to be seen as synonymous with growth.

It’s hard to look at Apple without wondering if innovation is really all it’s cracked up to be.

Where Apple was once one of the most profitable companies in the category, its operating profit margins have declined precipitously from 20% in 1981 to a meager 0.4% today, just one-fifth the industry average of 2%.

James Andrew, of the Boston Consulting Group, for example, argues that too many companies presume that they can boost profits merely by fostering creativity. “To be a truly innovative company is not just coming up with great new ideas, or products and services,” he says. “It is coming up with ones than generate enough cash to cover your costs and reward your shareholders.”

No one knows the cost to Apple to manufacture and market the iPod, and estimates of its operating margin range widely: 2.5% to 18%. But even at iPod’s lowest list price of $299—and using a conservative margin estimate of 8%—it’s clear that the iPod contributed substantially all of Apple’s 2003 estimated operating income of $24.8 million, excluding onetime charges. Without the iPod, Apple is in trouble.

Posted by OTOH on January 23, 2004 at 2:46 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I can’t beleive the ignorance of some of you. I love my iPod but it’s no high-end audiophile gear. Most people can’t hear the difference between 24bit/96k and, dare I say, cassette tape? Hah, maybe not, but if you think your really getting the full spectrum of sound out of your iPod, your not.  Don’t fret, that’s not what it’s for. 

Posted by jr on January 23, 2004 at 2:42 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I thought it was an interesting article.  Keep in mind these audiophiles aren’t fans of CD quality music either, which means the iPod did pretty well considering they thought it wasnt bad.

Posted by RoMoFo on January 23, 2004 at 2:41 PM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

OK, so
if your battery dies whilst under warranty, its replaced for free.
If it dies after warranty, then there’s no implications of opening and putting in a new battery yourself. Hell, i’ll do it for free if you want to ship you iPod’s over here.

Posted by Harrison in Melbourne, Australia on January 23, 2004 at 2:10 PM (PDT)

DLO announces new Jam Jacket mini, Action Jacket mini and TransPod insert for iPod mini

You!

Posted by Ipodforlife on January 23, 2004 at 2:10 PM (PDT)

O'Reilly: Five things the next iPod software version needs to have

rackirlen - I don’t really care if YOU take me seriously as long as Apple does. This would be so much faster than going through the menus and far less dangerous when you aren’t able to concentrate on the iPod screen.

I also want to be able to connect a small keyboard to my iPod like with Palms so I can update my calendar, contacts, etc.

Posted by olsonbw on January 23, 2004 at 2:02 PM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

“furtherest?”  hmm..

Posted by dethbrakr in Tacoma, WA on January 23, 2004 at 1:57 PM (PDT)

O'Reilly: Five things the next iPod software version needs to have

“I want to be able to TELL my iPod what I want to listen to. ” - olsonbw

Whatever, thats is such a waste of time… Apple, I want to be able to THINK and have my iPod do what I want it to do, no more of these stupid buttons…

Com on Apple, is it really that hard to do?

Posted by rackirlen on January 23, 2004 at 1:56 PM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

we wouldn’t want them kids drinkin’ boring bottled water when they could be drinking it with sugar and caffeine…

Posted by dethbrakr in Tacoma, WA on January 23, 2004 at 1:55 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

As far as MP3 vs. AAC. Sorry but I did my own listening test and decided that at the high end, MP3 beat out AAC. YMMV.

i so agree with this. i dont understand why everyone keep saying aac gives superior sound. everytime i test this format ripped in itunes it always comes out far inferior.

back to ipod vs high end audio, the ipod sound isn’t all that hot (i’ve heard many much better) but it’s a portable stereo - mostly for listening outdoors. the best and the worst sound the same in thick traffic; they all sound s**t

Posted by kades on January 23, 2004 at 1:48 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

I’d even venture to say that MP3 is better at higher bit rates, because most of the devlopment of LAME seems to be centered around—alt-preset standard while most of the other formats seem to focus on low bitrates (128kbps and below).

Posted by Thejavaman1 on January 23, 2004 at 1:48 PM (PDT)

Pepsi ads to feature teens sued by RIAA

Anyway, this seems kinda messed up to me. If I were getting sued by the RIAA, the last thing I would do is give them the pleasure of seeing me in some Pepsi commercial promoting iTunes. Ethically, illegal downloading is wrong. If I own the copyright for the contents of a CD, which entitles me to get paid for it for said contents, and you are enjoying the content without paying me, then that is wrong. So I am not out to defend anyone. But I do feel the RIAA’s tactics are outrageous, and the last thing I would want to do is justify it by appearing in this commercial. I realize that this is Apple’s and Pepsi’s commercial, and not the RIAA’s, but in my eyes it’s still doing them the favor, at the cost of a participant’s dignity.

Posted by monkedsel on January 23, 2004 at 1:45 PM (PDT)

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

I would be surprised if iPod can hold on to it’s crown for another 2 years.

It’s like everything else, it’s hard to make radical design changes when your at the top, so Apple leaves themselves open to being out developed & out designed.

(This has happened many times before… just look at 3DFX, Palm Pilot, NVidia, etc…)

Posted by noryen on January 23, 2004 at 1:41 PM (PDT)

UK House of Commons split over battery issue

Oh my God - I can’t believe the government are getting involved in this. No doubt Labour will be declassifying the iPod battery to category C while the Conservativesw will state that when they are back in power, they will immediately reclassify iPod batteries back to category B where they belong!

Posted by Jay on January 23, 2004 at 1:30 PM (PDT)

An idea for iPod - user removable battery

even if the battery was replaceable apple would charge 80 dollars for the replacement.

Posted by nman on January 23, 2004 at 1:29 PM (PDT)

Pacific Rim Technologies announces iShield II aluminum case

I just got this back from Customer Service
——
No the iShield II does not work with the
iTrip, space limitation.
——

Posted by Ray on January 23, 2004 at 1:22 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

Codec Discussion

Audio Hardware

Posted by Specifics on January 23, 2004 at 1:21 PM (PDT)

iPod vs. high-end audio

If you really want to learn about the strengths and limitations of different codecs and different hardware, then check out Hydrogen Audio.

You will find, for example, that sometimes a VBR MP3 with a rate around 200 can “beat” a CBR MP3 with a rate of 320.

And that at the high end, any difference between WMA, VBR MP3, and AAC are negligible. The difference between codecs only becomes apparent at sub-100 Kbps.

Posted by HydrogenAudio on January 23, 2004 at 1:19 PM (PDT)