Author Topic: Hi-Tech or Lo-Tech? (Read 18693 times)

_tom_ · « **Reply #30 on:** June 02, 2008, 06:09:33 PM »

Exactly, the iPods are so nice to use compared to other mp3 players. I have a Creative Zen Touch and its awful. Takes ages to start up/shut down as well. I want a new iPod classic but they're a bit expensive for me at the minute.

Philly Q · « **Reply #31 on:** June 02, 2008, 06:11:43 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

I want a new iPod classic but they're a bit expensive for me at the minute.

Does iPod Classic mean it's a reproduction of an old iPod? I know ideas get recycled ever-more-quickly nowadays but that's ridiculous.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #32 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:10:05 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote from: _tom_
I want a new iPod classic but they're a bit expensive for me at the minute.

Does iPod Classic mean it's a reproduction of an old iPod? I know ideas get recycled ever-more-quickly nowadays but that's ridiculous.

With the release of the new Ipod Touch - Fancy touch screen thing, they needed to rename the traditional ipods to Ipod Classic, so that the Ipod Touch could take the mantle of the term Ipod.

Quote from: _tom_

Exactly, the iPods are so nice to use compared to other mp3 players. I have a Creative Zen Touch and its awful. Takes ages to start up/shut down as well. I want a new iPod classic but they're a bit expensive for me at the minute.

Only cost me £130.

MDV · « **Reply #33 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:19:04 PM »

Sorry, but I couldnt give a flying shitee about the interface. Thats just wrapping paper. I care what they sound like. Its a music player for god sake.

All the ones I'ev heard sounded bollocks. I'll keep an ear out for the new ones. I may or may not revise my judgment

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #34 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:42:32 PM »

Quote from: MDV

Sorry, but I couldnt give a flying shitee about the interface. Thats just wrapping paper. I care what they sound like. Its a music player for god sake.

All the ones I'ev heard sounded bollocks. I'll keep an ear out for the new ones. I may or may not revise my judgment

It's not wrapping paper when you're taking journeys to and from school each day, listening to it between lessons, constantly changing band/song, the worse sound quality is nothing compared to the brilliant interface imo.

I've had MP3 players which sound amazing, with bad interface, like my old Iriver PMP, the thing was slow as $%&#, and took years to change song. The Ipod works flawlessly.

_tom_ · « **Reply #35 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:45:12 PM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

Only cost me £130.

:o where from? Last time I checked it was about £160 for a 60gb one on ebay.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #36 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:51:26 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

Quote from: noodleplugerine
Only cost me £130.

:o where from? Last time I checked it was about £160 for a 60gb one on ebay.

80gb you mean?

There are LOADS of auctions on Ebay for about £130, people selling boxed/wrapped perfectly good Ipods probably stolen/imported.

Its easy to find a bargain.

I've seen some late night auctions go for about £110, then 160gb ones go for around £180 aswell.

MDV · « **Reply #37 on:** June 02, 2008, 07:55:38 PM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

Quote from: MDV
Sorry, but I couldnt give a flying shitee about the interface. Thats just wrapping paper. I care what they sound like. Its a music player for god sake.

All the ones I'ev heard sounded bollocks. I'll keep an ear out for the new ones. I may or may not revise my judgment

It's not wrapping paper when you're taking journeys to and from school each day, listening to it between lessons, constantly changing band/song, the worse sound quality is nothing compared to the brilliant interface imo.

I've had MP3 players which sound amazing, with bad interface, like my old Iriver PMP, the thing was slow as $%&#, and took years to change song. The Ipod works flawlessly.

Well, horses for courses, but my sony vaio sounds great (for an MP3 player) and even though the interface was often slagged off on it (it was discontinued due to lack of interest because out of the box it didnt play MP3 or WMA; it converted to (the superior, in point of fact) ATRAC: it was no trouble to update the firmware, though :D), I dont find it a problem in the least. And thats with analagous situations: I dont go to school, but on the way to work, at my desk and so on (I used to use it for that stuff till I got a phone that can do it).

I had a creative zen before the sony: halfway house: sounded OK, no problem with the interface.

I mean, FFS, in this day and age you wouldnt think anyone would have trouble with some piddly menus and buttons: no matter what the interface is, you get used to it.

A mate of mine has an Iriver that sounds ok, and he's never complained about the interface once.

P.S. In my estimation if a music player doesnt sound good then it doesnt work flawlessly ;)

_tom_ · « **Reply #38 on:** June 02, 2008, 08:17:43 PM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

Quote from: _tom_
Quote from: noodleplugerine
Only cost me £130.

:o where from? Last time I checked it was about £160 for a 60gb one on ebay.

80gb you mean?

There are LOADS of auctions on Ebay for about £130, people selling boxed/wrapped perfectly good Ipods probably stolen/imported.

Its easy to find a bargain.

I've seen some late night auctions go for about £110, then 160gb ones go for around £180 aswell.

Ah it must be the 80 then and I was only looking at BINs so I'll keep a lookout for one going cheap :) fwiw I dont see any problem with the quality of ipods, maybe its just my un-audiophilic ears :P

nfe · « **Reply #39 on:** June 02, 2008, 10:45:40 PM »

It's worth bearing in mind with regards to sound quality on mp3 players, that if you're listening on in ear headphones, then you really have no place to gripe about anything. If you're using good quality over ear headphones, that's a different ball game altogether. I absolutely will not use the in-ears ever, there's not a single pair on the marker that aren't laughably bad, at least not that I've tried and I have worked in a shop selling them, so I've tried a fair few.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #40 on:** June 02, 2008, 11:08:17 PM »

Quote from: nfe

It's worth bearing in mind with regards to sound quality on mp3 players, that if you're listening on in ear headphones, then you really have no place to gripe about anything. If you're using good quality over ear headphones, that's a different ball game altogether. I absolutely will not use the in-ears ever, there's not a single pair on the marker that aren't laughably bad, at least not that I've tried and I have worked in a shop selling them, so I've tried a fair few.

100% agreed.

In ear headphones are abysmal. And there are some companies selling them for over £200...

MDV · « **Reply #41 on:** June 02, 2008, 11:23:40 PM »

Quote from: nfe

It's worth bearing in mind with regards to sound quality on mp3 players, that if you're listening on in ear headphones, then you really have no place to gripe about anything. If you're using good quality over ear headphones, that's a different ball game altogether. I absolutely will not use the in-ears ever, there's not a single pair on the marker that aren't laughably bad, at least not that I've tried and I have worked in a shop selling them, so I've tried a fair few.

Not all, good buddy. Not all.

Depends what kind your talking about. In-ear phones like this

That just sit outside your ears are uniformly dreadfull.

Canal phones, like this

can be great.

Ones I've tried:

cr@p:

Sony fantopias (these sell for 50 quid why now?)

There were some philips that I forget the model of that were a similar price. They sucked too.

OK:

Sennheisser CX300

Good: Senn CX95

Very good: Shure E4

Great: Future Sonics Atrios

It takes more cash for an in-ear to be good, but they can sound fantastic.

I'd be interested to hear which ones you didnt like. Also, whether or not they were right out of the box, or broken in (which all headphones need, obviously, but some more than others: 12 hours of pink noise can work wonders for any headphone).

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #42 on:** June 02, 2008, 11:38:37 PM »

I tried some outrageously expensive shure ones that my mate bought, they were terrible.

I've also tried some of the top range Sennheisers, was not at all impressed.

Maybe my standards are too high? When you have Grado, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic and AKG selling amazing headphones for under £100, there seems no to buy anything else...

waves · « **Reply #43 on:** June 02, 2008, 11:44:26 PM »

my etymotic er6i's (65 quid) that i got a few weeks back are amazing. i believe they were designed specifically for ipods. they took some getting used to but seriously i cannot big them up enough. especially as they block out everything aswell. it means you can have really comfortable volumes and not struggle to hear because of external noise.

nfe · « **Reply #44 on:** June 03, 2008, 12:32:30 AM »

Quote from: MDV

I'd be interested to hear which ones you didnt like. Also, whether or not they were right out of the box, or broken in (which all headphones need, obviously, but some more than others: 12 hours of pink noise can work wonders for any headphone).

To be honest I couldn't tell you model names, only brands - which would be a few from all the major manufacturers, admitedly they were all straight out the box.

If I'm listening with headphones it's always with either Sennheiser HD215's if I'm out and about or Beyer DT770's if I'm in the house, so I am comparing with good headphones, to be fair.