Apple iPod classic 160GB – Silver
Posted by Notcot on Sep 4, 2010 in Portable Sound & Vision |
5 CommentsReply |
MenuLatest GadetsRecent Reviews
Archives
|
Notcot
Gizmos, Gadgets, Noir and Steampunk
5 CommentsReply |
|
Copyright © 2024 Notcot All rights reserved. Theme by Laptop Geek. Site by I Want This Website. | Privacy Policy.
New Apple iPod classic 160GB – Black
I bought one of these, the latest 8th gen model, despite warnings from other reviewers on Amazon that it now had a cap on volume, which I really didn’t want; yes, I know, I had to hear it for myself. It’s true, the maximum volume has been reduced by about 30%. This is a problem when listening to quiet music such as classical and acoustic folk in noisy places such as buses, trains and my local gym where I failed to drown out the disco. I have found that many older albums, eg from the 60s such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell albums, have been recorded to CD at a low volume level, and similarly, the maximum volume level attainable from this new iPod is not enough for these. I don’t mean ear-shattering volume and 100% of the time, but a proper volume control should allow for all possibilities. There are three ways to up the volume on this model: the volume control, a volume limiter in “settings” on the root menu, and in the iTunes software (although this merely adjusts all songs in your library to the same average level, it doesn’t boost volume to any significant degree). Even with all of these up to the max you would have a problem with quiet music in noisy environments.
This is a real shame, I bought one on the basis of hearing the volume and quality from my son’s iPod nano, but this just doesn’t have the same power. It is, ‘though, a beautifully made and feature-packed player, simple to use. If volume isn’t an issue for you, then great, no reservations, but if it is, I recommend hearing one if you can, before you buy.
Rating: 3 / 5
Many reviewers are a bit miffed that Apple have played around somewhat with the classic’s capacity but I have bought one only having owned an 8 gig Nano. I wanted the extra space for films & audiobooks and although I really like the iPod Touch it just doesn’t have enough space. I want something I can load up with all my favourite tunes, programmes & films + a load of audiobooks to take on holiday. This does the job really well. The capacity is very good and means I dont have to keep swapping items around or decide what I want to take. The screen cannot compete with the touch but it is way bigger than the nano & works well enough although I use a dock to put it through the telly on holiday. The picture is far better than I expected and the sound clear. Everyone knows how well i-Tunes works and the addition of genius, while not vital, is a nice touch. So heres a list of pro’s & con’s.
For: That huge memory capacity, I got the black finish & it looks lovely,(you can get a personal message inscribed for free but you have to order through Apple for that), rapid response, intuitive controls & layout, a doddle to load, substantial feel/build especially compared to the nano & other makes, lots of accessories, great fun & capable of storing hours of entertainment for when you’re away from home.
Against: Can be a little noisy, Films are battery hungry, iTunes charge an arm & a leg for just about everything,(yeah I know that’s a bit random but I thought I’d have a whinge anyway), if you don’t need the memory save up your shekels & get an iPod Touch, Fairly heavy, dump the headphones coz they’re tat & buy some Sennheisers instead.
All in all I love this item & recommend it totally. Have fun!
Rating: 5 / 5
This was my fourth ipod and I wanted one with a bigger capacity, my 5G (80gb) ipod video finally having expired but I’ve returned it after just 3 days.
The reason ? the sound and the volume. As I say, I am an experienced ipod user and have been a big fan of previous versions. I was also aware of the EU volume cap and have a higher specification set of headphones which have definitely helped with other ipod versions to provide a louder sound.
But the ipod classic is much, much too quiet even with the sound full up. I also have an iphone which has an ipod on it and the difference in volume and quality is enormous. I also found the sound quality to be much flatter and tinnier than previous ipods. Yes, the classic has a big memory and has lots of new features but at the end of the day you want a ipod that which plays your music to a good quality and at a reasonable volume (especially if you use it on the tube/ near traffic etc). So I’d suggest people either choose a different version or buy one from outside of the European Union.
Rating: 1 / 5
This is my first iPod or indeed MP3. I decided to buy it because I was fed up with lugging a load of Minidiscs around with me. In just about every respect I am pleased with the iPod Classic. If find i-tunes easy to use on my PC (Windows XP with Service Pack 3), although I am finding I am filling my computer hard drive quite fast. So far I have only used the iPod for storing music, and the 160GB on the iPod Classic is proving to be more than ample for my needs. So far I have 6.9 Days(i.e. almost one week of continuous music) recorded, which is taking 18.05GB of space. The synchronising with i-tunes is easy. Battery life has not been a problem. So far I have only charged the battery with supplied lead from the USB socket on my PC. Note that whilst mains chargers are available, they optional extras.
My musical taste is almost exclusively classical music of just about every sort from Monteverdi to Mahler. The sound quality at the default settings I find very good. Many people have commented on the maximum volume level. My view is that for private listening at home, the volume is more than adequate using the supplied headphones. When listening on the bus going to work, the maximum volume obtainable is too little for quiet passages, but just about adequate for louder passages. In my view the maximum volume is inadequate for listening on a normal commercial plane.
When importing CDs into the iTunes on my PC, I found that the accuracy of some of the information about the pieces is rather variable, and not available for some CDs (even some from ‘mainstream’ labels). The same comment also applies to the optional album cover images – some are completely wrong. I prefer to edit the composer name to put the composer’s surname at the start of the field (e.g. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus instead of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) to make it easier to find pieces by composer. However these are really comments about the accuracy of data available rather than the iPod itself.
The ability to find music by composer and other searching on iPod I have found to be really good.
I also bought the leather flap-up case (not Apple) from Amazon. Whilst this is excellent in terms of easy of use and the protection it provides, I do think that the ‘build’ quality of the case is rather disappointing in comparison with the iPod itself.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. With the benefit of hindsight, I am not sure I needed 160GB of storage (but I am not complaining) and the maximum volume limitations are a little annoying when travelling. Otherwise highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this ipod to replace my recently dead 40GB 2nd gen ipod and I’ve been very pleased with it, I’ve had no problems with skipping etc that other people appear to have experienced. I use iTunes and have from 2003, I’ve never had any problems with the software it works perfectly with the ipod and the new version is great as it allows you to home share so my daughter can access my music library without having to fill her much smaller hard drive. I connect a number of different ipods (ie, my fathers 8GB Nano) to the software linking to various playlists customised for the capacity of the machine.
I’ve had one problem where it developed a white line across the screen. I took it to an approved Apple repairer and received a brand new replacment with a new full warranty. I collected the new one within 2 days one taking the faulty one to the repairer.
Rating: 5 / 5