Is the Ipod good enuf for audiophiles?

[Mamimili]

It wasn't a digital vs analog thread to start with.

That was just a broad generalisation to cover any "which is best" or "is it good enough compared to” type of question.
People form their own opinions over time, and are unlikely to be swayed so the questions, polls, trolls, flames etc are a waste of time.

Lock a BMW and a Mercedes owner in a room and tell them they cannot come out until they have decided which is the better car.

[JackD201]

Can they come out if they decide they can have both? Just kidding Paul, I'm just trying to elicit a belly buster from you. Now look what you made me do! I went from eliciting to SOLICITING

[Mamimili]

Can they come out if they decide they can have both? Just kidding Paul, I'm just trying to elicit a belly buster from you. Now look what you made me do! I went from eliciting to SOLICITING

No way Jack, because they will never see eye to eye.
The BMW guy sits behind the wheel, the Mercedes guy sits in the back.....

[dogears]

The OP IS 'Is the Ipod good enuf for audiophiles?' not 'Is the iPod the best player for the audiophiles?'

[JackD201]

Awww c'mon buddy. I love to drive but love to be driven too. Darned traffic! Call me ambidextrous or amphibious just not AC/DC. I must admit though that when push came to shove I sold the Mercedes

[trauma]

The OP IS 'Is the Ipod good enuf for audiophiles?' not 'Is the iPod the best player for the audiophiles?'

I agree.

I have come acrosss some postings here where some members comment on their dislike of the iPOD and by that dislike come to the conclusion that the iPOD is not good enough for audiophiles.

What would prove to me the iPOD is "good enough for audiophiles" is one of those blind listening sessions - particularly one of Wilson Speakers where the audience was made to believe and agree that they were listening to an ultra high end source through the Alexandrias then
in the end it was revealed to them that it was only an iPOD they were listening to.

I believe here that David Wilson, the creator the the Alexandria and the Watt/Puppy 6.0 invited people who are audiophiles and not just somebody taken off from the sidewalk for that demonstration.

If they believed during that listening session tht the iPOD was one hell of a source then it is good enough for them.

Dan D'Agostino CEO of Krell was I believe touted in one of their ads as being a fan of the iPOD. Maybe there's something there about the iPOD that audiophiles second should pay attention to.

I must point out though that I don't own an iPOD nor do I plan to buy one for myself.
I am just happy with what is available to me right at this moment.

[joe3rp]

IPOD is good enough for me

I load IPOD music using EAC at WAV format.
For purer listening I use IPOD+WADIA DAC+ NONOS DAC

But for everyday/background listening, IPOD through line or even headphone output to tube gear.

I am

I like music...live music.

When I tune customer's set-up, I bring my IPOD w/ a long ICs, I am able to tune using songs I am familiar with.

I don't think I am an audiophile , I used to be one

...now I use mostly handcrafted gear ... "non-audiophile".

[vintage_dog]

Lock a BMW and a Mercedes owner in a room and tell them they cannot come out until they have decided which is the better car.

both will die in the room.

in some audio forums, discussions on digital vs analog, even AB of cables, musicality vs accuracy, etc., are not only discouraged but disallowed. no one wins....everyone loses. paul is right, such a discussion is a waste of energy and bandwidth.

now, going back to the topic, if one reads the question clearly and dis-passionately, it is simply asking, is the iPod good enough. it's not about which is the best format for audiophiles. right?

for me, in a properly set-up system (like those we have heard during the hifi show), the iPod is good enough (translated to tagalog as "puede na" or pasado na") for me? my answer is YES. is this my preferred source for music? NO. as i said earlier, i like the iPod's portability and convenience. i have 3-hour massages and i don't want to get up every 20-mins flipping LPs. (i'd much rather have my masseuse flip me over every 20 mins instead). the iPod is king in my massage room and the vinyl is the queen in my music room.

[rtsyrtsy]

I don't think I am an audiophile , I use to be one

...now I use mostly handcrafted gear ... "non-audiophile".

Non-audiophile daw o...eh you have one of the best sounds around!

When I grow up (read as when I can afford a room big enough), I want to have a system like Joey's. Seriously.

[vintage_dog]

...I don't think I am an audiophile , I used to be one

...now I use mostly handcrafted gear ... "non-audiophile".

hahaha...eh kung di ka audiophile, eh ano kaya ako? hehehe

[Hyperion]

IPOD is good enough for me

I load IPOD music using EAC at WAV format.
For purer listening I use IPOD+WADIA DAC+ NONOS DAC

But for everyday/background listening, IPOD through line or even headphone output to tube gear.

I am

I like music...live music.

When I tune customer's set-up, I bring my IPOD w/ a long ICs, I am able to tune using songs I am familiar with.

I don't think I am an audiophile , I use to be one

...now I use mostly handcrafted gear ... "non-audiophile".

Can we have your LPs then? Di mo na pala ginagamit.

[MoJAZZ]

The OP IS 'Is the Ipod good enuf for audiophiles?' not 'Is the iPod the best player for the audiophiles?'

It's not good enough that's why its never going to be the best player for some people.

I agree with Paul that it is just a waste of bandwidth.


(edited by Admin)

Mojazz, read your PM

[stereophile]

IPOD is good enough for me

Can we have your LPs then? Di mo na pala ginagamit.

Exactly my thoughts!

[merlin]

NO. I bought my ipod for mobile listening and data storage of pictures and videos. For audiophile playback however, it's CDP for digital and TT for analog for me.

[detubo]

worst pa pala ako.

macbook + airport express + tos link cable + nos dac + pilot 242 + omega 3R

sounds not the best but i can set the mood in my bedroom from my side table. "how bout some marvin gaye babe." shagadilic!

[pigdog]

definitely a big fat NO on my end, i got my ipod simply for convenience and i cannot even use it for more than 2 hours without getting hearing fatigue and i am not even using the stock ear phones either. for the purpose of killing time whilst in the gym or being on the road, the ipod is fine but for serious listening, i doubt if is worth spending megabucks to pay for upgrades, the most i will do, is buy a more comfortable earphone and certainly not into headphones as these are too big for me to travel with. I do think the Ipod has other uses though and this is in the form of a remote control for the Squeezebox using the ipeng software.

[fuseboxx]

Very subjective thread here.

First, there's the issue that what is good enough for one is not good enough for another. Secondly, what exactly do you have to be/own/use in order to be considered an audiophile?

The iPod is good enough for me, yes. I currently use my iPod with the FiiO E3 + Shure E2G and I love the presence, the balance between the frequencies and the detail in how the sound comes out.

I can listen to it for long periods of time and I've tried this with a wide array of genres. I'm loving my portable setup right now and the iPod is a part of it.

A big YES.

[Azathoth]

While the ipod nano 3g is not the last word in SQ, I find that paired with a decent amp (i'm using an ipod lineout cable + mini3), it sounds pretty good to my ears.

[dimfer]

not sure if I qualify as an audiophile.

but yes for me. I am not an ipod user, I use Sony Walkman, but I guess the thread starter is referring to the technology or product category.

mababaw ang kaligayahan ko . Sony Walkman + Fiio E5 + Ultrasone Ican solve na ako.

Bilib ako ako sa level ng pagka-audiophile ng general population ng WS kasi ang common observation lalo na sa vinylphiles ay mababa ang performance ng Ipod. Now, I am questioning tuloy at what level pala ako sa hobby na ito. Pwede ba maki-pakinig sa mga system ninyo to help me elivate mine?

I have listened to an Ipod/Wadia/Esoteric D3/Esoteric GoRb/VTL 7.5 ver2/VTL Sigfried amps/Wilson Alexandria X2 Ser2/Nordost Odins/Burmester 948 system, it is alright, pwede na. The owner thinks it is close enough to his P3 to warrant some playtime.

[fuseboxx]

Bilib ako ako sa level ng pagka-audiophile ng general population ng WS kasi ang common observation lalo na sa vinylphiles ay mababa ang performance ng Ipod. Now, I am questioning tuloy at what level pala ako sa hobby na ito. Pwede ba maki-pakinig sa mga system ninyo to help me elivate mine?

I think if you're happy with what you hear, you don't have to question your system. If your main reason for looking for better gear is because other people say na mababa yung level ng pinakikinggan mo, that's not a very healthy way of approaching things. However, if your main drive for looking at better gear is the thrill of exploration and being open to new discoveries, then I think that's a much better motivation.

Minsan naman yung sinasabing improvement ng ibang tao in audio quality is a placebo effect. Other times, it's not necessarily better, just different from what they're used to. Although sometimes, oo nga better talaga. Hehehe. Kaya useful din maki-audition at maki-pakinig sa system ng iba