Just got my iPod Hi-Fi and iPod (with video capability)

>_>>_>
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Well let's see... what can be said that hasn't already been said?



Hmmm...



1 - It's very loud. VERY loud. Louder than my creature speakers.



2 - With it directly in front of me (creatures ~ a foot away on either side), while the sound quality is definitely BETTER on the Hi-Fi, with it ~2.5 feet away, when compared to the creature speakers there's definitely a certain.. flatness to the Hi-Fi, as the creatures are able to be spread apart. From further away it isn't as apparent.



3 - iTMS downloads sound like shit past ~65-70% volume. Only raw AIFF seem to be able to survive to 100% with bleeding ears and pissed off neighbors as the only consequence.



4 - I repeat ... iTMS downloads sound like shit when it's cranked up. Come on apple. Time for a Lossless store.



5 - I loaded the iPod with ~50 music videos and put them on random = Coolest thing ever. The videos play on the iPod while the music comes out the Hi-Fi. I can't emphasize how cool this is. =D



6 - With the "enhance bass" feature on, and the Hi-Fi cranked, my walls actually shake slightly. (I have an LCD tv mounted on the wall, so it's more noticeable.)



7 - Oh my god is that a dead pixel on my new iPod?



8 - False alarm, it was only a speck of lint.



9 - It looks better with the grill off ??



Anything else you wanna know?



- Xidius
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 62
    >_>>_> Posts: 336member
    So do I win the review of the year award or what?



    - Xidius
  • Reply 2 of 62
    mimacmimac Posts: 872member
    Very nice. I presume Apple are using high quality speakers in the unit so that's probably the reason why downloads sound like shit. Showing up the limitations of compressed music.



    Yep, a Lossless store is needed now! Yep, it looks far better with the grille off (watch out for pointy objects and fingers tho).



    How heavy does this thing actually feel? Does the iPod slide off easily when the Hi-FI is carried?
  • Reply 3 of 62
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    nice! I think I'm gonna see if I can get one off ebay in a couple of months. Thanks for the review.
  • Reply 4 of 62
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MiMac

    Very nice. I presume Apple are using high quality speakers in the unit so that's probably the reason why downloads sound like shit.



    Another consideration...



    Burn-in period...



    Most 'audiophiles' will run a system (usually when off to work for the day) with loud rock music for at least 50 hours or so, some go as far as 200+ hours...



    This really works the speakers, and allows them to 'loosen up'...



    Which in turn tends to make the overall tone warmer & broadens the soundstage...



    Cheers!
  • Reply 5 of 62
    iposteriposter Posts: 1,560member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacRonin

    Another consideration...



    Burn-in period...



    Most 'audiophiles' will run a system (usually when off to work for the day) with loud rock music for at least 50 hours or so, some go as far as 200+ hours...



    This really works the speakers, and allows them to 'loosen up'...



    Which in turn tends to make the overall tone warmer & broadens the soundstage...



    Cheers!







    And here I sit honestly unable to tell the difference between any speakers of decent (>$100) quality.



    Probably the same people who fell for those CD 'balancing' kits back in the 80's....
  • Reply 6 of 62
    furious_furious_ Posts: 88member
    comeing from a car stero background you can tell the difference. It is more apparent after years in the industry at frist i was the same.





    WTF is there a difference i would say well now i no the error of my ways
  • Reply 7 of 62
    mac voyermac voyer Posts: 1,295member
    I listened to these speakers myself at the Apple Store today. It is a pretty nice system. No doubt about it. Even in the noisy environment, there is plenty one can learn about them. I actually didn't notice any distortion. Then again, in the spirit of being considerate, I didn't blast it to its fullest capacity. Likely, I would never do so even in my own home as I live in an apartment and I don't like unhappy neighbors or bleeding ears. I am convinced this box will easily fill a room with sound regardless of the size of the room. It seems to have no problem with bass. It has a well rounded low-end thump that is completely lacking in the Bose SD. Mids were warm and lush while highs were open but not too bright. I liked the fact that you could give it more treble or bass as needed. I just wish that option was accessible from the speaker itself rather than the iPod menu. If I was in the market for a high-end iPod speaker, this is the one I would go for.



    By the way, all highly compressed music sounds horrid on good audio equipment. I purposely buy mid to low-end speakers and headphones because all of my music is compressed. Such monitors are not sensitive enough to pick up the compression artifacts. It is similar to why a regular TV signal looks fine on a regular 19" TV but crap on a 19" computer monitor. The quality of the computer monitor is much too high for the TV signal going in. The quality of this speaker is too high for highly compress music. Unfortunately, that is what the iPod is employed for most of the time. It is not the iPod's fault. It is also not the speaker's fault. It's physics. Blame it on God. \
  • Reply 8 of 62
    ensign pulverensign pulver Posts: 1,193member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by >_>

    I loaded the iPod with ~50 music videos and put them on random = Coolest thing ever. The videos play on the iPod while the music comes out the Hi-Fi. I can't emphasize how cool this is. =D



    Sweet.
  • Reply 9 of 62
    jimbo123jimbo123 Posts: 153member
    HI everyone



    Went to Apple store at the Trafford Centre last night due to a Cinema Screen problem and whilst there I tested the iPod HiFi and I's not bad at all.



    1)The size is not as big as you think.



    2)Quality build



    3)Looks good, very minimalistic.



    4)Sounds good (Great base)



    5)IMO better than the iDeck(close call but bass was deeper and sound more focus).



    I tested it against all the other iPod sound systems in the store and whilst I think this is a good piece of kit I can't help but feel the price should have been at the same level

    as the iDeck.



    I would have bought one but the Mrs would not let me! She didn't like the look of it and the price.



    I will get my way in the future...
  • Reply 10 of 62
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iPoster





    And here I sit honestly unable to tell the difference between any speakers of decent (>$100) quality.



    Probably the same people who fell for those CD 'balancing' kits back in the 80's....



    Okay, Eye-Rolling Boy-O...



    Think of a brand new pair of jeans...



    All stiff and tight...



    But after you wear them a bunch of times, they start to loosen up and soften a bit...



    Now think of a speaker cone, fresh from the factory...



    All stiff and tight...



    ;^p
  • Reply 11 of 62
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jimbo123

    I will get my way in the future...



    Tell me if ever you work out a way to actually do that because I know I still don't unless she decides she wants to let me
  • Reply 12 of 62
    jimbo123jimbo123 Posts: 153member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Telomar

    Tell me if ever you work out a way to actually do that because I know I still don't unless she decides she wants to let me



    lol good point!
  • Reply 13 of 62
    >_>>_> Posts: 336member
    One wishful Hi-Fi request:



    iTunes visualizations on the iPod while docked in the Hi-Fi. :o



    - Xidius
  • Reply 14 of 62
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacRonin

    Okay, Eye-Rolling Boy-O...



    Think of a brand new pair of jeans...



    All stiff and tight...



    But after you wear them a bunch of times, they start to loosen up and soften a bit...



    Now think of a speaker cone, fresh from the factory...



    All stiff and tight...



    ;^p



    Almost a good analogy. Except you don't actually want the speaker cone to be less stiff. The ideal speaker cone is totally rigid.



    There are a few reasons that "running in" a set of speakers should make them sound different.



    There are no reasons that "running in" electronics should make them sound different, unless said electronics are appallingly badly designed.



    edit: fixed a typo
  • Reply 15 of 62
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Mr. H

    Almost a good analogy. Except you don't actually want the speaker cone to be less stiff. The ideal speaker cone is totally rigid.

    -



    Yes, which is why vacumetube speakers, if properly designed are some of the best out there, at least toi my ear (had a bud in HS that built some)
  • Reply 16 of 62
    stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox Posts: 1,618member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by >_>



    Only raw AIFF seem to be able to survive to 100% with bleeding ears and pissed off neighbors as the only consequence.





    Maybe something's getting lost in the translation here, but are your really claiming that Apple Lossless files don't sound as good as AIFF?



    Normally I wouldn't even ask such a ridiculous question, but Apple's foray into the iPod and now iPod HiFi has brought all the audiophiles out of the woodwork and it's become socially acceptable to say the most outragously dumb things as long as you're dissing the quality of Apple audio products.
  • Reply 17 of 62
    >_>>_> Posts: 336member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by stupider...likeafox

    Maybe something's getting lost in the translation here, but are your really claiming that Apple Lossless files don't sound as good as AIFF?



    I haven't ripped any CDs to Apple Lossless. All I have are different kbps AAC files, and AIFFs to compare.



    - Xidius
  • Reply 18 of 62
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by stupider...likeafox

    Maybe something's getting lost in the translation here, but are your really claiming that Apple Lossless files don't sound as good as AIFF?



    Normally I wouldn't even ask such a ridiculous question, but Apple's foray into the iPod and now iPod HiFi has brought all the audiophiles out of the woodwork and it's become socially acceptable to say the most outragously dumb things as long as you're dissing the quality of Apple audio products.



    Someone else around here did actually do that!



    Have you seen this thread edit: Page 4?
  • Reply 19 of 62
    zoranszorans Posts: 187member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Mr. H

    Almost a good analogy. Except you don't actually want the speaker cone to be less stiff. The ideal speaker cone is totally rigid.



    There are a few reasons that "running in" a set of speakers should make them sound different.





    SUSPENSION
  • Reply 20 of 62
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    Yes, which is why vacumetube speakers, if properly designed are some of the best out there, at least toi my ear (had a bud in HS that built some)



    I think you mean vacuum tube amps, not speakers.
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