Thinking of buying an iTouch.....

[admin_exported]

I currently use an iPod classic to listen to my music on the move. I' fairly fussy about the sound quality so I have invested in high end headphones and play through a Graham Slee portable headphone amp.

I'm thinking about buying an iTouch, but before I take the plunge I be grateful for some feedback from other forum members:

Is the sound quality from the iTouch better, worse or about the same as the iPod Clasic?

As I dont compress my music files I will have to buy the 64gb model, but generally know the OS will take up some of this space. Can anyone tell me what the true amount of memory is available?

Plus of course any other information you think would be helpful in making my purchase decission.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

If you enjoy the sound of jitter and wired background popping you will love it.

Like you I am fussy about the sound quality and have also invested in a digital transport for ipod and a DACMagic. However following a firmware upgrade to 4.1 which I am sure the new model will feature as standard now suffers sound issues. I am sure that Apple have made improvements to all of the other facilities that the touch features but to the detriment of the sound quality. A bit like buying a fantastic looking car with an awsome hi fi but it will not drive from A to B without 'kangerooing' down the road.

I have been talking with various others on the Apple site and appears that it is not restricted to digital and have noticed distortion on analogue.

Apparently Apple are addressing this but not till the release of 4.2 mid to late November.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I have a touch with 4.1 but do not notice any sound issues. What are the issues you are having?

 

[Anonymous]

It appears that if you use a touch with 4.1 and mainly digital docks there are random 'pops' and jitter in the background. It doesn't stop there though even on an analogue dock the sound is not what it was on the earlier firmware. As a comparison I compared with my wifes nano on both digital and analogue which revealed how poor it is.

I even have a USB connector for ipod in the car. The touch sounded fantastic on the earlier firmware but now sounds worse than a cassette with dirty heads.

At first I thought it must be me or something else causing the issue (couldn't be Apple, they wouldn't make such a 'school boy error') such as the digital dock which RS gladly replaced but after much fiddling I queried with the Apple community and numerous people 'came out of the woodwork' with the same and similar issues.

I cant quite understand why it doesnt affect everyone but touch / 4.1 / dock seems to be the key. Okay with headphones though so maybe that is all that Apple tested with before letting the update 'out into the wild'.

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks. This is useful to know and on this basis I think I will leave it for the time being and stick with my trusty iPod classic

 

[Anonymous]

I will let you know when this has been resolved as everybody including me has remarked before 4.1 the quality was very good. Also being wifi enabled is good for Last FM with the App.

 

[bigboss]

WHF says the iPod Touch is better than other iPods in sound quality. Check the review. I haven't noticed any problems with mine.

 

[DavidNorway]

I have an iphone 3gs and my wife an ipod touch,the touch has a better sound quality.

 

[Anonymous]

Was in an Apple store at the w/e and I thought the Touch was easily better for sound compared to new iPhone. Tried both with Monster Beats headphones (horrible) and B&W Cans (Great but you have to turn the volume right up). The New Nano had some other Cans, shiny red on ear things and sounded poor - I suspect the headphones were the culprit.

 

[Lee H]

A lot depends on your format. I use an iPhone and have just added the Spotify client. Spotify sounds better than the stuff I've sideloaded on to it.