How to beat the Ipod Classic-

[Kamlesh D]

The Ipod classic was discontinued and then there seemed to be no one giving that kind of storage on a MP3 player- 160GB.

Now with the advent of cheap 128GB and the latest 256GB memory cards, it seems possible to buy old model Android Phones that would take the 256GB card-
Theoretically, then one would be able to have a huge portable collection- with a very easy navigation screen.

The alternate would be portable MP3 players that would have a reasonable large screen to be able to scroll through the collection with some ease, is another possibility-

This brings me to the Q.

Has anyone here been successful with either of the above iterations- which could result in a possible <10K solution to beating the Ipod Classic.

 

[iaudio]

The main issue with using an old android phone or any other player with a large memory card seems to be the lag in accessing content on memory card as the size goes up.

 

[visakharun]

I think the cheapest option available now will be the fiio x1(9k) plus a 128gb sd card(7.5k). I dont own one but just a suggestion.
Its got some very good reviews online.

 

[Kamlesh D]

Hard work on google-
Remove the old HD, throw.
replace with the following.
MicroSD card in a CF Card Adapter
CF to ZIF Pin adapter
ZIF Pin adapter to the original HD connector.

Now the 256GB cards are about 90USD, and you really dont need the professional cards that cost about 180USD, as you should be good with the output/read speeds on the basic Micro SD Card.

Now to find a technician in Mumbai who can get this done.

I assume my cost to be about 7000/- for the full effort. Can anyone help with a technician.

For further reading go to ifixit dot com.

Any one with more ideas...

 

[cooltoad]

I got a fiio x1 with 64gb card for 10k. Not bad considering i can play lossless formats which cant be done with ipod .As the prices come down i can always add a 128 gb card

 

[shibashis]

I picked up an iPod classic precisely for this reason about a month back, I believe it was the last piece available in all of Kolkata! Could not find it anywhere online, the huge storage capacity for mp3 files is a big advantage even though in terms of audio quality I have heard much much better from Cowon devices. My previous Lenovo K900 Android offered pristine and beautiful sound, the iPod classic even though being a dedicated pmp does not come close.
Sub 10K for that amount of storage is not fair I think.
These are worthy considerations:

Cowon X9 32 GB MP4 Player - Cowon : Flipkart.com

Cowon M2 16G-SL 16 GB MP4 Player - Cowon : Flipkart.com

Another discontinued product the Sansa Clip+ with a MicroSD card would be on top of my list for this purpose as well.

 

[grunthos]

I got a fiio x1 with 64gb card for 10k. Not bad considering i can play lossless formats which cant be done with ipod .As the prices come down i can always add a 128 gb card

I too highly recommend the Fiio X1
I own the Fiio X3 and the audio quality is exceptional. 128 cards are somewhat expensive. You can buy 2 64gig cards and swap them if required
(2 64 GB cards will cost you 4.5k vs. for a 128 you will pay 7.5k)

 

[musicbee]

Just wondering if media streaming is not a viable option...

You get the same quality (as MP3) with services like Spotify, Rdio, Songza, etc.

Additionally, you can stream your own music online too (either HQ like FLAC or transcoded on the fly to MP3 if b/w on 2G/3G is limited) and you have access to your entire collection. If you have WiFi where you work even better!

Cost wise its dirt cheap even if you pay for 2G or 3G considering folks are talking of spending 7K to 10K for the device and another 4K for SD cards and all said and done its still limited to 128GB. With streaming I have access to my entire (nearly 1TB) music collection and another 2TB movies, though I'll be honest movies are not exactly HQ as all media servers transcode to accommodate b/w.

However, music is still HQ and streams effortlessly with access to my entire collection and access to the latest music/hits with services like Spotify, Rdio, etc. which are also free.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[grunthos]

Just wondering if media streaming is not a viable option...

You get the same quality (as MP3) with services like Spotify, Rdio, Songza, etc.

Additionally, you can stream your own music online too (either HQ like FLAC or transcoded on the fly to MP3 if b/w on 2G/3G is limited) and you have access to your entire collection. If you have WiFi where you work even better!

Cost wise its dirt cheap even if you pay for 2G or 3G considering folks are talking of spending 7K to 10K for the device and another 4K for SD cards and all said and done its still limited to 128GB. With streaming I have access to my entire (nearly 1TB) music collection and another 2TB movies, though I'll be honest movies are not exactly HQ as all media servers transcode to accommodate b/w.

However, music is still HQ and streams effortlessly with access to my entire collection and access to the latest music/hits with services like Spotify, Rdio, etc. which are also free.

Just my 2 cents...

Curious
What setup do you use to play your home collection on your phone?

Also, while phone hardware has improved, but I think players like Fiio still trump them in playback.
I just subscribed to gaana.com for a month to check the quality. And the HD option sounded much inferior to the Fiio output. So if sound quality is an important consideration, a good player will always be better.

(Just to check, I loaded the same 320kbps files to my phone and listened. Fiio >> Phone playback > gaana)

 

[musicbee]

Curious
What setup do you use to play your home collection on your phone?

Also, while phone hardware has improved, but I think players like Fiio still trump them in playback.
I just subscribed to gaana.com for a month to check the quality. And the HD option sounded much inferior to the Fiio output. So if sound quality is an important consideration, a good player will always be better.

(Just to check, I loaded the same 320kbps files to my phone and listened. Fiio >> Phone playback > gaana)

I don't use headphones, I use phone or tablet to connect to the head unit for ICE and same phone/tablet to sound-dock (have a couple of them). Not exactly portable I know, but the same setup can be used for portable Bluetooth speakers or headphones and this is an extremely mobile solution.

I have 2 media servers/HTPCs (Plex and Subsonic) running at home, and both are used though I use Subsonic for music. The quality is much better than any MP3s, I stream FLACs or transcode on the fly (only for situations where b/w is limited) to MP3 (320 kbps).

Gaana, I don't know, but Spotify and Songza are really good. I also checked out Rdio (available in India, both free and cheap at Rs. 60 pm) and the SQ was pretty good there too.... but again my media server (Subsonic) + sounddock definitely trumps the online radio streaming services. Another service I use a lot is iHeartRadio and SQ is pretty good there too.

Google Play Music is also an excellent option for those with a music collection of less than 20,000 tracks. You can upload your music and stream from anywhere (technically Google will not upload as long as it exists in their collection, just add to your collection). I've not tried it as my collection exceeds 20K files, but I've used Google Play Music and Songza (also owned by Google) and SQ is again good.

Having grown up on an iPod I will agree the SQ on Apple was really good, but I do think most modern smartphones will compare favorably (but I might be wrong as I don't use headphones anymore). Still with your own media server and the ability to stream FLAC or HQ MP3s I'm sure SQ should not be an argument against streaming.

Gaana probably, but do try the ones I've listed above... I've heard them often and think they are extremely good for the mobility they offer as well as being free.

 

[haisaikat]

A response to the main topic of this thread, I think an old iPod classic is almost impossible to beat using a old Android phone. Two areas where iPod classic will surpass the phone is the in-built DAC and the quality of the stock ear phones that come (or used to come) with the iPod classic. I have a 2006 model iPod 30GB that I got as gift and it is still running strong after 8 years.

 

[Abhinav_Rakesh]

Ipod have charm of his own. If paired with an Headphone amp it is very hard to beat .. Lineout to any headphone amp gives great results ...

 

[kanna.sridharan]

Agree with haisaikat.. I have a 80GB 2007 model, which still is kickass gadget. works great and takes care of my requirements till date. my collection has reached 73GB, wanted to buy the 160GB last year, but found out then it had been discontinued.

looking for new players, but not able to decide. Fiio or Sony(the model which is not in India)

 

[prepress]

I have used iPod 80GB (Thick Brick), 120GB and 160GB. And believe me 80GB was the best iPod if we talk about sound quality. It had Wolfson DAC and the sound was very melodious/warm. Even I think those iPods built was solid, tough and more durable than the most recent ones.

I got that in Jan 2006, used for 6 years and sold in mint condition on ebay just because to increase the space for which I regretted later. After that I got 120 and I immediately noticed the downgraded quality, it was too bright (from here my regret starts).

After selling 120 I got 160 and found it is better than 120 not too bright, not too warm but still I was missing my 80GB sound. It was neutral sounding iPod and I guess it has Cirrus Logic DAC. You will find lot of discussions about iPod bad sound quality on google.

Overall it depends on your taste but there is no doubt those iPods were the best Apple products. Best models were 30, 60 and 80 (the thick ones).