clipping and distortion

The 6th generation iPod (Classic) has a brushed-aluminum face either silver or black (really a dark charcoal). The 5th generation iPod has a glossy, plastic-covered black face either white or black. Here is the [official Apple Support article|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353] that helps you identify which iPod you have, and here is a [Wikipedia article|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_classic] that may be better at helping you distinguish.

How is your music encoded? Have you eliminated the source music as the cause?

Where did you find a brand new 5th Generation iPod?

I've also noticed some clipping and distortion on iTunes Store songs encoded at a bit rate greater than 256 kbps.

If there aren't too many, try adjusting the volume (in Info > Options) downward a tad. I use a program called iVolume on my imported music.

The clipping is due in large part to the ultra high compression employed in most of today's rock/pop/hip hop recordings (both new and remastered "old" albums). Though the iPod seems to be a little bit more prone to clipping, I have many CDs that clip on portable CD players.

I've found that reducing the gain using a gain normalizer like MP3Gain (download HERE) has helped the situation greatly. There is also a Mac version of the software called MacMP3Gain that can be found HERE. As I am a Windows user, I cannot vouch for the Mac version.

I have found that reducing the album gain to 92 or 93dB gets rid of much of the clipping. However, some albums are just too far gone (check out Metallica's "Death Magnetic" for the absolute worst example of the dangers of over-compression).

Just re-read your posts (you mention iTunes downloads)- I do not know of AAC gain normalizers for the Mac (though I'm sure there is something out there); there is AACGain for Windows HERE.