ipod classic sound quality question.

I just bought an iPod Classic and am experiencing the same problem. I had noticed this in the past with my original Nano. Some songs were distoted and there was no ryhme or reason to it and it did not matter if it was an iTunes song or from my CDs. Then when I got an iPod Touch the problem went away. I bought the Classic for the large storage capacity and the problem was back. It turns out the distortion goes away if the EQ is turned off. If you can live without the EQ the Classic seems to perform very well.

1) Different Apple products have different circuitry, and different firmware, and thus may produce different sound quality. Also, every human has different sound sensitivity, so what is pleasing to one may sound distorted to another.

2) As for volume limitation, European iPods legally have sound limiting firmware not in US iPods due to legal constraints.

I've had an iPod Classic since 2007, and have been very pleased with the sound quality. In my case, usually poor quality sound is due to poor quality sources, such as some of my LP to iPod transfers that have distortion. I'm approaching 28K songs on my Classic.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I assume you have some audio or engineering background. I am also an electrical engineer and would like to comment on your points.

1) The sound quality problem I am refering to is not a matter of response curve or equalization, which is an audio sound preference, but is clearly harmonic distortion that no one would find pleasing. The fact that the same song on the same computer downloaded to both a Touch and a Classic sounds perfectly fine on the Touch and distorted on the Classic would indicate the problem is internal to the Classic. This is further supported by your statement that there are differnt audio circuits and firmware on the different iPods making it even more plausible that there is a problem with the Classic.

2) Your iPod from 2007 most likely has different hardware and firmware than the devices we are discussing in this case. All of the people here have generation 6 or 7 iPod Classics purchased within the last year or so. Quality of source is not an issue because some of the most badly distorted song are iTunes downloads, although it occurs on ripped CD songs as well.

Actually, I have a 2009 iPod Classic currently, and haven't noted the problems. I have an engineering background, but software, and not audio. I'm not saying there isn't a problem with the classic -- there could be. I'm not sure Apple, at this point, is likely to be updating the hardware or firmware on the classic, given there haven't been updates in the last two years.

I remember reading that to conserve power apple uses a non-standard voltage / amplitude combination which is not noticable using headphones / actual speakers or iPod docks which are designed for it, but makes it almost impossible not to overmodulate line-in jacks on stereo equipment. Leave it to apple to change a standard that has been in place since cassette tapes.

Found it:

http://beavishifi.com/articles/headphonejack/

I have the same experience with you, cause of this, I send for warranty three time, I get one to one exchange, but the sound just distorted. I'm using dr.dre beat studio headphone. With this lousy source. Feel disappointed to iPod classic. I thought I'm the only one have this problem. After read your comment, I think I no need sent for warranty anymore, plan for a new player.

I have exactly the same issues. I can't believe what I hear when I compare Ipod classic with iphone 4S. The same song play on IPhone 4S with EQ set to Classical is perfectly smooth and clear but the same EQ in IPOD classic have the sound clipped and distorted. The drum cracks into many pieces instead of a solid 'TUD!' in iphone 4S. Try this songs on both devices, you will know what I mean:

Ann Sally - O Barquinho.

IPOD classics plays it like a piece of badly torn fabric, but on IPhone 4S the sound is perfect. Stevenfromwi is correct, it is about harmonic distortion (clipping of the sound) which no one can find it pleasing. Just try out the song above by setting both IPOD and IPHONE to Classical EQ and you will know what I mean.

When I search the reviews of IPOD classics, I am surprised that expert reviewers have long known about this issue of IPOD classics and put it as one of the long-standing and thumb-down problem of IPOD classics. See the review below: 😢😟😟

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/mp3-players/272431/apple-ipod-classic-160gb

(⚠"...It's disappointing that Apple hasn't completely fixed the audio distortion..." ~ extracted from the article)

I will have to sell away my IPOD classics and find other media player now since I really cannot accept the clipping of sound. It is very dissapointing!!!

I too was disappointed with the sound quality of the ipod classic (160g). The sound was flat and distorted. After changing the volume limit there was a dramatic upgrade of quality and the distortion was gone. Try settings > volume limit > set volume limit and set it at appr. 80% of the bar. Press play.