IPod Classic poor sound quality: Am I imagining things?

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IPod Classic poor sound quality: Am I imagining things?

I had a 5th generation Nano purchased in 2011 or 2012 and used it extensively in my car and with earphones, but sadly lost it last weekend.😟

My husband purchased me a new iPod Classic. I downloaded my existing iTunes library to it and began using it in my car, using all of the same hardware as I had used with my Nano (a USB cord), but I notice a marked difference in the quality of the sound. I then went into the EQ settings and adjusted it from its factory settings to 'Pop', but it has not improved things much. I hear what sounds like static coming from the higher ranges in the music - distortion.

So, same music, same files, same hardware, but different devices producing different quality sound. Two questions, then:

Before I return the Classic, is there something I should be doing (settings-wise) to replicate the same quality I was getting in my Nano?
If the Classic can not be expected to replicate the same quality, I'll probably replace it with the Touch, but am wondering if there's any sound quality differences between the 4th & 5th generation versions? (I really don't care about Siri or any of the other doodads, just want good quality sound)

Thanks in advance for your advice!

iPod classic, Classic vs. Nano sound quality

Posted on May 1, 2013 9:44 AM

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Answer 1

May 1, 2013 3:12 PM in response to Colorado Amy

It connects to the car audio system through a "USB cord." So, there is a USB port on the car audio system and you use a standard docking cable to connect the iPod to that port?

If so, isn't the car audio system doing the actual music playing, with the iPod only acting as the place where the song files are stored? I guess the question is, do you use the iPod itself to play music THROUGH the car audio system. Or is the car audio system "in control" and accessing the iPod only to read the song files (as data), that the car audio system then plays?

If it's the latter, the car audio system is playing the music, whether the source for song files is your nano or your classic (or a $5 USB flash drive), so it should not make any difference.

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Answer 2

Colorado Amy Author

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May 2, 2013 9:07 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Yes, you are correct that the USB port allows the car to control the iPod and play the music. But this doesn't help me understand why I hear a significant difference between this new iPod Classic and my old Nano. In fact, my daughter played her Touch through the same cord this morning, and I could hear the difference between the quality of her music vs. mine, with the Classic.

So, per my original post:

"So, same music, same files, same hardware, but different devices producing different quality sound. "

Why?

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Answer 3

May 2, 2013 11:39 AM in response to Colorado Amy

If it's connected using USB, the iPod is not doing the playing of music. Therefore, if the car audio system is doing the playing of music, it should not make any difference. You can probably get a cheap USB flash drive, put the same songs files on it, and have the car audio system play from that source.

You asked "Am I imagining things?" in the topic title, so the difference you perceive can't be that clear cut. Do a "blind test" with someone's help, to see if you can really tell the difference between several difference sources for the exact same song file. Listen to them consecutively, when there can be no difference in your perceived experience based on volume setting of car audio system, external noise, your mental state, environmental conditions such as weather, temperature, traffic, etc. Make sure it is the same file on each source, because if one is MP3 and the other is AAC, or if one is 128 mbps and the other is 256 mbps, that can make a difference in sound quality. If you're sitting in the back seat and don't know the source being used, can you pick out the iPod classic?

There is one setting in iTunes that changes the song file itself during syncing. It is on the iPod's Summary tab in iTunes. It says Convert higher bit rate songs to [choice of kbps] AAC. If that setting is enabled on the iPod classic, that WILL put lower sound-quality song files on the iPod.

You mentioned returning the iPod classic. If the main purpose of this iPod is to act as a storage device for your car audio system, I think you should return it. When a car audio system has a USB port, you can probably connect a cheap USB flash drive to that connection (consult documentation for car audio system). If so, you can get something like this

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Flash-Drive-SDCZ33-032G-B35/dp/B00812F7O8

load it with your favorite "car songs," and leave it permanently connected to the car audio system. That's 32GB of storage and it barely sticks out from the USB port. You won't have to remember to disconnect it and take with you, like an iPod. An iPod should be used as a personal media player that you carry around with you, not a device that sits in a car. And for that purpose, something like the current iPod nano or iPod touch provides a much better user experience, compared to the current iPod classic (which was released on 2009).

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