scottiebabie

[*] that the headphone out cannot be used as a regular headphone out anymore? ie, it must be used with the Gmod cable with capacitors

yes thats right. the Mk3 Gmod 'pod's headout is completely modded. it MUST be used with a special Gmod mini-mini cable or an special 1/8" male-1/8 female adapter which will contain the BG coupling caps.

[*] Since the Mk3 headphone out is at line level, the ipod's volume control won't work, so even if it goes through a Gmod cable, it's not suitable for connecting directly to headphones?

thats right again. the volume control is no longer functional. its highly recommended that the Gmod headout is routed via our special mini cable to an amplifier but a headfon with a built-in volume attenuator can be used (although SQ maybe degraded) in conjunction with our special Gmod adapter.

Btw, would there be any problems in opening up the ipod (say to do the gmod or imod process) if the ipod has one of the clear overlays (IS/BSE) on all sides?

not that i can forsee. infact we recently did a Gmod with a plastic clear overlay. it presented no issues except that we had to cut the overlay at the seams where both sides of the case met. u can redo the plastic overlay after the Gmod modifications.

i must add that doing the Mk3 Gmod entailed quite a bit more work and if offered, it'll be higher in cost than the Mk2 Gmod (which features the modded lineout ala 5g iMod). we had to search high and low for the best quality flexible internal cabling on top of a whacka R&D for the best routing to ensure complete reliability. i can honestly say it wasnt a cakewalk to develop and i can understand why even RedWineAudio doesnt offer it.

we'll be offering the Mk3 Gmod once we finalized the special Gmod headout cable.

i've just met up with fellow headfier EFN whos currently a 5g iMod owner (after he destroyed his 4g iMod) and he totally confirmed that the 5g is better than the 4g. according to EFN, the 5g is more resolved, both in upper microdetails and bass impact. infact EFN is complaining to me (and others i guess) that FLAC sounds brighter and even harsh compared with ALAC and WAVE when he cannot discern that on the 4g iMod on the same songs. maybe hes turning into our very own PATRICK82

not trying to do a plug here but if anyone's interested, i've been longterm testing our Mk3 Gmod in which the headout (instead of the lineout) is modded into the special Gmod lineout. in function the Mk3 Gmod is virtually identical to a 4g iMod with the lineout still functional normally (ie. lineout's NOT modded) for normal attachment to hifi, car, etc and such. we developed our own custom Gmod cable which contains the BG caps for attachment to the Gmod headout.

as for SQ, its identical to the Mk2 lineout Gmod. other benefits are charging and listening at the sametime and ofcoz we get rid of using the lineout dock which i always feel is the weakest link in the portable chain. also IMO the Mk3 Gmod presents a smaller and less fragile footprint.

hey guyz i know im not a frequent flyer in your good forum but what with work and r&d on the Gmod and all...

anyways a word of thanks to RYNER for his honest opinions. im still waiting for his update with fully burn-in (200+hrs) BG caps. i think he'd be seriously more impressed than he already is. anyhows, i just finished a mini meet in KL with some local headfier including our very own EFN whos btw a proud daddy of a 5g iMod (courtesy of Vinnie in replacement of his destroyed 4g iMod. if anyone's interested, you can follow our admittedly amateurish impressions and writeups HEREEE!

anyways its official!

Gmod = iMod = identical - verbatim from the very mouth of EFN.

that said, let me clarify the above statement with a bit of extra info as one of our headfiers did say that although Gmod and iMod sounds very similiar, he prefered the iMod. below is my interpretation on his (WALABIES) take:

just to further clarify that "Gmod = iMod = identical" (or was it the "same" - i dont quite remember EFNs exact words) statement.

 

1. 1st off, EFNs Blackgate caps has thousands of hours. mine's prolly just passed 200+ hours.

 

2. u listened to my Gmod via my dock+cable+Tomahawk. u listened to EFNs iMod via his dock+cable+supermicroIV. u did not listen to the Gmod via EFNs dock+cable+supermicroIV which is what EFN did.

 

3. last but not least, its a not so secret "trade secret" that there are 2 Blackgate HX HiQ cap values that are suitable for use as signal coupling caps. i've spent many many many hours R&D'in these 2 values. FWIW, i know exactly what iMod uses and my Gmod uses a different value because it suits my taste. but do remember that differences with the 2 BG cap values are very very minor and most importantly, its NOT a matter of which is better but which suits u more.

 

quick brief on caps values differences:

(tech sifus do chime in with your take on this)

 

lower value: very slightly more rolloff at the lower frequencies hence giving the illusion of quicker but tighter bass with upper microdetails very prominent (almost like the effect of sitting in the front row).

 

higher value: very slighty more rolloff at the upper frequencies hence giving the illusion of deeper and more organic bass with a smoother upper end (again almost like the effect of sitting in the 10th row).

 

which is better?? i've been racking my brains on this but since i love microdetails, i decided to go with the lower value on my own personal Gmod. again they are both Blackgate HX HiQs (which is argueable the best signal coupling E-caps available) and the differences are very very minor.

im also happy to announce our collaboration with ANALOGUE REFERENCE to bring you our complete Gmod package with us doing the actual mod on the ipod itself and Analogue Reference doing the special Dock+Cable combo. i have full confidence in the quality of workmanship exhibited by the Analogue Reference cables plus the fact that now, we have a representative in S'pore itself to take care of our valued customers.

indeed, anyone can contact AR for a demo of the Gmod before actually plunking down your hard earned cash!! how much more fairer is that. and on top, i do believe its priced considerably lower than the highly regarded iMod. another reason for our collaboration with AR is because we wanted to provide the best Customer Service we can (in the vein of the iconic American Brands).

sounds like a WIN WIN if i ever heard of one!

please feel free to post or PM me any questions on the technical merits our the Gmod and i'll do my best to provide the appropriate answer

Whats the pricing like for the Gmod?

errrr...guyz i thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the interest. i'd be glad to answer any questions on the technical merits of the Gmod here however i dont think it'd be prudent of me to do business in a thread without the authorization of the mods.

anyone interested in getting a Gmod done, please PM me and i'd be happy to provide more details.

finally below are some impressions by your local headfiers who had a listen to our Gmod unit. be aware that the Gmod they listened to isnt optimally burnt-in as the Blackgate HX NiQ are notorious for needing many many many hours before sounding their best.

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HeadphoneHaven - Where Music Enthusiasts Gather. > Sources > [impressions] Gmod

 

 

Posted by: Ryner Jul 14 2007, 04:34 AM

Hello ladies and gentlemen, Ahdui and I are finally back from a short holiday. So it's time for some new goody goodies.

 

First and foremost, I would like to thank the good people who form Team Gmod (Scottiebabe and Gary) and Analog Reference for letting me do the first impressions of the Gmod.

 

I have been playing with the unit for a few hours already and here are my impressions, I will update you guys about the changes in sound as I continue to cook it thoroughly (run in). The Gmod consists of 2 parts; 1 G-modded Ipod and an external dock cable housing the caps.

 

For now here are my findings using the Gmod -> SR-71 -> UE10pro and Sensaphonics 2X-S. I'm also using a stock 5.5 gen 30gig ipod as a comparison.

 

The first thing that striked me when I first listened to it was the superbly natural bass, the bass is well controlled, hits hard and deep and bass notes comes and go with great agility. Vocals are pretty well presented with emotions, the lead singer sounds like he/she is singing and not just reciting off a script. The treble is well controlled and smooth, the stock ipod in comparison had a lot of digital glare, and feels hard and bright.

 

The Gmod has a pretty wide soundstage and has a good depth of sound. The stock ipod feels very 2D or should I say flat and in your face kinda feeling. Instrument seperation on the Gmod is pretty distinct and the instruments are projected pretty accurately within the soundstage. Overall, I am both pleased and encouraged with the Gmod's ability in audio reproduction.

 

Thats all for my first impressions and since I will be holding on to the review set for awhile, I will update with more findings as the set continues to burn in so stay tune folks. biggrin.gif

Posted by: theory_87 Jul 14 2007, 01:24 PM

My short impression with a un burn in Gmod is quite pleasant. The sound signature is warm but fun. For those people who like bass, gmod is quite good. The bass is heavy but not over powering the entire sound spectrum. Mid is quite smooth especially with the vocals. Like what Ryner had said, there is emotion in the singer voice. Treble sound natural to me unlike the default 5th gen ipod which produce digital sound. Sound staging wise is pretty good. It airy wide and reasonable deep. I can figure out where each instrument is place. Overall, I'll give Gmod a thumb up.

 

The equipment I use in the hearing session is Gmod -> Xin Reference/Supermicro IV -> TF10P.

 

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Any updates?

pardon my delayed updates but unless u want my admittedly biased raves, i gotta for wait others to write their reviews . i wish it could be faster but...sigh...plus the time it takes Blackgate HX HiQs to burn-in doesnt help with speediness .

based on what i've been told so far, our Gmod unit sounds very much like the 4g imod in the bass and soundstage with the highs not as smooth but im blamimg the not-quite-optimumally-burnt-in BGs for that. im sure it'll smoothen out in due time.

this is as much info as i've heard as im also waiting impatiently for an impartial 3rd party opinion. if i havent heard incorrectly, i believe a fellow by the callsign of RYNER is doing the review. the fact that he also owns a 4g imod should give some credibility to his impressions.

stay tuned.....

i havent heard nor heard of the AT EQ44 so i cant give much of an opinion on it except that it looks pretty and im sure your GF will like the looks. i think sony, pana, jvc and most of the big boyz have a version of clip-ons.

however if u truly care about her and she can appreciate great sounds, this is arguably the best clip-on u can get for SQ. check it out:

its my personal recabled and modded KSC75 and i can attest that it sounds spectacular. most of the issues with the original KSC75 (and its no slouch to start with - its not known as the king of budget cans for nothing!!) are solve with the high Q cable and the Kramer type mods brought all the micro details one can hope for!

this is what i would get for her if she's my GF YMMV ofcoz

thanks for all the encouragement and kind words guyz. its nice to be appreciated for the work. anyways i can fully report that while waiting for the BG NX HiQs to arrive, the tantalums im currently using have burnt in nicely. my mod iM716s have serious deep, tight and impactful bass with all the accompanying accolades higher resolution and clarity brings. and this off an Ety-type sound signature of iM716s (which isnt exactly famed for its bass impact as most of you know). i cant wait to test the Mk2 Gmod with the BGs

we may provide the Mk1 version (with onboard smt caps) for those who demand full ipod mating flexibility based on custom order. though not as good SQ as the Mk2 (with dock mounted BG NX HiQs), the Mk1 Gmod is still heads and shoulders above the normal ipod lineout IMO. we will also doing some R&D on other Apple models and certain other makes and may offer the mod service if demands are viable. another hoorayy for asian ingenuity

i should be recieving your compatriots Mk1 Gmod on WED and he should have it back in his hand by the end of this week. stay tuned for further updates

PS:to answer tonedef, inline coupling caps are needed because of the constant DC voltage outputted by the 'pod post DAC. not many amps are designed for direct full-DC coupling and care must be taken that no DC offsets reaching downstream amps are over 10 millivolts or this may cause them to overheat & could damage the amp and or speakers. thats why coupling caps are needed and since no space is available onboard the 5g 'pod for normal caps (excepting smt caps ofcoz), special cap mounted docks are required.

this is the best explanation i can give based on my limited EE knowledge so any other EE sifus are welcome to chimed in with more info. as noted in my 1st post, Gary's the EE genius. im just the mouthpiece

nice customs! another good reason for me to visit your lovely island now all i gatta do is to chase my running wallet down

sorry to bust some bubbles here but no Gmod funeral procession as of yet !!! as you boyz and gurlz mite guess, r&d isnt quite the calkwalk we would have liked. believe it or not, although we weren't original we infact are developing this on our own so a misstep or two along the way is part and parcel of life in the audiophile fastlane

so here the most recent gossip. we did infact ship a Mk1 Gmod unit lastweek to one your compatriots and after some intense auditioning, certain conclusions were formed. it seems that the Mk1 Gmod unit while much better than a normal 'pods lineout, fell a tad short when compared with another "ahem" mod unit from way wayy across alot of ponds. not having the "ahem" mod unit inhand, we ofcoz took your compatriots word and went back to the design board.

here's our conclusions: after some testing, we finally pinpointed the culprit to the onboard smt caps we installed. it seems that while HiQ by smt cap standards, they do NOT perform as well as normal tantalums not to mention the venerated BG NX HiQ. it would appear that our desire to be flexible in NOT making people buy a special dock+cable combo isnt quite the best solution for supreme SQ.

at this very moment im listen to my Mk2 Gmod unit (with the onboard smt caps substituted with regular tantalums in the dock)) with an ear2ear smile on my face. my Tomahawk > mod iM716/mod&recabled Ksc75 have never sounded so good. its definitely a coupla rungs upwards and i still havent tried the BG HX HiQs!

so its official - our final production Gmods are going to be DAC direct to lineout (shortest distance with the best quality wiring we can do) + special dock (installed with BG HX HiQ caps) so you can use your favorite ICs or special dock+cable combo. thats the best SQ to come out of a 'pod! PERIOD!

our noted s'porean headfier is reshipping his Mk1 Gmod back to us as we speak for Mk2 refit. will definetly provide a final and happy update next week. plz hold your collective breaths for just a moment longer

read post #7 here for my thoughts. goodluck

just throwing u a curve ball here but my modded iM716 blow away alot of mid-end cans with my gear. for not a lot of $$$ u get a seriously good IEM with superb isolation IMO.

2 caveats:

1. learn to fit/seat and use either the triflange or foamie tips. this is very important if u wanna get great sound (esp. bass)

2. if you realy care about SQ and have a strong stomach, consider this mod. i found 33ohm is great for going unamped (although amping makes a huge diff) or 5+/6+ohm if amping for a tad more refinement. (warning:modding may degrade resale value but mod is reversible if done carefully IMO)

FWIW, my combo of Gmod>Tomahawk>modded iM716 allowed me the accuracy and SQ to discern differences in IC cables and even 320AAC-ALAC files. YMMV of'coz. i think SE sells the AL iM716/Ety ER4p/s.

I would personally get the go-vibe between the two as I find the go-vibe less coloured IMO. You can always get another set of interconnect to boost the bass a little for the EC7.

x2! IMO the GV5 is a step up from the basic pa2v2. also the 9v battery give it more flexibility to drive high Z cans.

any chance to find pcwork cable in singapore?

i dont believe its available in s'pore at this time. however if your serious, drop me a PM and i'll either pass u his email or get him to contact u to discuss the matter.

here's some updates on a cool feature of the braided Litz cable that i've not seen in any other short IC:

I ‘ve been using PCWORKs 6wire Litz Style IC cables for a few weeks now in replacement of the original PCWORK normal diy canare IC. However it only took me a few days of critical listening before I was able to discern small but noticeable sonic differences between PCdude’s new 6wire litz and his old 4wire canare cables.

Before I come up with flowery and big money words to describe the sonic attributes of the new 6wire litz IC, I have to add the disclaimer that I was NOT a believer in the long held and just as controversial view that cables make a sonic difference. I always thought that given decent initial quality, a cable is a cable is a cable. Copper is copper is copper. How much more simple is that? I was proven wrong by my own ears. I could hear a difference!

Recent experiences in choosing capacitor values for my new Gmod modifications taught this old dog some tricks regarding the sonic effects capacitance has on sound. Also the recent acquisition of an ER4 p-s impedance adapter of 75ohms (again beautifully made by PCdude) have again shown me the sonic traits imparted by impedance. Based on these experiences, I can conclude that cable impedance and capacitance are the major culprits of “cable soundâ€. It is my personal opinion that the best cables should have no sound signature. Transparency is the holy grail of cables (and indeed, of source too IMO). Their task is to carry the audio signal as pure and as unadulterated as possible from one end to the other.

So what does this have to do with cable sonic differences and this supposed review? Well, after only taking up audiophilia with any serious intentions for a relatively short time, I can honestly admit that I do not know how to review cables! I mean I can say the 6wire litz give more bass and that the treble seems livelier with unadulterated (boy I love this word for some reason) honesty but I interpret that as greater transparency and resolution. Instead of the 6wire litz “giving†more bass, it is my opinion that the positive sonic differences I hear is due to its greater resolution and transparency. The greater electrical conducting capacity of the 6wire litz carries a purer unadulterated audio signal. Period! And I heard it as greater bass, livelier treble and increased clarity and sparkle. That said, the differences I could discern (the Gmod helped greatly btw) are not of biblical or even monumental proportions. Though small it is discernable if one is listening with sufficient clarity of mind and concentration (and sobriety helps in my case).

Again recent experiences demo’ing our new Gmod showed me the differences in remarks, impressions and opinions from different people even though everyone’s listening to the samething. The one thing that everyone concluded is the Gmod is much better than normal lineout. Other than that, its more bass, less bass, tighter bass, bigger slam, more treble extension, more forward mids, better vocals, wider soundstage, bigger stage, more depth, more details, better dynamics, greater PRaT, increased speed and quickness, greater clarity, better tonality, brighter, yadi yadi yada…….! Take your pick of phases and use it in your statement and it’ll still ring true even though the next guy has a different set. To me they’re all interpreting and describing what is IMO an increase in resolution and transparency.

So to conclude, the newer PCWORK 6wire litz cable (don’t know which make as I didn’t ask) is more transparent and resolved than the normal 4wire canare cable IMO. Not mind bendingly so but its significant enough for me. YMMV of’coz. O plus the fact the 6wire interweave is so cool.

But wait, there’s part deux…

Last week I was fortunate enough to be handed a set of custom top-of-the-line Analogue Reference mini IC cable made by a well known s’pore headfier to audition. I’ve been listening to it from my Gmod ‘pod to Tomahawk driving my modded iM716. For the longest time, I honestly cannot hear any differences as both are very very good (as least compared to my former canare IC) and sounded identical. And so I did my normal reviewing tactic of just using the AR only for the next few days till a few hours ago. And the result is…..(drumroll)……I still honestly (and unadulteratedly) cannot discern any significant difference! They are both that good.

Now since I’ve promised a review and reviews need conclusions, I’ve resorted to a mental exercise I’m well versed in esp.on cold and wet lonely nights. I’ll pretend a gorgeous babe with serious booties flashing me some indecent cleavage and making goo goo eyes at me with promises of other “goodies†to come if and only if I stand up, be a man, stop the namby-pamby and make a decisive decision! In that moment of bloodlust insanity, I’ll probably blurt out that the AR have a feline hair more bass with the accompanying warmth and the 6wire PCWORK Litz might have the slightest (again by a feline hair) upper end extension and clarity. So who’s the winner here? Hmmm…I guess it would depend on whether I’m game for a fuller bottom or in the mood for some extended lungs at that very moment. Please take my prior statement with not only a pinch of salt but with the skepticism that it’s the ramblings of a man push to the edge and made to choose by a PYT (Pretty Young Thing la, what else??). Its tantamount to critiquing Cindy Crawford’s mole!

Whatever my ramblings, IMHO the real winner is us. We in this part of the world have dedicated DIY’ers that not only put in the requisite time and effort, they put in a lot of themselves and it shows in the quality of their workmanship and QC. I for one am supremely grateful I get to sample their wares even while not fully comprehending the amount of work and pride that goes into each IC. The word handcrafted shines like a beacon in this world of increasing automation. Whatever the price charged (and I’m absolutely positive its way wayyy cheaper than the ICs Americans and Europeans pay) I would not be begrudging their small profit for a lot of effort but I’d be afraid they may not have the free time available to custom make me an IC esp.in this increasingly hectic and stress filled rat-race we call modern society.

Disclaimer:

Ahhh...no, sad to admit but I’m NOT paid by either party for this review (hint:I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart but more importantly, also in the hope I get sent more toyz to play with and inlieu of toyz, cash also works). As usual, this is only my humble opinion with my current gear. YMMV and despite my convincing argument, its the gray matter between your ears that holds the key.

ok how do i put this simply. the Gmod out takes the place of the reg. 5g ipod's lineout which means that a lineout dock plus IC cables are still required to hookup to your favourite amp. the RWA imod + ALO special imod IC cables (with output caps built in the dock) are NOT required. you can use any reg. ipod lineout dock with your favourite IC cables. i hope that clear enough.

re. headout, the headout of a 5g ipod resides in the back plate portion that separates from the PCB/HD/LCD portion into 2 different pieces. a special factory ipod detachable cable runs from the PCB portion to the back plate portion for the headout and lockout section. due to the Gmod extracting a pure signal from the DAC, we have to mod in a new signal wire which cannot be attached to the original ipod detachable backplate cable. anyone attempting to open up their ipods (eg.for new battery installation) can if careless or otherwise, accidentally sever/cut the special Gmod signal wire. thats as simple as i can make this without pictures.

anyways, with the Gmod, the normal ipod lineout is modded to a Hi SQ "Gmod" lineout. the original 5g 'pod's headout remain intact and can be used as such. hope you're much clearer now.

pricing to follow.

I think it would be nice if you could perform the Gmod on the lineout instead of the headphone out... And much nicer too if you could squeeze everything into the ipod so that a special gmod dock cable won't be required That and approach or better imod 5g sound quality, and you'll have a winner

 

when are you planning your mini-meet? I can't wait!

Any update on the Gpod?

we've actually managed to put in a set of hiQ wima low tolerance matched pair smt caps on the ipod pcb itself, thereby negating the need for any "special" cables. its totally plug n play!!! you can used any dock + cable combo you wish.

we working on turning the headout into the Gmod out and have been somewhat successful. however due to the fact that the headout of the 5G/5.5g 'pods resides on the separate backplate portion, anyone opening their 'pods mite accidentally sever the Gmod cable. thats the $99 problem. other than that, headout to Gmod-out isnt much of an issue.

infact we just shipped our 1st production unit to a local s'porean headfier and is anxiously awaiting his review of Gmod vs normal ipod lineout and Gmod vs 4g imod. we're super confident the Gmod will acquit itself with honor

O and the Gmod's SQ is pretty spectacular IMO (although i must admit my opinion isnt entirely unbiased ). as to the Gmod's SQ being equal or better than imod, i leave that to others with better ears than mine

I'm still on the fence on getting an imod. I want to upgrade the internal drive to the new 100Gb Toshiba and put in a high capacity battery at the same time. I mailed Vinnie if he could do the swap and mod at the same time which seems more efficient to me than opening the iPod twice. Unfortunately his answer was rather abrupt and not very friendly or helpfull at all so I've scrapped that idea. I'm eagerly awaiting your end results and almost certainly will be one of your first customers if and when you decide to do this for other forum members!

thank you for your confidence and kind words. im currently awaiting the shipment of a well known S'porean Headfier's 5g ipod to be Gmod-ed. he's very kindly agreed to post his impressions (and perhaps a detailed review of head2head with 4g imods) once he recieves and auditions the Gmod unit.

we are currently working out the details and investigating the viability of doing the Gmod on a commercial basis. of coz, we'd be happy to change your battery and HD at the sametime at NO charge. will update as i know more. meantime, my prototype's working great with zero issues FWIW

this would be interesting... can't wait to find out more.

(i wonder if apple will be unhappy about something called gpod. maybe gmod?

LOL! i doubt Apple owns all the words ending in "..pod" + can u see them going after someone who mods a few ipods?? .

alittle update as its been a few days since the eventful moment. goodnews is the GPod's still functioning fine and pumps out serious sounding tunes. im still in the process of determining best SQ capacitor/resistor values. we still have to tidy up the whole mod plus decide if we gonna use the lineout option (RWA musta spend time on it and who are we to buck that!). besides demo'ing to friends, i'll also be bringing the prototype to a local headfi meet to gauge reaction and see if my ears have been lying to me

if things workout as anticipated, i already promised a well known s'porean DIY headfier (nicknamed "Qsilver" of Qsilver lineout docks) i'd ship the unit to him to audition and perhaps have a head2head with local s'porean headdudes with RWA imods. now that should be interesting .

if the GPod aquits itself with honor and we're satisfied about reliability (not that its an issue but we must be absolute about QC) and settle the cost issue, we'll see about doing a few GPods for the interested few (if there's any interest ofcoz). but lets take it one step at a time

ps:FWIW the GPod mods wont cost usd249 + usd110 for imod cables

Nice to hear of some regional innovation as well. Did you mod the 4G or 5/5.5G Ipod?

we modded the 5g ipod without the need for a special cable btw

obviously then take pics of the internals!!

 

?!?!?!

also if you're feeling very generous, just post a diy guide and sell kits with parts...

diy guides and kits wont help most people much not because im being a selfish chinaman but because (GPod) gary's genius is in his ability to solder and desoldering very thin ipod type smt pcbs. the values he changed and replaced are about the size of a pinhead. that plus knowing which values and what to change.

i believe RedWineAudio's site made it quite clear what they do and AFAIK, its no lie. up to and until now, that info is widely circulated. the fact that there's NO one else doing it should provide us with a hint of the difficulties in the execution. indeed all u have to do is to take apart a imod to trace what was done so that part isnt rocket science.

Thought I’d share this titbit of info with any and all fellow head dudes who cares about the music and SQ they hear. Me and a GENIUS fren of mine by the name of Gary have talked about the Red Wine Audio Imod ipod and how we in Asia and SEA specifically don’t get to share in the fun (due I guess to costs, the low ringgit and maybe distance). To make a long story short, we talked, discussed, debated and finally acted to make our own SQ ipod mod. Since the gentleman’s name is Gary, I decided to call it the GPod (short for Gary modded iPod).

Well after many hours of mental R&D, rounding up parts and pertinent technical info, we finally spent the better part of last night (and morning) tearing into the guts of my poor 30gb 5gen Ipod. The result is the 1st prototype of a local Malaysian (aren’t we proud??? ) 1st ever in SEA (afaik) developed SQ ipod mod - the GPod!

I spent what wee hours left of this morning (coz I couldn’t put it down) listening and critiquing the proto GPod. The results are…..Astounding, Amazing, Awesome! Driven by a RSA Tomahawk into a podectomized AL iM716 (my current reference with an Ety ER4p/s arriving shortly I hope), i'm rediscovering my music collection. Song after song, track after track, I’m simply overwhelmed and astounded by the increased clarity, PRaT (pace, rythmn and timing), speed, dynamics, etc.. Its as if the heavens opened and a great veil was lifted off and I’m finally hearing what’s truly contained in the music so much so I couldn’t put my GPod down. Every song comes with an electrifying sparkle that I have not heard before! And all on 320/256AACs!!! It is with supreme tiredness (lucky I get to ponteng work today) but also with great exuberance and happiness that I’m at home writing this (as I’m listening my proto GPod of’coz ).

Bearing in mind the usual caveats regarding one off prototypes (such as inadequate burn-in of parts, inconsistency of settings, unreliability, etc..) and the fact that I’ve sold off my home rig and so am totally relying on my Total Recall (or lack of) for comparison, it is my humble opinion that the GPod’s SQ supercedes my prior Cambridge Audio 540c CDP and is atleast comparable to my (now ex) Marantz 63SE + Zhaolu D2 DAC combo! WOW..think about that for a moment!

Anyways, brader PCWORK (a fellow LYN forumer and headcase) will be joining me this sunday at my humble abode for a joint listening session (he’s so in LOVE with the ES7 ), so I hope he’ll either somewhat confirm or fully debunk what I have just posted. It should be revealingly fun nonetheless. On top of this, I might join WALABIES in an initial unveiling (pardon the pun) of the GPod at the July local KL headfi meet barring any major catastrophes and time willing.

If the question now is can I get one? The answer to that is I’m not quite sure. Gary and I started this project as a personal venture on my part to get the utmost SQ source for my ultimate portable rig as I’ve given up on a home rig (for the time being atleast). There are still some technical hurdles to cross and I’ve still to settle on the best setup option. Eg. the proto GPod’s headout is now the lineout but we’re debating if using the lineout dock isn’t the better option as it then allows the GPod to be used as a regular ipod (ampless). There’s also the issue of costing as I’m sure we’re all aware Malaysia isn’t exactly a Mecca (again pardon the pun ) for launching such a product. Nevertheless, I shall endeavor to perfect this GPod mod as its SQ is simply mind blowing and to not share it would be a sin IMO.

That’s it for the time being and I shall updated this thread as new facts and info presents itself and shall also endevour to answer any questions (or not ) as best as I can. Thxs for reading my rantings!

ps:i have not included any pics because the GPod looks and walks like a regular 5gen ipod (as all mods are internal) but thankfully DOES NOT quack like one

O before i forget, im sure some of you s'preans will be asking hows it compare to the RWA imod? well...i've contacted and am planning a mini meet with another super fellow headfier (EFN@headfi.org) who owns and loves his 4gen imod. will certainly update this thread when that happens and damn the outcome

edited June26:due to numerous requests, we decided to change our ipod mod to GMOD (instead of the original GPOD). hope this alleviates any resultant confusion

why dont the big boyz do an audiophile quality DAP? simple economics my dear boy! . for eg. apple's ipods sells in the millions of units and all their tooling, stock/parts inventory and production is geared for that objective. the sad reality is that the huge majority of DAP users are satisfied with the standard quality ipod. heck, apple's itunes store sells their music in 128kbps format (hardly even close to what audiophiles demand!).

the market for "audiophile" quality DAPs are so relatively minute that they'd rather leave any and all of the aftermarket mods to mom and pop operations (like RedWineAudio). incase we view it as opportunity lost, the big boyz sees as less than a drop in the bucket. indeed, in recent years even (factory) lineout ports are virtually extinct. and all in the interest of the almighty bottomline im afraid

i can see both sides of the coin and they each have their merits. TEAM FOTM will always want and need the newest and latest gadgets and in that vein, any extra $$$ spent on a soon-to-be-outdated item will not be a wise investment.

and there's no doubt a standalone cdp is best as it allows infinite downstream options not to mention upgrade flexibility. but that only holds water when building a home rig. besides the ubiquitous and (in)famous ghettoblaster trend of the late 70s/80s/90s, i've yet to see the viability of lugging around a home rig OTG.

if the quest is for the best portable stick-in-it-the-pocket source then the imod is one of the very few (if not the only) choices avaible. when SQ is the priorty, age and asthetics should be as valid as any other piece of equipment we value. does it matter how old our amp or cdp as long it sounds good? IMHO there's no reason why the an item like the imod cant be used infinitely (within the realm of its mechanical lifespan) if portable SQ is the prime objective.

i do believe the issue isnt whether the imod is "worth" it. the correct question should be "what is having the best portable DAP source worth to me?" as for the actual worth of the cost of the imod, i'll answer it by saying that i have no doubt there are local forumers here that owns individual component costing >USD1k even in this micro headfi universe. think about it

I am looking forward to the day when when one of our own guy do this kind of mod on a commercial basis. So scottiebabie keep us posted.

But can the imod really be so good as most of us encode (even at the highest quality) using a cd rom which most of the time are flimsy stuff. If that is the case, then a budget CDP should sound better.

surething. will keep u guyz posted on the status of a local iwine type mod if there's interest. infact if the mod is successful, i dont foresee why the same mod wont be viable on other DAP makes excepting cost consideration ofcoz. but lets not put the carriage before the horse

do correct me if im wrong here but with any cdp that reads offa laser, transport mechanics, jitter and perhaps inferior output caps and opamps are potential issues, not to mention AC noise introduced by cheap AC/DC psu's.

even taking into accout similiar DAC quality, an imod type DAP circumvents a bunch of the issues mentioned above by being battery powered, reading offa a HD and streaming it directly to the DAC which then directly outputs to an external amp thus bypassing a whacka SQ degrading circuitry.

plus the biggest whammy is that an imod is totally portable. in standalone cdp's, there's a ton of choices varying in quality and price. in the portable DAP realm, sure we get to choose what make and model DAPs to buy but we don't get to improve the SQ of the DAP itself. excepting the imod that is and thats the primary reason to purchase such a device IMO.

Excellent review there ! Just a question though, did u use HD or Bass for the im716?

glad u enjoyed the review. i didnt used either HD nor Bass mode as my iM716 is modded. i basically depodded the unit and replaced it with 2x33ohm resistors inline. i found that the SQ improved significantly.

you can review the procedure here

also if you're realy careful and do it properly, the procedure is fully reversible.