Imod or not?

[loop_ 0]

I got this email from a forum member, but don't feel very qualified to answer because I don't know much about daps. So I'm putting the qn here with my response, and anyone who has anything to add pls do.

 

"Hi, since you have one, need your advice. I have been emailing Vinnie abt the imod and will send one soon. Do you think there is a player there that can rival the imod in terms of SQ? Currently my amp is the bithead with a senn hd 580. I can upgrade but i hate to do online ordering. Thanks and regards."

 

 

 

1) I haven't really tried with other daps before, so I can't really answer your question. I bought the imod because I just wanted to get a dap which was top notch and not have to bother with testing etc. I did however compare it with the vintage sony cdp d321. The imod is better.

 

2) If you want to do more research, you can try asking around in www.headphonehaven.com They have alot of imod owners there who might let you try it out at Wilson's. That way you can maybe compare to whats around there. Also do you know the imod for g5 is out? you might want to get that rather than a g4 instead if you want 20g more.

 

3) That said everyone agrees that you only get your full money's worth if you use lossless encodes. This means that if you predominantly listen to downloaded music then the investment is probably not worth it. If you are happy to encode your collection to alac then it would be more worth it.

 

4) imho, the price of the imod is not worth it if you plan to use it as a home dap. If you want to have a top portable dap I don't think anything beats it, but if size is not a problem and you have a big cd collection (which I presume since if you don't then you can't encode to alac) then I would say dollar for dollar, getting a good cd player is much better. I use a Cambridge Audio 540Cv2 in my room, it's a budget cdp which is even cheaper than the imod, and in my opinion, it's better by some distance. Some people will disagree definitely, but I think getting a good cdp is a better idea.

 

Lastly, if you really want to get the most out of your source, you might want to get a better amp. The bithead isn't very well regarded, but I've never heard it so I don't know. You right on the money with a HD580 though. I love my HD600 (has the same drivers). If you can get the metal grills for the hd580 and upgraded cables, I think you'll be very happy...

 

[hnx676 0]

Seems like there are plenty of iMod users around in Singapore huh ...

My situation is very similar to loop. I have tried creative, samsung, sony etc etc but I think iMod really have an edge over them, especially when running on battery alone.

 

I do not have a good audiophile setup at home, just a home theater setup, and I have not really benchmark the iMod to my Denon 3930. Perhaps I will do it when I get a chance to spend more time at home.

 

My office setup is for near field low level listening and iMod performs well. But I think the setup need improvement to really reveal what iMod is capable of doing ...

[Fire_jk18 0]

Hey loop i heard that the red wine ppl haf come up with the mod for the g5 and 5.5. But i heard the price iis like way more than the g4 as the g5 and 5.5 are smaller and thus harder to mod. Hehe im also thinking of getting one but the estimated cost is correct me if im wrong like $600plus. They said that the Imod has the same DAC as the cambridge audio players and that the chips and capasitors are quite high end. Is that true?

[dle4e_2005 0]

The price for 5th Gen 80gb Imod is USD$550 + USD$35(shipping to Singapore) + USD$1xx+(IC and dock{*A must})

Total cost in Sing Dollar is about SGD$1,050+

**Not adding in Shipping charge from Singapore to USA which is SGD$50(For the fastest shipping)

 

 

 

If you only want to Imod your ipod 5th Gen the cost is USD$250 + USD$35(shipping to Singapore) + USD$1xx+(IC and dock{*A must})

Total cost in Sing Dollar is about SGD$600+

**Not adding in Shipping charge from Singapore to USA which is SGD$50(For the fastest shipping)

 

 

 

For now we cannot say which Imod is better as the 5th Gen is not out yet.(but you can pre-order)

 

For more information on 5th Gen Imod,go over to this website here.

 

http://www.aloaudio.com/imod/5gimod.html

Edited May 21, 2007 by dle4e_2005

[hnx676 0]

I believe iMod 4G 60GB is a better value then the newer ones, given the flexibility of:

- lower cost

- changing the cable for mix-and match with the amplification and earphone...

- able to use AC power while running in / listening

 

That is provided you are satisfied with:

- no headphone output

- white finish only

- no video play-back capability

- 60GB of maximum storage

- no gapless playback using default ipod firmware

 

For me, some of these setback on iMod 4G seems important but my bank account has strongly objected the thought of 5G iMod ...

Edited May 22, 2007 by hnx676

[Fire_jk18 0]

actually is there much of a diff between the g4 and 5 that warrants so much more? Like perhaps better parts?

[hnx676 0]

actually is there much of a diff between the g4 and 5 that warrants so much more? Like perhaps better parts?

 

It's more of the difference on the implementation method of the 2 ...

[Fire_jk18 0]

It's more of the difference on the implementation method of the 2 ...

 

so its just cos its harder to implement? But the parts upgrades are abt the same rite? Or a big diff?

[hnx676 0]

so its just cos its harder to implement? But the parts upgrades are abt the same rite? Or a big diff?

 

The parts upgrade should be similar. But 5G is harder to mod due to limited space... Check out the posting in headfi for more info ...

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=240110

[scottiebabie 0]

it is my humble opinion that any upgrade in source is well worth the $$$. since i subscribe to the "garbage in garbage out" doctrine, i believe one can never have too good a source.

 

the RWA imod is perhaps the best portable source one can obtain presently. regardless of 4g or 5g imod, the choice btwn both boils down to asthetics, packaging and perhaps cost.

 

i myself is in the process of R&D'in a local mod of of equivalent SQ (hopefully). else, i'd be lining up to get myself a unit too.

 

that said, one should also consider upgrades of music files to higher quality lossy or even lossless. again better in-better out. LOL!

[sghound 0]

it is my humble opinion that any upgrade in source is well worth the $$$. since i subscribe to the "garbage in garbage out" doctrine, i believe one can never have too good a source.

 

yep. it gives the rest of the components down the chain the chance to perform their best.

Edited May 22, 2007 by sghound

[ogoi 0]

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.

[scottiebabie 0]

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.

[Absolute0 0]

For the prices quoted above, I'd rather get a better amp to use with a pocketdock (or similar), better headphones/IEM, or a mid-fi standalone CDP if portable use is not a priority. Each would provide greater versatility in combination with other gear, and not limit you to what is essentially a very dear portable source that is being superseded faster than you can say "I want an iPod" (of course, I exaggerate.)

 

Apple should be releasing the next gen iPod pretty soon, which should be factored in before committing to an iMod, either 4G or 5/5.5G. The last thing you want to happen is to find out that the latest gen iPod is tons better (and cooler) than the current one in more ways than one.

 

My 2 cents.

[Bushwacker 0]

I guess for those who are interested in the Imods, they would have mid-high end amps and similar IEMs/Headphones and are thinking of upgrading their source to a better one.

 

For those who are interested, looks are secondary to the sound quality of the Imod.

 

Personally, I am looking at the option of getting an Imod. My reason is that I would like to have a portable source which can compete or better entry level cd players. Futhermore, upgrading to better IEMs (SF5 to TF10, for eg) is not really justifiable due to the difference between them is not that great.

I have tried both with my cdp and ipod. The cdp allows the tf10 to perform fully and thus is very much better than the sf5 ( Tigher Bass, Improved Detailness, Soundstage)

 

Thus it really depends on individuals.

 

I did some maths for the 4G Imod and its $645 for the 30GB while $725 for the 60GB. Both Ipods are refurbished from apple sg.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Bushwacker