![]() ![]() It is nice to have all your music libraries in lossless, at the palm of your hand, and the Imod shines because of that.īefore we continue, let me talk a little bit more about the Imod and the different capacitor configurations. The Sony doesn’t offer any external storage, and while the Teclast and the Hifiman HM-801 does offer external storage, having to carry multiple SD cards is a hassle (I’m sure I’ll lose one or two of these small cards soon). What’s more, ALO is currently offering the Imods to up to 240GB of storage, something that’s hard to do with all the other players. The Imod is actually a very good package as an overall DAP, because you’re still get the basic Ipod platform, which is probably the best platform when user interface (UI), design, reliability, battery life, compatibility, and third party support is concerned. But if you have a super resolving cans and a neutral sounding amplifier, then the Ipod can be tiring in the long run. If you have a warm cans and amplifier combination, then the Ipod can help to make it more lively. I guess that system sinergy is also important. The fact that the RWA Imod is more transparent and more resolving also means that those bad recordings are becoming even more apparent. The Sony, on the other hand, is quite forgiving of bad recordings. You’ve heard of the loudness war, the overboosted trebles, and the Ipods can be fatiguing if you listen to these recordings. You do know that maybe up to 90% of the music we listen to was not perfectly recorded. I largely prefer the livelier sounding Ipods to the warmer sounding Sony X, but there are still times that I wish I was listening to the warmer sounding X. Apparently Apple didn’t change the DAC circuitry very much, because even with different DAC chips, they still retain a similar “Apple Ipod sound”, especially when compared to the other brands. Then the 2nd generation comes in a single 120GB flavor, and the 3rd gen returns with the 160GB). (the first generation Classic came out in 80GB and 160GB flavors and reportedly comes with a Cirrus Logic chip. I know that the 5.5G RWA Imod has the famous Wolfson DAC chip inside it, but as for the 120GB Classic, I’m not quite sure what DAC chip is used. Aside from that difference, I’d consider both Ipods to have the same sound signature, with the RWA Imod being a better version of that sound signature. The Classic actually has more body in upper midrange than the RWA Imod, but at the same time, you’ll find the RWA Imod to be more transparent on that region than the Classic. You’ll immediately notice that the Imod has better detail level, a clearer treble, stronger bass, and a larger soundstage. If you like the sound of the Classic, then the RWA Imod will give you a better version of that sound. If I can put it into one sentece, the Sony is a warmer, more mid oriented sound, while the Ipods are livelier and more dynamic sounding. So, in this case, even when pitched against the Sony X, the Classic does have its own strenghts of a livelier, airier and wider soundstage sound. On the other hand, the Ipods (especially the RWA Imod) were much better in conveying a sense of realism in the soundstage. The Sony X actually still sounded quite “closed”, even when playing such a great recording. The Jazz At the Pawnshop album is quite a famous recording that successfully recorded the open ambiance of a Jazz club. The Ipods may not have the greatest soundstage, but after moving from the Sony X, I get a sense of openness that I didn’t get in the Sony. The soundstage is also significantly smaller than what you hear from the Ipod. Although, while the Sony is warm and clean sounding, it does lack the airy sound that you get with the Ipods (I’m talking both the Classic and the Imod here). And, if you are a vocal lover, you will like the warmer, thicker, and smoother midrange of the Sony X. It’s warmer sounding than the Ipod, though not excessively warm. The Sony X has a very likable sound signature. ![]() In this case I’m comparing the Classic to the Sony X. The sound signature of the Ipod may leave a lot to be desired, but, actually the Classic does certain things well. ![]() It is not the best sounding player, but it gets the job done. I think the Ipod sound is something that probably all of us have heard. One is a 120GB Ipod Classic, and the other is the 80GB 5.5 Gen RWA Imod, and even though they have their own differences, and even though the DAP chip is different, the sound signature between the two of them is quite similar, that I can consider them to be the “Ipod sound”. ![]() There are two Ipods models in this comparison. ![]()
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