The world of high-end audio is a lot of fun. Experimenting with different types of gear to see what kind of results you get is like tampering with flasks and bunsen burners, but without the catastrophic risk to your health. Changing out speakers, trying different headphones, playing with DACs and amps. It all serves to satisfy that bit in your brain that wants to know what might happen, the curiosity that makes you spend hundreds on new gear.
But I never thought I’d do it with my iPod – I even wrote five reasons why I still use my iPod. I thought my iPod would be in my mitts forever, my right-hand woman when I want to listen to tunes and I’m not near my desk or HiFi. A companion for those times when I want to be disconnected from the outside world, a faithful friend in times of musical need. Yet here I sit, my iPod joining other nick-nacks on a shelf, with a new slab of musical tech placed in my hand.
My iPod
I should talk a little about my iPod first, in case you haven’t already read about it yet. It’s a fifth-gen iPod video, that I’ve modified. I’ve replaced the old black front panel with a cool red one, changed out the battery, and put an SD card in the back to make the storage both bigger and more reliable than the mini-hard drive that came with it out of the box. I love my little iPod, I really do, and here is a list of things that I would miss:
The click wheel
Whatever play came next had to have some kind of physical control on the player – something to physically press play, change track, and volume. In a world where all the best iPads and iPhones find themselves increasingly lacking in buttons, I long for a time when physical controls were all the rage. In a perfect world, another glorious click wheel, but I recognize that my demands are lofty and expectant, so buttons will do.
Support for hi-res audio formats
My iPod supports ALAC and not much else, but it supports it well. The next player needed to support ALAC, but also have support for newer and less restrictive audio formats. Even better, tell me what format the track is – then, you’ll be even better than the iPod.
A high-quality DAC inside
The DAC in the iPod remains excellent, even almost 20 years after its release. My new player had to have internals that match or exceed my iPod, with a competent DAC and amp. I need it to stand up to the best DACs at least. Even better would be support for larger, more power-hungry headphones. Please.
Good looks
You know, beyond the slightly lo-res screen, the iPod video has aged remarkably well. My new player needed to look snazzy, and feel premium if it was going to replace my beloved red iPod.
NOT being an iPhone – or any other phone for that matter
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