Can someone tell me why virtually nothing is happening with MP3 players in regards to actual audio quality? In fact, audio quality seems to be moving ass-backwards, giving way to non-audio features like video and wireless. Headphones have come such a long way in the last 15 years or so, and now we have dual- and triple-driver in-ear models designed specifically for use with portables. The problem is that most MP3 players’ headphone outputs flat-out suck.
Companies like Creative are finding new ways to enhance the sound of music with external devices (the X-Mod is admittedly pretty cool), but that’s right up there with buying a portable headphone amp in terms of convenience on the go. Meanwhile, SRS Labs tries very hard to get their audio-enhancement technology built into as many MP3 players as they can, but these are just DSP tricks that compensate for inadequate output from the players themselves.
This started chafing me like wet denim back when I was at PC Magazine. My former colleague Bill Machrone had discovered that the first-gen iPod shuffle had a different kind of capacitor driving the headphone output than any other player on the market. The upshot of it was that the shuffle’s sound quality was superior regardless of what headphones you plugged into it, especially with respect to bass. I remember hating the shuffle for its screenlessness, and it made it worse that that little POS sounded so great! Frustratingly, we never could find out why Apple did that—and then never included it in any future iPod model!
It’s not just iPods, either. I ran frequency response tests with and without headphones on loads of MP3 players and PMPs, and it’s disappointing to see how badly most perform. I did find a couple more gems, like the Archos AV500, but sure enough, when that got updated to the Archos 604, the new model’s headphone output was clearly downgraded, presumably for cost reasons. I liked the Sony NW-HD5 too, but apparently Sony got cold feet and dropped out of the hard drive MP3 player market.
Manufacturers bank on consumers’ inability to tell where corners have been cut, and with the proliferation of highly compressed digital downloads (not to mention grungy-sounding pirated music), they’re probably right to do so. Apple makes a good case in point: the audio quality from the full-size iPod’s headphone jack seems to have peaked (according to my own tests). The 2G shuffle, however, doesn’t hold a candle to the 1G shuffle, and neither do any of the other current iPods. Not to say the current iPods sound bad—on the contrary, they’re very good. But I hate seeing things slide backward. (Note that everyone seems to have his/her opinion on which full-size iPod model sounds best. I liked the 2G iPod, but I didn’t have the opportunity to test one with a spectrum analyzer.)
Probably the best known example of this backslide is iRiver. Some people actually cried and regressed into bedwetting when the iRiver H100 and H300 series went away. To my ears (and test setup), those were the best-sounding players ever, particularly the iHP100. (I won’t even bring up the standard optical digital I/O ports, or I’ll start having a fit.) The H10 series that filled the void just didn’t have anywhere near the same punch.
Headphone outputs on consumer electronics have never enjoyed great reputations, but the very fact that so many companies are introducing “audiophile-quality” headphones for portables makes me cringe. What I want to see is companies like Apple, Creative, iRiver, Samsung, and Cowon developing ways to cram better audio components into their players so they can keep up with the droolicious advances in headphone technology without having to rely on bulky third-party accessories.
Will most consumers hear the differences among players through regular earbuds? Very unlikely. But if you’re going to drop $450 for the latest triple-driver canalphones from Shure or UE, or even more for full-size cans like the Sennheiser HD650 or Grado RS series, I strongly encourage you to try them out with different MP3 players and if possible, a dedicated headphone amp so you can tell what these things are supposed to sound like. And don’t sell yourself short — you can hear the difference if you give yourself the chance.
AudioFile by Mike Kobrin is a weekly reflection on electronic music and the MP3 biz. You can read his collected columns here.
Let me tell you, I wouldn’t give up my iHP-140 for anything. It has served me so well for so many years. Sure, it’s bulkier than an ipod, and not nearly as hip and with it, but the great sound quality, the optical outputs, and the fm tuner really, really make up for it.
I wonder if you could break open an iPod and replace the output capacitor, if that’s the only problem. Do they have reasonably good amplifier chips?
Right on. I have an Xin Super Mini headphone amp with crossover, and the difference it makes to the iPod is amazing. Of course, it helps that I also tossed the Apple earbuds in favor of a pair of folding portable Sennheiser over-ear phones.
http://www.fixup.net/ for the Xin amps. The Super Mini is about the size of 4 AAA cells or a small box of matches.
Those xin amps are about the only solution i would even consider for an add-on. I agree, the devices themselves are slipping. the 2g ipod shuffles has reported problems of hissing which sucks considering the quality from the 1g. I just got a iRiver S10 instead of the shuffle because of this hiss.
I mean, its somewhat understandable if a home receiver has a weak headphone selection since it is assumed that headphone listening is going to be an afterthought there but for portable use, where headphones are really the main device of listening it is inexcusable. I stopped paying $$ for portable setups as of late since the return quality on my bucks isnt as good without having to carry around a bunch of stuff. I am going to be content on my S10+Vmoda Vibe for a while I think. (bought and sold way too many headphones to seems sane to list)
I’ve tried the Boostaroo headphone amps, which seem okay for small portable solutions, but I really dig that Total BitHead from Headroom. Still, having to carry something to amplify my player’s signal (for my Grado SR 80’s) irritates the heck out of me.
I use my player for learning music too (I’m a trumpet and electric bass player), and I actually carry my BitHead around the house for use with my Sennheiser HD650’s –very useful for honing in on some of those James Jamerson bass lines that can really get buried in the mix.
The bandleader of one of the groups I play with still has his iRiver H140 and brings it to all our rehearsals… He’s lucky I haven’t swiped it yet. ;)
I hear ya, but does the MP3 format even allow sound quality to be good in the first place? It’s all condensed an weird. Sure, I’m an old fashioned jazz-nazi but I still haven’t heard anything better than a good quality vinyl record. I’ve heard some decent ear plugs, none of them were worth spending $400 on. I’m perfectly happy with a crappy sound doc and an ipod at work. When I go home, I put on a real record and turn the ipod off… this is about as good as it’s gonna get but like most Americans I totally accept mediocrity in it’s lackluster glory.
Scoop! You’re all MP3 and AAC… you’ve gotta get hip to Lossless, man. It’s bit for bit identical to the CD, and with your fancy 80GB iPod, you can still fit more on there than you can listen to in a week solid.
And records may *offer* good sound quality, but you’ll be shocked at the difference a serious record player (Stantons look nice but they’re still Numark rip-offs) with a nice cartridge in there, plus a high-end amp and some great speakers. It makes a nice analogy to digital… lossless is great, but it’s nothing without a good headphone output and cans.
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