Imod finally hit 200hrs - what the deuce???

gooberdude · « **on:** 18 Apr 2007, 02:19 pm »

Just wanted to go on record that I am shocked by what my Imod has now turned into... The past few weeks its been a bass monster and the soundstage widened & deepened bigtime, and i was really happy with that. I haven't listened to it much the last week or so, but do know I've recharged the battery and let it play through till dead about 15 times - I get close to 14 hours of play on a full battery. So, i knew i was close to 200hrs or just over of flat out burn-in. It should have an addtl 100 hrs of listening on it too. My burn-in just involved playing Imod into a dead load...connecting the RCA's to a receiver for a wireless speaker that wasn't On.

Well last night i plugged Imod into my main system and was floored to discover the mids and highs have shown up in full force..silky sweet sound was NOT one of Ipods attributes this last month - deep tactile visceral bass and an enlarged soundstage was. 7 musicians on stage all side by side and front to back WAS NOT a part of Imod the 1st month...it is now.

2 weeks ago i reported pitting the Imod against a friends modded Jolida MD100, Level 2 mods from Underwood. On a few levels the Jolida tore up the Imod...mainly in the shimmery, silky presentation & fluid accuracy of everything. Well, Imod now has it...has it all.

The last few weeks i've been considering getting a new cable, figuring mine isn't that great & a new one might help out the mids/highs. That's no longer the case.

What i'm really amuzed by is that the 200hr mark is a real thing with Imod. I wasn't listening when the clock turned 200, so i can't say it was like a light going off... But within the 1st 20 seconds of the session last night its was apparent something big happened since the last time I had a listen.

I am removing my cd player from the rack! it is quite 2-D & conjested next to Imod. so much fun....

The tracks that i've made from my LP's are what's really got me going, they sound insane. If anyone reading this & is into vinyl, listen up. Copying your LP's to a HD and then to Imod is WAY better than just listening to vinyl. You will hear artifacts that you NEVER thought your cartridge could pick up, or turn into music. I have no clue why this is, but it IS. I heard my old Grado Gold for the 1st time last night, and I had that cartr for over 3 yrs (2000+hrs). I do not edit the LP tracks, just a straight copy from Phono preamp to HHB 850 CD burner (Mitsui Gold Audio Master CD-R), rip via EAC & trim/cut tracks with WAV Repair.

I bought a turntable initially to get an LP collection into my Ipod, so this turn of events is

matt

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Apr 2007, 04:34 pm »

Hi Matt,

Thank you very much for posting your impressions after reaching the 200+ mark! Sounds like your iMod is making really sweet music now... great!

The thing about the iMod is that is really good at giving a really warm and natural tone... like a very good battery powered NOS dac. It is funny that you mention vinyl, because the iMod is one of the few sources that I've heard that sounds pretty damn close to a good vinyl rig. It is really tube-like (without the noise), and works amazingly well with the Sig 30 and Sig 70s... all battery, ultra-black background, small in size, and simple. Some people at the Montreal Show preferred it to the modded Olive Symphony, and many couldn't get over just how good it sounded in your system. I am glad you are really enjoying it.

Paul Bui is another Audiocircle member who is currently going through the iMod burn-in process. I had a good feeling that the iMod is right up his alley because I know he enjoys a good NOS dac type of sound. Once you burn-in the iMod under load for 200+ hours, it is unbelievably musical and just a real plesure to listen to.

And let's not forget Audiocircle member ZLS... how is your sounding? aa

Thanks again for all your feedback,

Vinnie

PS: The iMod has been very hot on Headfi in the past year, but let me tell you, it does just as well connected to a home audio stereo rig as it does connected to a good headphone amp and cans!

gooberdude · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Apr 2007, 06:06 pm »

I think it'd be a shame to limit this bad boy to a headphone rig...that's just me, my ears are sensitive so i don't 'phone often. Besides, i want my neighbors to hear how good Imod is

My impressions last night are of the sorts where I think Imod is at home in the priciest of systems.

Imod + Promitheus TVC + Hawthorne Audio Silver Iris' =

I'll stop gushing soon but have to say my vinyl rig is real tight...best i've heard. Listening to vinyl tracks on Imod though has REALLY made me re-consider that position. All the vinyl tracks i listen to were made months ago when my TT was really worse for wear compared to its current iteration. Its just kinda funny how in this case, one great source has made another even better.

i'm really looking forward to making more CD's. The process is a PITA, but now that I reallly know the outcome i'll look forward to spending some quiet nights watching the platter spin.

What gets me about the Imod is that now it doesn't sound, at all, like the Ipod it once was. Initially it was 'this is better or that is better'. Now, there's no way to discern this was once a feeble Ipod.

Good show indeed Vinnie....

ZLS · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Apr 2007, 06:47 pm »

aa Well, since Vinnie asked;

I find the Imod amazing from both a sound and ergonomic standpoint.
The break in goes from sounds okay, to oh my goodness. to Holy S--t! Describe the sound, listenable. The Imod passes the one more song test. You keep saying to yourself, it sounds so good and I am enjoying myself so much, I'll just listen to one more song! You can lose two hours very easily this way.
Ergonomically, I find it very easy to use. I can set up everything on my computer (where I can actually see what I am doing) and just load it into my Imod.

Vinnie is right, if the Imod was 5x the size and 5x the price everybody would be all over it calling it the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Jampot · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Apr 2007, 06:58 pm »

As I was saying...

Quote

I belong in the iMod enthusiast camp. When I bought it, it was for my office system (with a Clari-T) but i now use it in the car (thru the stereo) and on the 'plane with headphones (and no amp), and best of all - impressing the heck out of folk who think they have great music systems and can't believe how good it sounds.

I have a decent quality minijack to phono lead for connecting to conventional amps and a very short minijack to minijack for other use.

Get one while you can

gooberdude · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Apr 2007, 07:07 pm »

Nice segway ZLS!

Last night i was glued to my couch till almost 2 am. With the Imod on shuffle I kept telling myself "go to bed if this next track sucks" then out of nowhere 'Loving Cup' is cued & and rockin.

This is my 1st piece of modded gear but i've purchased quite a few cables & new gear that required a break-in/burn-in period. Usually those are linear though, day-by-day it gets better 'til all the sudden its golden.

The Imod freaked me out, no warning, just MUSIC. Honestly, i heard very little progression...

its like Vinnie called my Imod last night about 9 pm and yelled 'Go!'

eric the red · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Apr 2007, 10:23 pm »

How much music can the imod hold? thanks and hope your family is well Vinnie

gooberdude · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Apr 2007, 10:39 pm »

I think Vinnie can mod all the 4th Generation Ipods, 40GB & 60gB. How much they hold all depends on you regarding which file types & sizes you choose.

I only have full strength WAV files on my 40gb and it holds over 1500 songs, probably 2000 realistically.

In a highly compressed format like MP3, it could be 8,000 songs or more on a 40gb.

gary · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Apr 2007, 10:54 pm »

My iMod has 2287 songs in Apple Lossless, and out of the 56GB of memory I still have about 5GB free.

eric the red · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Apr 2007, 11:02 pm »

Can the IPOD that Vinnie mods and sells be used without a dedicated headphone amp? I read a reviewer's comments somewhere that said you need one...

Am looking for a good sounding unit for travel...

gary · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Apr 2007, 11:14 pm »

The iMod is just like a cd player, it needs an amp to drive headphones. If size is as crucial as sound quality to you your best bet, if you're patient, is to order a Xin super micro iv. I've got one (pictures are posted in this thread) and it along with the iMod and UE triple.fi 10's makes for one absolutely phenomenal portable music system.

Gary

gooberdude · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 01:01 am »

Actually it does not. You might suffer a slight loss in dynamics (i haven't used this though) but for $10 you can buy a tiny volume control for headphones. I believe Kloss and other OEM makers sell one.

I can't find the link, but not 2 weeks ago someone on vinnie's forum gave a link for one.

It would plug into the jack in your Imod and your headphones would plug into it. Its the size of a nickel...

Now, a separate head amp would be the best in terms of sound...but who wants to fly with that extra baggage? also, the Imod is such a raging bad-as& that i doubt a little degradation is gonna hurt.

'no sir, its a headphone amp not a bomb'....

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 02:16 pm »

Quote

The Imod freaked me out, no warning, just MUSIC. Honestly, i heard very little progression...

its like Vinnie called my Imod last night about 9 pm and yelled 'Go!'

Hi gooberdude,

Actually, this is exactly what I did! aa

Quote

I think it'd be a shame to limit this bad boy to a headphone rig...that's just me, my ears are sensitive so i don't 'phone often. Besides, i want my neighbors to hear how good Imod is

All,

I agree 100% with gooderdude... defintitely DO NOT limit your iMod to a headphone rig... it belongs as a source in your 2-channel home audio rig. All you need is a high quality Mini-to-RCA cable, and an open mind.

Quote from: ZLS

Describe the sound, listenable. The Imod passes the one more song test. You keep saying to yourself, it sounds so good and I am enjoying myself so much, I'll just listen to one more song! You can lose two hours very easily this way.

Hi ZLS,

That "one more song test" is a damn-good test... I'm happy to hear that the iMod passes that one for you!

Thanks for your feedback!

Quote

I think Vinnie can mod all the 4th Generation Ipods, 40GB & 60gB. How much they hold all depends on you regarding which file types & sizes you choose.

Yes, I can mod all the 4th gen iPods. These come in a few different HD sizes such as 20GB, 30GB, 40GB, and 60GB. They were also offered with black/white screens and the color screen versions (iPod Photo). The photo model is nice because you can add the album artwork into the iPod and see it when you select that album... a nice touch!

I loaded Rockbox firmware onto my 60GB iMod and it is loaded with FLAC files (lossless just like Apple Lossless, but FLAC is not controlled by Apple or Microsoft

) and I can fit 120 full-length albums. Actually, if they are not "full-length" (i.e. 74 minutes long, and most are not) you can fit even more than 120. If you don't install entire albums, you can fit a ton of music onto a 60GB unit if you are using lossless.

The iMods that I have in stock are the 60GB iPod Photo units... fully modded and include the AC charger, USB cable, and iTunes CD-rom.

Quote

I've got one (pictures are posted in this thread) and it along with the iMod and UE triple.fi 10's makes for one absolutely phenomenal portable music system.

Hi Gary,

I've been hearing good things about that amp, and another really small amp that a lot of iMod cusotmers are loving is the new Ray Samuels Audio "Tomahawk" amp. It is really small.. you can velcro it to the back fo the iMod.

For excellent short cables, Ken Ball at ALOaudio.com has the goods:
http://www.aloaudio.com/Cryo%20X%20Silver/imod/imod%20minis.html

Quote

Actually it does not. You might suffer a slight loss in dynamics (i haven't used this though) but for $10 you can buy a tiny volume control for headphones. I believe Kloss and other OEM makers sell one.

Gooberdude is right... those actually work!

Thanks for all your feedback and support, everyone!

Vinnie

saisunil · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 03:28 pm »

I do not know when my iMod hit the 200 hours mark but I really discovered what iMod is doing when I connected it to Xin Macro LE headphone amp. The amp is still burning in. iMod and Xin amp is a marriage made in heaven. Ok let's not leave AGK701 out of the loop which is really creating the sound waves.

I have heard this type of layering and texture only through a very high end system - say $25000 + systems during shows.

Thanks Vinnie.

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 09:06 pm »

Hi,

I'm one of those who fall in love with the iMod recently. Mine is approaching 100 hours but I couldn't care less; it sounded pretty darn good a few hours out of the box. Since its arrival, I listened to the main 2-channel setup much less often. No, I will not limit its usage to only headphones, but it's really cool to be able to use such a superb sounding source almost everywhere: in cars, mains, headphones, and as a portable player containing over 1,600 songs with over 15GB space to spare.

Listening to headphones has advantages: no room interaction, simpler and shorter single path (my guess), and total privacy especially at night. It's a smiley pleasure to suddenly hear all nuances, tones and space cues on headphones, knowing they come from recordings not from the room.

Thanks Vinnie for installing Rockbox in my iMod. Now that I've known how to do Playlists (programming song playing), I appreciate Rockbox more and more, as it lets me save precious space on the iMod and still reap the superb sounding of the lossless FLAC.

gooberdude · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 09:14 pm »

Hey Paul,

keep after a burn-in only regimine for another week or 2, you're gonna flip when you hear what happens.

not play time, just actual burn-in of 200hrs +. Mine sounded essentially the same the first few weeks, same as when i received it. there's a gonzo change headed toward you....

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 10:03 pm »

Matt,

Thanks for the heads-up. I guess it will hit 200 hours sometime toward end of next month.

Have a nice weekend!

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Apr 2007, 10:36 pm »

Hi Paul,

Thanks for posting. Have you had the chance to use the iMod as a source into your 2-channel home audio system (using a 1/8" stereo mini-plug to RCA adapter cable)?

I know you've been hooked on some nice external NOS dacs, so I'm curious how you find the iMod to stack up with them. aa

BTW, you can speed up the burn-in time by just letting the iMod play on "repeat album" or "repeat playlist" mode... connected to the AC power adapter during burn-in so you can play it all day and night. Make sure you connect it to a load during burn-in. You'll get there soon enough!

Thanks again,

Vinnie

Paul_Bui · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Apr 2007, 03:03 am »

Vinnie,

I did try the iMod as source to 2-channel home audio system when it was out of the box and found it very promising. Now that it has spent around 100 hours playing into a load, I will put it back in there to see how it fares against the Altmann DAC. Will keep you posted.

Loftprojection · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Apr 2007, 02:11 pm »

Vinnie, after burnin I'll put mine against one of your modded SB2 hooked up to a MHDT Paradisea nos tube DAC! I don't expect the Imod to win but if it does I think I'll faint!

If it doesn't win, I'll still have a big big smile on my face because I don't intend on using it as my primary source anyway. My goal when I ordered the Imod was to have an incredible sound quality source when I listen to music in my car, at work or in the garden with my nice Audio Technica wood headphones!

Can't believe Apple revolutionized the world of music the way they did, created an army of people who have no clue what sound quality means but think they do because Mr.Jobs says so. He should at least have the courage to admit it and buy your company (for big bucks!) then sell the imod as an upscale ipod! hahaha