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iPod Does the Shuffle have good sound quality?

W

Wolfpup

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 7, 2006
2,948
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I'm just curious about that. I assumed that it did, like all Apple's products. But last week on Cnet's Tivo show there was a "fight" between the Shuffle and some other cheap flash player, and she said the shuffle had bad sound quality.

I was really surprised...is it true? Is it worse than the other iPods?
 
It's not just Cnet. The old shuffles sounded really good, the new version is just kind of okay. They are cheaper and smaller now, so I suppose that something had to give.
 
Darn, that's really too bad. I didn't realize they were cheaper. I think that was a big mistake, and doesn't help the iPod brand :( At least I'll know never to buy one. She mentioned hiss, which would drive me nuts. (I'm iffy on Dell's laptops, partially because of hiss.)
 
The hiss thing may have been a one-off problem with their unit. I think it's more that the old plastic shuffle just had abnormally good sound quality that makes the newer one seem meh. It's really not bad, just not as good as its predecessor.
 
That's good to hear. Hiss is bad :mad: So the sound's just like...flat, or something?
 
Haven't tested the Shuffle, but I would say that it sounds "good enough". It's a low-end mp3-player that costs $79.
 
veronica belmont and her prize fights drive me nuts. i've owned both shuffles, and it's true that the first shuffle had better sound quality than the second. but it isn't to say that the second generation's sound quality is bad. i use my shuffle almost every day, more than i do my 5g ipod. considering its size and portability, the shuffle is a great mp3 player.
 
ive got a 2nd gen suffle too but the sound quality isnt that good.
i guess it depends on what kind of earphones you are using.

if you using a decent to high end earphone you will certainly notice the quality.

but i didnt buy it for the quality of the sound. i just bought it for the durability and its portability.

so i guess it depends on what you need is.
 
I have the second gen. shuffle. Its audio is better than my SanDisk. It could be a bit more loud, but maybe that is better for my long term health regarding hearing ability. The new headphones are a very good fit for my ears. The previous gen. was too large for comfort. I would definitely buy another one if this one died.

Of course, iTunes is also part of the ease of use. (I just tried to help somebody with a Creative MP3 player 10 days ago, boy that was quite a hassle.)
 
Thanks guys! That's great to hear the Shuffle's a good unit too!
 
I remember CNet did a review on the first generation shuffle, and they said it had the best bass quality of any MP3 Player in it's class, even beating some more expensive ones with screens and such. (and I agreed with them too, it's what presuaded me to buy one)

I like my 2G shuffle enough, but it could be better. It is a good player if you just want to enjoy your music and forget about the tiny little shuffle, but if you're a real audiophile, you could definitely make a better choice.
 
I have both a 1G and 2G Shuffle. Like both but prefer the 2G because of the convenience with the clip.

Sound wise, the 1G seems to have more power in the bass. But both are good. I use in-ear Sony earphones.
 
The current Shuffle model definitely lacks "oomph". I find I have to crank the volume up a lot higher than I did with the first gen. However, the 1st gen Shuffle won't play all of the music that I have purchased on iTunes (this is something that's been noted on only a few reviews). So, while I would rather continue to use my 1st gen, I have to use the 2nd gen to listen to all of my music.
 
theBB said:
I have the second gen. shuffle. Its audio is better than my SanDisk. It could be a bit more loud, but maybe that is better for my long term health regarding hearing ability. The new headphones are a very good fit for my ears. The previous gen. was too large for comfort. I would definitely buy another one if this one died.

Of course, iTunes is also part of the ease of use. (I just tried to help somebody with a Creative MP3 player 10 days ago, boy that was quite a hassle.)
Click to expand...

The thing is you probably have the older Sandisk. I heard the new Sandsik Clip(which is a Shuffle competitor with a screen) and yeah it sounds way better than 2gen and marginally better than 1gen imho.
 
Wow, I just purchased a shuffle for use at the gym yesterday. I have some pretty high-end ear phones and I did notice the downgrade in sound quality.
 
ob81 said:
Wow, I just purchased a shuffle for use at the gym yesterday. I have some pretty high-end ear phones and I did notice the downgrade in sound quality.
Click to expand...

Well I'm sure glad I stumbled upon this thread. I have a 1st gen shuffle, my wife's nano to borrow, and some nice phones on order. I was planning on ordering a new shuffle in the very near future with my West Law points, but if the sound is that poor (on nice phones, anyway), perhaps I will pass.
 
iMeowbot said:
The hiss thing may have been a one-off problem with their unit. I think it's more that the old plastic shuffle just had abnormally good sound quality that makes the newer one seem meh. It's really not bad, just not as good as its predecessor.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly the problem.

Wolfpup said:
That's good to hear. Hiss is bad :mad: So the sound's just like...flat, or something?
Click to expand...

no, not at all.
 
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