Barnes and Noble introduces the NOOK
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 120 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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13 out of 17 people found this review helpful
2.0 stars
"One adults opinion..."
Pros: Fast Processor;great photo features;fantastic screen
Cons: sound quality not up to par w/ other 4g ipods
Summary: I had just recently bought a 30gb photo at Best Buy and returned it almost immediately. The sound quality was horrible. Attributing this to a possible defective unit, I went back and payed the extra 100 buckes angd tried the 60gb. The sound was not much better; distortion with lows at just about any volume level. I did a little research and discovered a few message boards packed with similar stories re: the PHOTO series Ipod.(BTW,I tested both units with different headphones and song files) I went back to the store for a third time, and this time tried a 20gb (NON PHOTO) 4 gen ipod. The difference in sound quality was immediately noticable.This model sounds FANTASTIC as you would expect.Appearently, the Photo units share the headphone jack with an A/V OUT feature and this degrades sound quality. Its worth mentioning that I am not an extreme audiophile or anything, But I do expect my $450.00 top of the line MP3 player to sound better than a no name $75 flea market special. In closing, it is my persnal experience that the review of this unit is slightly off by stating that the sound quality is the same as the standard ipod. IT DEFINITELY IS NOT.If your main priority in buying an Ipod is music, you are much better off sticking to the 20GB (and saving a few bucks to boot!)
- 3 replies to this review
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I was considering upgrading from by 20GB B&W to a 30GB Photo when I came across this post. Being a classical musician and an audiophile, I was definitely concerned about the sound quality. I didn't understand why a dual headphone/media out jack would reduce the sound quality. Fortunately a friend of mine had a Photo, so I borrowed his and checked the sound against my B&W by trying them both (with the equalizer off) with a pair of fabulous Grado S80 headphones, my Panasonic stereo system, the terrible Apple earbuds, and even a decent pair of Phillips headphones. I didn't notice any difference in quality between the Photo and the B&W. So, I bought a Photo, keeping the receipt nearby, but I still haven't noticed any difference. Perhaps, some of the earlier serial numbers had a glitch or something, but I think the Photos sound great--at least as good as the B&Ws anyway.
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I totally agree with this post. Although I haven't tried the non-photo version, I just returned my iPod photo because the bass was always distorted and the mid levels also sounded very weak.
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Personally, I didn't notice any difference in sound quality, though I typically use the headphone jack to connect to a pair of powered speakers. Sounds awesome, to me.
Where to buy
Apple iPod Photo (30GB):
$299.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$299.99 | Yes |
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