Electronics : New Apple iPod classic 120GB - Black

Rating: - Briliant!
Am completely in love with my iPod!

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and the 120gb memory means I can store loads of them and all my music. It looks beautiful and is so easy to use.

Only problem is that the earphones are rubbish. I got another pair for about £7 which are ideal.

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Rating: - Slightly Disappointed
I bought this to replace my old 3G iPod, which after years of service is starting to fade. I was very disappointed to realise that I'll be unable to use the inline remote that came with my 3G iPod with this model, especially as there doesn't seem to be anything comparable to use with this iPod. I tend to keep my iPod tucked away in a pocket and have used the inline remote a lot.

My other gripe is that the USB cable that was supplied with my new iPod turned out to be faulty. Every time I tried to connect the new iPod to my PC is would connect then immediately disconnect itself. Fortunately I have a cable for my old iPod that has both a firewire connector and a USB cable that I was able to use to connect to the PC so I could set up and sync the iPod. Very unimpressed with the quality, I expected better from Apple.

I find the controls slightly clunky to use, the 3G iPod only required the lightest touch whereas this one requires a very firm press of the controls. I also find the wheel less responsive when scrolling through lists, almost as if there's a slight lag in the iPod responding when I stop moving my finger.

On the plus side this iPod is much lighter than the old one, has more than 4 times the battery life and an additional 100Gb of disk space.

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Rating: - Great for a large music collection
I have resisted the i-Pod todate because I do not like i-Tunes. So I have already mp3 players by others (a 40gb Creative Zen Touch - which only really works on mains after 3.5 years, a 32gb Zen for the car, an Archos 605 for video and internet). However, my music collection is too large for the Zens to cope with (The SD card expansion on the Creative Zen is not the answer because that does not integrate with the flash-drive's music library) and the Archos is simply not good enough at sound reproduction for music, in my opinion. So, against this background here is what I think:

1. You do not have to use i-Tunes. My media organiser of choice (after trying so many) is Media Jukebox and it had absolutely no problem recognising my new i-Pod and copying across my music library and cover art. (I should qualify this by saying that most of my music is ripped and what I do buy is in mp3 format from 7digital, so I have never used the one stop shop does it all "benefits" of i-Tunes).

2. The click-wheel navigation of the i-Pod is good for basic navigation but the Creative Zen system, I think, is actually a better method overall.

3. The screen display of the i-Pod is great and, to me, better than that on the Creative Zen. However, on neither will I be watching video, so we are only talking about cover art and navigation display here.

4. The headphones are rubbish (as were the ones with each of my previous players).

5. As others have noted, volume is limited but it goes loud enough for me with a pair of decent headphones.

6. It is very well built compared to all my other players.

7. Sound quality is very good, if not stunning. On direct comparison, I think my 32gb Creative Zen is better (a tighter bass and more openess), but both are really enjoyable to listen to.

8. I have bought a crystal case and wallet to help protect it from knocks, but be warned that cases for the 80gb and 160gb previous generation do not necessarily fit the new 120gb perfectly.

9. If you have a large music collection, and want a quality mp3 player, then this now represents excellent value for money. If the i-Pod is as well built and reliable as my Apple Macbook then it ought to keep me happy for some years.

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Rating: - A fundamentally sharper sound
I bought a 40Gb iPod Classic 4 years ago. It recently died and was almost as cheap to replace compared to getting it fixed so I bought the 120Gb iPod Classic. Here's my thoughts on the new model based on having upgraded from the 40Gb model. I didn't really need 120Gb capacity but the next option down was 16Gb and that wouldn't fit the contents of my old model.

The overwhelming impression is of a significant improvement on the 40Gb classic. It's slimmer, lighter, has a much nicer, colour interface and 3 times the capacity at two-thirds the price. I'm tempted to rip my new CDs at a higher resolution now.

The most notable improvement is in the overall sound quality. I would compare it to going from FM radio to DAB radio. It's a fundamentally sharper sound. It has completely enhanced my listening experience, both through my headphones and my iPod speakers. It also handles variable volume much better so you don't keep having to adjust the volume depending on the age of the original CD that was ripped.

The colour, as mentioned in other reviews, is not black but I find the dark, charcoal grey very fetching and actually more tasteful than plain black. It now handles photos and videos and has colour games but none of these features are of particular interest to me. I simply want a jukebox of all my albums to carry everywhere. The battery life is apparently 4 times better than the 40Gb model.

You will have to upgrade to iTunes v8 to synch your music if, like me, you have never been bothered to upgrade iTunes in the past!!

I do have some very minor quibbles but these are insignificant when compared with the improvement in sound quality:

- the click wheel requires slightly more pressure and the middle button is concave rather than convex. Both make the iPod slightly trickier to control when you're groping for it in your pocket!

- despite the improvement in sound quality, there's still no graphic equalizer that allows you to control treble, bass, etc.. separately.

- you actually get 111Gb of capacity. This using up of the advertised capacity to accommodate the operating system is consistent with all other models.

- it comes with the usual white headphones. Shouldn't they be black to match the colour of the model? Either way they are still poor and to get maximum benefit I'd recommend, as a minimum, a pair of in-ear Sennheiser headphones.

- it comes with a docking adaptor, presumably to cater for the change in thickness. It is slimmer than the 40Gb model. However, the adaptor doesn't fit the stand that came with the 40Gb model so I'm not quite sure what it's for? It does like wider than the 40Gb model. The screen is wider, but the actual iPod itself is in fact the same width.

- the back is still the same 'scratch friendly' material. Can Apple not find a material that is shiny, reflective but doesn't scratch when you look at it!?

As I say, these are very minor quibbles. If you have an extensive music collection and looking for a new iPod with seemingly limitless capacity and significantly improved sound quality, this is a good home for it.

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Rating: - From an apple hater, I've been wrong all these years. Still hate apple but love the IPOD
Firstly I used to be an apple hater, have always used Archos and creative labs and been very happy with both. Still thought as I've never meet a person who regrets buying an Ipod that there might be something in these players..So I put my money where my doubts were.
Firstly, my biggest hate for the IPOD is Itunes, I rip my music and already had thousand of tracks and really don't want to have to give a credit card to Itunes so that I can start transferring my music but you have to.. Now other than that the actual player is excellent. Once I got my head around the fact that as a non Itune guy that you can not just drag and drop your track onto you Ipod.

The player is light and sturdy and the head phones even more lightweight- firstly ditch the enclosed headphones and invest in a decent set of phones.
The player is excellent in the controls and style. Although I don't think you want this for Video invest in an archos for your films.
The sound of my MP3s is impressive and full, with GOOD VOLUME.
Some reviewers have said that the volume is an issue.. No the Ipod is loud you can set the maximum volume in the setting but this isn't the actual playing volume just the upper limit!! - whenever the Ipod is turned on it will start to broadcast at half volume by default, this is fine as a quick spin on your finger on the control wheel will put the volume to a level that is load enough to share the tunes with the person trying to sit next to you in silence. It will then stay there as you continue to play with the player.
As for the colour comments, gun metal black is the new true black and that is what this one is very macho. The mat black also is very smudge resistant.

PROS.
-Lots of accessories
-Excellent controls,
-Itunes (if you want to buy or download podcasts)
-Screen and sound quality is excellent
-Nice gunmetal black
-Very good battery life
-Good volume once you realise you need to give a quick flick
-I like the way Ipod pauses if you unplug your headphone so you don't miss a drop.


CONS
-Itunes (no option to avoid if you want to just use windows explorer)
-No drag and drop on any PC only on Itunes at home
-Screen not really good enough for watching movies (maybe TV shows or Videocasts)

Conclussion, I love the Ipod classic but am lukewarm over Itunes. However, I'm buying into Ipod not Itunes (try media monkey software for an alternative).