Why a Good Quality Sounding I-Pod is technicly impossible.. at least for now....

Someone just asked me to suggest a good set of high end head phones to use wth their I-pod... and I had to hold back the sarcasm... ok.. thats a lie.. i didnt hold back...

to pay any more then 20-25 bucks on headphones for an I-Pod is kind of like getting some Chrome Rims and tinted Window on a K-Car...... its still just a f__king K-Car...

you see, a CD you buy at a store, or even better... the DVD, is getting as quality as possible with the given technology.... You can even Copy an original CD to your PC as a WAV file, without necessarily loosing any quality... But the conversion process from Audio format to MP3 actually "Compresseses the song.... or as folks back home might say..... "10 Pounds of Shit in a 5 pound bucket" it just won't fit... and you inevitably loose some shit...

The Compression process, in short, makes things in the mix sound loud that were intitially quiet, and vice versa... It can actually change the artists intent of the mix.... so, funamentally.. I have an issue with that...

That being said, my hypocracy knows no limits..

yes, I have about 9,000 MP3s on my computer... but i also own hundreds of CD's, DVD's, Cassettes, and vinyl...

I also have an I-pod, and I love it... I use it for walking the dog, or making a mix for a road trip... for the car, or a walk.. what do I care.... But I got a Cheapy 'shuffle' and opted to not get the Uber versions...

Also yes... I've downloaded tunes for free from those clandestine servers such as limewire... BUT, when i really like something.. I do buy the album...
Recent examples include: SuperStack, David Gilmore, Brad Paisley, Jack Johnson, The Trews, Greenday and the Dixie Chicks..... and for a true, "listening experience" there is nothing better then the Eagles Hell Freezes over DVD on a good Surround System, or a good highend set of senhizer headphones (yes, Im a shitty spelly, but I dont get paid for this so you spell check it for me-HA) but for me.. My I-pod and for that matter, my entire MP3 collection, is about background....... not quality... or, I listen to them when im working, or when i want to learn the tune.. or preserve my vinyl... etc... When I want quality.. I resort to the Original, and some better gear...

What annoys me most is that the bigger, 2 and 4 gig versions of IPODS have the space available to store a decent # of real wav files, but the I-pod wont play them...

So Steve Jobs, if you read this... Make an uber I-pod that can play .wav files, and I'll buy it!!!!

untill then, i guess the short answer, until they are capable of playing wav files, ... 19.99 for Sony earbuds at RadioShack (opps, circuit city) is about as much as I'd pay for IPOD headphones... anything more.. is just pointless...


Hows that for controversy Mike???

yeah. .. I know.... Not even close.. lol