Tom Martin

Equipment Review
Making the Most of Life with an iPod
Apple iPod with Headphones from Bose, Etymotic Research, Grado & Sennheiser
ne of the most notable and widely discussed aspects of this year's Consumer Electronics Show wasn't a new product or a new technology, but a demonstration by Dave Wilson. Dave is CEO of Wilson Audio, erstwhile manufacturer of very high-end speakers (Wilson's top model retails for over $100,000). He demonstrated a new pair of speakers, the Sophia, retailing for $11,700/pr., using an Apple iPod (!) as the source. His intention wasn't to comment on the quality of the iPod, but rather to encourage his dealers to be aware that the iPod, and other similar innovations, is a valid source for many consumers and that a great pair of speakers makes it sound even better. This got me to wondering, "How good is the iPod and how do you get the most out of it?" For starters, let's be clear that the iPod is a portable music player. While there is no reason not to use the iPod in a home music system, its' fundamental advantage is portability. So, Dave's interesting demo notwithstanding, it makes sense to evaluate the iPod first as a portable player. For this review, I primarily compared the iPod with a portable CD player and another hard disk player capable of storing compressed audio files. The sound of the iPod is quite different from straight CD. My biggest concern, and one I think you would share, is that the iPod just doesn't sound very dynamic in comparison with CDs. Music sounds "fine" or "OK" or "pretty good," but always with some of the life wrung out of it. To take just one example, midway through "Drive", from R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People [Warner Bros.], an electric guitar takes the song to a new level of intensity. On the iPod this is softened in a way that diminishes the effect. And you don't have to listen to power rock to notice. Simple guitar/vocal arrangements, like those on David Wilcox' How Did You Find Me Here? [A&M], lose some of their emotion too. Since CDs already fall short of live music on dynamics, the iPod gets dangerously close to a precipice here. The iPod also can't match the sense of air and resonance from individual instruments that you find on CDs. The proper decay of notes is crucial to a sense of realitythis is where you hear the wood on acoustic instruments, the grit or cleanliness of players' styles, and the distinctive sound of different amps. The iPod simply doesn't reveal these nuances the way CDs can and the way live music does. For example, on "Who Knows Where the Time Goes", from Fairport Convention's Unhalfbricking [Hannibal], Richard Thompson plays a complex but soft guitar line behind Sandy Denny's voice. On the iPod,
the sound of the guitar, the string resonance, and the sense of the recording space isn't as clear as on the CD. To be fair, this same guitar line, using the Dell DJ-20 player, was pressed back in the mix and it was harder to recognize the instrument as a guitar. The iPod also rounds off high frequencies a bit. Vocals, cymbals, and violins all sound slightly polite, but also quite smooth. The problem is that they always sound this way, whether that's what is on the recording or not. Real music has edges, and sometimes artists work very hard to put them there. If you want to hear them, you'll have to stick with CD. These results aren't all that surprising. To get 10,000 or so songs on a 20GB hard disk requires compression. There are various compression schemes used by the Apple iPod, Dell DJ-20, and other players, but in rough terms you can figure that each song is reduced to about 1/10th the data that it has on CD. Something has to go, and sometimes what goes is musical content. Even though today's sophisticated compression schemes can find duplicate data (so nothing is lost), you can't get the kind of compression needed without going beyond the duplicate data. The trick, then, is to throw away musical content in the least noticeable way. I have to say that the iPod makes some careful and actually impressive choices in how it messes with the sound, though the iPod's alterations of the signal don't fit with the goal of ultimate musical accuracy and emotional expressiveness. On the iPod, music tends to sound "good" or "nice." That's because most of the iPod's distortions are subtractive, and in some cases what gets subtracted (high frequency grit for example) is something that many folks didn't want to be there in the first place. In this sense, I would liken the iPod to a classic tube amp: a bit compressed, a bit rounded, but very listenable. In the end, especially for portable applications, you'll probably choose the iPod because it is small. Really small. At about 1/3 the size of a portable CD player, it easily fits in a pocket or a small purse. Also, consider that the software (potentially 5,000 songs worth) is on board, whereas with CD you'll have to carry a book of CDs on the side. So, this being the case, the other interesting question is how to get the most out of the iPod? The obvious place to look is toward a great pair of headphones. Of course, the iPod comes with a set of earbuds. While not horrible, these are far from state-of-the-art. They have very little output from the mid-bass down, sound a bit distorted on high frequency tran-

Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia

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sients, and lack lower midrange body on vocals and acoustic instruments. So, given my remarks above about the character of iPod's sound, could a complementary pair of aftermarket headphones make a difference? In short, YesireeBob! I don't think the differences between the iPod's sound and CD are exactly subtle, but by comparison the sound differences between headphones are enormous. I tried a mix of headphone prices and technologies, which may explain why the sound was so varied. Still, I wouldn't have come close to guessing my findings in advance. Sennheiser HD 650: $499 Sennheiser has a long and distinguished reputation for making superb headphones. They are viewed by many audiophiles as the preeminent headphone manufacturer, at least if you rule out electrostatic designs which by definition are not portable (because in nearly all cases electrostatic models involve separate power supply units that need AC power from a wall outlet). I chose the HD650 for review because it is Sennheiser's new top-of-the-line model (the previous top line models were the HD600 and, before it, the well-loved HD580both still offered in the line). I figured, "Why not see how much we can wring out of the iPod?" What I found was rather disappointing. Bass on the HD 650s was boomy, with drums sounding like indistinct thuds rather than like sticks striking a drumhead. Vocals were distantly placed, which gave a better than typical sense of space to the music. But vocals were hooded and very dark sounding. Percussion, particularly with snares and rim shots, was over damped and "dead" sounding. The Sennheisers had smooth and delicate highs, which were never harshnot even on music that is meant to sound harsh. Overall, I found the HD650 an amusical design, and one particularly unsuited to the iPod, which has some of the same faults (though on the iPod they are much smaller in magnitude). On a practical note, these are large headphones, which isn't an ideal feature for portable use. In addition, they tax the tiny amplifier in the iPod pretty heavily, so you'll almost certainly want a separate headphone amplifier (my sonic evaluation is based on using a Headroom portable amp, which vastly improved the dynamics of the 650s with the iPod). Sennheiser HD-580: $259 Fortunately, Sennheiser has many other models. The well-established HD-580 shows what this company can do when it tries for musical fidelity rather than a "pleasing" sound. The HD-580s sound for all the world like the result of a project to fix my criticisms of the HD-650s, while retaining their generally smooth and creamy sensibility. Bass on the 580's is strong, but simply on the warm side and not way overdone. Bass also has good if not great definition, with bass notes showing clear and appropriate decay. Vocals are also improved over the 650's, sounding much more open and detailed, while retaining some of the attractive sense of depth that I noted above. High frequenciesas heard on violin, dobro, or cymbals are well balanced, though just a touch rounded. Dynamics get a bit splashy sounding when the whole band cranks it up probably due to amplifier limitations (the HD-580, like the HD-650, needs an amplifier). This is a solid, well-balanced headphone that sounds quite good with CD or the iPod, particularly if you value smoothness and delicacy. Bose Quiet Comfort 2: $299 In contrast with Sennheiser, Bose does not have a reputation for high quality among audiophiles. But their products are exceedingly popular, and the QC-2 is heavily promoted, so I thought they should be included. The QC-2 also makes sense in this test because it has noise cancellation technology borrowed from Bose' professional aviation headsets. Noise cancellation systems measure the ambient noise on a bus or in an airplane and apply an equal and opposite signal to remove this distracting sound from the headphones. If your portable listening involves noisy environments, this technology really works and makes a big difference in terms of letting you hear just the music while blocking out much of the noise. The sound of music with the QC-2s isn't especially good, nor is it particularly bad. Bass, as befits the Bose house sound, is bloated and indistinct. Electric bass harmonics, for example, sound like the amp is playing under a blanket. Vocals are smooth and reasonably open, but a little dark. String plucks through the QC-2s are clear but a bit over damped. Violin tone is lovely, though violins sound more like violas. Listened to in isolation, this is a pleasant sounding headphone whose deviations from accuracy are not terribly annoying. On the other hand their approach to music isn't very involving, and with their tendency toward softness, this is not the ideal match for the iPod. Etymotic Research ER-4S: $330 Etymotic is a little-known company in consumer electronics, their primary business being the development of professional audiometry products and high accuracy hearing aid amplifiers. These guys are serious about in-ear sound and measurement, holding 89 patents in these fields. The ER-4S is their top-of the-line earphone, designed to take their technology into the music playback field. Yes, I said earphone. The ER-4S looks like an alien-designed version of the cheapo earbuds that ship with lots of portable players. It is different in that it seals against the ear canal to extend bass and to isolate outside sounds (a different way of doing what the Bose 'phones do). The Etymotics have the earbud advantage of being tiny (the case is a bit larger that a matchbook). The Etymotic sound is tilted in an entirely different direction than the Bose or Sennheiser sound. These earphones are about clarity. Electric bass string definition is very good, but lacks body. It is important to

Sennheiser HD 650

Sennheiser HD-580

Bose Quiet Comfort 2

Etymotic Research ER-4S

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note that bass with the ER-4Ss depends heavily on the seal between the earphone and the ear canal. It is not easy to get a good seal, and even then most listeners will find the ER-4S to be quite bass shy. At the other end of the spectrum, cymbals are clear and extended but rather dry. Again, vocals are a bit thin, but clear and open. Plucked string tones are crisp and clean. Drum head definition is excellent. Dynamics are handled well, though, like the Sennheisers, these require almost everything the little built-in amp of the iPod has to give, even to get vaguely loud (again, I used an external portable amp; note that Etymotic offers an easier to drive version of this earphone, called the ER-4P). See Note 1 Note 1: The ER-4P is intended specifically for use with small portable players such as the iPod, offering 10dB higher sensitivity overall, plus a somewhat different low frequency EQ curve that promises "enhanced bass." -Ed. Grado SR-60: $69 Grado is a small, established player in high-end audio, but with a twist. They only make phono cartridges, headphones and related products. Over the past 50 years, they have earned a phenomenal reputation for musical products that are great values. I selected the SR-60 headphone, which has a good reputation, and at $69 fits with Grado's value orientation (though Grado makes much more expensive 'phones, too). As for the sound, let me just say "Whoa!" With the iPod, and no external amplifier, these are the best-sounding headphones in this group. Vocals on the SR-60 are open, but with realistic body. Electric bass is solid, warm, and with good definition on decay, though not terribly deep. Bass isn't perfect, with some lumpiness in the mid-bass, and no real low bass, but on the whole deviations from accuracy are small by comparison with the bass problems observed with some of the other 'phones. With the Grados, plucked string sounds are clear, with excellent resonance. Percussion sounds are solid and quick. The woodiness of acoustic instruments is well represented. Cymbals are smooth, though occasionally a little splashy. The SR-60s have excellent macro dynamics. Violin string tone is smooth, and reproduced with a realistic sense of "edge". While high frequencies are very well handled, the SR-60s are not your best choice if "smooth" is your most important criterion (try the Sennheiser HD-580's). This is a transparent and musical headphone that nicely complements the deficiencies of the iPod, and one that I preferred for listening to CDs as well. The Sennheiser 580s are probably the most balanced headphones here, but they really need good amplification (the degree to which this matters greatly for some headphones and less so for others surprised me). So, my heart was gladdened that the lowest-priced headphones in this august group were very competitive with all the others, and also easy to drive. In a noisy environment, though, the Grado's open ear design is not ideal. In this sense, the Etymotic and Bose are intriguing, but you have to accept some tradeoffs. As usual, it seems that you can't have it all. Grado SR-60 Specifications Apple iPod M9244LL/A portable music player Price: $399 20GB hard disk drive Files supported: AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, and WAV Size: 4.1x2.4x0.62 in. Weight: 5.6 oz. Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones Price: $299 Dynamic driver Sealed, circumaural earpieces Electronic noise cancellation circuit Etymotic ER-4S earphones Price: $330 Dynamic driver Sealed, in-ear earpieces 108db@1V Grado SR-60 headphones Price: $69 Dynamic Driver Open-air, on-ear earpieces SPL 98db@1mV Sennheiser HD-650 headphones Price: $450 (HD-650) Dynamic driver Open-air, circumaural earpieces 103db@1V Sennheiser HD-580-1 headphones Price: $259 (HD-580-1) Dynamic driver Open-air, circumaural earpieces 98db@1V Manufacturers Information Apple Computer, Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014 (800) MY APPLE www.apple.com Bose Corporation The Mountain Framingham, MA 01701 (800) www.bose.com Etymotic Research, Inc. 61 Martin Lane Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 (888) www.etymotic.com Grado Labs, Inc. 4614 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 (718) www.gradolabs.com Sennheiser Electronic Corporation One Enterprise Drive Old Lyme, CT 06371 (860) www.sennheiserusa.com Associated Equipment Headroom Total Airhead headphone amplifier, Sony D-NE710 portable CD player, Dell DJ-20 portable digital music player

HD 580

HD 580 Dynamic Headphone

The HD 580 Precision are award-winning, audiophile-quality, open dynamic hi-fi/professional stereo headphones. The advanced diaphragm design eliminates standing waves for warm, natural sound. The HD 580 Precision can be connected directly to hi-fi systems of the highest quality, in particular DAT, DVD, MiniDisc and CD players. These headphones are an ideal choice for the professional recording engineer recording classical music.

FeaturesBenefits

Computer-optimized magnet systems minimize harmonic and intermodulation distortion Extremely lightweight aluminum voice coils ensure excellent transient response Neodymium ferrous magnet systems ensure optimum sensitivity and a very wide dynamic range Exceptionally natural, spatial and accurate sound Detachable OFC copper cable, Kevlar-reinforced, with very low handling noise Velour ear cushions

Technical Data

Frequency response Transducer principle Frequency characteristic Nominal impedance Characteristic SPL at 1 kHz Load rating THD Ear coupling Contact pressure Weight (without cable) Connector Connection cable 1238,000 Hz dynamic, open diffuse field equalized dB 200 mW 0.1 % circumaural approx. 2.5 N 9.17 oz 1/8" stereo mini jack plug with adapter to 1/4" stereo jack plug 3 m, detachable dual-sided OFCp copper cable

Optional Accessories

Stereo volume control HZR 6
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, 1 Enterprise Drive, Old Lyme, CT 06371 Telephone: 860-434-9190 Fax: 860-434-1759 Web: http://www.sennheiserusa.com
Sennheiser Mexico: Av. Xola 613, PH6, Col. Del Valle 03100, Mexico, DF. Telephone: (525) 639-0956. Fax: (525) 639-9482 Sennheiser Canada: 221 Labrosse Ave, Pte-Claire, PQ H9R 1A3. Telephone: 514-426-3013. Fax: 514-426-3953 Manufacturing Plant: Am Labor 1, 30900 Wedemark, Germany