Many times I’ve told my friends and they don’t take it very seriously: I’m still using my 160GB iPod Classic in 2024. In fact, This same week, I released ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, the latest from Billie Eilish, and I had to free up some space because it was right at the top. It’s done with Finder, you don’t even need to open Apple Music. Why an iPod in 2024? Because I like it, because it is functional and because there is nothing related to WiFi, subscriptions, ads, compression or cuts if I travel to an area without coverage.. .
And I’m not the only one. I’m not talking about iPod touches with iOS anymore, no. I’m talking about classic iPods with click wheel: They look for them and buy them, even damaged, to repair them and put an SSD in them. What is currently considered obsolete has become an advantage for many people who refuse to abandon it. And we have plenty for that.
The iPod as a device without distractions or complications
There are several conversations on networks like Reddit about this phenomenon, and of course you have to have taken good care of your iPod for it to still work. Those who still have it in their pockets defend it This is a distraction-free device.. On an iPod you select the music you want to listen to and that’s it, there are no social networks to waste time on. Others say something similar: “on an iPod, there is no Internet, and therefore there are no ads.”
Other users prefer it over iPhone at certain times, like when they go to the gym. They leave the iPhone at home and only take what they need, music to work out. And headphones, of course. There are also those who simply refuse to subscribe to a service.
There are those who still use Rockbox, a free operating system that can be installed on iPods and gives you a bit more functionality. I would tell you that this voids the warranty, but talk about iPods sold fifteen years ago…No need to worry. And it’s not like the end of the original iTunes helps much.
If this inspires you, you always have eBay to search for older iPod models that still work. There is a whole active market. In this Reddit thread they also mention alternative stores, but more US focused. Between the fifth and seventh generations of iPod, there were series that are now true collector’s items. Generation 5.5 contained the famous Wolfson DACs inside and delivered a richer midrange sound, warmer and better controlled bass.
Why use an iPod in 2024
We have already spoken on other occasions about the iPod as the preferred device for listening to music without depending on subscriptions, without interruptions or distractions. Of course, to use iPod, you need to know clearly how to download music to Mac. The memory of a past in which our attention was not so diffuse. You can try to do the same thing with an iPhone, but it’s impossible to achieve the same thing in this aspect.
What could Apple do with an iPod today? A lot. For starters, beef up your strategy for the new AirPods Max 2. These earbuds carry a huge responsibility on their backs. They should be able to compete with the future Sony WH-1000XM6with the recently presented Sonos Ace, or the high-end Bang & Olufsen, Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins, brands which have oriented their portfolio towards the general public.
And what about the many “MP3” players updated and converted into authentic machines for playing Hi-Res files in the purest and most precise way. There is quite a niche for them, even if it is a small market.
Nowadays, people usually opt for lossless audio transmitters or portable DACs, which can play Qobuz or Tidal music at the highest resolution. It is important to record that the iPod cannot play FLAC files, but if ALAC has 24 bits, the Apple standard without compression that has the day it plays in Apple Music and Apple Music Classical, the app contains all the classic music and soundtracks. In fact, even though Apple has opted for spatial audio, this is not the preferred standard for audiophiles.
Pictures | Srattha Nualsate
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