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'Pop' Between Tracks In New iPod
joesao writes "The new iPods released last week seem to have a problem that causes an audible 'electrostatic pop' between all tracks played on it. The effect is not imaginary, as it has been witnessed by many users over at the Apple discussion forums. Now, one user has actually published a sound sample recorded the iPod's playback and the verdict is in: it's real. I hope this is a firmware issue and that it's quickly fixed ..." I just ordered a new iPod. I wonder if I should cancel my order.
You ever think that Apple might do the right thing, fess up to the problem and fix it for free to anyone who's effected?
http://www.remix.net/
and mine doesn't have any pops. (15gb)
It is a very very solid upgrade to an already amazing product. Don't cancel your order.
Remember when the Mac cube had a "crack" in the plastic which Apple said was no big deal? But it was a big deal to the people who paid extra and demanded perfection. People don't buy Mac cubes and iPods because they want something that is just good enough or gets the job done. These items are priced much higher than roughly equivalent but less polished competitors, and people expect that extra Apple polish.
Some of the older Compaq iPaq and HP Jornada Pocket PC PDAs had the same issue where you would here a pop right after a sound was played. Firmware fixes were released to reduce or eliminate the problem, which changed how the mini-amp for the built-in speaker (listening to sound via a headphone didn't have the same issue or was so minor that it couldn't be heard) was powered off.
The issue with the iPod might just be that the embedded OS is possibly powering down the mini-amp between songs or could be a glitch with the sound chip between the buffers. Probably a good chance that it can be eliminated or at least make it much more subtle by a firmware fix... or it may be problems with said mini-amp.
...I am simply astounded that a major corporation would just give out free sounds to the people. Microsoft could never unclench their evil moneygrubbing fists like that. I mean to be able to clearly distinguish between tracks is just the kind of brilliant useability detail that the Linux crowd fail to pay attention to but which has been the hallmark of Jobs' vision from the beginning. Just holding my ipod and thinking about it is causing a warm tingle in my pants.
ohgodohgod
yes! oh god YES!
aaaaah...
The Titanium PowerBook G4s also had a huge probelm with chiping. The band around the center of the unit as well as the screen hinges would chip (paint ?), and as a result the machine began looking very ugly. Apple originaly discounted this in much the same way as the cube. Eventually they gave in to overwhelming negative feedback from users and have been replacing them for many people (don't let them know you wear a watch). I think this, along with very poor airport signal strength, is one of the main factors that drove them to switch to the new aluminum case. So it will be interesting to see if they address, it ignore it, or ignore it then address it. -peel
People who have upgraded older iPods to 1.3 are reporting the same "electrostatic pop". This would seem to indicate that it's in the firmware and will at some point be fixed. It's not exactly a nightmarish bother; at least not to me.
... has released an official statement regarding this issue. It seems as if the digital output is in part constructed with rice krispies. When the Ipod is used in a humid area the rice krispies absorb the moisture from the air and produce a distinct possing sound. Apple has announced it intends to use Trix in future versions.
That's not a bug. it's a feature. the product was originally called the iPop. some dyslexic guy in the marketing department screwed it all up though.
The new slim and trim iPod with smaller battery must have some very active power management to get the play times even close to the original iPod.
It probably can very rapidly power cycle the sound amplification circuitry in response to input/lack of. The electrical pop may be a blip from a momentary power cycle due to some defect in software or hardware. From what others have said you can only hear it intermittently and only when the music is quiet enough or pauses enough.
I hope Apple can fix it via a software update, or things may get messy with this one. They've already sold 100,000+ new iPods and a recall would be extremely... painful for them.
Seems to me like you've screwed up your earbuds pretty good by crunching the plug like that. That probably explains the crackling (my Walkman headphones crackle occasionally when I fiddle with the [much-abused] plug).
As for the shocks...I HIGHLY doubt that there are any voltages >5 VDC inside the iPod. Certainly they wouldn't be necessary to power any of the circuitry AFAIK. I'm thinking you're being shocked by static electricity that's built up by the 'Pod bouncing around inside your pocket. Perhaps there's a connection between the metal back and some part of the earbuds. I've never had the opportunity to closely examine iPod buds--do they have any exposed metal? If not, maybe you've actually damaged the insulation going into them enough that an exposed wire is touching your ear--but even then I think only a static charge (not one from the iPod's battery) could be a high enough voltage to be noticeable.
Finally, the topic of this thread: In addition to what people have suggested about this being a result of power cycling the amp circuitry (which seems pretty likely), it's also possible that DC control signals are leaking into the audio outputs. I suppose you could say I'm a budding audio professional, and we've experienced a similar problem with a (MUCH more expensive than the iPod) piece of professional audio gear. Turned out that the control circuitry was not adequately shielded, and the cables connecting the automation section to the rest of the device were threaded around and through audio cables (and--like most similar products--the internal cables were generally unshielded IIRC). The manufacturer was very helpful and modified the automation assembly, but we finally decided that the product wasn't meeting our needs anyway (feature-wise). So we sold it and replaced it with a better (and even more expensive) product from the same company, which doesn't have the same problem, nor do two more products purchased from them since.
I don't know how applicable this is to the iPod--after all, all of its circuitry is on one PCB, unlike this product, which had over 50 fairly sizable ones and plenty of connections between them.
Just some food for thought.
WM
iPodPop.com...
Petitions, articles, and anecdotes demanding that Apple fix this clearly egregious aural violation!! Anything less than an immediate fix and a $100 rebate constitutes Steve Jobs' arrogant, utter contempt for the customer!
Oh, the humanity! How many people will have to suffer through this before Apple releases a fix?!?!?!
I also have this problem with my new 30GB iPod. It is very annoying.
One thing I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed. Sometimes when I'm listening to my playlist and it goes from one song to the next, I get the click/pop, then when the music comes back on I the balance between left/right ears changes. The volume level of the left ear seems to decrease significantly. It is totally random when this happens.
I noticed this happening because I listen to a lot of DJ mix tapes and in between track changes, when the balance shifts dramatically this is a big deal. I can get it to shift back by stopping the iPod (hold down play for 2 seconds until it shuts off), then restarting playback, but only sometimes. Sometimes I have to stop it several times before it will do it.
"When the president does it, that means it's not illegal." - Richard M. Nixon