CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Donald Bell
Review date: 09/10/07
Release date: 09/07/07
The good: The iPod Classic is just like the fifth-generation iPod with video, only slimmer, tougher, and injected with a more visually rich graphical user interface.
The bad: Video output now requires a proprietary cable; audio quality has not improved; some older iPod video accessories may not be compatible; users are required to use the latest version of iTunes, which may not work on some older computer systems.
The bottom line: The iPod Classic is a refinement of the formula that put the iPod on the map. Few can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and advanced user interface.
Editor's note: This review has been updated to include battery life data resulting from CNET Labs' testing.
The iPod Classic is the latest revamping of Apple's iconic hard drive MP3 player, formerly known as the Video iPod or fifth-generation iPod. As Apple's only remaining high-capacity MP3 player, the iPod Classic comes in both 80GB ($249) and 160GB versions ($349), available in black or silver.
Design
Cosmetically, the iPod Classic's improvements over its predecessors are minor. An anodized-aluminum faceplate now replaces the glossy, all-plastic facade found on the previous generation. Overall thickness has also improved, with the 80GB iPod Classic now measuring 2.4x4.1x.41 inches--just a fraction of an inch thinner than the 30GB Video iPod we had in our lab. The screen, however, is still made from scratch-prone plastic (unlike the iPhone's and iPod Touch's), and the chrome found on the back cover still begs for smudges.
The iPod Classic is nearly identical to the 30GB fifth-generation iPod (right). The iPod Nano (left) now shares all iPod Classic's capabilities, but in a much smaller format.
The Classic's most impressive design improvement is its dramatically overhauled menu system. One of the most striking changes is a split-screen main menu that displays the selections on the right half of the screen and a picture related to the selection on the left. For example, highlight the Music selection on the main menu, and the right half of the screen displays a random, drifting close-up of cover artwork from your music library. This same effect accompanies menu items such as movies, podcasts, and photos. Some might write off this split-screen effect as pure novelty, but the end result is quite beautiful. The Cover Flow system, for browsing your music collection with an emphasis on album artwork, finally makes its Classic debut, although Cover Flow does lose some appeal when not on a touch-screen device such as the iPhone. We also found a noticeable amount of lag using Cover Flow. Users with large music collections to sort through will prefer browsing using the list mode or search function. That said, Cover Flow makes for a scenic and engaging, if slow, way to browse your music.
Features
The iPod Classic has very few new features to talk about. Support for video and music playback, as well as photos, podcasts, and video games, are virtually unchanged.
The iPod Classic supports H.264 or MPEG-4 video in MOV, MP4, or M4V file formats, with a maximum resolution of 640x480 at as much as 30 frames per second. You can buy videos through the iTunes online store or import them into iTunes and convert them for playback. (Many third-party software video converters also do a great job converting videos for the iPod.) The Classic supports many of the video features we look for in portable video players. For instance, the Classic can recognize and skip between the DVD-like chapter markers embedded in QuickTime movie files. It also does a dependable job automatically resuming video playback at the point at which you last left off. Closed captioned subtitles can now be switched on and off for video files that support them.
The iPod Classic comes packaged with a proprietary USB cable, a set of earbuds, and a universal dock fitting.
Looking past the obvious big-ticket improvements, the new Classic includes some small touches that are easy to miss. Apple's music shuffle function, for instance, has made a subtle evolution, now letting you easily engage and disengage the shuffle function on the fly, with just a few clicks of the scroll wheel's center button. By placing the shuffle setting options (Shuffle Song, Shuffle Album, or Shuffle Off) in a song's Now Playing window, Apple is effectively giving you the ability to randomize songs until you find an artist you like--a lazy listener's dream come true. We're also happy to see that Apple has bundled three video games into both the iPod Classic and the Nano, giving us yet another way to stay distracted.
Apple's audio file format support remains the same. Copy-protected AAC files purchased through iTunes are supported, of course, as well as MP3, Apple lossless, AIFF, WAV, and Audible files. We're happy to see that despite the iPhone's unique file management requirements, the iPod Classic allows for manually adding and deleting music and video files without the hassles of playlist syncing. The Classic can also double as a USB hard drive in a pinch.
While the iPod Classic is a top-tier product, we long for some additional features, including the ability to use the headphone jack as a composite-video output, allowing photos and videos to be played to your television set without a third-party interface. While we can understand removing the little-used AV output feature to save on construction costs, we're even more surprised that Apple has rendered all of the recently released iPods incompatible with a number of third-party 5G video accessories as well. If you're hoping to use a new Nano or Classic with an existing video dock, be sure to check that the product explicitly states it is compatible with the iPod Classic. Apple's own Universal iPod Dock ($50) and component AV cable ($50) are guaranteed to work, of course.
Plus, there's our standard list of long-neglected iPod features: FM radio, line-input recording, SD memory expansion, custom EQ, and native support for WMA and subscription music services. We're not holding our breath.
Performance
Despite the major interface overhaul, the iPod Classic's sound quality still sounds just middle-of-the-road. Although middling sound quality doesn't seem to affect iPod sales, you'd think Apple would eventually address this long-standing complaint--if only out of pride. Users do get more than 20 equalization presets to choose among--ranging from subtle enhancement to dramatic bass boosting. Compared to products such as the Creative Zen V Plus, the Cowon iAudio 7, or the Toshiba Gigabeat U, however, the iPod's sound quality still leaves room for improvement. That said, after listening with our Ultrasone HFI-700 headphones as well as a set of Shure SE310 earphones, we can say with confidence that the Classic's fidelity will certainly satisfy most users.
The Cover Flow mode on the iPod Classic is a little slow, but it's a beautiful touch.
Video playback was the most impressive aspect of the iPod Classic. While we were impressed by the crisp resolution of the iPod Nano's smaller 2-inch screen, the 2.5-inch screen found on the iPod classic is easier on the eyes. Both players share the same 320x240 resolution and are capable playing files encoded at 640x480. By purchasing an additional component AV cable from Apple, it's possible for users to output resolutions up to 480p (720x480) to a television.
Aside from the increased storage capacity and upgraded interface, the iPod Classic's enhanced battery life is one of the better reasons to fork over your money. The 80GB Classic is rated at 30 hours of audio playback and 5 hours for video, while the 160GB version promises 40 hours of audio and 7 hours for video. While products such as the Archos 405 will deliver similar results for video playback, MP3 players capable of 30 to 40 hours of audio playback are a rare find. Our CNET labs team found the 80GB iPod Classic is capable of 45 hours of audio playback and nearly 9 hours of video playback under realistic conditions. Although we didn't have the opportunity to test the 160GB iPod Classic, we think it's reasonable to expect that it will at least match, if not surpass, these results.
Is it worth upgrading?
If you're looking for an iPod that can store more than 16GB of music and video, the iPod Classic lineup is the only option now available to you. Those of you with more modest storage requirements of 20GB to 60GB will simply have to step up to the 80GB model or consider an iPod alternative. For file-hoarders anxious to break the 80GB Video iPod storage limitation, the 160GB iPod is a logical step forward.
Before you leap, however, you should know that the iPod Nano, the iPod Classic, and the iPod Touch, all require iTunes 7.4 or later in order to be compatible with your computer. We recommend testing the compatibility of the latest version of iTunes with your computer before making the purchase.
The iTunes factor
No iPod review would be complete mentioning Apple's iTunes music software. For better or worse, the integration between an iPod and Apple's iTunes music software is nearly airtight. If this is going to be your first iPod, it's worthwhile to download iTunes ahead of time to see if it works well on your computer and is intuitive for you to use. You should also be aware that most of the music and movies available for purchase on the iTunes online store will play only in iTunes or on an authorized iPod and cannot be transferred to a non-Apple MP3 player.
Final thoughts
As the availability of high-capacity hard drive MP3 players seems to be on the decline, we're happy to see that Apple is continuing to develop them. The iPod Classic doesn't deliver the novelty of the iPod Nano or the iPod Touch, but it is still one of the best-designed high-capacity MP3 players on the market.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre revised model w/ very significant flaws
The new eye candy introduced (imagery to the right of menus) w/ the iPod classic has made navigating the menus ...
The new eye candy introduced (imagery to the right of menus) w/ the iPod classic has made navigating the menus unacceptably slow. There are frequent pauses and delays as images are loaded on the fly.
With no way to de-activate these graphic elements, these navigation delays make the iPod classic very frustrating to use.
And Coverflow, though it looks cool, is too twitchy to be useful.
My advice: wait for either a revised model or, at least, a major firmware update before purchasing.
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by chrisjscott (see profile) -
September 12, 2007
19 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 out of 10 - Average Beautiful and Buggy
I'm sending my silver 80gb ipod classic back to Apple and here's why. I'm comparing this to ...
I'm sending my silver 80gb ipod classic back to Apple and here's why. I'm comparing this to my 3g 60gb ipod. The improvements in the ipod classic come at an unacceptable cost in terms of speed. At first, I thought the touchdial was broken because of its uneven response to my input. Then I realized that the software was just catching up to the sensory input. The nice graphics in the classic are enough of a drain on the dynamic memory that scrolling becomes way laggy. I find myself concentrating really hard to make sure the song I want to select is the one that actually gets selected. Graphics are nice and surprisingly crisp. The lag is surprisingly annoying. They may fix this in an update, but I'm not risking $250 on that. The calibration of the touchdial is really not great either. I find that I have to press and drag for a relatively long time to scroll up just one song.
Oh, and the sound quality out of the earbuds still really really stinks compared to other players out there. The player has millisecond breaks within songs for no reason. My 3G had those qualities too, so I don't mark the classic down too much for those issues.
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by ichor (see profile) -
September 17, 2007
After reading several negative reviews on this site, I was nervous about having ...
Current Update Version: 1.0.3 Mac
After reading several negative reviews on this site, I was nervous about having just purchased the 80GB iPod Classic. The rantings of the frustrated users who encountered serious software and hardware issues scared the bejeezus out of me. Although I can't speak for their experiences, I can honestly say that I haven't encountered any problems with my iPod, and it's been running non-stop for the last couple weeks.
I did, however, decide to take the advice of the users here and basically disable any features that have to do with cover art or cover flow. I think it's helped to ensure that the interface runs as smoothly as possible.
I currently have an eMac running OS 10.4.11. I've encountered no problems or issues with iTunes 7 and Syncing audio or video.
DVDs transferred to the iPod look great with no noticeable skips or flaws. Using iTunes and Safari in conjunction with iSquint to download and convert Flash Videos works well.
I hope my experiences with my iPod remain positive ones. If anything goes awry, I will be sure to post it here.
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by djohn409 (see profile) -
January 6, 2008
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Very Buggy, needs to be updated
it seems to have the potential to be a good product, but Apple really needs to work on making sure ...
it seems to have the potential to be a good product, but Apple really needs to work on making sure that they ship quality products. There is over 10% defection rate among new iPods. Mine broke within hours, and tech support is very hesitant to send me a box to get it shipped in to get fixed. Apple stores are not all that common, so it is an inconvenient to get it replaced. The new iTunes, which is what apple tells you to use to manage the content on this iPod, uses quite alot of system resources and crashes often. plugging in the iPod will bog your computer down much further, you may have to wait a few minutes for the iPod to be recognized and then further to sync. The iPod itself seems to lag pretty easy, and the click wheel isnt very sensitive. if you have a large music library with many different artists, you may become frustrated going from the top to the bottom as the click wheel doesnt seem to register everywhere so you can't quickly scroll. the good part is that it looks very good (but you really need to get a protective case or it will get scratched very very quickly), it has nice sound and video quality, and its fairly simple to reset (click hold on then off, then hold the central button and menu for 6-10 seconds)
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by Milky The Brown Cow (see profile) -
September 15, 2007
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Was considering getting an ipod.......
New to the Ipod scene, thought maybe it might be time to give in and get one. Went to the ...
New to the Ipod scene, thought maybe it might be time to give in and get one. Went to the apple store and looked at about 15 to 20 80gig models. After listening to the first one I noticed that when listening to music and menu'ing back to cover flow it seemed a bit sluggish. Once in coverflow, when browsing through albums the music begins to skip and makes a loud screeching noise. Obviously thought that was odd tried again and sure enough, same thing. So I moved on to the next 80gig and the same thing happened. Moved to the next and the next and the next and the next.....they all did it. Incredibly annoying, especially when it has to do with a feature that is so heavily marketed(a bread and butter feature of the new marketing campaign). I suppose alot of people will be able to overlook this. But I mean c'mon apple.............really? Your better than that.
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by splitgrey (see profile) -
September 13, 2007
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Really love it except for one flaw that really upsets me...otherwise I would've rated it a 10!
I bought an 30gb video iPod prior to the September 5th annoucement. A friend of mine informed me of the ...
I bought an 30gb video iPod prior to the September 5th annoucement. A friend of mine informed me of the upcoming announcement and I returned it to the Apple Store. I already bought speakers, a case, an armband case and the video/ audio jacks. I kept these items hoping it will fit the next generation of iPods.
After the announcement of new iPods, I decided to get the iPod Classic 80gb since it was the same price as the 30 gb I returned. I fell in love with the graphical interface, especially the cover flow feature. I spent hours updating my music so that the album covers could be displayed. I also like the fact that it is thinner and lighter. And with more space, I can put more videos on it. I was fortunate enough that all my accessories still works except for the video/audio cable I bought so I could hook it up to my DVD player in my car. I'm really upset with this because now I have to buy another cable which hooks up to the docking port. This cable costs about $50 (yikes). Fortunately, my speakers have a video out so I can use this to link up to my television. Why did Apple take out the video function from the headphone jack? This was one of the reasons why I sold my Sansa, so I could have library of videos without needing any discs.
Sorry Apple, I would have given you guys a perfect 10 if you just left the good features alone!
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by Roo-Dee (see profile) -
September 10, 2007
3 out of 10 - Poor Ok... Not up to the hype
Last week I bought the iPod Classic, though the storage is great (80gig), but who wants to watch a movie ...
Last week I bought the iPod Classic, though the storage is great (80gig), but who wants to watch a movie on that small of a screen?
Sound quality, not what I expected. I have some excellent headphones (not the junk standard in-ears) and I am an audiophile. That makes me very picky. It won't matter on the generic MP3, but if you want to listen to lossless files. You will quickly be disappointed. The whole reason I got the 80gig was to listen to lossless audio files.
The looks are great, until you touch it... then finger prints everywhere?..
I loved the support of audio books and podcasts. The touch sensitive scroll pad is very cool. The down fall of the scroll pad is I kept hitting buttons and screwing up the song I was listening to. I am sure with more use I would get used to putting it in the locked position.
One other great part to the iPod, setup was very easy. 2 thumbs up for Apple on the config!!!!
So I don?t like the iPod. I do see why many do, so it is back to looking around for a MP3 player and the iPod goes back to Apple.
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by stuxstu (see profile) -
September 19, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 out of 10 - Good Mediocre product - what a disappointment
I own a 1st generation iPod nano which, overall, I like a lot, but the storage capacity is limited and ...
I own a 1st generation iPod nano which, overall, I like a lot, but the storage capacity is limited and the battery life is short, so I thought it could be nice to have an 80GB player. Having read the mixed reviews on the iPod Classic, I decided to test it myself in the Apple store. My conclusion is that the Classic is not a bad product, but it is far from what I expect from Apple: I expect a very refined and high quality product. With these expectations in mind, the iPod classic fails to deliver. First, I don't like the way it sounds (I tested it with my Shure E4C earphones.) It's not terrible but I would describe it as mediocre. I found the sound to be harsh at times, and to completely lack soundstage. Bass was strong enough, but was messy dynamically. In comparison, the ipod touch and nano both sounded to me significantly better than the Classic (Both were more than acceptable.) Second, the user interface in the Classic is surprisingly sluggish. The clickwheel is difficult to control. The overall response of the interface is slow and a little bit erratic. Where is the attention to detail that we have come to expect from Apple?
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by arnonrot (see profile) -
April 1, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Overall Pleased!
Purchased this in November 2007, and have been using it in my car and at home through a Kenwood THX ...
Purchased this in November 2007, and have been using it in my car and at home through a Kenwood THX receiver and Polk speakers extensively. While I can say that my Creative Zen V sounds better through headphones, the iPod sounds just as good in my car and over the stereo. The capacity can't be beat, I love video Podcasts and I have Mac desktop computers. So for me this is a slam dunk!
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by sommer182 (see profile) -
January 25, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular It's my first Ipod and I am more than satisfied!!
I got this Ipod not long ago, a few days ago to be exact. Before buying it though, I went ...
I got this Ipod not long ago, a few days ago to be exact. Before buying it though, I went browsing on the Internet for info about it. And I found many complaints about click wheel issues, battery drains, lagging, etc. I decided to buy it anyway and see for myself.
I got it and not of the issues that i found on the net were present. The click wheel was responsive as any ipod i had seen or used before, the battery lasted a very, very LONG time, especially if I just let it play (I've played it for the whole morning and early afternoon, and the battery indicator is still FULL !!). The Graphical Interface is amazing and easy to use. Plus you can play videos too!
The only thing I've found is there is a bit of lag if I leave my ipod inactive and come back to it. But it's not even close to how some ppl have complained about it on the internet. It does not affect in any way my use of it. This may be because when I got the Ipod Classic, it had firmware 1.0.3 already installed.
I love this Ipod!! There's nothing not to like about it. THe best MP3 player I've ever had!
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by jamvng (see profile) -
January 2, 2008
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!!). The Graphical Interface is amazing and easy to use. Plus you can play videos too!