What DAC/amplification circuitry does it use? Does it support bit perfect playback the same way my iPod/sansa clip/computer do? Or is everything crushed to 48khz like a smartphone?
Why does it appear to be riveted together? Wouldn't Phillips screws or a snap together design (guitar pick to open) be more practical?
Asking the important questions. At its core it's a DAP. If it offers nothing better than a smartphone, I don't see why I need another piece of glued together junk that could go unsupported anytime just for whatever sentimental value iPod has. Not to mention 64 GB is nothing if you're listening to lossless.
+1 for Tangara. It's kind of underpowered and crashes sometimes when doing too much at once, and I wish the scroll wheel felt a bit better, but hey it's all open source and I made some mods (printed a case, added some resistors to lower the noise floor).
The thing I liked and still like about dedicated (audio) media player devices is physical buttons so you can have non-fiddly control while it's in your pocket, and it's responsive. With my phone and bluetooth earbuds I have to either pull out a 6.7" slab from my pocket and unlock it to adjust anything complex or get the right morse code tap on the exact right spot on an earbud and deal with any bluetooth delay (I find it a blessing if the phone is oriented in the right way where I can use the vol +/- buttons).
Where I think they're missing a trick is trying to imitate the admittedly iconic iPod classic design, especially when no one is building around a hard drive any more.
What does this offer over, say, an Innioasis https://www.innioasis.com/products/y2? What Bluetooth codecs does it support; will I be able to use LDAC/LDHC/AAC/AptX HD/etc.? Is "Sudo OS" something I can hack and play with?
I think the more specific question is: why bother playing the “preorder a product that may never ship” game when there’s some factory in China (e.g. this Innioasis product) ready to ship you a product immediately?
I will say, though, even from basic marketing pictures it’s obvious that this Sudo device is almost certainly a higher quality device, and the lack of the headphone jack on the Innoasis product is a strange omission.
You can also just buy an iPod in 2026, they are still well supported on Mac and PC. You can get them with new batteries quite cheaply. You can even get 30-pin Bluetooth adapters for them.
It’s true that after iTunes ceased to exist it was then possible to sync them with the Music app and Finder, I was wrong to say that. I meant to say that Apple no longer offers support for the device.
I have had issues syncing with Finder on a particular model. I assumed these models no longer worked with the OS. Happy to hear that they do. Maybe it was the OS version, or the model. I should try again.
At first, I read “Suno” and thought it was a music player that lets you listen to music generated just for you. “Play me some music about a breakup between two sailors,” and there you go — the perfect album for the occasion.
Maybe it’s me being old but I don’t understand why I’d want this device for 249$.
I know some younger gens are looking for phoneless experiences, but for that price you can find old devices and simply recycle their usage. There are enough roms aimed and making a “dumb” mp3 player and include 3.5” and decent audio.
So I wonder if I miss something. The fomo here is messing with me.
>I'm happy about this product, I was just looking for something like this not long ago.
There is a market for such products, but not for this one, which is a particularly bad implementation, vaporware for Q4 2027 release, and with bad specs for the price.
Tons of such mp3 players, with touchscreens, and even iPod like wheels, on online stores. Go get one.
Even more, chinese sites are chuck full of such players for a fraction of the price in all dimensions, on/offline, tactile or touch, with quality DACs.
I still have an iPod in my car and I still have a big collection of music but I've stopped collecting music. I haven't bought/downloaded anything in years because there is so much good streaming out there. I mostly switch between nts.live 1 and 2, dublab, and dublab Germany. When there's something annoying on one channel there is almost always something good on another.
I though $50 seems like a fair price for what you'd get. And then I saw it was only a deposit. A retail price of $250 seems way over the mark for what it is.
Who would be the market for this product?
Its expensive so its up market, but all of those buyers would already have phones and would be unlikely to bring another device just to have music that their phone is already exceptionally good at providing.
it's unlikely to be runners or bikers or other endurance athletes as they'll already have their phone or if they use a watch have music on their watch so they don't have to bring a phone.
Phones already do a great job of offline with downloaded music and movies so that doesn't seem like the right crowd.
Most kids get a hand me down phone with no cellular to start with from their parents so that doesn't seem like a good fit.
now i feel like I'm writing the hacker news dropbox review where i say its use case is already easy to do and the product will go nowhere;)
Hi. I am the target for this kind of device. I like to have a dedicated music player, and I like the shape of the iPod classic. I don’t want to use a smartphone.
This device has Bluetooth which the old iPod did not have, which is an enhancement. The old iPod also forces you to sync the music using the iTunes library.
Expensive mp3 players are for audiophiles. They have better much DACs than a phone, hi-fi headphone jacks in addition to regular ones. Probably other hi-fi features I don't know or care about. They can easily run over $400.
Inexpensive mp3 players are for people who want a distraction-free device, who want a headphone jack, or like physical buttons, I guess, and they also often have somewhat better DACs than a phone, not that my busted hearing can tell. I think decent ones are in the $50-100 range. I have a $70 that I like fine. It's metal, it plays most media formats (not opus, which annoys me, and it flakes out on some specific ogg vorbis). Only thing I don't like is switching between linear and shuffle play is too many button pushes.
Shipping Q4 2027? Let me know then. Even if it ships on time, that's like a year ahead, and who knows what else will be available by the time (it's not like there's not a thriving niche mp3 player market).
Looks like a scam. You have to pay 50$ to reserve and ships in Q4 2027.
By then most of people would forget they even paid for this and also you won’t be able to dispute the 50$ with your payment provider because the dispute window has passed.
Apple’s $10 dongle has measured better than many fancy DACs and its silly to spend more than that on a portable setup.
I say this as someone who has spent thousands on headphones, amps and DACs over the years. It’s a silly hobby that is far too expensive for what you get out of it
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[ 0.24 ms ] story [ 67.4 ms ] threadWhy does it appear to be riveted together? Wouldn't Phillips screws or a snap together design (guitar pick to open) be more practical?
1. head to eBay and search for used iPod Classics
2. give Rockbox some love
As to the being "crushed" to 48Khz, there is zero chance you can tell the difference.
https://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml
My friend got a Tangara from their "Kickstarter" and I think it's pretty cool.
It stays in airplane mode. It has a real headphone jack.
Where I think they're missing a trick is trying to imitate the admittedly iconic iPod classic design, especially when no one is building around a hard drive any more.
I did manage to scratch the screen.
It feels a bit lightweight, if I could maybe blutak some pennies inside it would probably feel more expensive.
I will say, though, even from basic marketing pictures it’s obvious that this Sudo device is almost certainly a higher quality device, and the lack of the headphone jack on the Innoasis product is a strange omission.
Absolutely false. Why would you even post that?
iPods are 100% supported on macOS, and its Music program.
I have five Shuffles, and an iPod Video, and I use at least one of them almost every day, and sync them with my Macs monthly.
I have had issues syncing with Finder on a particular model. I assumed these models no longer worked with the OS. Happy to hear that they do. Maybe it was the OS version, or the model. I should try again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_PMP300
I know some younger gens are looking for phoneless experiences, but for that price you can find old devices and simply recycle their usage. There are enough roms aimed and making a “dumb” mp3 player and include 3.5” and decent audio.
So I wonder if I miss something. The fomo here is messing with me.
I'm happy about this product, I was just looking for something like this not long ago.
There'a market for everything. Accept that and move on, particularly when you have no horse on the race.
There is a market for such products, but not for this one, which is a particularly bad implementation, vaporware for Q4 2027 release, and with bad specs for the price.
Tons of such mp3 players, with touchscreens, and even iPod like wheels, on online stores. Go get one.
Who would be the market for this product?
Its expensive so its up market, but all of those buyers would already have phones and would be unlikely to bring another device just to have music that their phone is already exceptionally good at providing.
it's unlikely to be runners or bikers or other endurance athletes as they'll already have their phone or if they use a watch have music on their watch so they don't have to bring a phone.
Phones already do a great job of offline with downloaded music and movies so that doesn't seem like the right crowd.
Most kids get a hand me down phone with no cellular to start with from their parents so that doesn't seem like a good fit.
now i feel like I'm writing the hacker news dropbox review where i say its use case is already easy to do and the product will go nowhere;)
But seriously, who would be the target here?
This device has Bluetooth which the old iPod did not have, which is an enhancement. The old iPod also forces you to sync the music using the iTunes library.
Inexpensive mp3 players are for people who want a distraction-free device, who want a headphone jack, or like physical buttons, I guess, and they also often have somewhat better DACs than a phone, not that my busted hearing can tell. I think decent ones are in the $50-100 range. I have a $70 that I like fine. It's metal, it plays most media formats (not opus, which annoys me, and it flakes out on some specific ogg vorbis). Only thing I don't like is switching between linear and shuffle play is too many button pushes.
By then most of people would forget they even paid for this and also you won’t be able to dispute the 50$ with your payment provider because the dispute window has passed.
I say this as someone who has spent thousands on headphones, amps and DACs over the years. It’s a silly hobby that is far too expensive for what you get out of it