Back when I focused on writing and edited MP3 player reviews, we longed for a totally objective way to test the sound quality of MP3 players. Only certain manufacturers choose to release sound specs for their players, and when they do, the methods for describing sound quality often vary. We tended to list signal-to-noise ratio and total harmonic distortion specs when possible, and otherwise relied on subjective testing.
As it turns out, Michael Degnan and the late James Kim ran 13 of the world's best MP3 players through an Audio Precision ATS-2 Audio Analyzer at CNET last year to find out how they stacked up in three key areas of objective sound quality.
Here's where the various models of iPod ranked in their tests:
Signal-to-noise ratio
Best: Creative Zen Vision M
5G iPod: 5th
iPod Nano: 8th
iPod Shuffle: 7th
Distortion
Best: 5G iPod
iPod Nano: 5th
iPod Shuffle: 3rd
Frequency Response (flatness of response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Best: Cowon iAudio U3
5G iPod: 8th
iPod Nano: 5th
iPod Shuffle: 4th
Some audiophiles claim that total harmonic distortion should be the true measure of an MP3 player, and the iPods scored well there. But these tests might also explain why Apple and other MP3 player manufacturers don't release extensive sound specs.
