There is no way that could make this any smaller, or could they? The ultimate workout media player.
Some products scream cool. Some products are pretenders in a fancy package.
Not so with the Shuffle.
The second incarnation of the Apple iPod Shuffle with its all aluminum
chassis, and built-in clip, looks beautiful and hangs perfectly when working
out. It is the best workout tool, I have ever tried. It holds on with great
confidence, never missing a beat.
While hardly erotic, the feeling one gets when holding the ice-cold silver
case with the white iPod navigation wheel is strangely titillating. The Shuffle
2.0 weighs in at 0.55 ounces, making it the lightest portable music device that
I can think of. At 1.07 inches by 1.62 inches, the Shuffle 2.0 is too small for
a screen, which you really do not miss. If they had made this any smaller, it would
not be useable. The best feature is the very strong and robust clip that grabs
hold of your clothing and stays there.
Apple should update the Shuffle 2.0 and iTunes in short order to incorporate
common and custom EQ profiles into the iTunes Settings Tab. That way you could
remotely modify the Shuffle's internal settings via iTunes - similar to the
Limit Maximum Volume. That would solve our biggest complaint with the Shuffle
2.0, and bring a smile to users who prefer more meat in the bottom.
A major problem with the original Shuffle was fortunately fixed with the 2.0.
The annoying on/off switch of the original, which was extremely hard to grip
and slide, has been replaced by a simple toggle switch that shifts into place
with a satisfying click. A second toggle switch designates whether the music should
play in order, or shuffle, randomly selecting music from the 1 GB of onboard
memory.
The sound quality of the Shuffle 2.0 is good, but does not pack the same
punch, especially on the bottom end, as the original. In fact, the Shuffle 2.0
seems to be voiced for Carrie Underwood and Diana Krall, instead of Metallica.
Hip-Hop, Rock and Dance had greater oomph on the original Shuffle. I could
really hear the loss of extension and control. The overall level of fidelity is
still quite impressive, and more than adequate for listening to lifeless sounding MP3s and AAC files. However, the quality issue is really going to come into play when
you tee up an AIFF file, which the Shuffle 2.0 now supports. The lack of bass
and signal power will unfortunately reveal this serious weakness. For shame.
The other minor detractor is the fact that the Shuffle 2.0 does not have a
built-in USB connection as the original did. Instead, it comes with a mini dock
with a triple-connect mini-plug that serves as the digital link for
transferring music from iTunes to the device. Thus, you cannot simply attach
the Shuffle to any USB connection for a quick charge; you must carry the mini
dock.
Apple claims that the battery should give you between 10-12 hours of use,
and I did average slightly less than that, but it was still good. It also took
around 4 hours to achieve a full charge.
The Shuffle 2.0 is certainly a better design than the original, but I am not
sure that it is on the same level sonically. It does not have the same level of
bass response with hip-hop and dance tracks, which is disappointing.
At $79, the iPod Shuffle is a great option for those looking for a portable media
player without a screen and who don’t care about the order of their music. If
one could download lossless files, and fix the EQ, it would be close to
perfect.
The Verdict
