r/iPodMinis

Hi all,

What do you reckon is the best bet for the iPod Mini 2? I know I'd need an adapter for an SD card, but it is much less expensive for much more storage.

Would using one over the other improve performance or battery life - on Rockbox OR iPodOS?

Thanks :)

24 hours ago, I knew absolutely nothing about iPods. After a day of research, I am firm on sticking with the iPod Mini Gen 2 to mod, OR the iPod classic 5.5 30GB Thin-back to mod.

How I would mod the Mini 2:

Battery replacement

New shell

Flash SD-CF Adapter

128GB SD Card

Total (including the iPod) - about £120 / $160

How I would mod the Classic 5.5:

3000 mAh battery

New front/backplate and click-wheel

iFlash Quad (3000 mAh battery fits only with the Quad, not the solo)

128GB Micro SD Card (I hear that due to the RAM constraints of the Thin-back, the RAM would run out before reaching the limit of a 256GB SD Card so 256GB would be unnecessary ?)

Total (including the iPod) - about £170 / $225

What are your experiences with these iPods? Is one especially better/worse than the other for different things?

I like the bigger screen on the 5.5, but I would only use the iPod for music and the occasional film. I don't need to view photos and a calendar and games on an iPod, it's meant to be an escape from the mobile phone lifestyle!

That said, I do use album covers to identify songs a bit quicker, but it isn't necessary.

What's the size difference like hands on? Do they both fit in your pocket? I know the 5.5 is actually a bit thinner.

Do both use Wolfson DAC?

What is battery life like on either one (with replaced/upgraded batteries)? If the Mini could get me through a solid day that would be great.

I also hear that the search function is better on the Classic, especially when you have thousands of songs, please correct me if this is wrong.

Perhaps most importantly, what is the UI like on both iPods? What are the benefits/drawbacks of using iPodOS versus RockBox? The ease of use of the device is massively important!

I take it you can shuffle ALL songs at once, irrespective of playlist/album?

I don't think I'd use lossless on the iPods, but I'd like to use a 'good' sounding audio quality. I'm not an audiophile but I am an avid music enjoyer and occasional hobby producer so I'd like to know how many songs 128/256GB could realistically get me on both iPods, factoring in RAM constraints.

I know this is a lengthy one, but everyone was here at some point, and I know these 2 iPods are strong contenders for many people, so hopefully people can benefit from this post!

Thanks for your time :)