These are the results of my tireless search for quality ipod sound. The ipod can create nothing better than WAV files (CD quality), or 1411 kbps, and 16 bits of depth in the sound. I bought the ipod 80g and had some problems. I manually recorded some music (yeah, it takes forever). Then my computer crashed, then I lost all the song info that I had manually typed. Then I decided to do it the easy way, and just burn-in the discs at 320kbps, and that sounded awful. After you hear the higher quality, you won't go back! Anyway, I found a way to get the BEST sound and protection for your pod. All this stuff I recommend is available on amazon. I'm serious...you can't get 24-bit sound from the pod, but this comes close. Keep in mind, this is labor-intensive and takes the purchase of a few more items. But the end result is worth it.

1) You will need two mini-to-mini Monster cables (substitute something similar, but monster-grade gives you a fuller, richer signal). You will need an external Soundblaster X-Fi box. An electric cable doesn't come with it, but there are different cables you can get that are universal electronics cables, or you can order the special X-Fi box cable. Anyway, this unit allows you to pull more sound from a CD signal, enhancing all the nuances and increasing the depth of bass and crispness of highs. It really is incredible, and it makes the songs on the pod "pop" with dimension and color. You will need to situate your home stereo CD player and reciever next to your computer. If the internal soundcard of your computer is a concern, also get a Soundblaster external 24-bit card that plugs into a USB. You also need PD+Rescue software. This is the best way to retrieve the valuable song info if your computer goes ape. Last but not least, get a recording program. The best and cheapest is the Windows Analog recorder, which you can pay-for online and download, cheap.

2)Run a mini cable from your stereo reciever headphone jack to the line-in your X-Fi box, and run a mini to mini from the X-Fi box to the computer's internal or external soundcard.

3)Try the settings on the X-Fi box. I highly recommend the highest setting on the 24-bit technology and NO, no 3-D. The 3-D doesn't translate well unless your listening in real time.

4)Listening to the computer with headphones, set the signal from the stereo reciever. Keep your bass, treble, and eq levels where you like them. Usually, the reciever will be low, at about 2 volume points. The volume knob on the X-Fi box will vary, depending on the CD, so you will have to listen and watch the recording levels as you mess with the box dial. Each CD you record will have a different loudness level, so just let the first song run for a minute and make sure it doesn't distort.

5)Press record on the Windows recording program and let the CD go. When the CD is finished, the recording will stop. The windows recorder allows you to cut and paste the songs together, but it does a pretty good job of separating the songs on its own. Manually type the name of the artist and the songs in the fields it gives you. Save to a universal folder, and dump the songs into itunes from there. Itunes will find the CD art, and show it when the album comes on.

6)If your computer eats your stuff, use PD Rescue, but don't select "transfer to itunes." This will get you the songs but not the song titles, or album titles, or anything. A song will be called, "WTTY," and that's it. Instead, select "songlist" options and go to the bottom right corner and select the files to be saved according to song-artist-album. Then, at the top, select "copy to folder," save the songs to a preferred place, and dump them from that folder to itunes. Then you will have the info you need with the songs. Manually typed song info doesn't save backwards the way that burned info does...don't know why.

7)Burn everything you like. You can always save just the lists you want on the go. Saving the WAV files will allow 1800-2000 songs at one time... and it will sound better than a portable CD player.

8)If you want to go the extra mile, try a portable headphone amp and some nice phones. You will hear the quality in these rich files.