Getting close to buying one… Want really good music player but also Spotify/other web services such as Radio on Wi-fi

Anybody offer any comments about:
Sound quality (I will def get better earphones – thinking about Klipsch X10)?
Will I regret 32GB? I don’t intend to fill it with games and videos – primarily music.
Reliability – anyone got bad news for me?
Anything else to watch out for?

I did do a quick search of the forum and didn’t find much – apologies if I didn’t look hard enough!

Cheers

The supplied ‘phones are really surprisingly good, I use mine all the time, because they’re easy to just pop into your ears, they’re very comfortable, and the sound quality is easily on a par with much more expensive ‘phones.
I have a pair of Klipsch ‘phones, which I got in exchange for a pair of UE SuperFi 3’s that broke, and I really don’t like them at all, there’s something odd about the midrange that no amount of pissing around with the EQ could cure.
If you want some ‘phones that will block background noise better than the Apple ones, then Shure SE215’s are the ones to go for. Stunning sound quality, really comfortable, as they’re IEM’S; In-Ear Monitors, and you wear them with the cable looped over the top of your ear and down the back.
Crucially, they have replaceable cables, which make a huge difference to longevity. The standard cables are pretty heavy duty anyway, and the plug is 90°, so a lot less stress on the cable when carried in the pocket. I got mine from the States two years ago, when they were first released, for $99, plus $45 for the optional cable with remote, and I’ve never had an issue with them, and I think you can get them through Amazon for about £75-ish.
I use the triple-flange eartips, which are admittedly a bit of a phaff to get in, but they block a huge amount of background noise, and they make a big difference to the sound quality, especially the bass.
You won’t need to tweak the EQ with either set of ‘phones, either
Rip your music at 320Kb, variable bit rate, you won’t notice any difference to the original CD, and I’d suggest going for the maximum capacity you can afford, it’s very easy to fill one up.
I’m hoping the next one will go from 64 to 128Gb, but I’m really holding out for a 256Gb version, my 160Gb Classic’s almost full…
Reliability? As good as anything else, just don’t drop it; get a clear plastic case, and a screen protector, and you’ll be fine, my old iPhone 4’s been dropped several times, but there isn’t a mark on it, because of the screen protector and the clear Belkin case.
Just to clarify, I don’t have a touch, but I’ve got an iPhone 5, and my iP4 is used as an iPod, so a Touch is almost the same as the phone, sans GPS and telephony.
Hope that all helps.
Enjoy. 😀

ipod touch 5th gen is good, an iphone 5 minus the phone calls and data but with an iPhone 4S chip and much slimmer.
Get the 32GB it is worth it because it has a decent rear camera, the 16GB has no rear camera and also you get different colours in 32GB or just get an iPad mini if you won’t be taking it out the house

The supplied ‘phones are really surprisingly good, I use mine all the time, because they’re easy to just pop into your ears, they’re very comfortable, and the sound quality is easily on a par with much more expensive ‘phones.

I agree with pretty much all of what CountZero said apart from above. I think all the Apple earphones have been really dire.

I use also use Shure – mine are the 425’s. Using these, full bit rate .wav files and the iPhone 4S/3S or iPod Touch you mention OP, I hear parts of the recordings I’ve never heard otherwise which is fantastic! Dropped drumsticks, semi-masked vocals etc… Really enjoyable listening experience.

That’s really helpful stuff – thanks all.

Have an ipod touch (but possibly 4th gen). Really pleased with it, was almost going to get a classic, but glad I didn’t. Ipod touch has so many useful features, apart from obvious email/web.

I went for the 32GB model, worth the extra cash. I have more music than it will take, but I am just trying to get rid of stuff I no longer listen to and just just load music on the ipod that I regularly listen to, along with some films.

Not keen on Apple headphones myself, I have bought some seinheisser ones that go in the ear. Not even expensive at £15 or so, but well reviewed by Which/what Hifi etc. Sound fine to me.

I use the ipod to stream music to my apple tv and it is one of the best features of the lot – I have my Apple TV connected to a decent soundbar and it is a handy feature. Also plug in to my old hifi amp and am happy with the sound quality.