Connecting I-pod to Integrated Amplifiers

Agree; definitely use the line-out, or the line-out on a Dock if you don't have one on your iPod. Do not use the headphone jack which runs off the tiny op-amp in the iPod. Better yet, if there were some solution to get a digital output from the iPod that could run into an outboard DAC, then you'd be cooking with gas! I started a thread a while back, which I'll ammend now having just seen this implemented in a mini-system by Monitor Audio. If you read the description of the features of this mini-system, it claims to use the iPod simply as a digital feed and use its own DAC to do the conversion. I have no experience with this unit, so can't comment specifically, but that'd be the way I'd want to go. Short of that, line-out and you will still need that 1/8" mini to dual RCA iPod interconnect. I use one of Signal-Cable's silver versions of this plug and am very happy with it (about $70). Do not make the mistake of buying one of those docks with the RCA outputs directly on them (can't recall the manufacturer...costs $99). I tried one and they are truly horrible. They do put some kind of filter, circuitry or op-amp between the iPod and the outputs. Whatever that circuitry is absolutely ruins the sound. I took mine back after two days and went with the basic Apple iDock for my 60GB iPod (which otherwise has no line-out). The iDock has a mini jack for line-output. The signal from the line-out this way is markedly better than going through the headphone jack.

As far as the naysayers go; don't knock it till you've tried it. The one huge advantage it offers is having a big chunk of your music that you can bring anywhere with you. I have a hook-up to my Alpine deck in my car, and travel with a head-amp, and sometimes powered speakers to enjoy music in my hotel room. 300+ CD's at my fingertips in lossless format. At home it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable source via line-out for everything but critical listening, where I still think most would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Of course you'd know it was there in your system and you'd have to live with that nagging thought. Eventually the Audiophile Police would come a knockin' and confiscate your membership card and decoder ring. You'd be black listed in the community, shunned by those who deplore such mediocrity, and if you listen long enough your johnson will shrivel up and fall off, and you'll go blind.

Marco

If all you've ever done is listened to the headphone output of an iPod you're bound to conclude it sounds lousy (especially if you're listening with the stock earbuds, they're absolutely horrible). The way to go if you want quality is to use apple lossless files with the line out through the cradle. Better yet, mod the iPod to take all the crap out of the signal path after the dac and upgrade the capacitors to Black Gates (which Vinnie at Red Wine Audio does, and he did for me). This gets you everything that's causing such a buzz with PC based playback in something you can hold in your hand and take with you when you travel (although you will need a headphone amp because the regular jack is converted to a line out level).

Gary

Grakesh -

There are two audio outputs on most iPods. The headphone jack is lower level (Vms) and can be controlled on the iPod. As Goatwuss has written, its less then ideal, even though its very convenient in a stand alone application.

What is audibly better is the jack on the bottom. It is higher level (Vms). But there is no gain control - which is what you have an integrated amp for...

A lot of people are making plugs for that, here are a few:

Nyko Stereo link which includes 6' ICs

The Sendstation Pocket Dock which provides both a mini and a Firewire plug so you can run the iPod from AC

The SIK din which provides similar functionality in a little different form factor

There is a tweak audiophile version without the power provision called the Turbodock

http://www.fixup.net/talk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1499

Finally, take a look at Drew at Moon Audio's solution which offers a hardwired plug that can be terminated in RCAs. www.moonaudio.com then select "Headphone and Portable cables" and scroll down to see what he's been up to. I have not heard it but I think its very appealing for what is effectively a permanent installation.

You do need to make sure you are using lossless files. Take a look at this article to find out just how good this can sound...

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hipod/hipod.html

Once you get the bug, take a look at the mod Vinnie Rossi is doing to the iPod - if you are considering this you will probably want to stay with a 1/8" plug cabling solution.

http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html

BTW I totally disagree with Bignerd and Sfar - attention to detail matters, cable is such a detail. It is as important when you are using an iPod as a source as it is with any other source. Why would it not matter?

best,
ck

Whoops, I said 300+ CD's on a 60GB iPod in ALAC format. Not true. It's a mere 120 CD's. My mind must have been wandering to my shriveling johnson and failing eyesight.

Cool mods at RedWine - thanks for the links. I still want to know why no one seems to be able to get a digital output since Monitor Audio claims to do that? I think I'll write to Vinnie and see what he has to say on the subject.

Marco

CK - I've read that 6moons article before. It really is more about the Avantgarde speakers more than the iPod IMO, but does have some helpful iPod info. Overall it occurs to me as an audio fluff piece. When it came to the question anyone who is likely to be reading that article would want to ask, they did not go at all into detail of any kind of comparisons between an iPod and anything else running through the same speakers. It does not surprise me that you can get an iPod to sound pretty good through a $7000 pair of amplified horn speakers...but how does it compare to other options? Did I miss something?

The only mention of anything like this comes at the end, and is evasive at best:

The 10 guilder -- or rather $15,000 -- question: How did the HiPod system compare to our usual reference rig? The question is easy but the answer is more complicated. Consider that our Duos are at the tail end of a system comprised of the CEC TL5100 as transport, an AudioNote DAC, a TacT RCS 2.0 as preamp/room-correction engine and an Audio Note Meishu with KR300Bs as power amp. Interconnect cables (all on loan for review) are presently Stealth Indra, Siltech SQ88 MKII, Van den Hul Gold Hybrid, Xindak FA Gold, Crystal Cable Piccolo, Harmonix Golden Performance. Our standard cabling is Crystal Cable Reference.

The most obvious difference thus is price. With a Solo, you don't need an expensive power amplifier. One already comes with the package. A decent stereo power amplifier for the Duos will set you back at least $3,000. Subtract this amount from the Solo's list price for a fair comparison. It brings it to $6,000/pr and you even get a bi-amped setup. A pair of Duos in the US is still 20K.

It goes on but never really addresses any real evaluation of the iPod as a source compared to other sources.

Marco