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msb Ilink vs. wadia 170i ipd docks

I have finally gotten a weeks worth of critical listening of the msb ilink and the wadia ipod docks and I must say that the msb is truely better in every way and it's not subtle. I am running them both directly to the benchmark dac/pre and through atc scm20-2 active speakers running balanced with an analysis plus gold coax cable. The detail is much higher in the msb, the bass is not as tubby, and it's almost like a blanket was lifted off the speakers after I switched to the msb. I know there is a huge difference in price but I know alot of people were on the fence about this one so I wanted to help them put and give my 2 cents worth. This ipod dock is pretty killer and I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when I hook it up to a great dac.
optarchie
usarmyvet91
83 posts
 
The wadia i170 has gotten a lot of press however msb was the first to come out with an ipod transport. For the price the wadia i170 is an ok ipod transport. I was not really impressed with the unit. The best ipod transport out their is the msb ilink, far better than the wadia unit.
jamesw20
269 posts
 
What goes into the great norther sound mod. of the 170i? Also, if I use the video outputs to my tv can I see the ipod screen for remote control use. I can't imagine trying to use the remote with such a tiny screen from 10+ feet?
flg2001's avatar
flg2001
543 posts
 
The user interface on the 170i is not their best feature - one needs to create many different playlists to manage the music library in a convenient way - what really makes the Wadia itransport a great option is its performance.
dreadhead
353 posts
 
Almost 2 grand for the msb???, iPod well under $300 used. Hmmmmm. Is that really a fair comparison?
usarmyvet91
83 posts
 
Dreadhead i never said it was a fair comparison. I was simply saying if you want the very best possible ipod transport then go with the msb. The msb can replace your hi end cd transport and you would never miss it. Msb deals with the jitter with fifo buffers and the jitter output is very low. The wadia is a good piece of gear don't get me wrong. I own wadia gear, wadia i170 and wadia 521 gns mods. I am sure their will be better ipod transports in the future from other companys. I don't use a cd of any kind in any of my systems. My main 2 ch system is where i use my msb. I have a few other systems, in one of them i have the wadia i170. I hate it when people say wadia ipod dock, its an ipod transport.
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