Using an iPod as my main source

[timmerweb]

I know this can be a hot topic, but I actually have been unable to find a discussion about using iPod's in a situation similar to mine.

I'd really like to ditch my CD player. Having hundreds of CDs littering my living room is unsightly and in the age of electronic music, CDs are becoming just too cumbersome. So what I'm thinking of doing is getting a 160GB iPod Classic. This will have plenty of HD space for me to rip all my CDs using a lossless format. All I will need is some kind of iPod dock to connect it to a yet to be purchased integrated amp (I'm thinking maybe the NAD C372).

What I'm wondering is if a basic iPod doc with some decent quality connectors will have satisfying sound, or if I should spurge for something fancy like PsiberAudio's PSA2, or go extra splurgy and get something like a Wadia 170iTransport and use some kind of external DAC?

I'd love to hear from people using iPod's successfully in their setup.

My speakers are Aeon i's.


-Tim

 

[Cherian]

I don't think this is a bad idea as long as you use a very good DAC and a lossless format.

 

[FISH_MAN]

I like the ipod

the ipod is not as good as a nice cd player But its shortcomings do not bother me like other cheap gear. the ipod always seems to have a mellow
soothing sound that I like although sonically it is not perfect but it is so easy to use it is worth it. I once had my 30gig ipod hooked directly to my rotel 1095 and it sounded great I thought.just be shure to use the highest quality formats.a freind was over whith his and he has a lot of "free" I think lime wire downloads and it sounded bad!

 

[rockeratheart]

how do you get lossless formats

I have a two gig ipod. I have about 460 songs on it. How do you get lossless formats on an ipod?

 

[Cherian]

First you have to rip the CD into a lossless format via itunes.

With only 2 gigs of space you will only have room for maybe 50 or 60 songs in lossless format. Just as an FYI.

 

[sebrof2000]

I use my iPhone occasionally, connected to my integrated via a cheap phono to RCA. I have a dock, I don't connect via the iPhone's headphone out.
You can simply hook the headphone out to the amp if you don't have a dock, and then the volume of the ipod affects the output level. The level from the dock is fixed (max volume).
The sound is OK, probably as good as a cheap CD player I guess. I'll always play the CD if I have it as opposed to playing something I ripped. It depends on the rest of your system.
The thing that bothers me the most is the level. I need to turn the volume of the integrated to about 1 1/2 times what I have it on when I play my CD player.

Hope this helps,
Mike

 

[Jazzplayer]

Well, here are my experiences, for what it is worth.

I am currently using a 60g Ipod Classic as my main source for digital, and is fairly happy with it, although it is not on par with a good CD player these days, as others have commented. The good thing is that the ipods shortcomings are easier to forgive than the in my view hash sound that plagues a lot of digital, even some quite expensive.

And, I would recommend AIFF over Apple Lossless, at least if your Ipod is not latest generation, which I have not heard. I do not know why, but on my 60 GB it sounds slightly better. And forget about the nano or shuffle, the classic blows them away with lossless formats.

Buying a decent mini-jack to phono adapter and using a good interconnect also helps, although you will probably not get the benefit of the super high end cables. I am using an old pair of Nordost Blue Heavens, which is a big improvement over no-names.

I really like the ipod for convenience and its value. For serious listening I use my Linn LP rig anyway. You can buy a lot of records in addition to the Ipod for the price of a high end CD player...

All the best
Svein

 

[Cherian]

I only see the i-pod, computer, flash drive as a transport. For good audiophile sound one must have a good DAC. As I see it if used as a transport the source should impart none of its characteristic into the sound. All it should be is 0s and 1s. The DAC, preamp, amp and speakers should do the rest.

 

[DrJRapp]

I use my iPod on my high end 2 channel system (the one with my Summits) when I want convienient background music. I use a HomeDock Music Remote by DLO which is a nifty little doc/charger that comes with an RF remote that will control all functions of the iPod from up to 100 feet away, through walls etc., and read out what's playing on it's own screen. The Homedock came from Best Buy

Since my house has speakers in major rooms that have previously not been hooked up, I plan to get a moderate price distribution amp and use the iPod as a surver/jukebox to play throughout the house

 

[amey01]

Before I had a Squeezebox, I used to connect my iPod (CDs ripped to Apple Lossless) in via its analogue connections. It was okay for background music, but no more.

If you're gonig to use it as your main (only?) source then you will really need a good DAC and something like the Wadia dock.

The sound quality will then get exceedingly good, and possibly better a CD transport feeding the same DAC.

 

[amey01]

......control options are something else to think about - not sure what Wadia offers.

 

[Audiophiliac]

As far as I know, the Wadia dock is the only (at least the first) dock to be able to extract the digital bitstream from the iPod dock connector. Apple apparently had "locked" this previously. Other docks if they had digital outputs were simply converting the analog to digital. Something to think about.

 

[amey01]

.....and now Apple have dropped the 160GB iPod!!! I wonder what Waida thinks of this?

I tell you - you can't second-guess that company - bunch of idiots.

I was hoping for two things:

1: a 250GB model (my music collection is at 210 GB).....
2: in the Touch format so I can use it to control my Squeezebox.

Well three things actually, but this one is a bit far fetched -

3: FLAC format support

Money's staying in my pocket for now - that feels quite good actually.

 

[JonFo]

.....and now Apple have dropped the 160GB iPod!!! I wonder what Waida thinks of this?

I tell you - you can't second-guess that company - bunch of idiots.

I was hoping for two things:

1: a 250GB model (my music collection is at 210 GB).....
2: in the Touch format so I can use it to control my Squeezebox.

Well three things actually, but this one is a bit far fetched -

3: FLAC format support

Money's staying in my pocket for now - that feels quite good actually.

Amey, you want an AppleTV + an iPodTouch for the remote.

Great combo (from a usability standpoint). Feed the lossless digital stream to your processor over a digital link, and voila.

 

[amey01]

Amey, you want an AppleTV + an iPodTouch for the remote.

Great combo (from a usability standpoint). Feed the lossless digital stream to your processor over a digital link, and voila.

I'm very happy with the Squeezebox. And I use the stock remote or a Windows Mobile device and "SlimRemote" - however I would like to try the iPeng interface on the IPT.

 

[premiere-audio]

the new krell kid is a wonderful ipod dock

 

[dirk]

ipod and dac

FWIW, I recently purchased the wadia iTransport and PSAudio dac digital link III from musicdirect.com. I have what is getting to be an old system (reQuests, sunfire amp, cj pv10 preamp) --- but I have to say that I was astounded at the sound I'm getting from this setup! I'll keep my CDs, but only grab them when I want to look at liner notes. I wish my old phillips SACD1000, which bit the dust this spring, still worked so I could compare them. But I'm happy I didn't put out the money for another CD player. I haven't heard other digital alternatives, but for now I'm very happy with this setup. I'm now ripping all my CDs (except SACDs, of course) to my 160gig iPod -- using lossless format -- so far I have no regrets.

 

[Cursed1]

Amey, you want an AppleTV + an iPodTouch for the remote.

Great combo (from a usability standpoint). Feed the lossless digital stream to your processor over a digital link, and voila.

I have the AppleTV and a Control4 remote setup. You will need a TV in the room to navigate the AppleTV GUI.

 

[Feltran]

I have the AppleTV and a Control4 remote setup. You will need a TV in the room to navigate the AppleTV GUI.

Except for initial setup, you won't need a TV to operate the AppleTV if you use an iPhone or iPod touch as the remote control.

 

[tonepub]

the new krell kid is a wonderful ipod dock

Except it doesn't give you the digital bitstream...

The iPod with the Wadia and a good DAC is surprisingly good!!

I would highly suggest getting a couple of big binders from SLAPPA or someone else to keep your CD's as a backup of last resort. They are worth so little these days, you never know when something bad can happen...