iPod docks with S/PDIF output

[GregD]

There are a few iPod docks around now that take the digital files directly from the iPod's memory and output on a coax or Toslink digital socket. What are people's experience of these? Are they any good? Are they pointless because anyone who has an iPod would have the same files on their PC/Mac already? I've just got an iPhone as a gift and am curious about trying it as a hi-fi source...

[Bodfish]

There are a few iPod docks around now that take the digital files directly from the iPod's memory and output on a coax or Toslink digital socket. What are people's experience of these? Are they any good? Are they pointless because anyone who has an iPod would have the same files on their PC/Mac already? I've just got an iPhone as a gift and am curious about trying it as a hi-fi source...

People might have files stored on a PC/Mac but not have a way to get them to their hi fi. I've plugged my iPhone into the USB of my Naim DAC and it works perfectly well but in essence you will be at the mercy of the file used when ripping from the CD. A Pure i-20 dock is on my shopping list to supplement my Olive for convenience purposes.

[T.W.]

Since last week I have a Cambridge Audio iD100 docking station. It works with any iPod, iPhone and iPad. It only delivers digital output via S/P-Dif, TOSLINK or XLR. The quality is excellent.

I like to listen to Webradio and my favorite iPad apps are TuneIn Radio and RadioBox.

I still prefer CD as digital source but there is also a good app available to stream audio from your PC or Mac through an iPod, iPhone or iPad - StreamToMe. The server component ServeToMe on a PC or Mac converts almost any audio or video format in realtime and sends it to the StreamToMe App via WiFi. There is no need to store any files on you iPod.

And here is my complete configuration.
PC - Windows 7 - DbPowerAmp CD-Ripper / Music Converter
-> WiFi Network -> iPad -> Cambridge Audio iD100 -> Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 Digital Amp - M40s.

I'm still not sure if I will ever rip all of my CD's to the PC. But dbPoweramp is probably the best software to do that. It supports all lossless formats like Apple Lossless or Flac. And ServeToMe
reads all of them.

T.W.

[Kumar Kane]

There are a few iPod docks around now that take the digital files directly from the iPod's memory and output on a coax or Toslink digital socket. What are people's experience of these? Are they any good? Are they pointless because anyone who has an iPod would have the same files on their PC/Mac already? I've just got an iPhone as a gift and am curious about trying it as a hi-fi source...

The iPod/iPhone can be a very good source for a Harbeth based system - and with lossless rips played via digital docks, will sound the same as the CDs the music came from. Some amps also take the digital input from the idevice by a cable, eliminating the need for a dock. Even if you have the same files on a computer, the iDevice allows you to feed the files into your audio system in a very convenient way, short of going the wireless route.
After moving through that phase, all my CDs are now on a hard disc, all lossless files. I use Sonos as the front end to play these wirelessly across different parts of the home. The sound is as good as the speaker in use, and my main system that has C7s and a SACD player in it, sounds just as good playing music wirelessly from the hard disc as it sounds when I play the very occasional CD via the SACD player. All my CDs and the SACD player are now a back up, and not in use. If I were making the buying decision again, I would not buy the SACD player, it isn't necessary any more.

[GregD]

Well this is quite an old thread of mine, but thanks for contributing K.

I've recently bought a Logitech Squeezebox Touch to wirelessly stream Apple Lossless files from my computer to my hi-fi system. I'm now only using the iPhone as a portable music player when on the move and I have an iPod Classic 160Gb now too. I find the Squeezebox quite convenient but I do still prefer using my dCS SACD player for playing CDs and SACDs. For internet radio the Squeezebox is great - there's even a station in Antarctica (although SQ is rather poor).

I'm sure the iPod would make a great source in a Harbeth system. I'd recommend the Squeezebox Touch too. Just add a reasonable integrated amplifier and some P3ESRs and off you go!

[garmtz]

I am not surprised you like your dCS player better than a Squeezebox...

[GregD]

I am not surprised you like your dCS player better than a Squeezebox...

I use the Squeezebox Touch purely as a 'transport' into the dCS' coaxial digital input, so there shouldn't be too much difference. It sounds fine for CD files, but I just prefer using real discs rather than touchscreens or iPhone remote control Apps.

For SACDs, of course the dCS is essential.

[Kumar Kane]

I use the Squeezebox Touch purely as a 'transport' into the dCS' coaxial digital input, so there shouldn't be too much difference. It sounds fine for CD files, but I just prefer using real discs rather than touchscreens or iPhone remote control Apps.

Since my SACD player takes digital inputs, I am able to do just the same with my Sonos front end. And it took me some time, but the sheer convenience of CDs on a hard disc, and touchscreen control has made me a convert.
Something I recently discovered is that it is better to leave the Sonos output as a fixed line level signal, leaving volume control to the downstream components. If the variable output is used, volume reduction is achieved in the Sonos by playing with the bits in the stream. Does the squeezebox have similar choices/issues?

[GregD]

Since my SACD player takes digital inputs, I am able to do just the same with my Sonos front end. And it took me some time, but the sheer convenience of CDs on a hard disc, and touchscreen control has made me a convert.
Something I recently discovered is that it is better to leave the Sonos output as a fixed line level signal, leaving volume control to the downstream components. If the variable output is used, volume reduction is achieved in the Sonos by playing with the bits in the stream. Does the squeezebox have similar choices/issues?

As soon as I found the volume setting for the Squeezebox Touch I changed it to max output and fixed output. If it is a digital domain volume control it has now been bypassed before output into the dCS digital input. The dCS also has a digital domain volume control which works very well but again I set it to max which effectively bypasses it. My Nagra analogue preamp is the sole volume control in my system chain now.