Wadia iTransport iPod Dock Gets Bit-Perfect Digital from iPods!

[zeroibis]

Originally Posted by tinseljim

I hope this isn't too off topic but I have an Alpine X200 head unit in my car and when I connect my iPhone to it it seems that digital information is going into the head unit rather than analog? It must be because it's connected to a USB cable connected to the unit. The iPod controls don't work and the HU takes over.

BUT I can then go to 'Air Sharing' and tap on some music files and the music comes out of my iPhone into the HU with the iPhone controlling it. Could we not then just hook this up to a USB head amp?

Sorry if this has been covered and if this is old news to everyone (i have tried searching).

I was wondering a simular thing except it is this:

To make it so we have a "portable" or even a "cheaper" solution why not make a small device that just bypasses the internal DAC but sends only SPDF or optical out. This should be a lot smaller and cheaper to produce. If it also supported charging this would then be great for home use.

[ttnl]

Originally Posted by zeroibis

I was wondering a simular thing except it is this:

To make it so we have a "portable" or even a "cheaper" solution why not make a small device that just bypasses the internal DAC but sends only SPDF or optical out. This should be a lot smaller and cheaper to produce. If it also supported charging this would then be great for home use.

If Apple allows it, then this device has been available for a long time already.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Disappointing response to the DLO homedock's claims for "pure digital audio" they boast on their website:

Originally Posted by DLO

Dear Sir/Madam

The Home Dock HD does not recieve any dital streams from the IPod. The Digital output on the Home Dock HD is converting the audio from the analog outputs of the IPod. So, it is not a bit-perfect digital signal that goes around the IPod internal DAC.

Thank you
James
Philips Email Technical Support

Looks like Wadia is still the only bit-perfect digital dock for now. The iMod's sound via DLO optical to Apogee mini-DAC is on par with the iMod through portable Vcap dock, so still not too bad.

[-=Germania=-]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

That doesn't really explain why lisnalee says the Wadia with coax sounds better than the Mac via optical. If anything your explanation says they both suck - which doesn't fit with my experience listening to my Macbook via optical, or lisnalee's experience with the Wadia.

Coax has less coupling.

Plus, I wouldn't exactly hold the Mac Spdif optical soo high. It is using an onboard chipset. Not the best source material IMO. If you are using a computer for audio, a tower with a PCI or PCI Express will offer you the best computer audio. Jitter can cause loss of information and ways to detract a bit from the percieved jitter is by using a larger buffer on the receiving end. It just makes it hard on the DAC to actually reproduce a bit-perfect recording since the signal becomes unpredictable. Personally, I would rather have the processing power working on reproduction and not filtering.

I imagine that if you feed the wadia into a lesser DAC like a inexpensive onboard in a receiver or lower end audiophile it could run into problems. Though, with a nice DAC that has all of these anti jitter features - for the listener is may well not be noticible.

Long story short, more jitter can mean less overall SQ.

[Twitchy_one]

I just read most of this thread yesterday. So what's the final verdict on this thing? Did it turn out to be too much of a niche?

I had read here that Wadia was going to make a DAC to go with the iTransport, but I didn't see anything on their website about it. Anyone hear anything new about it?

Thanks.

[Stefan...]

Originally Posted by Twitchy_one

Anyone hear anything new about it?

The new DAC should be out this fall.

And some pics.

[Twitchy_one]

Originally Posted by Stefan...

The new DAC should be out this fall.

And some pics.

Thanks for the info. That DAC is pricey at $1000, but I guess that's a steal for a Wadia. The integrated amp looks nice too, probably competes with others of that size & caliber (Peachtree comes to mind).