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

[milkpowder]

Originally Posted by guzziguy

Doesn't the Wadia dock also have access to the audio line out, just like normal LODs? If so, it could just be acting as a normal LOD for audio out.

That's what a number of us have been trying to say, but some people just don't listen!

[jp11801]

Originally Posted by hciman77

USB is digital !, it isnt digital audio bitstream but it is digital, what else could it be?

Yes you transfer data to/from an ipod via the USB but you cannot play back an iPod through a normal USB DAC, has anybody ever been able to do this ?

If you could you wouldnt need these fancy circumvention devices.

That is why there are these gizmos to get round this.

To use an ipod on your computer you need to load drivers to let your File system recognise the iPod file system. Most USB hard drives dont need this step at all.

yes I understand there is a chip set that takes the data and converts it to spdif and that this is a large breakthrough from a tech standpoint.

All I am saying and the only point of my comments were to simply illustrate this device may or may not have a dac and that it could provide an analog out with or without a dac. The wadia could simply take the analog signal off the dock and pass it through to the rcas, that is all I was trying to say.

[hciman77]

Originally Posted by jp11801

yes I understand there is a chip set that takes the data and converts it to spdif and that this is a large breakthrough from a tech standpoint.

All I am saying and the only point of my comments were to simply illustrate this device may or may not have a dac and that it could provide an analog out with or without a dac. The wadia could simply take the analog signal off the dock and pass it through to the rcas, that is all I was trying to say.

What a High End audio manufacturer selling snake-oil ?, surely that could never happen [/irony]

Well, until someone buys one and dissects it that will be a mystery

[jp11801]

Originally Posted by hciman77

What a High End audio manufacturer selling snake-oil ?, surely that could never happen [/irony]

Well, until someone buys one and dissects it that will be a mystery

I love the snake oil comment and painfully all too true, in a world filled with $150 ipod line out cables and thousand dollar cables this could be a fair value. Considered against the ipod v-cap dock you would be avoiding the dac in the ipod and could use any of the competitive priced dacs in the $500-1000 range and come out at least theoretically better sonically
I still would avoid the ipod as a home interface over the apple mini.

or since they are a sponsor maybe they could answer directly, I would love to see them include a dac but only if it was demonstrably better than what is in the ipod already.

well I guess we may know more after CES and since Wadia is going to be there I don;t think they would get to us before then anyway

[robbmcaulay]

For those who are saying there must have been a way to pull a digital signal from the pinout all along...

Isn't this thing simply pulling the audio file from the USB pins by fooling the iPod into thinking it's docked to a PC, then converting the audio file to a digital stream? Much like plugging into a PC and playing the files through iTunes?

Pretty nifty

[jp11801]

SH Forums - View Single Post - You want killer iPod sound, here it is..

the editor of tone music online mag states no dac on the steve hoffman forum and he has known about the unit for the past 6 months while Wadia was in development
and the quote from stereophiles article states"

In addition to its RCA S/PDIF and component video, the iTransport also sports a pair of RCA analog outputs, although that signal is apparently derived from the iPod's internal DAC."
here is the stereophile article
Stereophile: Wadia Announces Launch of iPod Dock with S/PDIF Output

[robbmcaulay]

I stand corrected! Why oh why did they keep this to themselves for so long?!

[hciman77]

Originally Posted by jp11801

[Stereophile: Wadia Announces Launch of iPod Dock with S/PDIF Output

Thanks, that makes it much clearer.

[blem]

The Stereophile article is indeed very clear. I am somewhat reassured that at that price a DAC is not included...

At 349 $, I think this unit makes a lot of sense for people who already have a quality DAC, whether standalone or in a CD player with digital inputs (such as a Wadia !). Hooking up your computer to your existing sound system may not be practical for many, and the iTransport is certainly cheaper than most decent music servers.

I think it makes a lot of sense for Wadia to release such a unit, and I hope it will sell well because I like Wadia products (I have an 830 CDP - but no DAC and no IPOD).

[hempcamp]

Originally Posted by jp11801

Stereophile: Wadia Announces Launch of iPod Dock with S/PDIF Output

Thanks, very helpful explanation!

I still don't need/want one but I can see how it might be useful now.

--Chris

[rodentmacbeastie]

Originally Posted by blem

The Stereophile article is indeed very clear. I am somewhat reassured that at that price a DAC is not included...

At 349 $, I think this unit makes a lot of sense for people who already have a quality DAC, whether standalone or in a CD player with digital inputs (such as a Wadia !). Hooking up your computer to your existing sound system may not be practical for many, and the iTransport is certainly cheaper than most decent music servers.

I think it makes a lot of sense for Wadia to release such a unit, and I hope it will sell well because I like Wadia products (I have an 830 CDP).

Back to the other suggestion I made, SqueezeBox 3! Less money, storage options, hi-rez audio. And if you REALLY want the best hi-rez from a hard disc, a computer with an I2S output card and a compatible DAC or modded one will do much much better! I mean it is always converting signals I2S to S/PDIF/optical/USB before leaving the transport/computer, S/PDIF/optical/USB back to I2S to DAC chip and finally analog that degrades the sound in EVERY transport/DAC!

I see the iMod as a better solution. Then at least you will have the good sound on the go to! I am assuming that most readers here already have or intend to buy a portable amp so the iMod is quite a value and I am sure the sound would be close.

I am currently looking into how I can mod an iPod to skip the DAC section as well and provide pure bit-perfect I2S to an Opus DAC with I2S inputs. No conversion will ensure that this is the absolute best way to transmit the signal to the DAC and save money to boot! All I need to do is figure out what connection/plug I can use in such a tight space. No caps needed(unlike the iMod), headphone jack still would work.

Another idea I have working on would be to do the I2S hijack to an Opus DAC and then to an output stage like the Ballsie or Zapfilter and make a PS and stick it in my car as a source. Or do the iMod/sans caps and plug it into a Zapfilter for my bedroom. Why not do this for a USB DAC/portable amp like the predator? Conversion is evil and the less crap in line the better.

So yes, there is a market for this and I am sure they have done a good job. However, if you don't need the video option there are much better and cheaper options for getting what would be better sound from your iPod. So if you want the best sound from your iPod, find a connector that will fit, drill a hole in you Ipod to wire the jack to the DAC inputs and then connect it to an Opus DAC or one with I2S inputs(modded DAC will work too) and I would bet my left nut that it will better any commercially available solution out there, period!

[blem]

Originally Posted by rodentmacbeastie

Back to the other suggestion I made, SqueezeBox 3! Less money, storage options, hi-rez audio. And if you REALLY want the best hi-rez from a hard disc, a computer with an I2S output card and a compatible DAC or modded one will do much much better! I mean it is always converting signals I2S to S/PDIF/optical/USB before leaving the transport/computer, S/PDIF/optical/USB back to I2S to DAC chip and finally analog that degrades the sound in EVERY transport/DAC!

I see the iMod as a better solution. Then at least you will have the good sound on the go to! I am assuming that most readers here already have or intend to buy a portable amp so the iMod is quite a value and I am sure the sound would be close.

I am currently looking into how I can mod an iPod to skip the DAC section as well and provide pure bit-perfect I2S to an Opus DAC with I2S inputs. No conversion will ensure that this is the absolute best way to transmit the signal to the DAC and save money to boot! All I need to do is figure out what connection/plug I can use in such a tight space. No caps needed(unlike the iMod), headphone jack still would work.

Another idea I have working on would be to do the I2S hijack to an Opus DAC and then to an output stage like the Ballsie or Zapfilter and make a PS and stick it in my car as a source. Or do the iMod/sans caps and plug it into a Zapfilter for my bedroom. Why not do this for a USB DAC/portable amp like the predator? Conversion is evil and the less crap in line the better.

So yes, there is a market for this and I am sure they have done a good job. However, if you don't need the video option there are much better and cheaper options for getting what would be better sound from your iPod. So if you want the best sound from your iPod, find a connector that will fit, drill a hole in you Ipod to wire the jack to the DAC inputs and then connect it to an Opus DAC or one with I2S inputs(modded DAC will work too) and I would bet my left nut that it will better any commercially available solution out there, period!

No offense, but I don't understand half of what you just said, and I think there are a lot of people out there not so technically oriented who will appreciate the simplicity of using the itransport.

[gilfish]

Originally Posted by rodentmacbeastie

So if you want the best sound from your iPod, find a connector that will fit, drill a hole in you Ipod to wire the jack to the DAC inputs and then connect it to an Opus DAC or one with I2S inputs(modded DAC will work too) and I would bet my left nut that it will better any commercially available solution out there, period!

Wow... it's that easy?

[jj69]

The Stereophile article indicates that the Wadia will work with the iPod Video in its "Extended Interface" mode. So the next logical question is, will the Wadia work with an iPod Video running Rockbox?! That would be the good news I want to hear.

[rodentmacbeastie]

Originally Posted by gilfish

Wow... it's that easy?

Should be. The hard part is the actual soldering on such a small PCB. I Know this is not the easiest thing to do because of the physical constraints and it is beyond the ability of most consumers that have to buy a new appliance every day to simplify making coffee for example... Not to long ago people brewed their own coffee with a simply unit. Now, you buy single serving packet and stick them into a machine that handles the amount of coffee/water/flavoring blah blah blah... You can go and spend $200 for the iMod, $349 for this rig, $2000 for other units, nor you could spend $10 on wire, plugs, and a stereo mini-jack and you have a transport that you can send this I2S signal to a modded DAC or an Opus DAC.

Should be that easy. If not, chime in and suggest what we can do! But yes, it would be easier to buy one of these. I was merely introducing the idea of a TRUE giant killer for next to nothing.