What iMod is? A bypass to own caps after dac unit in a board. As for iMod Photo, it has very small caps. So, if we make a box for larger caps and juice up with pre-amp unit to increase signal level, it should sound a lot better than original iMod Photo since iMod Video + vCap dock sounds better than iMod Photo. I have two iMod Photos so I don't have any problem in turning ones of them to be dedicated home player with just $300 for extra cost (but I desired for best quality parts which cost twice).

man, you know the way you communicate to others is the main problem. I don't blame you for the idea but the way you described and show how it works are the problem.

you never really shown what your exactly idea I mean describe it with lot of detail. you just said something vaguely and thought others couldn't understand yours.

like other thread iMod vs $1000 CDPs, you kept it unclear.

as I said before, please elaborate.

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this idea is great but is it really worth?

you can answer this question by somehow not like blaming somebody.

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So if I get this right, it's ipod controls with a bigger hard drive with the DAC output hooked up to pre-amp? That sounds like a home hard-drive music player with an ipod interface, correct? Sounds like an interesting idea (I dont like the ipod interface or UI so it wouldnt be for me) but is the dac in a 4G really worth all that effort? Personally for that money I'd make a small linux media server with a VDA-1/EMU0404 or somesuch, would cost about the same. But I guess if you really love your ipod interface and want to use it for your home stereo, this could work.

Strange, some people believe that a pair of small capacitors and wiring cables worths $200 while whole new body, re-packaging model with home dedicated output caps and integrated good pre-amp with full discrete power supply with WBT RCA and 1/4 output doesn't worth $100 extra. This world must be crazy, doesn't it? Total price should be around $300 but mine uses $150 RCA female (best WBT Super Silver RCA famale) and furutech's fuse $50 for $200 extra.

I think it sounds great. Let us know how your project gets along.

My friend who mod this told me his impressions for initial output stage modding instead of wiring to a pair of iMod caps (adding 2 good quality big caps for l/r and discrete power supply through his own class A TR buffer preamp) that...

It sounds much richer than original iMod Photo (obiviously because it has stuff better than vCap dock and have good preamp buffer that worths $500 retail price unit through best RCA output plug and great fuse). However, I'll give up on this project for commercial since it's not worth to make for home dedicated player because we came up with conclusion that most people will prefer choosing CD player because they believe it will give step up quality compared to portable loseless player source (though they never have a chance to listen to it). I'll keep this unit for personal use and share some pics with you guys when it's fully finished and refined.

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So wait, you want me to suggest you a $600 DAC that competes with $1000 DAC's? Why? That makes no sense.

The DAC in the ipod can easily be had with a $600 investment, which is why I suggested it. MSB Digital Link III falls within the bidget brand new. Not to mention that they can be had for less than the price of the original ipod.

So have you head the three DAC's you mention?

sorry man, in order to get that idea to fly you will have to be able to DOCK a STOCK ipod and have it connect digitally to your DAC/HDD/Preamp... so ipod internal circuitry is then hyjacked/bypassed, the ipod is just a clickwheel at that point. otherwise you really are talking about a lame computer with a 2" monitor and mandatory itunes.

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How are you going to get digital audio from a stock ipod?

An ADC?

That's dumb.

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i for one will be very interested in this project, as i have a couple of ipod components around. a media server is not a novel idea, but a source like this could be very useful. think about it, an integrated source, power supply, and amp. if only for a bedside rig. it at least would be hella cool!

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no ****ing **** its dumb.

and it wouldnt be an ADC it would have to pull digital straight from the IPOD, which is not possible, so just get a SONOS.

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Actually, it's possible. Just pull the internal connection (I2S?) to unused dock pins, then use the dock or whatever, and convert it to SPDIF or optical.

Yeah therere's a 2000 dollar product called an iLink that does just that.

I don't really see the purpose of this item though. So basically there's a pre amp/bigger discrete power supply/the ability to replace harddrives... and no coax if I'm reading it correctly (Because he [The guy you are having do this] doesn't want to toy with it at the moment).

So again another product where you sacrifice portability for improved sound quailty on an ipod? I mean if you aren't even doing the digital out that means you are still using the ipod dac which is the choke-point of the sound quality anyways.... I have 0 doubt that a similarly priced cd player/dac will still crush this unit.

The ipod dac is NOT optimal. Also I don't see how a pre-amp is going to really improve things (Output from the dac is still not of a very good quality). As for amplification? I have a headphone amp already..portable and non portable.

If you do manage to somehow get digital output for cheaper than the iLink then you'll have a real awesome item.

digital out is possible but right now we want to improve sound quality first. After modding iPod Photo to home unit, it sounds a lot better. To be honest, I never feel like iMod is $1000 like CD Player qualified level but the result of improvements makes me wonder.

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the word STOCK disappeared from your explaination. now its not only the cost of the hdd/dac/preamp dock, but the $250 ipod has to be modded too($200+)

i get the OPs idea, take the ipod board and instead use a big hdd, tap the digital out to your own DAC then feed that to built-in preamp. now think about the real world cost to making this sound right and have any ease of use at all.

1. it needs a stock ipod(hdd) board to canibalize
$200

2. the DAC has to be at least as good as a decent soundcard
$100

3. the HDD has to be at least over 100gb and remain 2.5"
$100

4. the preamp has to be at least as good as a comparable $500 standalone. $100

5. it needs a nice case with inputs/outputs
$100

6. it has to have a remote with a clickwheel and screen so that you are not getting up to peer into the stock ipod screen on your audio rack everytime you want to change tracks.
$(god knows)

6. it needs assembly.

how exactly is this going to sell for less than $1000 and make any profit?


any laptop outputting S/PDIF to a DAC1 accomlishes all this plus 10x more, has a headphone amp and outputs balanced signal (variable with volume control), not even mentioning the potential difference in sound quality.