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Is FLAC worth it..? - Page 8

post #106 of 113
8/4/11 at 10:45am
That's a lot of money for something that wouldn't really improve the sound. Are there other reasons to need a digital output? I know I need it for 5:1 sound, but I don't use that on my ipod. WiFi streaming, perhaps?

If it's just for playback, I'd save the cost of the dock and DAC and just get one of those sweet new Mac Minis.
Edited by bigshot - 8/4/11 at 10:52am
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post #107 of 113
8/4/11 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigshot View Post

That's a lot of money for something that wouldn't really improve the sound. Are there other reasons to need a digital output? I know I need it for 5:1 sound, but I don't use that on my ipod. WiFi streaming, perhaps?

If it's just for playback, I'd save the cost of the dock and DAC and just get one of those sweet new Mac Minis.


Yeah, I see no real use in a digital out. I know many people are happy with their LOD's.

 

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post #108 of 113
8/4/11 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigshot View Post

That's a lot of money for something that wouldn't really improve the sound. Are there other reasons to need a digital output? I know I need it for 5:1 sound, but I don't use that on my ipod. WiFi streaming, perhaps?

If it's just for playback, I'd save the cost of the dock and DAC and just get one of those sweet new Mac Minis.


Really the point is to bypass the internal iPod DAC if you have a better external one.  It also allows you to extract movies off the iPod and onto a TV, but I'm sure there are resolution issues and even then it is only component.

 

I don't think the iPod DAC is necessarily bad (can only speak for the iPod classic here) but I do still think it is entry level and there are options that don't cost a fortune that objectively measure better, and are likely to have an impact on playback IF the system is sensitive enough to notice the differences.

 

As to your comment on the Mac Minis... I have decided for the price I'd rather build a computer to act as a digital source, since it offers up a lot more than just an iPod feature wise :)

 

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post #109 of 113
8/4/11 at 11:03am

Also, you mentioned saving the cost of the DAC... most receivers these days have pretty nice built in DACs

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post #110 of 113
8/4/11 at 11:19am
So do ipods. I use a $20 line out dock with my ipod and it sounds the same as my Mini outputting digital to my amp.
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post #111 of 113
8/4/11 at 11:53am
What's your headphone and amp that use to compare, bigshot?
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post #112 of 113
8/4/11 at 12:07pm

I'll see if I can set up some sort of blind test running line out on the iPod v. running digital and using the internal DACs of the receiver to the external Canton towers and see if I notice anything. It'll be a few weeks :)

 

My gut tells me the Cantons will pick it up, but of course I'd feel that way.

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post #113 of 113
8/4/11 at 8:29pm
My main speaker rig (JBL towers/custom 70s studio monitors) and Senn 600 (650?) with a nice little Cmoy. (The cmoy was just used to balance the line level of the ipod.) The switching was through my Sony receiver (I think). The CD player was a Philips 9690(?) SACD player. I also patched in my midrange Sony CD player. I did the comparison about five years ago I think. I've jettisoned a lot of equipment and all my stuff is wire bundled into my Mac Mini now, so it's harder to jerry rig tests.
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