Yes, yes you are.

In fact, don't bother with Amps or LOD's if you are just using 128k Mp3.

Save money - buy music. The Music FS forums are a great place to start!
There are also some online retailers that let you download albums in 256k or 320k for $7-10 a pop.

Amazon retailers with CD's are a super value as many have used CD's for a few bucks a piece - buy a bunch and get them for less than $5/each.

Portable amps become worth it with 256 or 320 mp3 and have a real impact with 320 AAC or better yet - Apple lossless or WAV(WAV sounds best IMO).

I have done some research and found out what DAC converter chip family they are using. Not my favorite choice here - but not going to comment.

Apparently the iPod can only output 44.1 kHz/16bit signal. Basically - CD player.

From the parts and design, it should sound like a $150-$200 CD digital transport.

For the fact that it is smaller than a CD player and lets you use your iPod as a decent source, it seems to do the job well. Though, I wouldn't call it "high end".

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I think Germania and I are both with you iriver. I don't see the use of an ipod in the house if you have a computer.
I am attempting to build a car stereo with an iphone as the source. The only issue for me was how to go from the dock port on the phone to the RCA input of the preamp/linedriver. Putting a DAC between the phone and preamp would be ideal, but the iTransport would not be practical for a car, plus the quality of my library, as you have confirmed doesent justify its use anyway.
So i decided to go with this:
PAC IC-RCA2
I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread and helped me make a decision.

-patrick

Patrick-

Something like this would let you run the iTransport in the car: 12 volt to 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9 volt switching DC/DC converters with 2 amp output.

Obviously a higher quality supply could be rigged up but running the toslink out on the iTransport to a Alpine H701 (or a Image Dynamics D/A, Denon/RF HU with digital input, or whatever processor you've got rigged up) would make for a hell of a system, and if you built a halfway decent power supply that would pass judge muster you could probably run it in SQ competitions to some excellent results...

How would I hook up the iTransport to my setup?

Would I plug it directly into my Little Dot MKIV SE?

Right now, I plug my iPod Touch 2G directly into the MKIV SE.

Looks like the DLo Home Dock HD also has digital out, via Toslink.

You can get it for under $200.....

Todd, this is very interesting specially at half the cost of the Wadia.

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x2. Wish it had more than a Tos digital output option, but still very interesting. I wonder what its interface is like without a video screen. They don't mention or show it being used without a video screen. Perhaps it is just like the Wadia in that mode.

i don't think any other device bypasses the DAC of the iPod other than the Wadia, if that was your question.

Wouldn't the fact that the DLo Home Dock can output digital via on optical mean it is bypassing the iPod internal DAC?

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Unless it A/Ds the analog out of the IPod, which would be odd but possible.