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HRT iStreamer - the cheapest way to an audiophile signal from iPod to your amp?

post #1 of 27
1/26/11 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 

Just received my HRT iStreamer today. Read more about it here.

This thing is the bee's knees. For $200 it extracts a digital signal from the line out plug on the bottom of your iPod Classic, iPad, or iTouch via the supplied cable and feeds it to the iStreamer, which is a DAC. Also charges you idevice too. This thing is purpose built to work with aforementioned Apple devices. If your store your song files in a lossless format on your Apple device, the resulting fidelity is amazing.

In comparison:

Wadia 170 iTransport is $379, but doesn't include a DAC.

Onkyo ND-S1 Transport Dock is $264, but doesn't include a DAC. And, good luck finding one in the U.S.

I am not aware of a comparable, more affordable way to get hi-fidelity music out of an iPod and feed it into you 2-channel system.

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post #2 of 27
1/28/11 at 9:02pm

I have been seriously considering this device but was kinda holding out for some feedback other then HRT and pro reviews.  So you really think the DAC is worth it?  Like you said there is nothing close for the price.

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post #3 of 27
1/28/11 at 9:10pm

Another option which works the same as istreamer is Pure i-20 which cost only 99$

if anyone has experience on that , please write a post compaing between the two.

The DAC is different from what I know..

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post #4 of 27
1/28/11 at 10:00pm

Guys, this is all fantastic stuff, but couldnt we have kept this in Deckhand Davy's earlier thread:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/528941/hrt-istreamer-dac-video-review-a-true-ipod-iphone-ipad-dac

 

I know there is another thread on the iStreamer in 'Portable Source Gear',  and this one for those looking for points of difference between the base model and II+

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/535958/difference-between-hrt-music-streamer-ii-and-ii

 

Thanks,

 

estreeter

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post #5 of 27
1/29/11 at 3:57am

Nothing close to the price? What about the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD? The X-FI is a full service interface, analog to digital, digital to analog, or pass through digital in/out. The X-FI  will pass through at up to 24/96 and costs less than a $100.00. Oh, it has headphone volume too.

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post #6 of 27
1/29/11 at 4:47am

But does it pull digital signals from an ipod? Stop thread-crapping.

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post #7 of 27
1/29/11 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by estreeter View Post

Guys, this is all fantastic stuff, but couldnt we have kept this in Deckhand Davy's earlier thread:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/528941/hrt-istreamer-dac-video-review-a-true-ipod-iphone-ipad-dac

 

I know there is another thread on the iStreamer in 'Portable Source Gear',  and this one for those looking for points of difference between the base model and II+

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/535958/difference-between-hrt-music-streamer-ii-and-ii

 

Thanks,

 

estreeter



I would not call the HRT iStreamer portable.........unless you got a real long extension cord for the wall wart.  :-)

 

 

Learned about the Pure i-20 dock after ordering the HRT unit, placed an order for the i-20.  Will compare them and post back later.

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post #8 of 27
1/29/11 at 10:50pm

No, its transportable, and that seems to be the big issue with several iPad users in that thread. I dont have a dog in this fight - I plug my MSII into my netbook and its completely USB powered - but I still think it would have been nice to keep our iStreamer observations to a single thread. Admit that I'm curious as to how closely the sound of the iStreamer approximates the warm, smooth output from the base MSII, but its all academic - different ploughs for different fields.

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post #9 of 27
1/30/11 at 8:45am

 Darknessproz,

 

Well, remember the HRT devices are all about computer to home audio, and, in that regard, there are plenty of DAC's and interfaces out there that do the sort of thing the HRT's do, and more at less cost. In fact, a mini headphone out to stereo RCA will connect most computers to a home stereo for peanuts; and, I think, most would enjoy the sound. And, yes, the X-Fi will interface with iPod to amp, but what's the point?

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post #10 of 27
1/30/11 at 4:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sterling1 View Post

 Darknessproz,

 

Well, remember the HRT devices are all about computer to home audio, and, in that regard, there are plenty of DAC's and interfaces out there that do the sort of thing the HRT's do, and more at less cost. In fact, a mini headphone out to stereo RCA will connect most computers to a home stereo for peanuts; and, I think, most would enjoy the sound. And, yes, the X-Fi will interface with iPod to amp, but what's the point?

 

If you don't understand or appreciate the significance of getting a lossless digital signal from an iPod and then converting it to a high fidelity analog signal, then there is no point, and any comments you have on doing so are irrelevant.
 

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post #11 of 27
1/30/11 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sterling1 View Post

 Darknessproz,

 

Well, remember the HRT devices are all about computer to home audio, and, in that regard, there are plenty of DAC's and interfaces out there that do the sort of thing the HRT's do, and more at less cost. In fact, a mini headphone out to stereo RCA will connect most computers to a home stereo for peanuts; and, I think, most would enjoy the sound. And, yes, the X-Fi will interface with iPod to amp, but what's the point?


What are you talking bout? Do you just not get it? This thread is about options to pull a digital signal from an ipod. What about digital signal don't you get. What you mentioned don't have anything to do with what was asked. Please stop crapping on this thread.

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post #12 of 27
1/31/11 at 12:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by moodyrn View Post

What are you talking bout? Do you just not get it? This thread is about options to pull a digital signal from an ipod. What about digital signal don't you get. What you mentioned don't have anything to do with what was asked. Please stop crapping on this thread.


Clearly, he doesnt get it, and I guess we have to accept that everyone who stumbles into a thread on HF hasnt necessarily done their homework. Its not that long ago that the very concept of bypassing the iPod DAC was an expensive proposition, and I guess a lot of newbies just see the new DACs as another 'dock'.  I admit to be blown away by how cheaply Pure can sell something which carries the 'Apple tax' - I guess its all about doing the numbers and being able to count of a certain number of sales. Irony is that, if the floodgates open, many companies could be looking for a slice of the same pie, selling to folk like sterling1 who are oblivious as to what their new 'dock' is actually capable of.

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post #13 of 27
1/31/11 at 12:42am

Dear Cliffroyroycole,

   Thanks for sharing your experience of the Pure I-20 .  From you description it seems to be one of the best buy streamer especially if it

can match the Istreamer in SQ.  BTW what kind of DAC are you using and what is the SQ via the analog output?  Is it transportable?

Does it also charge the ipod, ipad or iphone while you are using the I-20?

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post #14 of 27
1/31/11 at 3:04am

 Lossless from iPod to amp?  The question was, are there cheaper than HRT, the answer is yes; and, one is the X-FI HD.

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post #15 of 27
1/31/11 at 3:26am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sterling1 View Post

 Lossless from iPod to amp?  The question was, are there cheaper than HRT, the answer is yes; and, one is the X-FI HD.



The question is "HRT iStreamer - the cheapest way to an audiophile signal from iPod to your amp?".  

 

The analog signal out of an iPod is not considered audiophile quality by many people.  But, the digital signal from an iPod has great potential to be converted to audiophile quality sound.

 

Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD is USB soundcard as best I can tell from reading the descriptrion.  It has nothing to do with pulling a digital signal from an iPod.

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