Maybe it's my punishment for using the headphone out on my iPad, but I can't stand the 16-step volume control. What the heck was Apple thinking??? I think I know- since this device is more computer than dedicated music player the requirements are different. I notice that my MBP also has 16-steps while my Nano has... a lot! It's true that the volume on the screen (either in the player or the bottom task bar) has more resolution, but it seems to require the hands of a surgeon to make those fine adjustments. I've always had issues with touchscreens... not sure if my skin is too dry or what. Enough of the rant.
So I've tried a few things to get around this problem but I think it will come down to buying an amp. I plan on either a Fiio E7 or Firestone Cute II Battery. Does anyone else have this issue or are you all using your LOD?
BTW- something I noticed recently when using the LOD on the iPad: If you have Sound Check enabled you get a very noticeable 'flutter' noise during quiet passages. It's not there at the headphone out. At first I thought it was the device I had connected or the LOD itself. But it turned out that when I turned off Sound Check the noise went away. This problem does not happen on my 6g Nano- I tried it. Another interesting thing I noticed is that the volume on the iPad still works when you have the iPad connected to AirPort Express via AirPlay. I thought that was strange.
