[ruthieandjohn]

Just for the record, then you're not listening to the Touch, which is now your transport. The Fostex is both DAC and amp and is now your source. The Touch 5G has no audio line out and can't be amped that way.

I believe that if you use the Apple iPhone 5 dock shown here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MF030ZM/A/iphone-5s-dock you can get line out. Though designed for the iPhone 5, the iPod Touch 5G fits it too.

I have the dock (and the iPod 5G, and the iPhone 5S), and there is an audio line out that is unaffected by iPhone 5 (or iPod touch 5G) volume control, and indeed behaves just like the similar-looking Apple dock for the old 30-pin connector used on the iPod classic and the iPhone 4. The Apple writeup also says it is a line out.

 

[barbes]

I believe that if you use the Apple iPhone 5 dock shown here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MF030ZM/A/iphone-5s-dock you can get line out. Though designed for the iPhone 5, the iPod Touch 5G fits it too.

I have the dock (and the iPod 5G, and the iPhone 5S), and there is an audio line out that is unaffected by iPhone 5 (or iPod touch 5G) volume control, and indeed behaves just like the similar-looking Apple dock for the old 30-pin connector used on the iPod classic and the iPhone 4. The Apple writeup also says it is a line out.

These docks must have their own DACs built in, as the 5G Lightning to 30 pin adapters do. The 5g iPhones and Touches have no native audio line out.

 

[tylercaulfield]

I think what barbes was talking about was that using the Fostex HP-P1 completely cuts out any DAC or amplification from the iPod. The iPod in essence just becomes what you are carrying the music in, like a box of files. All DAC and amplification is then handled by the Fostex. I found this explanation on Amazon and it really cleared some stuff up for me. I like the idea of having a much better DAC and amplifier but for the portability I use it for it seems like overkill. Now as soon as I get my new headphones I might need to reconsider. 
This was from a reviewer called Paul on the Amazon page for the Fostex:

Let us begin:

WHY:
It is believed that iPods are made for the great unwashed - A Lossy digital signal is put through a second rate DAC, then a third rate amplifier and the signal is finally made available to your earbuds.

DIGITAL AND ANALOG STUFF:
An iPod plays a digital signal. The digital signal goes into a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter). The analog signal from the DAC is then Amplified. (EXAMPLE: MP3>DAC>Amp> Headphones).

The Apple Dock Connector can bypass either the Internal Amp (Analog Line Out (ALO)) or bypass the DAC and the Amp (Digital Line Out (DLO)).

An ALO is used by many third party amp makers to provide a cleaner signal to the headphones. (EXAMPLE: MP3>DAC>Apple Dock Analog Line Out>Third Party Amp>Headphones).

A DLO sends the digital signal out of the iPod to be both converted to analog and amplified. (EXAMPLE: MP3>Apple Dock Digital Out>Third Party DAC>Third Party Amp>Headphones).

FOSTEX HP-P1:
Just about every Apple dock connector cable is analog out.

One of the few exceptions is the Fostex HP-P1. It uses a proprietary Apple Dock Connector that is digital line out. An iPod makes the digital signal available to the HP-P1. The digital to analog and the amplification is done within the Fostex.

MAKING SENSE:
To justify buying the HP-P1, your source MUST be Lossless and the headphones should have a MSRP North of $300.00. Anything less is a total waste of money. Sorry.
 

 

[barbes]

I think what barbes was talking about was that using the Fostex HP-P1 completely cuts out any DAC or amplification from the iPod. The iPod in essence just becomes what you are carrying the music in, like a box of files. All DAC and amplification is then handled by the Fostex. I found this explanation on Amazon and it really cleared some stuff up for me. I like the idea of having a much better DAC and amplifier but for the portability I use it for it seems like overkill. Now as soon as I get my new headphones I might need to reconsider. 
This was from a reviewer called Paul on the Amazon page for the Fostex:

This is right, except that with the new Lighning connector Apple removed audio line out - it's digital only. Audiobreeder, who began this discussion, has to be running the Lightning cable into a USB input on the Fostex. That then uses - as you say - the Fostex DAC and amp.

Without digital to analog conversion outside the Touch, there is no analog signal from the Lightning port to be amped.

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

This is right, except that with the new Lighning connector Apple removed audio line out - it's digital only. Audiobreeder, who began this discussion, has to be running the Lightning cable into a USB input on the Fostex. That then uses - as you say - the Fostex DAC and amp.
 

This is right. I have Westone 4R & UM3RC and with the ipod touch alone they are lacking. Music sounds far off and dull. Fostex bypasses touch 5G dac and plays it through its dac / amp section through USB. The filters at the back of hp-p1 does magic to the sound.. It was this or the Hi-FiM8. Since Fostex has optical in, I chose it. It works with one of my discmans (d-ne10) but not the other ones I own (I am a discman addict still). Not sure why it is.
 
Initially hp-p1 was purchased for ipod touch 4S, but I sold it recently and didnt have the need to keep 2 ipods. Also watching movies and listening through the hp-p1 sound much better.
 
I do need to get a smaller cable as I'm using the ipod touch 1m cable, I dont move around this set up too much and its mostly stationary for now.

 

[Jason36]

I've just received a Touch 5g and I'm using it for standard 16/44 ALAC files, streaming Spotify at 320kbps and also using FLAC Player for 24/96 Files....however I have a couple of questions....

Whilst I am waiting for my HiFi M8 to arrive I am using my HRT MicroStreamer via a Lightning USB connector with the Touch, however I keep getting the "mont enough power" message, which seems weird seeing as I don't get this with my iPhone 5 or iPad4? Can anyone advise?

Also if I just use the headphone out directly from the Touch would I be right in thinking that my 24/96 files are converted down to 24/48?

 

[meat01]

Is this the Apple Touch Appreciation Thread or the Bypass the Apple DAC appreciation thread?

 
I love my Touch 5G and appreciate its awesome DAC and I don't have to carry around extra gear.  I use the Denon or Onkyo app with my W4Rs.

 

[spook76]

I also agree, I love the Cirrus Logic DAC built into the iPod Touch 5th. I tried using the lightning to 30 pin adapter to an LOD but I dislike the dark and muddy Wolfson DAC in the adapter. Now I just use a silver interconnect to my amp and the sound is fantastic.

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

Head-Fi sucks

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

Head-Fi sucks

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

  Is this the Apple Touch Appreciation Thread or the Bypass the Apple DAC appreciation thread?

 
I love my Touch 5G and appreciate its awesome DAC and I don't have to carry around extra gear.  I use the Denon or Onkyo app with my W4Rs.

 
I think I got carried away with how the 4R sounded with the Cowon Z2 which I used non-stop for one and half years and then plugged into the ipod touch 5G felt it was lagging. All along I used EX300 with the touch 5G.

 

[meat01]

What does laggy sound like?  Your post does not sound like you appreciated the iPod Touch.

 

[truckdriver]

  What does laggy sound like?  Your post does not sound like you appreciated the iPod Touch.

 
In other words, the appreciation is “laggy” as with bypassing DAC/amp users.
 
Well, I appreciate the way my iPod Touch 5G does not have that bass thump microphone noise caused by talk show people blowing (or breathing) on their mics (like my Note 3 does).

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

Head-Fi sucks

 

[truckdriver]

  Why people are using the wonderful iPod touch 5G with another external DAC/Amp?
In my opinion, that doesn't make sense, taking into account that the internal DAC is even better than any portable DAC, with almost nothing of distortion and completely flat.
 
But well, I think that if you are using something external instead of the own Touch it is better to buy something with more memory as the iPod Classic, the result would be the same, since the source would be the external Amp/DAC, not the device itself.

 
Wow, it's that good, eh? How about the amp; is it also the best?