[jakebake]

hey guys i am going to be using my ipad 3 with my uptowns for my walk to school and carrying around the house when not at m main rig. I don't really want to send too much money so what fiio solution would be best for me? SHould I get an amp/dac with the fiio l3 cable to use the fiio dac instead of the ipads or should I just get a fiio amp and the dac in the new ipad is fine?

Suggestions? Difference between e9 and e10?

 

[jakebake]

bump

 

[RickH9]

The E9 and the E10 are desktop amplifiers. Don't think you could walk to school with them.

 

[jakebake]

The E9 and the E10 are desktop amplifiers. Don't think you could walk to school with them.

i meant e7 and e10.... and it isn't clear the e10 was just for a desktop...
your post was so helpful though :rolleyes:

 

[MrScratch]

I've been lurking for a while now, so I thought it was the right moment to register and give you my 2 cents.
Unfortunately you can't override your iDevice's DAC with some accessories like the Fiio L3 nor the DAC/AMP combo you suggested is capable to manage the digital signal coming out of an iPad... For instance, all LOD accessories are used to bypass the iPod/iPhone/iPad internal amp and there's no way to get some digital code through the analog stereo 3.5mm line out of the Fiio L3.

To get rid of the internal DAC of your iPad you need some particular DACs and they are quite pricey. :mad:
Just to name a few, you can try the well known iStreamer (no batteries, so no portable at all), the AlgoRhythm Solo (which has no onboard amp) or the really really expensive Fostex HP-P1.

imho you should go for an inexpensive amplifier like Fiio E6 or the awesome Fiio E11 (especially if you are into high impedance/hard to drive phones ) and a nice LOD of your choice (like L3 or L9): the simple setup PMP + AMP will give you room to improve your portable rig with a powerful DAC like the AlgoRhythm Solo I cited above, if you'll ever need one.

 

[jakebake]

I've been lurking for a while now, so I thought it was the right moment to register and give you my 2 cents.
Unfortunately you can't override your iDevice's DAC with some accessories like the Fiio L3 nor the DAC/AMP combo you suggested is capable to manage the digital signal coming out of an iPad... For instance, all LOD accessories are used to bypass the iPod/iPhone/iPad internal amp and there's no way to get some digital code through the analog stereo 3.5mm line out of the Fiio L3.
To get rid of the internal DAC of your iPad you need some particular DACs and they are quite pricey. :mad:
Just to name a few, you can try the well known iStreamer (no batteries, so no portable at all), the AlgoRhythm Solo (which has no onboard amp) or the really really expensive Fostex HP-P1.
imho you should go for an inexpensive amplifier like Fiio E6 or the awesome Fiio E11 (especially if you are into high impedance/hard to drive phones ) and a nice LOD of your choice (like L3 or L9): the simple setup PMP + AMP will give you room to improve your portable rig with a powerful DAC like the AlgoRhythm Solo I cited above, if you'll ever need one.

thank you very much! yeah those are too expensive for what I want atm so I probably will just go with an amp.
the uptowns are definitely harder to drive than the downtowns. I have to turn it almost all the way up on my phone or ipad to get to a good listening level. i just wonder if an amp will make it sound better or just louder.

what about a camera connection kit? Is there anyway to have the ipad power a normal usb dac instead of having to have a computer?

 

[MrScratch]

what about a camera connection kit? Is there anyway to have the ipad power a normal usb dac instead of having to have a computer?

Yes, there are some DACs that work with iPad through the Camera Connection Kit with some limitations. John from InnerFidelity talked briefly about it and there's a specific but very outdated thread in these forums. The Fiio E7 seems to be in the list of the working DACs although in this thread it is stated that this workaround doesn't work anymore when plugged with the New iPad.

I happen to have an iPad 3 and a Fiio E17 myself, so I might give it a try.
I'll update you on this matter as soon as I'll get my hands on a cheap CCK.

EDIT:

the uptowns are definitely harder to drive than the downtowns. I have to turn it almost all the way up on my phone or ipad to get to a good listening level. i just wonder if an amp will make it sound better or just louder.

A good amplifier through a LOD will give you much more power and a much better sound, especially on hard to drive cans. They will definitely sound better AND louder.