sanfordm
New Head-Fier
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- Jan 9, 2014
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Will the FiiO E17 Alpen work as a portable DAC, not just a portable amp, with the Lightning camera connection kit for more recent iPads and iPhones?
There's a patched together system described on these forms somewhere for using the E17 Alpen as a DAC with old dock-connector iPads and iPhones with a camera connection kit and a powered hub, battery powered to make it somewhat portable. But here:
http://fiio.com.cn/news/index.aspx?ID=34&page=10
FiiO reports the E7, not specifically the E17, will work with dock-connector iPads (presumably iPhones, too) via the dock-connector camera connection kit, without a USB hub in the middle. Specifically because you can turn off of the USB charging function on the E7 so the iPad or iPhone doesn't detect too much power draw on the device and shut off the connection.
Well, you can turn off USB charging on the E17 Alpen, too, so it follows the E17 will work as a DAC with Lightning connector iPads and iPhones via the Lightning USB camera connection kit (for Lightning connector devices it's a separate USB-only cable adapter without an included SD card reader; but no matter in this case). Unless there's something radically different about the USB function of the Lightning connector. I've read that some people have some issues with analog line audio off Lightning connector adapters, that it's different or digital-only or whatever as compared to old dock-connector line audio, but nowhere have I read that USB function is any different.
So, what's the consensus? Will it work? Anyone have PROOF it will work? It's not a deal-breaker. I'm buying the E17 Alpen for my MacBook Pro, anyway, as for the Mac I'm tired of using an old and no longer smoothly supported -- you have to unplug/replug anytime the MB Pro sleeps -- Creative X-Fi USB DAC patched analog through an E12 Mont Blanc. (Hey, don't laugh. It works. You know, sort of.) That's the main point of the E17 Alpen, for the Mac, but I'd like to know if I should pick up a Lightning USB camera connection cable so I can use it with my iPad mini, too. I really like the E12 Mont Blanc amp just fine but having a better DAC for the iPad when I want it would be nice.
Thanks for any help.
There's a patched together system described on these forms somewhere for using the E17 Alpen as a DAC with old dock-connector iPads and iPhones with a camera connection kit and a powered hub, battery powered to make it somewhat portable. But here:
http://fiio.com.cn/news/index.aspx?ID=34&page=10
FiiO reports the E7, not specifically the E17, will work with dock-connector iPads (presumably iPhones, too) via the dock-connector camera connection kit, without a USB hub in the middle. Specifically because you can turn off of the USB charging function on the E7 so the iPad or iPhone doesn't detect too much power draw on the device and shut off the connection.
Well, you can turn off USB charging on the E17 Alpen, too, so it follows the E17 will work as a DAC with Lightning connector iPads and iPhones via the Lightning USB camera connection kit (for Lightning connector devices it's a separate USB-only cable adapter without an included SD card reader; but no matter in this case). Unless there's something radically different about the USB function of the Lightning connector. I've read that some people have some issues with analog line audio off Lightning connector adapters, that it's different or digital-only or whatever as compared to old dock-connector line audio, but nowhere have I read that USB function is any different.
So, what's the consensus? Will it work? Anyone have PROOF it will work? It's not a deal-breaker. I'm buying the E17 Alpen for my MacBook Pro, anyway, as for the Mac I'm tired of using an old and no longer smoothly supported -- you have to unplug/replug anytime the MB Pro sleeps -- Creative X-Fi USB DAC patched analog through an E12 Mont Blanc. (Hey, don't laugh. It works. You know, sort of.) That's the main point of the E17 Alpen, for the Mac, but I'd like to know if I should pick up a Lightning USB camera connection cable so I can use it with my iPad mini, too. I really like the E12 Mont Blanc amp just fine but having a better DAC for the iPad when I want it would be nice.
Thanks for any help.