[akenkel3]

So I've been looking into getting an amp for a portable set up using my ipod touch 5th gen and my Sennheiser Momentum, and for when I make my next purchase, the hd 598. As for the amp, I've been looking at the C&C BH2 as I believe it does exactly what I want as a first purchase amp.
 
Now I've been reading (and correct me if I'm wrong) that you need a LOD to go from the ipod to the amp to bypass the internal amp. However, with the new lightning connector this isn't easily accomplished because of something about not being able to extract the analogue signal. The only LOD from a lightning connector I saw was about $85 which is preposterous in my opinion. I'm only willing to spend about $10 on a cable.
 
So are there cheap LODs available for the lightning connector? I haven't found one. Or will I have to do a different option of chaining the amps using a 3.5mm jack to 3.5mm jack from the ipod to the amp? Or the other option of lightning -> 30 pin connector-> LOD-> Amp-> Headphones? That seems cumbersome to me...
 
So all in all which is the best option for me to use an amp with an ipod touch 5th gen? Thanks.

 

[akenkel3]

No one?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I don't think you'll find a $10 Lightning analogue LOD cable. The reason why it's $85 isn't simply because it's audiophile price gouging, but it's because it probably has a DAC chip wired in-line. The Apple docks IIRC have a Wolfson DAC hanging in the wire from the male plug on the cradle to the female 3.5mm on the back. The DAC chip itself would be around $10 but I suppose it's harder to make, and if it's rarer, the maker can dictate prices. Note that in such a config a nice DAC will either have output unimpeded and uncolored by an analogue output stage (as extreme circuit minimalists would like) or one that might have voltage or impedance issues because of the missing analogue output stage (I am not 100% sure if the difference is audible though).
 
Why not just get efficient IEMs so you won't need an amp with the iPhone? If you're set on using the iPhone as a source with a headphone that needs more current or voltage than the phone can provide, the alternative is to use a CCK to enable USB audio. That's still bulky for portable use (not to mention the CCK probably won't stay on well enough), but you could use it at home a DAC-amp that won't need power from the USB host; you can even prop up the phone on the Apple dock and hook up the CCK to the Lightning port on the back. Also, not all iDevice DACs are that expensive - the NuForce iDo is around $200, and there was a sale a few months ago when it was going for half that, and it uses the standard data cable.