[jonnywolfet]

is there any reason why simply putting a pot in the signal chain from the lineout of an ipod would be a bad idea? for using low impedance headphones like iem's.
what would be the best value to use in order to keep channel imbalance low? 10k? 20k? 50k? bearing in mind that the pot would need to be tracking at about half way for about half volume.
surely this adheres to the philosophy of less is more.

 

[Porksoda]

Putting even a 10k pot in front of earbuds that are no more than 32 ohms would result in virtually no signal actually making it to the earbuds. Even if you could get a pot that was low enough impedence, line outs aren't designed to produce that much power.

 

[NelsonVandal]

If you use 300 Ohm headphones, you could always try. There is enough power from iRiver IHP120 line out to drive Sennheiser's. Lower impedance headphones is no good with iRiver for sure. There's distortion, lack of bass and a congested and dull sound. If you use earbuds 16/32 Ohm you shuldn't even try. If you want "less is more" and use low Z phones, go for a buffers only amp.

 

[jonnywolfet]

aw shucks, thats why no-one has done it before. ah well, back to using an amp then...

 

[balou]

actually, the iPod already has a buffered line-out - it goes through an opamp. that's also the reason why the iMod exists. so it should work from this point of view. leaves you with the problem finding a low Z pot. you could of course build a stepped attenuator - but those tend to be 1. large 2. expensive in cost 3. expensive in labour

 

[NelsonVandal]

I thought the idea with iMod is that everything is bypassed, and the signal goes to line out via a Black Gate Hi-Q capacitor. If iMod sounds as good as everybody says, the built in buffers must be crap, because iPod does not sound so hot from headphones out. The built in buffers in iRiver certainly are crap.