[Chops]

So for the past year or more, I've been streaming music to my Sansui G7000 receiver via JRemote on my old original iPad through the headphone output. It sounds good, but I know I can do better. I've been doing a little reading and know that with an iPhone 4 or higher or iPad 2 or higher with iOS 7, you can use the Apple camera kit to bypass the internal DAC and get the raw digital signal to send it to an external DAC. In my case, I'd go with the Schiit Modi. I have a spare iPhone 4 laying around as well as an iPad 2 that I use as my system remote for the main system. 
 
Now I'm not exactly sure what kind of file type the iPad actually receives from the JRiver server out in the main system. All of the files are FLAC on the NAS. Is it still FLAC all the way through the server in the main system/family room and streamed into the iPad in the bedroom/headphone rig? 
 
I would imagine that going with the Modi DAC, this would present a large upgrade to my headphone rig, yes? And more importantly, I think this is also the most economical way of going about it as well. 
 
Your thoughts/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. 
 
And a couple pics...
 
Out in the main system...

 
And the bedside headphone rig...

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

Yes, this should be quite a significant upgrade. It will probably be a bit more subtle than you expect, but detail and imaging should increase in quality a lot.

You'll need a headphone amp/receiver in order to amplify and volume control the signal going to your headphones. You could use the headphone out on your Sansui for that. Of course, the Schiit Magni would be the ideal choice aesthetically and likely be an improvement over the receiver. Receivers usually have high output impedance which makes them less ideal for low impedence headphones (it adds bass and rolls of the highs).

I'm not sure whether or not the streaming will convert the FLAC, but iOS doesn't support FLAC... it does support ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). If I were you I would convert the FLAC to ALAC to be sure the files stream in full quality.

Good luck .

 

[Chops]

Yes, this should be quite a significant upgrade. It will probably be a bit more subtle than you expect, but detail and imaging should increase in quality a lot.

You'll need a headphone amp/receiver in order to amplify and volume control the signal going to your headphones. You could use the headphone out on your Sansui for that. Of course, the Schiit Magni would be the ideal choice aesthetically and likely be an improvement over the receiver. Receivers usually have high output impedance which makes them less ideal for low impedence headphones (it adds bass and rolls of the highs).

I'm not sure whether or not the streaming will convert the FLAC, but iOS doesn't support FLAC... it does support ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). If I were you I would convert the FLAC to ALAC to be sure the files stream in full quality.

Good luck

.

 

Straight from Schiit's Modi page...

"Modi USB plugs into virtually any computer—Windows, Mac, popular Linux distros, Intel Chromebooks, as well as iPhones, iPads, and many Android devices—and requires no drivers. It features asynchronous transfer with individual crystal oscillators for the 44.1 and 48k sampling rates, and uses the USB Audio 1.0 standard over USB 2.0, and is powered by the USB port."

 

I don't know what file type the iPad receives, but it streams perfectly with no hesitation or anything.

 

[Chops]

I've also forgot to mention (twice now) that I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 sitting here as well, not being used as well. So I could possibly use this as well.

 

[Chops]

Nothing more?...

 

[Chops]

It amazes me that no one else has said anything in this thread. I can't possibly be the only person out there that's wanted to do this.