[LeonardS]

A few comments to add:
 
I casually mentioned to my wife, a musician who's "into music, not gadgets!" an interest in the new iPhone 5, and she came unglued, mentioning the new port not being compatible with the old 30 pin connector, etc.  Honestly, I didn't think she noticed these things, as she is an avowed "anti-geek".  Maybe because we just got her an new iPad recently, and bought the cables so it would hook up to her recording equipment (RME) so she could use it for practice...anyway, she is offended that the 60 bucks or so spent on the camera kit and (cheap) cables won't be compatible anymore.
 
Second comment:  It does look like there is a DAC in the adapter Apple is selling.  Even Apple calls it an "intelligent" adapter.  How soon until someone makes one with a Wolfson DAC and better sounding design, and more ergo friendly (who wants a camera kit sized adapter sticking out of their phone?!) ?  ALO?  Fostex?  Lighting to cable to small 1cm by 3cm plastic housing containing the DAC, to cable to 3.5 mm plug.  
 
Last comment:  Any speculation that next versions of the iPad (or rumored miniPad) are going to have the lightning connector?  Just wondering...

 

[burnspbesq]

Quote:

I have three questions:
...
* Could Gordon Rankin or someone else develop a Dragonfly-like mini DAC specifically for the iPhone 5?

It's common knowledge that Audioquest is working on iOS and Android variants of the Dragonfly, to be known as Hummingbird and Bumblebee respectively.  Supposed to be out early next year.
 
I exchanged emails with Steve Silberman earlier today.  Can't share all the details, but among other things he said that "[T]he announcement from Apple doesn't change much."

 

[burnspbesq]

Quote:

I had heard some rumors about iPhone5 going back to Wolfson DACs. Anyone know if that's true? I haven't seen anything definitive on it. 

Patience.  iSuppli or somebody like that will do a teardown and BOM analysis as soon as they can get their hands on a production unit.

 

[cactus_farmer]

Quote:

 
Last comment:  Any speculation that next versions of the iPad (or rumored miniPad) are going to have the lightning connector?  Just wondering...

 
The signs are there that they're going to run with the new 'lightning' connector for all i-devices.

 

[gregeas]

Not sure I agree with this....

Actually, I agree with you. I like the sound on my iPhone and iPad, esp with my JH-13s. In fact I sold off all of my portable amps because the improvement wasn't there for me.

Apple underdelivers in terms of audio(phile) features, however. It's a shame that Apple TV can't output bit-perfect audio, and iTunes can't auto-switch sample rates. A few small tweaks could light up the audiophile market IMO.

 

[estreeter]

The 'Apple is going back to the Wolfson chips' rumor has done the rounds for years. Even if they did, you will find that Apple don't lock themselves into a single supplier like that for the duration of a model run - they certainly don't advertise it in the specs. Would you want supplies of a device which earns your company billions of dollars to be subject to the production capacity of a single vendor ?  Apple Corp is run by accountants, and I'm willing to bet that they don't give a hoot which $5 sliver of silicon goes into a given iDevice. 

 

[GBagley]

Quote:

The 'Apple is going back to the Wolfson chips' rumor has done the rounds for years. Even if they did, you will find that Apple don't lock themselves into a single supplier like that for the duration of a model run - they certainly don't advertise it in the specs. Would you want supplies of a device which earns your company billions of dollars to be subject to the production capacity of a single vendor ?  Apple Corp is run by accountants, and I'm willing to bet that they don't give a hoot which $5 sliver of silicon goes into a given iDevice. 

 
So you're saying they use different components in different production runs? I don't think that's accurate. As far as I know that has never been the case in their iPods at least. Different generations have different components, obviously, but I don't think they've used different chips in different production runs (of the same gen). 
 
I can see that being true for certain, inconsequential hardware components (raw materials from different suppliers for example), but I would be really surprised if they were using Cirrus vs. Wolfson chips interchangeably for example.

 

[antberg]

Not that i am much interested in apple products although i find the Itouch interesting,but there are many threads with different opinion and assumption whether it has an (almost)nano Dac or not or if it send just digital data or not from this "enlightened" new port.But i am more prone to think that for those geek or on-the-street Muz1k appreciators there will be more disappointment that hope.

 

[scootermafia]

 Most people are not going to be able to make Lightning cables since it is proprietary hardware.  ALO is working on a shorter Lightning cable for use with the CLAS.

 

[novacav]

Until we know for sure whether the digital audio out over lightning is "locked down" or not, then there's no point in getting to worked up about it. If it's not locked down, it's pretty much the best thing ever as far as I'm concerned - feeding digital to something like the UHA 4 as someone mentioned earlier, or D12, or the Predator, or any other portable dac/amp would be seriously amazing. I'd buy the new Touch in an instant. Not to mention that'd be way smaller than the CLAS. If the digital is locked down, well... that sucks 

 

[miceblue]

 Most people are not going to be able to make Lightning cables since it is proprietary hardware.  ALO is working on a shorter Lightning cable for use with the CLAS.

Um, wasn't the old 30-pin connector also a proprietary port, yet hundreds of companies made products that use it? I can't think of any other consumer electronic device that has had so many things made specifically for it. Speaking of the 30-pin connector, it has been around for how long? A decade? If the Lightning port is the "new 30-pin connector", it would only make sense for companies to start making products that use it.

 

[DigitalFreak]

Quote:

Um, wasn't the old 30-pin connector also a proprietary port, yet hundreds of companies made products that use it? I can't think of any other consumer electronic device that has had so many things made specifically for it. Speaking of the 30-pin connector, it has been around for how long? A decade? If the Lightning port is the "new 30-pin connector", it would only make sense for companies to start making products that use it.

They can't, parts to make a cable to use the new port you would have to be an Apple recognized dealer meaning you would have to pay Apple for the privilege to make a lightening cable.

 

[miceblue]

They can't, parts to make a cable to use the new port you would have to be an Apple recognized dealer meaning you would have to pay Apple for the privilege to make a lightening cable.

Say what? That's really lame. Darn you Apple...

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

 
So you're saying they use different components in different production runs? I don't think that's accurate. As far as I know that has never been the case in their iPods at least. Different generations have different components, obviously, but I don't think they've used different chips in different production runs (of the same gen). 
 
I can see that being true for certain, inconsequential hardware components (raw materials from different suppliers for example), but I would be really surprised if they were using Cirrus vs. Wolfson chips interchangeably for example.

 
I'm saying that Apple gives itself the option to chop and change. You can see that in the upgrade history of every model of iDevice - some of  the 'upgrades' have been quirky, to put it mildly. 

 

[Kevin_Halverson]

It is somewhat sad to read all the speculation here about the Lightning connector and the capabilities of the adapter as so much of what has been written is simply wrong.  
 
All that is needed to be known is available to any MFi licensee but the problem is that a licensee is not at liberty to reveal any confidential information which is protected by the license.  I have wanted to 'jump in' at so many instances to correct what I am reading (both here and at many other sites), but I am not allowed to do so at this time.  So, my recommendation is to wait just a bit and all will be revealed.  This would eliminate much of the 'chatter' and would allow everyone to base their decisions upon fact, not 'wild' speculation.
 
Patience is a virtue,
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC