[indysmith]

Since you can plug iPod into ur Mac/PC via USB and then play songs off it using the computer, there must be a digital out pin on the dock. Why is there not dock to mini USB cables so that we can plug our iPods into external DACs instead of just amps.

 

[ruZZ.il]

Here is some discussion on it: DIY iPod digital out.
Ultimately, it can be done. has it been done by any of us non commercial guys for less than a few thousand $ yet? not that I know of..

 

[indysmith]

I'd had a look a that discussion - but to be honest, I don't have a CLUE what any of it is talking about. I assume if it's costing thousands to do there isn't a pin with a straight digital out?

 

[ruZZ.il]

nah they just rip you off cause noone else does it.. not worth that much

 

[zip22]

no, there is no pin. the computer is just reading the files off of the ipod like its a removable harddrive, not from a digital audio output.

 

[indysmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif no, there is no pin. the computer is just reading the files off of the ipod like its a removable harddrive, not from a digital audio output.

So why can't a DAC do the same?

 

[phkd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by indysmith /img/forum/go_quote.gif So why can't a DAC do the same?

all files, since they are all digital, are just ones and zeros. there are bits within the file that don't contribute to the content, but are they for computing purposes. for example, there are bits which tell the computer "im an mp3" rather than a document or something else. remember, all a dac does is convert a digital word to an analog voltage. it would even try to convert non-audio data to an audible signal if that's what it was fed (some would know to not try to convert it, but it would then just do nothing). so since there is a lot of data on an digital audio files this is not the music (IDE tag info, bit rate info, track name, etc.) the file must first be processed to prepare it for conversion to analog.

 

[zip22]

yeah digital audio files (mp3, aac, wma, flac, etc) are not the same as a digital audio signal that is sent on a digital audio cable. the audio files need to be decopressed and interpreted as audio before they can be sent as a digital signal.

 

[phkd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif yeah digital audio files (mp3, aac, wma, flac, etc) are not the same as a digital audio signal that is sent on a digital audio cable. the audio files need to be decopressed and interpreted as audio before they can be sent as a digital signal.

thanks for the additional clarifying, i could see how my post could be misleading. a digital audio file is not just the audio + stuff, it's a whole different thing. But like zip22 and I said, it needs to be processed first.

 

[Nuwidol]

Surely this small feature could be added into a portable amp though. There are smallish sized units capable of this. My car stereo for example (Alpine IDA-X001) has a usb connection which i attach my ipod to. The connection reads the files digitally, converts them to analogue & processes them accordingly. The added benefit of this in my car is that other information (album artwork etc) can also be read & displayed from the digital file. The only problem i see with amp designers making such an amp would be the exclusiveness of it. As in only ipod compatible...

 

[indysmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuwidol /img/forum/go_quote.gif Surely this small feature could be added into a portable amp though. There are smallish sized units capable of this. My car stereo for example (Alpine IDA-X001) has a usb connection which i attach my ipod to. The connection reads the files digitally, converts them to analogue & processes them accordingly. The added benefit of this in my car is that other information (album artwork etc) can also be read & displayed from the digital file. The only problem i see with amp designers making such an amp would be the exclusiveness of it. As in only ipod compatible...

My thoughts exactly. The exclusiveness is not even a real issue with today's market, since probably upwards of 75% of MP3 player owners have iPods

 

[lamewing]

I agree. I still have my lovely Sony A818, but recently I purchased a refurbished 5.5 gen iPod and a new, sealed iPod Photo (soon to be iMod).

Why the switch to Apple? I use iTunes to buy too much Jpop and don't like to deal with using my MZ-RH1 to convert the DRMed music to non-DRM files....

Yep, they got me!!!