Pure i-20 iPod/iPhone Dock as a DAC
Sep 28, 2015 at 2:41 AM Post #526 of 554
Experienced reviewer Skylab reviewed the PURE i-20 as a transport, which promptly caused him to sell his Wadia iPod transport. The notion of using the i-20 (with lossless material) or similar devices in a high-end speaker system is perfectly fine.

The built-in DAC did not impress Skylab so much. But here's the thing - you could start with it and add a standalone DAC later.

As to MacBook versus iPod/i-20 - I have a bias that built-for-one-purpose devices such as the latter pairing should sound better. But it's just a bias. I have not directly compared these situations.

 
Just thought I'd add my 2cents - comparing Tidal Hifi streaming from
iPhone 5s->adapter->Pure dock->No brand Coax cable->Auralic Vega DAC versus
iPhone 5s->adapter->Pure dock->No brand TOSlink->Auralic Vega DAC versus
Macbook->Lightspeed USB cable->Auralic Vega DAC
 
Listening to Hey Now, London Grammar, the vocals and base line were similar with the Pure dock. The Coax had more air and space via the Coax, but it was very close.
However, the sound quality from the Macbook and USB into the DAC was significantly better than via the dock. More detail, space and sound stage. 
This surprised me, I would have thought the two would be closer.
I guess I'd put this down to the electronics in the dock that's stripping the digital stream from the phone.
Guess I'll be keeping the Mac around for a bit longer.
(Music via Tidal was also not surprisingly significantly better than Apple Music and Spotify. I suspect that there would be less audible difference on lower bit rate stream between the dock and Mac)
 
Mar 12, 2016 at 11:19 AM Post #527 of 554
So let's say I set my iPod up with this dock and then run into my DAC (Sennheiser HDVD800). How would you say that compares to:
 
1. An LOD to analog cable?
2. A hifi portable music player (something like, say, a Pono)?
 
Thoughts appreciated.
 
Mar 13, 2016 at 10:01 AM Post #528 of 554
First, your iPod had better have a 30-pin connector and not the newer Lightning connector.  The Pure i20 has a 30-pin connector.
 
1.) An LOD to analog from your iPod would use the iPod's internal DAC instead of the far superior DAC within the Sennheiser HDVD800.  No contest.
 
2.) Some portable players have amazingly good DACs, so it's possible you could end up preferring one of those DACs to the the DAC within the HDVD800 - for your headphones, your ears, and your tastes.
 
Mar 13, 2016 at 2:56 PM Post #529 of 554
  First, your iPod had better have a 30-pin connector and not the newer Lightning connector.  The Pure i20 has a 30-pin connector.
 
1.) An LOD to analog from your iPod would use the iPod's internal DAC instead of the far superior DAC within the Sennheiser HDVD800.  No contest.
 
2.) Some portable players have amazingly good DACs, so it's possible you could end up preferring one of those DACs to the the DAC within the HDVD800 - for your headphones, your ears, and your tastes.

 
Thanks for the input! So how would I go about bypassing the iPod's internal DAC? Is that even possible?
 
Mar 14, 2016 at 8:23 AM Post #530 of 554
Thanks for the input! So how would I go about bypassing the iPod's internal DAC? Is that even possible?


You can get a CCK (camera connection kit), available for eithet 30-pin or Lightning connectors, which effectively makes your iDevice look like the USB port of a laptop or PC, but without any 5V power - it only supplies USB data to a DAC. If you try this, the DAaC must be self-powered - it must not expect to receive 5VDC from the USB cable, not even for detecting the source or affecting a "handshake." Note that many DACs that plug into mains power (120V AC), have USB receivers that still expect to see 5V power from the USB cable. Designers do this to isolate the USB midule from the potentially noisy environment that the DAC itself is causing, but it puts the responsibility of providing clean power on the source device. IDevices, in part by nature of simply being battery operated, make excellent, noise-free signal sources, but if your DAC requires power, you'll have to use a USB Y-Cable that allows only data to come from the iDevice and CCK, while pulling power from a 5VDC USB hub (cheap but nousy solution) or a 5VDC linear regulated power supply like the $80 Teradak Teralink X1/X2 power supply, available on eBay (an excellent, noise-free, bang for the buck solution that includes a USB Y-cable) or a $175 Uptone Audio USB Regen (the ultimate solution for providing your DAC's USB input with high sognal integrity - and pretty decent 5VDC power, if necessary).

OR

You can buy a DAC or DAC/amp that accepts input from iDevices directly - like the Oppo HA-1 (desktop) or HA-2 (portable) and others.

I'm not familiar with the soecs for that Sennheiser's inputs. Are you sure it doesn't have a USB A jack labeled "Apple"?
 
Mar 14, 2016 at 11:12 AM Post #531 of 554
You can get a CCK (camera connection kit), available for eithet 30-pin or Lightning connectors, which effectively makes your iDevice look like the USB port of a laptop or PC, but without any 5V power - it only supplies USB data to a DAC. If you try this, the DAaC must be self-powered - it must not expect to receive 5VDC from the USB cable, not even for detecting the source or affecting a "handshake." Note that many DACs that plug into mains power (120V AC), have USB receivers that still expect to see 5V power from the USB cable. Designers do this to isolate the USB midule from the potentially noisy environment that the DAC itself is causing, but it puts the responsibility of providing clean power on the source device. IDevices, in part by nature of simply being battery operated, make excellent, noise-free signal sources, but if your DAC requires power, you'll have to use a USB Y-Cable that allows only data to come from the iDevice and CCK, while pulling power from a 5VDC USB hub (cheap but nousy solution) or a 5VDC linear regulated power supply like the $80 Teradak Teralink X1/X2 power supply, available on eBay (an excellent, noise-free, bang for the buck solution that includes a USB Y-cable) or a $175 Uptone Audio USB Regen (the ultimate solution for providing your DAC's USB input with high sognal integrity - and pretty decent 5VDC power, if necessary).
 

 
He hasn't clarified in this nor in the thread he started what iPod it was, but I think considering he never called it a Touch, note that the CCK does not work on many older Touch models much less on any of the non-Touch iPods, ie from the original up to the 7G Classic. In addition, it has to be iOS7 even on later Touch models, but again I think it needs to be at least the 5g Touch. He'll have to check if it's any other Touch model.
 
I'm not familiar with the soecs for that Sennheiser's inputs. Are you sure it doesn't have a USB A jack labeled "Apple"?

 
No need to be familiar thanks to Google - found this one in about ten seconds.
 

 
May 25, 2016 at 5:43 AM Post #532 of 554
Hi ,
 
I have 3 Ipod Classics with iFlash-mSata adapter + mSata cards :
. Crucial M500 480gb
. Crucial MX200 500GB
. Samsung EVO840 1Tb
All Ipods have a 1900mAH big battery
I noticed something strange.
When Ipods are not fully charged, and even when they are fully charged sometimes, if I dock the Ipods on this dock (Pure i-20), there are random pauses or skips when playing tracks while charging the Ipod. I can see that the Ipod is stopping charging  when it skips or pause. When the Ipod shows it is charging again, the song restarts
It seems the Ipod can’t play through dock and charge at the same time without having some problems.
I play Apple Lossless files only
Did someone ever notice that?
Thank you,
Max
 
May 25, 2016 at 6:01 AM Post #533 of 554
Yes. There is a small ribbon cable inside the unit that connects the circuit card in the base to the connector on the stalk. Over time, the ribbon connection tarnishes from dis-similar metals and the charge current becomes unrelaibe. Eventually the unit will stop charging all together. It is possible to dis assemble and clean the tiny ribbon connection. This is the only way i have found to stop the clicking. My unit did not do it for more than a year...and then did it all the time. The 'fix' lasts about 6 months. I believe it is a design flaw. The unit will charge and play at the same time and not interfere with the music if the connection is good. Fuzz in the ipod connector can also cause this.
Hi ,

I have 3 Ipod Classics with iFlash-mSata adapter + mSata cards :

. Crucial M500 480gb

. Crucial MX200 500GB

. Samsung EVO840 1Tb
All Ipods have a 1900mAH big battery

I noticed something strange.

When Ipods are not fully charged, and even when they are fully charged sometimes, if I dock the Ipods on this dock (Pure i-20), there are random pauses or skips when playing tracks while charging the Ipod. I can see that the Ipod is stopping charging  when it skips or pause. When the Ipod shows it is charging again, the song restarts

It seems the Ipod can’t play through dock and charge at the same time without having some problems.
I play Apple Lossless files only
Did someone ever notice that?

Thank you,
Max
 
Aug 28, 2016 at 5:59 PM Post #535 of 554
You can get a CCK (camera connection kit), available for eithet 30-pin or Lightning connectors, which effectively makes your iDevice look like the USB port of a laptop or PC, but without any 5V power - it only supplies USB data to a DAC. If you try this, the DAaC must be self-powered - it must not expect to receive 5VDC from the USB cable, not even for detecting the source or affecting a "handshake." Note that many DACs that plug into mains power (120V AC), have USB receivers that still expect to see 5V power from the USB cable. Designers do this to isolate the USB midule from the potentially noisy environment that the DAC itself is causing, but it puts the responsibility of providing clean power on the source device. IDevices, in part by nature of simply being battery operated, make excellent, noise-free signal sources, but if your DAC requires power, you'll have to use a USB Y-Cable that allows only data to come from the iDevice and CCK, while pulling power from a 5VDC USB hub (cheap but nousy solution) or a 5VDC linear regulated power supply like the $80 Teradak Teralink X1/X2 power supply, available on eBay (an excellent, noise-free, bang for the buck solution that includes a USB Y-cable) or a $175 Uptone Audio USB Regen (the ultimate solution for providing your DAC's USB input with high sognal integrity - and pretty decent 5VDC power, if necessary).

OR

You can buy a DAC or DAC/amp that accepts input from iDevices directly - like the Oppo HA-1 (desktop) or HA-2 (portable) and others.

I'm not familiar with the soecs for that Sennheiser's inputs. Are you sure it doesn't have a USB A jack labeled "Apple"?


I believe the HDVD800's DAC is self-powered, although I'm not 100% certain. So let's I buy something like this 30-pin to female USB but for an iPod rather than a Samsung-- https://www.amazon.com/Female-Cable-Adapter-Samsung-Galaxy/dp/B0096KJTU2/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1472421271&sr=1-9&keywords=30-pin+to+usb -- and then use a standard cable to link it into the amp. Will I be able to bypass the iPod's DAC that easily?
 
It's an iPod Classic 160gb that I'm trying to hook up. Thanks!
 
Aug 28, 2016 at 8:10 PM Post #536 of 554

Also, realizing that I strayed too far from the original topic of the thread, would using the i-20 as a transport noticeably improve the sound quality of my iPod audio as played through an HDVD-800 and HD-800s? For 90-some dollars, any improvement seems well worth the modest cost.
 
Aug 29, 2016 at 12:41 AM Post #537 of 554
Also, realizing that I strayed too far from the original topic of the thread, would using the i-20 as a transport noticeably improve the sound quality of my iPod audio as played through an HDVD-800 and HD-800s? For 90-some dollars, any improvement seems well worth the modest cost.

 
What amplifier are you using now, and what DAC-HPamp will you use with the i20?
 
Sep 2, 2016 at 11:42 PM Post #539 of 554
 
For the amp and DAC, I'm using the Sennheiser HDVD-800. I just got the i20 today and WOW! Easily the best improvement imaginable for under $100! The soundstage is vastly expanded, and the detailing has improved dramatically. Highly recommended.

 
Wow!  Which output are you using from the i20 ?
 
  Optical digital audio out (S/PDIF): TOSLINK.

Coaxial digital audio out (S/PDIF): Coaxial phono.

Analogue audio out: Stereo phono.

Composite video out: Composite RCA.

Component video out: 3.5mm 4-pole TRRS connector (Custom PURE cable supplied).

S-Video out: 3.5mm 4-pole TRRS connector (PURE Choice accessory cable available separately).

 

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