[hitman1]

Hello; 
 
       I have read the post and looked at DIYMODS on EBAY. I looked at the RED WINE IMOD. What makes this better than just getting the SONY PHA 1A, which is a amplifier and DAC portable. This will bypass the whole APPLE set up. I was wondering am I missing something. I was thinking about getting a IPOD CLASSIC and just adding the Sony PHA 1A.

 

[Gorquin]

Hitman1
 
I'm looking into this as well and I could be wrong but going from an iPod to a Sony PHA-1A isn't going to change much because you'd still be going through the, so called, less desirable iPod output circuits(caps/coils) into the Sony and not straight from the iPod DAC.

 

[hitman1]

Hmmmm...wo so what is the point of using the SONY PHA 1A IF IT ISN'T BYPASSING THE IPOD DAC? I need to do more research on that thanks...If someone has a answer please give it. Thanks for your responce.

 

[Gorquin]

Like I said, I could be wrong, but from what I've read it's not the iPod DAC that's the limiting feature but the Output circuit. People are bypassing that in order to get better sound directly from the iPod DAC.

 

[hitman1]

Ok I understand what your saying but i thought this bypass all of these problems. Here is another thread i found: http://www.head-fi.org/t/678765/ipods-and-external-dacs/30

 

[EH-Yeon]

  Hello All! New to the forum so a brief introduction.
 
I'm a former electronic tech and business owner. I've built guitar tube amps from scratch and worked with SM components when they were first employed in Car Audio and when desoldering stations were few and very expensive. We used to replace micros (96 pins or more if memory serves me) with just a 40W soldering iron and a dental pick. And yes they worked! LOL We did 100% QC on our work.
 
OK so I really like the thread and all of the info provided. 
 
Some observations and questions:
 
I have a 4G iPod A1367 EMC2407 supposedly with the Wolfson WM8975 chip. Glass top, Silver Back and VERY THIN.
 
I use my 4G in a number of ways: Mowing the lawn (earbuds with Ear Protection over them), in the car, background music when my band is on a break and of course for my listening pleasure when I can appreciate some quiet time.
 
I've read through probably 125+ pages some in detail, some skimming - early, middle, and later posts.
 
I like idea of using a Direct Out method but have an observation and a question for the engineers or those who have done multiple different mods.
 
I could have missed this so please accept my apologies if I did.
 
Can't one just run 2 wires from the DAC out to 2 unused pins on the 30 pin connector, wire an external connector for L,R, and ground and leave the rest of the wiring "As Is" without removing any components OR lifting any pin leads??  A new LOD could be used for an iPod headphone amp, buffer caps if needed for the 2V offset to home audio setup etc. while leaving the original Headphone Jack intact for listening while mowing the lawn and the 30 Pin jack intact for charging and/or visiting a friend who has a standard iPod docking station.. When in a DOC or using the headphone jack the two "unused" Dircect Out pins are "floating" and shouldn't have any effect on the other "out" methods, correct?
 
My audio theory could be wrong but if there is NO LOAD on the Headphone jack OR the 30 pin connector where the pins normally connect to a doc how could it effect the sound of a Direct Out Line when those components are basically not really in the circuit, unless they're going to ground from the DAC output,  they're floating, there's no load terminating those points? No load, no current draw, no electrons flowing as we need to complete the circle for that to happen in those circuits.
 
Does this sound plausible or am I missing something? I haven't looked at a schematic if there is one available.
 
Thanks……..

Your method could work, providing there is custom wiring for your LOD. I have never try it so I am not sure whether the method will affect the audio quality as we tend to keep thing simple. 

 

[EH-Yeon]

  HELLO:
 
         I have been reading about this whole IMOD with the classic IPOD. I am just wondering by time you spend the money for the RED WINE conversion and their cable plus amplifier. Why not get the SONY PHA-1A ( http://www.sony-asia.com/product/pha-1a) , which has a amp and a great DAC, and call it a day? Is the IMOD better than that? With the SOny your bypassing the old APPLE set up and your gaining a amp. I am just wondering. 

Back in the day, we have no product that able to bypass or taking the digital signal out from ipod (with great storage of course). Hence, ipod video or several generation before that has wolfson DAC is considered the king of portable player for audiophiles until cyber labs introduce their algorithmn solo. If I am not wrong, they are the first to introduce stack that take digital out from ipods but they are only work for ipod classic 6th gen and above. Most of the DAC now are better than IMOD or diymod, you got to try to hear for yourself. For the Sony you mentioned, I believe they are only working for classic 6g and above too.
 
Still, ipod classic still stand a very good place in portable player with their modding capability and the amazing clickwheel UI. Where else can you find ipod classic that run on 1TB SSD with 50 hours battery life?

 

[hitman1]

WOW...CYBER LABS WHAT? Never heard of this algorithm stuff Apple IPOD 6th and 7th Generation? Now I have to look this up. Was wondering all night with the MOFI BLUE Headphone that already has amplification wondering is there away to get the signal from the headphone piece. Now I have to go do more reading thanks. Getting prices from everyone it seems the IPOD CLASSIC MOD plus the amplifier and cable your looking at close to $1000 dollars. The Ipod Classic and just the SONY PHA 1A will at least keep you around 500 to 600. Thanks for all the replies thus far.

 

[hitman1]

Ok..did my reading oops...talking about the logic that s used by the new DAC/Amps. Yes while reading still seems like the best deal and I read the SONY is using a WOLFSON. SO what is the point of doing a IMOD? Can get the Sony PHA 1A for 260.

 

[EH-Yeon]

  WOW...CYBER LABS WHAT? Never heard of this algorithm stuff Apple IPOD 6th and 7th Generation? Now I have to look this up. Was wondering all night with the MOFI BLUE Headphone that already has amplification wondering is there away to get the signal from the headphone piece. Now I have to go do more reading thanks. Getting prices from everyone it seems the IPOD CLASSIC MOD plus the amplifier and cable your looking at close to $1000 dollars. The Ipod Classic and just the SONY PHA 1A will at least keep you around 500 to 600. Thanks for all the replies thus far.

Most of us here do diy. So, the cost might not as high as the premium cable makers. imod/diymod mainly for ipod video 5.5 gen and below, mainly due to the dac used. Also there is no way to get digital out from them, unless you use wadia for them. In other word, it is not worth it.
 
Changes in ipod classic 6th gen allow the digital out from the dock. Saying that including ipod touch, iphone etc., you will be able to use external DAC. There are a lot of them you will be able to find in portable source section if you are going this way. 

Ok..did my reading oops...talking about the logic that s used by the new DAC/Amps. Yes while reading still seems like the best deal and I read the SONY is using a WOLFSON. SO what is the point of doing a IMOD? Can get the Sony PHA 1A for 260.

You are right, in a way. If i have old ipod laying around somewhere I will opted to mod them. Mainly you can match making the amp by separating the dac and amp. Partly, the mod process is fun.

 

[JamesBr]

Ok..did my reading oops...talking about the logic that s used by the new DAC/Amps. Yes while reading still seems like the best deal and I read the SONY is using a WOLFSON. SO what is the point of doing a IMOD? Can get the Sony PHA 1A for 260.

Ya.. not to bad !

 

[hitman1]

Question from the group. i have been reading about the SONY PHA-1A, OPPO HA-2 and the IFI NANO IDSD DAC. Which one is the better deal? I assume the IFI plays WAV and FLAC.

 

[ningen13]

My ipod mini 2nd Gen mod,
-Lod caps muse 0.1uf pararel with stock ipod smd caps
-H/P out caps elna cerafine 220uf,stock ipod 100uf smd removed.
-Battery 1600mah
-Extra charger module for fast charging (internal battery charger will take looooong time for fully charged 1600mah battery)
-Memory upgrade to cf 8gb

 

[DMinor]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

My ipod mini 2nd Gen mod,
-Lod caps muse 0.1uf pararel with stock ipod smd caps
-H/P out caps elna cerafine 220uf,stock ipod 100uf smd removed.
-Battery 1600mah
-Extra charger module for fast charging (internal battery charger will take looooong time for fully charged 1600mah battery)
-Memory upgrade to cf 8gb

 
Awesome mod.
 
Can you elaborate how exactly you put in a 1600 mAh battery? Also please let us know where you bought the battery (I don't need the extra charger module). Thanks
 
P.S. How many hours of battery you are getting for playing with a full charge?

 

[ningen13]

i put 1600mah battery external (outside on it's alumunium shell), just put some hole (large enough for battery socket for go trough it) and take original battery cable and socket, and solder it to new battery...
and i got 1600mah battery from local sparepart phone store...