[dimisam]

Hi please excuse me if this is an idiotic question, I am a an audiophile noob.

I was wondering if I connect use the ipod's line out and thus bypass the ipod circuitry and it's internal DAC and then connect the line out to my amp (which has no DAC) will this setup work? How will the signal get converted from analog to digital? Must a DAC be used with the line out. I am looking for a a line out dock for the ipod and I was wondering whether this automatically meant I had to buy a DAC?

Thanks

 

[Brighten]

When you use the line out dock you bypass the internal amplifier, not it's DAC. You can't use an amp unless you have something that converts the digital signal to analog. So, no. You wouldn't need to buy a DAC.

 

[krmathis]

Using an iPod line out only bypass its built in amplifier, while the DAC still are in the path.
No need to buy an external DAC. Just hook up the external amplifier and enjoy!

 

[Sw33t.Shuga.Ray]

is the SQ improvement noticable? %?
+
iMod > is it worth getting? ($250)

 

[ManAtWork]

For the SQ, it should have improvement. But you have to get good music records, amp and headphone/earphone to take this advantage. Say, nobody use the iMod to listen those high compressed mp3 files.

iMod is very good, but you have to invest on the specific iMod cable additionally.

 

[peanuthead]

Playing 320 aac files on my 2nd gen iPod Touch, connected by line-out to my amps sound better than playing CD's on budget CD/DVD players. I don't know about other iPod's, but the DAC in the 2nd gen Touch does a very good job.

 

[Happy Camper]

You can't get a digital feed off the LOD. There are a few companies that are working with Apple to get this feed (Wadia) for use with an external DAC.

 

[dimisam]

So if the ipod's internal amplifier is not bypassed when using the headphone out, how does an external amplifier deal with this already amplified signal. Does it just amplify it further, or does it "clean up" the signal too? For example improving, clarity, instrument separation etc. Why is amplifying an already ipod amplified signal less preferable to amplifying an unamplified line out signal?

 

[m1abrams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dimisam /img/forum/go_quote.gif So if the ipod's internal amplifier is not bypassed when using the headphone out, how does an external amplifier deal with this already amplified signal. Does it just amplify it further, or does it "clean up" the signal too? For example improving, clarity, instrument separation etc. Why is amplifying an already ipod amplified signal less preferable to amplifying an unamplified line out signal?

bypassing a cheap amp is always preferred because you can not "clean up" a bad signal. HOWEVER that said connecting the headphone out that is amplified to an external amplifier can most likely help because the ipods amplifier now just sees a very high impedance of the input to the external amplifier. This high impedance is much easier to drive than headphones, by making it easier to drive the cheaper amplifier is less likely to distort or at least distort less.

 

[Sw33t.Shuga.Ray]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManAtWork /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the SQ, it should have improvement. But you have to get good music records, amp and headphone/earphone to take this advantage. Say, nobody use the iMod to listen those high compressed mp3 files. iMod is very good, but you have to invest on the specific iMod cable additionally.

thanks
-I cant approximate the sq improvement -still
-source is another matter (ex.rockbox=format)
-yes the imod cable is a hefty price
+all this time I thought it was digital on LOD (im a newb)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif Playing 320 aac files on my 2nd gen iPod Touch, connected by line-out to my amps sound better than playing CD's on budget CD/DVD players. I don't know about other iPod's, but the DAC in the 2nd gen Touch does a very good job.

analog rca on cd players are plainly bad. I use optic>avr. my 5g ipodvid seems to do pretty well off its 3.5mm= 1/8 /hopefully theyll make cheap digital out lods soon

 

[m1abrams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sw33t.Shuga.Ray /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks -I cant approximate the sq improvement -still -source is another matter (ex.rockbox=format) -yes the imod cable is a hefty price +all this time I thought it was digital on LOD (im a newb) analog rca on cd players are plainly bad.

That is not a good statement. Many of the highend CD players are so expensive because they have very good DACs. In fact only reason to not use the analog outs on a cd player is if the DAC you are connecting it to is better. Now with most cheaper AVRs it is best to use the digital inputs becuase they have an ADC for the analog inputs so you will be using the AVRs DAC anyhow might as well skip a conversion step

 

[Sw33t.Shuga.Ray]

I guess I figured for the prices the high end were going at. I was speaking of cd/dvd players I use. Thanks for the info though. would you say that that a xxx optic connection from a cheap cd player vs analog rca of a hi end cd player be better (vice versa)?

 

[dimisam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m1abrams /img/forum/go_quote.gif This high impedance is much easier to drive than headphones, by making it easier to drive the cheaper amplifier is less likely to distort or at least distort less.

How is higher impedance easier to drive?

 

[Sw33t.Shuga.Ray]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dimisam /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is higher impedance easier to drive?

 

[m1abrams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dimisam /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is higher impedance easier to drive?

Higher impedance == less current.

less current == less load on the amp.

Note: an ideal amp has infinite input impedance and near zero output impedance.