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Best sounding solution for Ipod

Hello 'Goners:

Like many of us out there I have succombed to the 'Ipod bug. I am emabarrased to admit but I have large amounts of jazz, rock, and acoustic stuff on WAV files that are wonderful due to the ease and convenience of it's access. However I find the sound slightly lacking in dynamics, soundstage, and transparency especially when listening to jazz (Art Blakey and the jazz messengers come to mind), etc.

I have heard about Krell's new "Kid" ipod preamp but I am not willing to for over 1k of my hard earned cash for a overpriced gimmick Krell is pushing on it's consumers to stay in the augio game. I am also not keen on purchasing a DAC that will just complicate my analog set-up.

I am currently running a recapped C-28 (Mcintosh) preamp, Mcintosh MC-2155 amp, and my laptop is connected via it's headphone jack into the back of my preamp's aux input. I have read about "audiophile"-like tubed ipod set-ups (preamp/amp from FATMAN) but I am not willing to rid myself of my Mcintosh gear or spend $700 on an mass produced, over-hyped, over-priced set-up from China.

There has to be a solution out there that I can use with my current set-up without robbing my wallet or sacrificing my source components.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.
splittie

Showing 3 responses by tobias

tobias
1,534 posts
 
A simple step up in sound quality from your computer involves using a better connection cable from the headphone output. (This goes for the iPod too.) T_bone mentioned a couple, and I have had fun with the Zu Pivot.

Next step up (or skip right to it if you like) is an outboard processor (a DAC). You can get one with a USB input built-in, like the Apogee Mini-DAC, the Benchmark DAC-1, and lots more. You can alternatively use any DAC at all with a S/PDIF input, but in this case you have to buy another cable and another box--a USB converter--to link your DAC to your computer. The Hagerman HagUSB T_bone mentions is one such box, and there are more at different price points. The most upscale one I know of is the Empirical Audio OffRamp.

Personally I use an Apogee Mini-DAC without USB as my main converter. In the office I use an M-Audio Audiophile USB, because it also does analog-to-digital conversion. It is smooth-sounding but a bit short on detail. However it is still a good deal better-sounding than the computer's headphone jack, even with a Zu Pivot.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
DAC = digital-to-analog converter.

The iPod has one of these inside it already. The iPod's DAC takes the digital signal from the iPod's storage (hard disc or RAM) and converts it into an analog signal which can be sent to headphones.

A good DAC is hard to find in the mass market.

One way to improve an iPod's sound is to take the digital signal and send it to a different and better DAC, an external one. That avoids the so-so DAC inside the iPod. Then this higher-quality analog signal can be sent to a preamp.

Unfortunately, it is hard to get that digital signal out of the iPod. Both the signal from the headphone jack and the signal from the dock connector have already gone through internal processing and degraded somewhat. So a technician has to go into the case and install a new connection at a point in front of the processors (the DAC). That obviously costs money, but if it is properly done you can use an external DAC with your iPod.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Here they are:

http://www.msbtech.com/

Thanks Google.
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