Speakers A and B simultaneosly in different rooms

One consideration in using the same preamp and amp to drive speakers in different locations is getting the volume right in both places at once. After being frustrated by that situation I found the best solution for me was to run two outputs from the preamp and add a second amplifier with adjustable gain to power the second set of speakers.

Most amps don't have adjustable gain, of course, but some from Parasound do and I had good luck with an older Yamaha power amp with gain controls on the front panel. Once you've got the relative output of the two amps set about right you shouldn't have to adjust the gain very often. Another advantage of that setup is that if you want music in only one of the locations you just turn off the appropriate power amp.

Dylano, I'm not sure I understand your question.

Are you asking if the output from an iPod going is going to be as good as the output of an external preamp fed by that same iPod? What is the rest of your current setup, how are you amplifying the two iPod outputs?

Ok, I get it.

It's certainly possible do what you're talking about but I don't think going to separate amps and preamps is going to get you anywhere.

The iPod is a fantastic device for its intended use but everything about it is designed for portability and convenience first, then for sonic fidelity. Both the outputs available to you from the iPod have already gone through the iPod's digital to analog converter and, in the case of the earphone output, through the internal amplifier of the iPod, as well. Switching from integrated amps to separates downstream of that process isn't going to do anything to improve that original signal.

It's cool that you're starting with lossless files but I doubt you can hear any difference between those and mp3 files at 192 bps if you're using the iPod as your source. I'm not sure I can hear much difference between those and I'm going digital from an iMac through iTunes to an external DAC and then to a very high-resolving amp and speakers.

To make any substantial improvement in the sound I think you'll need to spend your money on a hard-drive/iTunes based system that will let you take the digital signal to some kind of external DAC and then on to your amps and speakers.

This isn't a knock on the iPod, it does what it does extremely well, but good systems are all about balance and it doesn't make any sense to me to spend money and effort downstream unless you're starting with a better signal upstream.