Advice on a digital upgrade route
Mon, Sep 21 2009, 9:01AM
Hi everyone,
I currently have Naim pre/power amps, a Hi Cap, a Naim CDi, Shahinian Arcs and ipod Touch playing through an Arcam r-dock. As you can appreciate music from the touch doesnt sound as good as CDs on the CDI and would like to find an appropriate storage/ playback route to match my CD quality.
I'm considering an AVA NAS and a Linn Majik or Akurate DS and I'm hoping to audition these soon. However, I have pretty limited knowledge in this area. Can anyone advise other alternatives I might consider, particularly if they are more cost effective!!
Many thanks
The cheapest and most effective way of extracting the best sound possible from an ipod is;
Use a Line Out Dock (LOD), which is a cable connecting from the dock at the base of the ipod to phonos which connect to any line in on the amp, except one used for a record player with a phono card. The LOD bypasses the ipods amp, so you will control its volume through the main amp. The disadvantage is the ipod will not charge as it plays. Examples of a LOD are the Russ Andrews GQ-24, iBasso LOD and search ebay under line out dock.
Use lossless files on the ipod. A great system like yours will pick out the difference between lossless and lossy files. You can only make a true comparison between CDs and an ipod if you use lossless files.
Play about with the ipod's EQ settings. I find that jazz makes all forms of music brighter and more detailed, but that is the sound that I like. Switching off EQ all-together may be the best for you. By doing that the battery also lasts longer if you use a LOD.
If your budget streaches to more than £50 odd for a LOD then seacrh for the Wadia itransport. I have no experience of it, but it is a dock that bypasses everything in the ipod, amp and DAC and extracts the music file. You need to add on cables and a DAC to the cost. So by then you are heading into server territory.
Internet - laptop - DAC - amp - lots of headphones.
http://idc1966.blogspot.co.uk/
"A music lover will stop what he's doing and stay glued to a favorite piece of music even if it's coming over a 3" speaker or a public-address system..." - Ken Rockwell