CES NEWS: Wadia's high-end iPod dock has digital output

[intro]

This is the iTransport, from US high-end audio company Wadia. And it's remarkable for two things, not least of which is a decidedly non-high-end $349 price tag.

But the other aspect of dock will be the main appeal to hi-fi enthusiasts. it's the first dock to offer a full-resolution digital output.[/intro]

That means it can bypass the digital to analogue section and output stage on the iPod, allowing the little Apple player to operate as a high-quality music server when running WAV and Apple Lossless filse.

“Until now, there has been no real bridge between the convenience of an iPod and the high-end audio listening experience,” commented John W. Schaffer, President, Wadia Digital, Inc.

“The goal of making the player a true high-end media server has been hampered by the need to send the digital signal through a portable player’s D/A converter rather than that of a high performance audio system.

“Instead, we designed iTransport to bypass the player’s converter and output stage altogether. When used with an iTransport, the iPod becomes a digital music source equal to some of the finest sounding transports in the high-end audio market.”

The iTransport goes on sale next month, and is compatible with all current iPods as well as the iPod Touch and iPhone, It has component video outputs for top-quality pictures to match the sound, as well as conventional video and analogue audio outs, and will charge the player while it's docked.

Remote control of the player is via Apple's own handset.

Technorati Tags: Apple Lossless, Asus, digital output, iPhone, iPod, iPod dock, iPod touch, Wadia, WAV

Andrew has written about audio and video products for the past 20+ years, and been a consumer journalist for more than 30 years, starting his career on camera magazines. Andrew has contributed to titles including What Hi-Fi?, GramophoneJazzwise and Hi-Fi CriticHi-Fi News & Record Review and Hi-Fi Choice. I’ve also written for a number of non-specialist and overseas magazines.