APPLE CLASSIC 160G TO CYRUS AMP VIA SUITABLE MP3 DOCK

[anderc02]

HI ,
I AM LOOKING FOR A DOCKING STATION TO CONNECT MY APPLE CLASSIC 160 G TO MY CYRUS HI FI AMP .THIS IS TO PLAY MUSIC FILES CODED AT A HIGH BIT RATE , SO GOOD SOUND QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT .THIS NEEDS TO BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE AS AT THE MOMENT I AM USING THE CHORD ICHORD TO CONNECT THE APPLE CLASSIC INTO THE BACK OF THE CYRUS AMP BUT THIS IS BECOMING TEDIOUS. THE DOCK DOES NOT NEED TO HAVE SPEAKERS AS IT WILL NOT BE USED AS A STANDALONE PLAYER. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP USING THE ICHORD OR I COULD USE SOME VAN DEN HUL STEREO INTERCONNECTS . MY BUDGET IS AROUND £150.
CHEERS

 

[manicm]

anderc02:HI , I AM LOOKING FOR A DOCKING STATION TO CONNECT MY APPLE CLASSIC 160 G TO MY CYRUS HI FI AMP .THIS IS TO PLAY MUSIC FILES CODED AT A HIGH BIT RATE , SO GOOD SOUND QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT .THIS NEEDS TO BE A PERMANENT FIXTURE AS AT THE MOMENT I AM USING THE CHORD ICHORD TO CONNECT THE APPLE CLASSIC INTO THE BACK OF THE CYRUS AMP BUT THIS IS BECOMING TEDIOUS. THE DOCK DOES NOT NEED TO HAVE SPEAKERS AS IT WILL NOT BE USED AS A STANDALONE PLAYER. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP USING THE ICHORD OR I COULD USE SOME VAN DEN HUL STEREO INTERCONNECTS . MY BUDGET IS AROUND £150. CHEERS

For your budget the unanimous choice would seem to be the Arcam rDock, by all accounts it's great and I will get myself one later as well.

 

[Anonymous]

The rDock would be wasted because the Cyrus cannot control it via RS232.

Also, the sound quality will be no better than any line out lead.

If you want the best sound quality you need a different approach: -

Rip the music losslessly, and then put it on Apple TV or a spare laptop running iTunes, and feed a digital output to a Cyrus DACX or similar.

Not only will this offer far superior quality, but the interface will be less tedious.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Eddie - apparantly the rDock has internal buffering amps, which apparantly does make a difference over something like the Apple dock...

But for me, the apple dock is more than ample...

 

[Anonymous]

The Arcam must be manipulating the singal therefore it is not HiFi: "true to the original source".

 

[manicm]

Eddie Pound:

The rDock would be wasted because the Cyrus cannot control it via RS232.

Also, the sound quality will be no better than any line out lead.

If you want the best sound quality you need a different approach: -

Rip the music losslessly, and then put it on Apple TV or a spare laptop running iTunes, and feed a digital output to a Cyrus DACX or similar.

Not only will this offer far superior quality, but the interface will be less tedious.

Eddie, anderc02 did not state he had a DAC, and if you read his post he had a 150 quid budget, and for that purpose the rDock is more hi-fi than any similar device and it has gained universally good reviews with lossless files.

It is certainly no gimmick, and the only inconvenience is that he'll have no remote control - the only advantage with having Arcam gear, otherwise the sound will be just as good.

 

[Anonymous]

He should save his £150 and get a line out cable i.e. iPod dock connector to RCA plugs.

The Arcam cannot sound better, it just offers functionality with Arcam products.

If he already has a laptop then £150 will get him a DAC.

 

[manicm]

Eddie Pound:

He should save his £150 and get a line out cable i.e. iPod dock connector to RCA plugs.

The Arcam cannot sound better, it just offers functionality with Arcam products.

If he already has a laptop then £150 will get him a DAC.

Yes he can get said connector, but do not discount that the rDock may well sound better, plus it has the standard option of charging the iPod which makes it convenient too, and he does not have to spend extra on phono cable to his hifi as he already has quality cable.

From all reviews the rDock is the best way of connecting iPod to hifi short of getting a Wadia 170i and DAC, even if it's a bit pricey compared to other docks and connectors. It's not a gimmick.

 

[anderc02]

Thanks , but calm down gentlemen please !

 

[manicm]

anderc02:Thanks , but calm down gentlemen please !

Indeed

. Try the cable Eddie suggested, it should give good results and won't cost an arm. Then if you have a dealer nearby borrow an rDock.

 

[Anonymous]

Do you have laptop?

If so, buy a Beresford .

 

[Dr Beat]

Hi

Just sharing....previously i connected my iPod Classic 160GB via the iChord, then upgraded to the rDock and using Cyrus interconnects. I then opted to upgrade and get the Wadia i70 and connect via digital Chord cable. I can attest that the sound quality definitely improved from the iChord to the rDock. But what a jump from the rDock to the Wadia.

Again, just sharing...........BTW, my files are all Apple Lossless.

 

[manicm]

Dr Beat:

Hi

Just sharing....previously i connected my iPod Classic 160GB via the iChord, then upgraded to the rDock and using Cyrus interconnects. I then opted to upgrade and get the Wadia i70 and connect via digital Chord cable. I can attest that the sound quality definitely improved from the iChord to the rDock. But what a jump from the rDock to the Wadia.

Again, just sharing...........BTW, my files are all Apple Lossless.

In my rather budget system the thought of buying two additional boxes to connect my iPod to my hifi is a bit overkill. But if Wadia decided to shove a DAC into the 170i - now that will be another story!