Arcam rDock vs Denon ASD 3W vs Wadia iTransport

[admin_exported]

I need a dock to connect my ipod to my hi-fi. I've narrowed it down to either the Arcam rDock, Denon ASD 3W, or the Wadia iTransport. The Denon's very tempting with it's wi-fi, but all I'm really interested in is how the music on my ipod will sound, and I've read that the rDock sounds better. The Wadia is touted as being able to achieve CD-quality sound from lossless formats, but i don't know how it'll perform with my 192 kb/s mp3s. Has anyone got any thoughts?

Also, I don't have an Arcam Solo, so does that mean that when using the rDock I'd have to select songs through the track wheel on my ipod? Is it possible to bring up the menu on a tv through the s-video socket?

Many thanks in advance

Dominic

 

[Andy Clough]

[quote user="dominic31"]
Also, I don't have an Arcam Solo, so does that mean that when using the rDock I'd have to select songs through the track wheel on my ipod? Is it possible to bring up the menu on a tv through the s-video socket?

[/quote]

Yes, you'll have to select songs through the click-wheel. The rDock's TV on-screen menu via S-Video only works with the Solo, not other products I'm afraid. I tried it on my Arcam AVR280 at home, but to no avail.

Still, sound quality on the rDock is excellent. Haven't heard the Denon ASD 3W or Wadia iTransport, but can heartily recommend the rDock.

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="Andy Clough"][quote user="dominic31"]
Also, I don't have an Arcam Solo, so does that mean that when using the rDock I'd have to select songs through the track wheel on my ipod? Is it possible to bring up the menu on a tv through the s-video socket?

[/quote]

Yes, you'll have to select songs through the click-wheel. The rDock's TV on-screen menu via S-Video only works with the Solo, not other products I'm afraid. I tried it on my Arcam AVR280 at home, but to no avail.

Still, sound quality on the rDock is excellent. Haven't heard the Denon ASD 3W or Wadia iTransport, but can heartily recommend the rDock.

[/quote]

In which case a Chord Company iChord cable would work just as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank very much for the replies. Instead of getting an ipod dock, I think I'm going to go with the squeezebox duo. Comes with a very fancy remote, and can play music anywhere in the house wirelessly. Best of all, it has a digital out, so at some point in the future when I'm feeling rich enough I can buy the benchmark DAC1 and get high-end quality sound from my mp3 collection. Very nice!

 

[Anonymous]

Ok here's a question for those in the know.

If I bought the best Ipod availble and uploaded lossless files to it and conneted it straight into an amp using the Ichord cable what sort of performance could be expected compared to a red book CD player. As good as a Marantz CD6002?, or a Rega Apollo? or anything better still...?

tajules