iPod connection to Marantz PM6003

[Jason36]

At the moment I connect my iPod to my Marantz via the 3.5mm headphone socket into phono connections to the amp.

Would I gain a discernable improvement in sound by buying the Russ Andrews GQ-24 Cable and connecting it via the socket at the bottom of the ipod into phono cables? Its an expensive cable at £64.00 if the sound difference is likely to be minimal.

All my music on the ipod is Apple Lossless.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've just changed from a 3.5mm connection to the dock port on the ipod.

It is alot better and it also overides the volume on the ipod so that you don't have to turn it up as much, i just bought a cheap cable for about £7 and it works quite a bit better then what i had when it was plugged in the earphone jack.

Reason i went for a cheap cable was because i dont think its worth getting a expensive one as most of my music is in mp3 format from 224kbps-320kbps on my ipod and i much prefer to play cd's.

 

[Jason36]

Thanks for the feedabck on that

Any other views on this at all before I make a final decision?

 

[Anonymous]

You could buy a cd6003 and connect to the onboard dac via the provided usb connector (bypassing the ipod's own dac).

 

[Jason36]

Hi G force1

thanks for that, the plan is to actually upgrade to the CD6003 hopefully at the end of this month.....I wasnt actually aware that was how the USB port work on the Player (wasnt aware it would bypass the ipod DAC and utilise the onboard Marantz DAC)...does that mean that can actually use the Apple cable provided with the iPod to connect to the CD player...I believe its a USB connection that plugs into the mains adapter for charging??

Or again would I be better of purchasing a Russ Andrews iPod to USB connector if the make one?

 

[Anonymous]

I think that the standard connector would be just fine - after all it's just a usb cable.

As an alternative if you don't want a cd player you could purchase a standalone dac and a digital ipod dock. I think you could purchase these for roughly the same price as a cd6003.

 

[mitch65]

Jason36:
Hi G force1

thanks for that, the plan is to actually upgrade to the CD6003 hopefully at the end of this month.....I wasnt actually aware that was how the USB port work on the Player (wasnt aware it would bypass the ipod DAC and utilise the onboard Marantz DAC)...does that mean that can actually use the Apple cable provided with the iPod to connect to the CD player...I believe its a USB connection that plugs into the mains adapter for charging??

Or again would I be better of purchasing a Russ Andrews iPod to USB connector if the make one?

I'm pretty sure that the marantz's dac wouldn't be used to bypass the ipod internal one

 

[Anonymous]

mitch65:
I'm pretty sure that the marantz's dac wouldn't be used to bypass the ipod internal one

Care to back that up?

An easy test would be to check the digital out of the Marantz while playing from an ipod. I doubt that the cd player would take an analogue signal and digitalize it for the optical out.

 

[csq2]

Trends Audio PA-10 is far superior than the GQ-24. Get the version with the ipod connection. Or get the Cambridge Audio iD50, which is better than the Arcam irDock.

 

[Anonymous]

mitch65:
I'm pretty sure that the marantz's dac wouldn't be used to bypass the ipod internal one

It's described as a 'digital input' on the Marantz website. Given that it is also compatible with usb memory sticks I would think that it does use the internal dac. This is inferred in the WHF review; maybe they could clarify this?

 

[Anonymous]

csq2:Trends Audio PA-10 is far superior than the GQ-24. Get the version with the ipod connection. Or get the Cambridge Audio iD50, which is better than the Arcam irDock.

I have no knowledge of the Trends products, but the CA and Arcam docks are not digital; they do not offer a digital out to connect to a dac. These two units do;

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Onkyo-ND-S1/

http://www.wadia.com/products/transports/170i/

 

[Jason36]

CS2q - so how does that work the PA-10?

connect it via phono lead to an auxillary output on the Intergrated amp and then play the ipod through the PA-10 and Integrated amp?

 

[csq2]

Jason36:
CS2q - so how does that work the PA-10?

connect it via phono lead to an auxillary output on the Intergrated amp and then play the ipod through the PA-10 and Integrated amp?

yep, connect it with some good stereo interconnects to an auxillary INPUT on your integrated amp. I found that using 3.5mm to RCA cable results in a very low volume from your ipod. I have to turn my amp to the 12 o'clock position to get some decent volume out of my speakers. I'm using a cheap 3.5mm to RCA cable and planning to get the PA-10 soon. The PA-10 will have plenty of juice to amplify the signal from your ipod.

 

[mitch65]

rjes:mitch65:
I'm pretty sure that the marantz's dac wouldn't be used to bypass the ipod internal one

Care to back that up?

An easy test would be to check the digital out of the Marantz while playing from an ipod. I doubt that the cd player would take an analogue signal and digitalize it for the optical out.

OK, What hifi's review just mentions an ipod compatible USB connection which, to my understanding, is just like my Uniti's USB connection and this does not bypass the internal dac of any ipod. I think if the marantz could do this then they are missing a trick from a commercial point of view as this is a major selling point which is not being exploited.

 

[Jason36]

csq2:Jason36:

CS2q - so how does that work the PA-10?

connect it via phono lead to an auxillary output on the Intergrated amp and then play the ipod through the PA-10 and Integrated amp?

yep, connect it with some good stereo interconnects to an auxillary INPUT on your integrated amp. I found that using 3.5mm to RCA cable results in a very low volume from your ipod. I have to turn my amp to the 12 o'clock position to get some decent volume out of my speakers. I'm using a cheap 3.5mm to RCA cable and planning to get the PA-10 soon. The PA-10 will have plenty of juice to amplify the signal from your ipod.

This does seem like a bit of an overkill though, because obviuously its not a digital output into the Marantz from the PA-10....so struggling to understand the gain I would get? I notice I can buy just the ipod to RCA phono lead that I could just plug directly into the Marantz and the bottom of my ipod....this would thereore bypass the internal iPod control.

However that then comes back to the original question of is the cable on its own better than the Russ Andrew QG-24 lead? ie worth the price difference.

 

[Fisherking 145]

GQ-24 is a great cable, but if you're deffo getting a CD6003, I wouldn't bother getting one, just use the USB input on that. I posted about my findings on various iPod/iPhone connections to my receiver (Marantz) in answer to another forum members question, it shouldn't be hard to find, as I haven't posted too many times. However, if you're not getting the CD player, I would certainly recommend the Russ Andrews cable, even for that money.

 

[Jason36]

Thanks for all the advice guys......I am now sorted in the end I decided to go for the Onkyo DS A3 dock, which also includes remote control function and charging facility of the iPod 🙂

Also just for reference.....The USB port on the CD6003 only uses the internal DAC if you have a Windows Flash drive compatable device...its not compatable with Apple Lossless or Apple products.

I think this is an affordable and good sounding comprise which bypasses the ipod volume control and provides remote control operation 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

you can control the ipod through the CD6003ïs remote as well...

"Also just for reference.....The USB port on the CD6003 only uses the
internal DAC if you have a Windows Flash drive compatable device...its
not compatable with Apple Lossless or Apple products"

Are you saying that the CD6003 is simply forwarding a analogue signal from the ipod via ubs?

Can you tell us where you got that from?

 

[Jason36]

Rjes,

The information came from my dealer and was then confirmed by Marantz....apparantely its the software....its only compatable with Windows Flash Drives (i.e. WAV files), In that case the CD player utilises the Onboard DAC to output the signal to the Amp and speakers.

This software does not work with Apple devises and so when you connect your ipod via USB you are still using the iPod DAC and are just outputting an analogue signal from the iPod.

 

[csq2]

Jason36:
Thanks for all the advice guys......I am now sorted in the end I decided to go for the Onkyo DS A3 dock, which also includes remote control function and charging facility of the iPod 🙂

Also just for reference.....The USB port on the CD6003 only uses the internal DAC if you have a Windows Flash drive compatable device...its not compatable with Apple Lossless or Apple products.

I think this is an affordable and good sounding comprise which bypasses the ipod volume control and provides remote control operation 🙂

Most ipod docks do not bypass the ipod's amp and internal dac. The signal you are getting from that onkyo dock is 0.7V, which means you have to turn up the volume on your ipod to get decent volume out of your speakers. I suggest you spend a bit more money on a Cambridge Audio iD50, which uses superior opamps and outputs 2.0V, which is equivalent to a CD player. In an online review, the onkyo dock sounded too cautious while the CA dock sounded more transparent. I think only the CA dock bypasses the amp on your ipod, not even the Arcam bypasses the amp on the ipod.

 

[Jason36]

csq2:Jason36:

Thanks for all the advice guys......I am now sorted in the end I decided to go for the Onkyo DS A3 dock, which also includes remote control function and charging facility of the iPod 🙂

Also just for reference.....The USB port on the CD6003 only uses the internal DAC if you have a Windows Flash drive compatable device...its not compatable with Apple Lossless or Apple products.

I think this is an affordable and good sounding comprise which bypasses the ipod volume control and provides remote control operation 🙂

Most ipod docks do not bypass the ipod's amp and internal dac. The signal you are getting from that onkyo dock is 0.7V, which means you have to turn up the volume on your ipod to get decent volume out of your speakers. I suggest you spend a bit more money on a Cambridge Audio iD50, which uses superior opamps and outputs 2.0V, which is equivalent to a CD player. In an online review, the onkyo dock sounded too cautious while the CA dock sounded more transparent. I think only the CA dock bypasses the amp on your ipod, not even the Arcam bypasses the amp on the ipod.

CSq2

I wasnt referring to the onkyo or any dock bypassing the ipod dac.....that was with reference to someone saying that an ipod connected to the Marantz CD6003...utilises the CD Players DAC wich it doesnt.

Obviously the what the Onkyo does is bypasses the ipod volume control because its connected by the bottom connection not headphone socket......I have tried to use the ipods volume control when connected to the onkyo and it is disengaged....yes the volume output may be lower and may require the amp volume to be slightly higher than say playing a cd...but no where near as high as using the headphone output....and it sounds a lot better...especially if you do away with the in the box connectors.