USB to DAC

[Gerrardasnails]

I plan on buying the new DAC Magic from CA when it finally hits Richer Sounds. Can I connect an Ipod to the DAC using USB? And if so, is this as good as using coxial or optical? Also, is this the best way of connecting an Ipod to stereo system?

Many thanks.

 

[John Duncan]

Gerrardasnails:I plan on buying the new DAC Magic from CA when it finally hits Richer Sounds. Can I connect an Ipod to the DAC using USB? And if so, is this as good as using coxial or optical? Also, is this the best way of connecting an Ipod to stereo system?

Many thanks.

Me too, but am not expecting it to. Interesting question though - will have to investigate.

Does it have to be an iPod? I'm connecting airport express to the mac and am going to use the digitial out into the dacmagic - presumably you have a PC and could do this also (albeit without remote control, unless it's an iPod Touch)?

 

[John Duncan]

The new brochure is not claiming to be able to, and you'd think it would.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:The new brochure is not claiming to be able to, and you'd think it would.

It mentions connectivity to Ipods and that it had a USB port - is there another way to connect an Ipod?

 

[John Duncan]

Yeah but is the wrong end of USB - have only seen ipod-to-usb cables with the flat socket, not the fat six-sided one. Tell you what, I am def getting one so I can try when it arrives?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:Yeah but is the wrong end of USB - have only seen ipod-to-usb cables with the flat socket, not the fat six-sided one. Tell you what, I am def getting one so I can try when it arrives?

John, please explain Aiport Express to me?? I don't have an Ipod yet (the missus does and I would get one for this reason) and if I don't need one, that's great as I have a Sony 8gb phone.

I have a pc upstairs in my bedroom - it has a wireless router. Do I need ITunes to work the Express (not a problem)? Can you store lossless files in ITunes, if so can I use FLAC files?

Cheers in advance....

ps. Just been to RS and they didn't even know that a new DAC Magic had been made!! They are calling me tomorrow to let me know a date...

 

[John Duncan]

Right - Airport Express (£65) accepts a wireless (or wired, for that matter, I think, though I use wireless) signal from a PC or Mac and plays content through its 3.5mm headphone socket, which doubles as an optical out.

Its default MO is that it only plays iTunes content, so if you use another media manager you will need to get Airfoil, which is about $25 or something, and allows you to stream content from any application on your computer. iTunes only handles WAV or Apple Lossless by default, though I think some people have hacked it to use FLAC, so if you have a lot of FLAC files playing through something else, airfoil will be required.

One down-side of Airport Express is that it has no remote, unless you get the Remote Application for iPhone or iPod Touch - this may be a deal-breaker for you since iTunes is upstairs - is currently not a big deal for me as my Mac is fairly close by. There may be other solutions for controlling, but I haven't looked for them.

A Squeezebox does have a remote, of course, and may be a better solution for you?

 

[fatboyslimfast]

JohnDuncan:
One down-side of Airport Express is that it has no remote, unless you get the Remote Application for iPhone or iPod Touch - this may be a deal-breaker for you since iTunes is upstairs - is currently not a big deal for me as my Mac is fairly close by. There may be other solutions for controlling, but I haven't looked for them.

If you have a Bluetooth phone (or spare PDA lying around!) that runs Symbian 60 or Microsoft OS, check out Salling clicker - works perfectly for me on my Nokia 6120 (hardly a top-class phone!)

 

[John Duncan]

Ooo really (6500 here)?

 

[John Duncan]

Ooooo how exciting......

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:Ooooo how exciting......

That does look great. Anything similar for Windows?

 

[John Duncan]

Yup they do it for both - check your model compatibility here.

 

[John Duncan]

Am so buying that tonight.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:Am so buying that tonight.

That has me sold on the Airport Express! My phone isn't on the list as it's only been out a couple of months (SE W980i) but the 960 is on there and it has ticks in all the boxes!!

 

[John Duncan]

FBSF - does it say what it says on the tin viz album art and browsing? And does it do it quickly or is responsiveness a problem? What's bluetooth distance capability like?

 

[John Duncan]

OK it works and for that reason alone is genius, but range appears poor..........

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:OK it works and for that reason alone is genius, but range appears poor..........

Read the review of the DAC Magic but was expecting a bit more. I will be buying anyway.

 

[John Duncan]

Ditto. May try and extract more from those who've heard it.........

 

[Anonymous]

The only digital out from an iPod I've found is the Wadia iTransport, which does a clever Apple approved authentication with recent iPods and gets the digital signal from the iPod over the dock connector. see this WHF reviewÿhttp://whathifi.com/Review/Wadia-170-iTransport/ÿ

Everything else does through the internal DAC and then out via the dock in analog. I'm hoping that soon there will be cheaper options to the iTransport. However iTunes, an Airport Express and an iPhone with the Remote application will keep me happy soon.ÿ