iPod Through Home Stereo System

Are you using the dock's line-out connector or the headphone connector on the iPod? I have my iPod hooked to my home system through the dock's line-out connector, and the music is beautiful.

Also, make sure you are not connecting into a "phono" jack on your receiver or you will have horrid sound.

I had a rather bad sound quality with iSinster (my ipod) even when connecting through my aux. I was wondering if it had anything to do with the bitrate i encoded at-128. Thoughts?

Also, on the cable, does spending extra moolah on a cable really make the sound better? Sorry, am not an engineer, so wanted to make sure. Secondly, I am pretty sure I am gonna get the iTrip once it comes out for the Gen3 ipods; do you think that at home the sounds wuality maybe better than in the car with iTrip? considering you can "lock-in" to one station and you should experience relatively lower interference?

On a slighlty brighter note, If i get my sound sorted for my home stereo, i dont think i will ever need cd's again! just store it all on the iSinster. :D :D

I had hooked up my iPod to my stereo yesterday for the first time since I got my iPod and it sounded really good.

My home stereo system is older and made by a company called Akai. I have a "Realistic" equalizer with many RCA jacks OUT. I bought a Y-splitter from Radio Shack that has a headphone jack on one end and splits into 2 Left/Right RCA jacks.

Adjusting my equalizer a bit, I was able to get good sound quality out of my stereo speakers. I even set the equalizer on my iPod to Bass so I got more pumping sounds outta my little iPod.

Y-Splitter Specs:

Koss Evolution Shielded Y-Adapter
3.5mm (1/8") stereo plug to 2 RCA plugs
24K gold plated connector

Thanks,
2point3L

Originally posted by sinster
I had a rather bad sound quality with iSinster (my ipod) even when connecting through my aux. I was wondering if it had anything to do with the bitrate i encoded at-128. Thoughts?

Ew, 128? No wonder it sounds awful.

Try using encoding with --alt-preset standard using LAME, and I bet the sound quality will be improved dramatically.

The sound should not be as bad as he describes -even if he is using the iPod's headphone out rather than the line-out.

What receiver are you using? The only things I can think of are to check to make sure you're not using the "phono" input (generally on older receivers). It's also possible the input you're using is bad...can you try others?

Go to your local CompUSA or Best Buy and purchase an RCA "Y" cable. Next, plug the two cables into the auxilary in ports on your stereo system, and plug the other end into the line out port on your iPod dock

This isn't right.
I'm an owner of an "old" iPod so I haven't actually seen the line-out in person, but isn't it a miniplug type? Meaning, an RCA "Y" adapter wouldn't work as the the single plug part wouldn't fit into the iPod dock. Even if it did, you wouldn't get stereo sound with this method.

Look again at the Monster iCable...it is exactly the right thing. Stereo miniplug at one end (for the line-out) and dual RCA's for the R & L channels to the receiver.

Originally posted by iCamp
This isn't right.
I'm an owner of an "old" iPod so I haven't actually seen the line-out in person, but isn't it a miniplug type? Meaning, an RCA "Y" adapter wouldn't work as the the single plug part wouldn't fit into the iPod dock. Even if it did, you wouldn't get stereo sound with this method.


The dock has one connection for the RCA cable.
Just plug one end of the RCA cable into the dock's line out, and then plug in the other two ends (left/right channels) into your receivers aux inputs.

Basically you plug it in the same was as with the old ipods, but instead of using the headphone jack, you use the analog lineout.

I have my 30Gb iPod hooked to my home stereo via the iPod's headphone jack at the moment. No sound problems to speak of whatsoever. I have noticed that some recordings seem to be made at higher volume levels than others, which causes minor problems, however.

I have a high-end Onkyo setup and the connection is through RCA-style inputs to the tape2-monitor input of the receiver.

I'm waiting for my second dock and power cable so that I can simply drop it into the dock and have it charge while it plays through the home stereo. Apple seems to be a bit backed-up with orders for the new gen iPod accessories at the moment. The dock and cable that came with the iPod are currently attached to the computer, and it's tough to get behind it to unplug the cable from the firewire card.

Any fans of the band Rush out there? I've got issues with the recording quality on the new Vapor Trails CD and wanted to know if anyone else found it to be a bit muddled-sounding as well. This happens no matter what I play it on, CD, MP3, or on my minidisc player. Great CD, crappy recording! :(

IMHO, monster cables (whether they be for audio or video) are completey and outrageously overpriced. Definately not worth the high price tag.

Originally posted by Kenny
IMHO, monster cables (whether they be for audio or video) are completey and outrageously overpriced. Definately not worth the high price tag.

Your opinion is valid, but I recently purchased a Sony High-Def Big screen rear-projection (mouthful) with all new sound/video equipment and after switching from the included cables to the monster cables I bought (set me back about $500) the difference is very noticable. Overpriced yes, but tough to beat the performance. I realise you average Joe (without a $3000 tv) would not buy Monster cables :) .

Originally posted by dmt1
You're both right. The monster cables are the best cables overall, but alot of people won't notice the difference in performance (for an HDTV, I would go with monster cables. For an mp3 player, I'd go with something cheaper).

The monster cables are incredibly marked up in price--I have a family member who works at Best Buy, and the markup is in the neighborhood of 3-5 times cost...

Monster Cables are way over priced. There not even that great of a cable. Head over to http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/index.php and do a search for Monster Cable. You will see what I mean.

Many people have done double blind tests to show that people can't tell the difference from a RatShack cable and a Monster Cable. So save yourself a few bucks and cheaper cables.

edit: link fixed

Before I bought my 15gb iPod, I tested the iCable from Monster Cable and a generic GE cable (from Fry's) through the headphone port on my Zen 2.0. The cost difference was about 9X and the sound quality difference was 0X on my Onkyo receiver with Infinity HTS speakers. Of course the iCable went back to Best Buy. Now I am glad there is a line-out on the dock.

Monster cables IMHO are not high quality cables and are overpriced.

If you don't want to break the bank on a cable for your iPod, I strongly recommend getting an Acoustic Research RCA-mini cable (model AP042) available from BestBuy (www.bestbuy.com if a store is not near you) for $12.99 - you can't go wrong with this cable. It beats the hell out of crappy radioshack cables and monster iCable too - just A/B it if you want to hear it for yourself. I use this in my car with iPod and AUX input to factory stereo and have A/B'd it with CD player and iPod playing EAC ripped, LAME 3.90.2 -alt-preset extreme mp3s and the differences in sound quality are subtle if not insignificant

http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=58&cat=644&scat=&e=11054074

Bottom line is that your MP3 bit rate encoding as well as the quality of your CD rip will have a tremendous impact on sound quality especially when playing through a more revealing source such as a decent home stereo. Lower bit rates will sound worse and any decent source will reveal the limits of mp3.

Hope this proves helpful!

Check out www.head-fi.org (cables forum) if you want to research audio interconnects too

I'll second the vote for Acoustic Research from Best Buy. It's still a bit overpriced, but it splits the difference nicely between Monster and radioshack/recoton/whatever.

It seems to be a good quality cable. Nice and thick, sturdy, tight connectors. I've got one in my car for the iPod, a digital coax for my DVD player->receiver, RCA for my TV->receiver, and I've been happy with them. I'd like to upgrade to them across the board, just because they seem nice and durable. I'm not convinced they make sound quality noticeably better, but I'm not convinced about Monster either.

Bottom line, if you're picky, cheap cables might bug you enough (either actually or perceived) that it's worth it, particularly if you've got a lot of money invested in your stereo. If you're not very picky about sound quality, don't pay it. Especially if you listen to 128 mp3s or if your stereo costs under $500.

That port is only suitable for phonographs. That's why you hear the cracking noise. Use the aux input ot tape or any other audio input. Make sure you have your input selector turned to the appropriate input. You volume on the iPod is at least 1/2 way up and the EQ effects are turned off. Do those inputs work if you use another source? If the other jacks are not working then you have a short somewhere. I have a monster cable from my headphone jack on my iPod to my Video aux jack on the front of my Yamaha Receiver and it sounds fine although somewhat muted in comparison to a digital in from my computer.

People here tend to blow the most minute problems completely out of proportion, as though the world is about to end. In reality, 99% of all people never experience any of the problems these people do....But, I guess they are right, and the whole world is wrong ;)

Hyperbole!!!!! It's the international language of the forum. That being said though many people don't want to spend money on improvements if they think that what they have is "good enough". Personally I don't compress any music at all. I play the original music from my hard drive and send a digital signal to my home stereo. Most of my friends don't get it. I love music though and every tweak is worth it because i hear it.

actually nathan, i pointed that out

Originally posted by Doc Holiday
When was the last time you had a cable go bad?

Like I posted before head over to www.hometheaterforum.com and do a search for Monster Cable and you will see that there are much better cables out there for the money.

Doc Holiday-
I have a big Monster Cable surge protector that my Audio Hi-Fi system goes through (as well as my big screed HDTV, My receiver and surround sound system, all my a/v exuipment including my sattelite system etc...). Anyway there was a big storm overnight and I didn't unplug the strip. I woke up in the morning and my sattelite didn't work, as well as the strip. I later found out on the news about the storm, and many people's electronics had been fried. The Monster Cable took the hit for my TV and other a/v equipment (my home theatre is worth around $5000). I am so thankful that the Monster Cable power adapter worked and saved my equipment except for the sattelite, which Monster replaced FREE OF CHARGE. They also replaced the power strip. Now that's what I call customer service, and standing behind your product.

It says "Monster Power" and under that it says "Home Theatre Power Center HTS1000"

EDIT: Just do a search for "HTS1000" on Google.

Originally posted by mongoos150
Doc Holiday-
I have a big Monster Cable surge protector that my Audio Hi-Fi system goes through (as well as my big screed HDTV, My receiver and surround sound system, all my a/v exuipment including my sattelite system etc...). Anyway there was a big storm overnight and I didn't unplug the strip. I woke up in the morning and my sattelite didn't work, as well as the strip. I later found out on the news about the storm, and many people's electronics had been fried. The Monster Cable took the hit for my TV and other a/v equipment (my home theatre is worth around $5000). I am so thankful that the Monster Cable power adapter worked and saved my equipment except for the sattelite, which Monster replaced FREE OF CHARGE. They also replaced the power strip. Now that's what I call customer service, and standing behind your product.

And this differs from other non-Monster surge protectors how? Because it actually protected from the surge? I don't see how this necessarily justifies the significantly higher cost between Monster gear and non-Monster gear. Many manufacturers of these devices provide for insurance for damaged components-- I have a $25 Radio Shack surge protector on my 50" HDTV and Hi-Fi systems that came with such coverage.

I don't know if this has been said before, but the line out on the dock is designed for stuff like conecting it to stereos. Why? It bypasses the iPod's internal Headphone Amp so stuff doesn't sound funny when it comes out through speakers / stereos.
my 2 cents...

OK, back to the original topic. When i plug my iPod into my hifi system (it's a Sony) through the aux ports (which sony call md ports even though it is a blatant plug for their md's) i get really soft sound quality unless the sound is up at around 95%

the sound is fine when pluged into my laptop through the headphone port at minimum sound level.

Do i need to buy the dock to get good sound quality, or just crank up the volume on my ipod. Does cranking up the volume reduce battery life?