iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
I'm sure this has been asked and answered, but I think I'm going to pick up an iPod tonight and had just one question.
How can you compare the sound quality of a docked iPod with the Monster connectivity kit, with losses apple audio, to that of an optically connected cd changer.
These are connected to a very decent sony reciever with 5.1 infinity surround speakers and a 10 inch woofer.
Obviously the cd player wit the optical connection will sound a bit better, I'm just curious as to HOW much better.
I just need the iPod to sound good to motivate me to make the move to digital music.
Do I need to set the iPod to a specific volume for best playback with a reciever?
Thanks for helping me out, and as an avid PC guy, I am considering wearing a disguise when I go into the Apple store tonight.
I look forward to joining the ranks of all you iPod nerds.
TRAiN
[949 byte] By [
LTRAiN] at [2007-11-10 0:36:46]
# 1 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
The Apple store folk love PC guys. You they are going to want to impress the most, in hopes of making you a future Mac owner. So no disguises needed.
With that said, I do exactly what you describe, listen to my iPod through an Onkyo receiver, and I have a Sony 300 Disc DVD player with optical hook up. I use Lossless encoding for my iTunes importing. I am quite satisfied with the sound. Yes, there is a difference, but only minor.
I would suggest the 40GB model because lossless is a space hog, plus the dock is included, which has the "line out". This bypasses the internal amp so volume isn't an issue and the sound quality is at its best. The Apple store sells the Monster iCable which you will also need.
I keep and charge my iPod by my receiver and rarely take to my computer, only for music and firmware updates. I'm not sure what cables are included with the 4G, so ask the sales associate if you have enough cables for the AC adaptor by your receiver and USB/firewire for your PC.
Enjoy
# 2 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by LTRAiN
How can you compare the sound quality of a docked iPod with the Monster connectivity kit, with losses apple audio, to that of an optically connected cd changer.
These are connected to a very decent sony reciever with 5.1 infinity surround speakers and a 10 inch woofer.
Obviously the cd player wit the optical connection will sound a bit better, I'm just curious as to HOW much better.
I just need the iPod to sound good to motivate me to make the move to digital music.
The lossless compression will provide a quality that is near identical to the original CD. Only comparing the waveforms would show differences. The limiting factor in quality is not the quality of the digital file, but the quality of the iPods audio outputs.
Do I need to set the iPod to a specific volume for best playback with a reciever?
If you use the dock, and plug the reciever/amp into the docks audio output, you will get a unamplified sound signal that is independant of the iPods audio settings. Which is better quality than the normal, amped, output. This will allow you to control your iPods sound volumes through your reciever/amp completely.
BoomAM at 2007-11-15 15:16:55 >
# 3 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Fre..Fre..Fresh...thanks for the replies.
I was looking to get the 40 GB, I already have 9 GB of lossless music in my iTunes. I knew I would want a dock so $60 more bucks for twice the size is a no brainer.
LTRAiN at 2007-11-15 15:17:54 >
# 4 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by BoomAM
The lossless compression will provide a quality that is near identical to the original CD. Only comparing the waveforms would show differences. The limiting factor in quality is not the quality of the digital file, but the quality of the iPods audio outputs.
If you use the dock, and plug the reciever/amp into the docks audio output, you will get a unamplified sound signal that is independant of the iPods audio settings. Which is better quality than the normal, amped, output. This will allow you to control your iPods sound volumes through your reciever/amp completely. What do you mean unamplified? If I connect headphones to line out, then I get sound much louder then from phone out with volume set to max? Please elaborate.
MOCKBA at 2007-11-15 15:19:01 >
# 5 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
The sound signal from the dock is unamplified. Its un affected by the volume controls on the iPod.
If it was amped, then the volume controls on the iPod would affect its volume, but it doesnt.
BoomAM at 2007-11-15 15:20:00 >
# 6 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
I enjoy my iPod as a way to take my iTunes library with me.. but for connecting to the home stereo, I bought an Airport Express, and use Air Tunes with an old laptop that I have made into my wireless jukebox.
To me the sound quality is as good as I get out of my iPod wired, and I have all the features of iTunes (party shuffle, crossfade) and I can adjust the volume, skip songs, make playlists, surf the web, import new cd's and download music from anywhere within 50' of the stereo. I found with the ipod attached I kept getting up to go to the pod and change songs or playlists and half the time I am sitting in the livingroom listening to music I am surfing on the wireless network already. So apple got another $125 out of me and I am a happy man.
(another fun side effect is that as I am in iTunes more than the iPod while listening at home, I find myself making more playlists, and cleaning up the idtags in the database and making custom genres for on the fly playlists.. all things I enjoy when on the go with the iPod, but wouldn't take the time to do separate from listening.)
By the way I am also a PC user, and I am connecting to AE with a regular 11g netgear wireless card in my Dell Lattitude.
# 7 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
As someone pointed out, the limit on the iPod is the quality of it's audio circuits, which is among the best of the DAPs. However the Line Out is not totally separate to the headphone output. It is merely a volume maxed (and maybe processed in other ways, although I doubt it) version of the HP out.
The audio quality of the iPod is equivalent to an a good entry-level or mediocre low-level CD player. Do not expect miracles... but it is surprisingly good for what it is.
Personally, for home use I have a Slim Devices Squeezebox (http://www.slimdevices.com/) which will play MP3, AAC and Apple Lossless hooked up to a Musical Fidelity Trivista DAC (http://www.musicalfidelity.com/mf/en/Products/TriVista/TV21DAC). This way, Apple Lossless files compete more or less directly with my midrange $3K deck, while offering me a degree of versatility that the CD player can't.
# 8 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
I dont think the audio out on the iPod is that bad. Its just "Neutral". No significant bass or trebble, but neutral enough to allow good tuning with an equaliser.
BoomAM at 2007-11-15 15:23:06 >
# 9 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by BoomAM
The sound signal from the dock is unamplified. Its un affected by the volume controls on the iPod.
If it was amped, then the volume controls on the iPod would affect its volume, but it doesnt. Still unclear. Amplified = Volume control? It's something new. Can you refer me to circuit design of iPod?
MOCKBA at 2007-11-15 15:23:59 >
# 10 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by MOCKBA
Still unclear. Amplified = Volume control? It's something new. Can you refer me to circuit design of iPod?
lol.
I doubt apple would release that sort of stuff.
Look it up on Google. It`ll take too long to explain here.
BoomAM at 2007-11-15 15:25:00 >
# 11 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by BoomAM
lol.
I doubt apple would release that sort of stuff.
Look it up on Google. It`ll take too long to explain here. I think it would be great if you guys did a little research before just rambling because someone might see your message and then buy a dock after being misinformed.
MOCKBA at 2007-11-15 15:26:09 >
# 12 Re: iPod With Home Theater Reciever/Sound Quality
Originally posted by MOCKBA
I think it would be great if you guys did a little research before just rambling because someone might see your message and then buy a dock after being misinformed.
Your cheaky arnt you?
Apple dont release circuit diagrams of their products, so its hard to tell what does what. But from official sources, we`ve learnt that the dock is unamplified as far as the audio output goes.
I wouldnt exactely call me misinformed on the subject. I have several electronic and electrical qualifications that could baffle you with the intrices of amplification and its effect on signals.
So just because YOU dont understand is no reason to start complaining about it and slagging us off about it.
BoomAM at 2007-11-15 15:27:06 >
