Tekforums

Chat => Entertainment & Technology => Topic started by: Eagle on December 10, 2014, 21:43:27 PM

Title: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 10, 2014, 21:43:27 PM
I'd like to bung my iPhone on a dock (preferably powered) then attached it to my stereo.

Teh missus has an older iPhone 4s whilst I have a 5 with a lighting connector.

I'm lead to believe best quality is achieved with 'DAC' something or other.

Not looking specifically for a dock with speakers... just the dock as a means of connecting to hi-fi via phono/RCA cable.

What's current and suitable for the above? Any suggestions? Budget... say up to £100?

Meh Chrismus by the way.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: bytejunkie on December 11, 2014, 13:11:00 PM
thought about a bluetooth to RCA device?

I have one of these and it does the job really well.

no need for a dock either.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Wireless-Bluetooth-discontinued-manufacturer/dp/B0054QK514/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418303428&sr=8-3&keywords=logitech+bluetooth+audio+adapter

depending on the player, best quality is a myth, cos you're limited by the source anyway.
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 11, 2014, 13:22:57 PM
Looks like a neat solution but I'm not keen on Bluetooth to be fair.

I went for a refurbished PURE i20 in the end (£40-odd).  DAC and direct connect with x2 Phono cables. I'm not expecting 'gleaming' quality although reviews are very favourable. I'm no audiophile anyway!

Thanks for the suggestion. :thumbup:
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: bytejunkie on December 11, 2014, 15:46:06 PM
cheapness. show me this device please?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 11, 2014, 21:39:38 PM
http://www.pure.com/product/i-20-vl-61429/



It's on eBay for 45 squid refurbed: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111531103284

8)
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: bytejunkie on December 12, 2014, 08:53:47 AM
cool.

probably best i stick to bluetooth given im android right now.

how long thats going to last im not sure.
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eggtastico on December 12, 2014, 16:13:14 PM
Quote from: Eagle on December 11, 2014, 21:39:38 PM
http://www.pure.com/product/i-20-vl-61429/



It's on eBay for 45 squid refurbed: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111531103284

8)

prob cos its the old apple doc connector & not the newer type.
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 12, 2014, 18:12:46 PM
Pretty sure they're still sold with the 30-pin as standard.  Lighting adaptors readily available.  :)
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: XEntity on December 12, 2014, 19:10:22 PM
I don't get it?

You can pick up a dock for about a fiver if not less using the old connector, you are connecting to your AMP via RCA which is analogue?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 12, 2014, 19:31:35 PM
Most docks only have inputs. Few have DAC.

Yes I could connect it via the headphone socket to Phono cables but how sh*t would that sound?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on December 13, 2014, 01:10:17 AM
About as sh*t as the analogue audio coming out of your iPhone!? Or am I missing something? The iPhone doesn't have a magical spdif port on it does it?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on December 13, 2014, 08:57:06 AM
I think the point is that the iPhone goes into the dock, and the dock has a DAC which can then be connected to the hifi.

M3ta7h3ad is right though, if you're connecting from the dock to the hifi via analogue you're not getting much benefit. You either need a digital connection from the DAC to an amp or digital to the hifi, otherwise you might as well just have the dock as a base/charger and connect the audio out straight from the iPhone/dock, forgetting about a DAC entirely.
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 13, 2014, 09:46:25 AM
It's got the optical digital/SPDIF out thingy so I could get that I suppose. I suspect however that it'll sound good enough to me. All the other components of the hi-fi use phono cables and the sound is peachy.

If analogue is so poor though, why does it bother converting it from digital at all?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: XEntity on December 13, 2014, 11:37:05 AM
I don't think Analogue is bad for audio at all, but the point I was making is that I thought the iphone is outputting an analogue signal anyway, at which point there is no point in converting back to digital..

I just plug mine in via the headphone jack direct in to the AMP, and sounds good enough to me :) Not sure what the DAC will realistically give you?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 13, 2014, 17:32:41 PM
Apparently, analog sound is 're-built' from the compressed digital files or something. I dunno - just looking for something a little better than earphone quality but which won't break the bank. This seemed to fit the bill.

I suspect the phono cables will do the job just fine.  :thumbup:
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: bytejunkie on December 13, 2014, 18:04:47 PM
no xentity is wrong. the headphone jack would be an analogue signal, but the point of the connector 30 pin or lightning is that you get the 1s and zeros and need the DAC to convert to analog.

our ears are analog, so whether the amp converts digital input t analog to pass to the speakers or the dock does it to pass the amp, it doesn't really matter. the benefit is you're not using a sh*tty iphone headphone socket with a 99p amplifier inside it.
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 14, 2014, 11:47:15 AM
The way I understand it is that using the headphone socket will provide a direct analog output of the compressed (sh*tty) digital file. The DAC will take the digital file, recompile it into 'decent' audio then wang it through the speakers (either digital or analog) thus sounding much better.

I think.  :-\
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: XEntity on December 14, 2014, 16:05:22 PM
Quote from: bytejunkie on December 13, 2014, 18:04:47 PM
no xentity is wrong. the headphone jack would be an analogue signal, but the point of the connector 30 pin or lightning is that you get the 1s and zeros and need the DAC to convert to analog.

our ears are analog, so whether the amp converts digital input t analog to pass to the speakers or the dock does it to pass the amp, it doesn't really matter. the benefit is you're not using a sh*tty iphone headphone socket with a 99p amplifier inside it.

Ahh makes sense.. Let us know how you get on with it, and if you have just a regular lead from the headphone socket how that compares?
Title: Re: Connecting iPod/iPhone to hi-fi system?
Post by: Eagle on December 14, 2014, 22:16:29 PM
Had a quick blast today with Spotify via phono cables.  It's pretty damn good to be honest.  :nana: