Wadia Digital intros iTransport: the audiophile's iPod dock
We've seen some fairly snazzy aftermarket iPod docks before, but Wadia Digital is hoping to lure a few C-notes from the wallets of bona fide audiophiles with its iTransport. This Made for iPod device reportedly bypasses the PMP's "internal D/A conversion and output stage," which enables the music to stream through "clean and unadulterated." Hailed as the "market's first digital player dock to retrieve a direct digital signal from an iPod," it relies on a S/PDIF digital audio out (as well as analog outs) and even includes a set of component outputs for video. Notably, the iPhone and iPod touch will work here too, but unless you've got some mighty fine loudspeakers (or cans) that can take advantage of such clarity, we'd suggest holding tight to your $349 when it ships next month.[Via AudioJunkies]
Filed under: Other hardware, Others, Apple
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kastonie @ Jan 4th 2008 3:51PM
audiophile iPod dock is an oxymoron....no i'm not the moron
fbczar @ Jan 11th 2008 11:13PM
If the iTransport bypasses the iPod's internal DAC there is no doubt the result would be a true audiophile device when utilizing a lossless format. The quality of the sound heard through any stereo system is limited by its weakest link. The source, in this case the iPod, is the most critical part of the audio chain. After that the DAC is the most critical, followed by the Preamp, Amp and Speakers. The Speakers are limited totally by the quality of the signal they receive. If your stereo system has good components the iTransport's effect will be profound compared to the iPods internal DAC. Given the impressive accuracy of lossless sampling software the iTransport, especially at its price, is one of the most important audiophile products to come along in quite a while.
raoul @ Jan 25th 2008 3:33AM
"unless you've got some mighty fine loudspeakers (or cans) that can take advantage of such clarity"
Here you go. Or for the bis sound crowd, it could be CNet's 5 big home audio.
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