i-pod to preamp.... help if you can

[arctikdeth]

just hooked up my I-pod via the 3.5mm to RCA cable.
going into the DAC input of my B&K Pro 10mc pre-amp. powering a pair of B.I.C. America DV-84 towers are a pair of Emotiva XPA-1 mono blocks.

My question is, how will using the ipod differ from distortion entering the preamplifier, will the thd% be higher than normal using the ipod this way? Or will I be ok at high volume ? Dont want to use on high volume until I get some reassurance. I do notice the treble is lacking a bit, but for the DV-84 towers, this is ok, as they are a little bright anyway, so this makes up for it, it does sound quite good considering the source being used. My stand alone cd player of course sounds better, better sound all around, buut for the convenience of having so much music at the click of a button, im good with it.

I am just curious as to the distortion the ipod may add...if any? I seek the guidance of the experts on these forums. cheers & looking forward to your replies. thank you

[markw]

I wasn't aware that Ipods had a digital output.

And, that cable you describe sure sounds like an analog audio output to me.

[harley .guy07]

Yeah it does to me too. If you are using the same output as your headphones then you are using a min plug to RCA adapter and it is analog. I am not a expert on i pods but I have seen ipod docs that offer digital outputs that with be able to run to a DAC for the best results.

[02audionoob]

I think the OP means the analog input labeled "DAT" on the preamp.

[arctikdeth]

I think the OP means the analog input labeled "DAT" on the preamp.

YES, the DAT input on the back of the preamp via RCA cable. you guys know if the distortion is higher with an ipod vs using a stand alone cd player....?? cheers

[markw]

YES, the DAT input on the back of the preamp via RCA cable. you guys know if the distortion is higher with an ipod vs using a stand alone cd player....?? cheers

On the whole, I'd say that a CD player sounds better than an Ipod.

"Distortion" means a change of the input signal.

If you used some ratty, low bit codecs when recording your music onto your Ipod, they may sound like drek, but I wouldn't say it's distorted, per se, unless you overdrivedrive the Ipod's tiny internal amp into distortion..

But, as with all things audio, if it starts to sound bad, turn it down. If it still sounds bad, you've got problems.

[arctikdeth]

the i-pod does sound darn good, but the cd player of course sounds better in the highs & upper mid range, I have the i pod loaded to the hilt at 128Khz or whatever the ratio or compression is to fit the most on it. but for the most part, theres a nice sound on most of the music. i put my own cds onto the ipod, only about 3 cds have been downloaded from the itunes store. i had it fairly loud yeaterday towards the end of the day, just to test it, i can use the i pods EQ as i dont use one in my home stereo. still have my onkyo eq540 or whatever the model is, sitting in closet.

anyway, thanks for the input guys, ill continue to use th is, beats getting cds from my room & using my cd player all the time, if i dont have the absolute best sound quality not a issue, the convenience of so much music at the click is worth it anyway. If I want sound quality, I play an LP.

[harley .guy07]

well MP3 will not be of the quality of CD's out of a dedicated player anyway so if you are using your ipod for background music or just plain convenience for listening when critical listening is not needed then it will be fine to use it that way. I have a mp3 flac player(sandisk clip) that I use in this way occasionally for convenience.

[markw]

I guess this is kinda like a game of whack-a-mole for the mods...

[arctikdeth]

yeah, ill keep using this, it loses a wee bit of the higher frequencies, buut for just music playback, this is great, playing loud yesterday, actually the bass response is heightened a bit, so it has a nice tight bottom end. thanks for your help guys, found answers pm'ing Rob from the QSC website forum. cheers

[itsoundsbetter]

I suggest you to purchase a DAC docking, much better than the analog output!

[prizantj]

YES, the DAT input on the back of the preamp via RCA cable. you guys know if the distortion is higher with an ipod vs using a stand alone cd player....?? cheers

you lost me at "YES,"

[filecat13]

I suggest you to purchase a DAC docking, much better than the analog output!

That is a potential improvement, but with all his files at 128kb, it's probably not going to help much. Doubling the rate to 256 will make it more worthwhile; using lossless will produce the best result if using a digital stream to a DAC.

But, re-ripping all that music is a pain...