iPod & Rotel

[audiojunky]

I'm curious if anyone uses their iPod (or other MP3 players) to hook upto their Rotel gear.

I know that MP3 players compress music, but the Apple lossless format is really good and so is their high quality AAC conversion. One could argue that it is CD quality.

Question is how good does this sound compared to say the RCD-1072 CD player.

I wonder if anyone on this forum uses iPod with their hi-end gear and if yes, how is the overall sound quality and what kind of connectors do you use to connect your gear?

Thanks!

[miner]

I use an iPod with my Rotel gear connection via a Monster audio connect (from charging base) through the Aux port on the preamp. Sound is OK; not as good as my RCC-1055 changer. Some of my music is RIPd using ACC and some is Apple lossless.

[Nolan B]

I'm curious if anyone uses their iPod (or other MP3 players) to hook upto their Rotel gear.

I know that MP3 players compress music, but the Apple lossless format is really good and so is their high quality AAC conversion. One could argue that it is CD quality.

Question is how good does this sound compared to say the RCD-1072 CD player.

I wonder if anyone on this forum uses iPod with their hi-end gear and if yes, how is the overall sound quality and what kind of connectors do you use to connect your gear?

Thanks!

I use my ipod with my RSX 1067 too. My Ipod is connected to my Mac Mini which has audio (analog) to my reciever using Belkin Pure AV cables. All the music I have in my ipod is downloaded from itunes. To me the quality is horrible, and its fatiquing to listen to it. I really only use my ipod for running.

I really wish there was an digital audio ouput from the Mac Mini or the Ipod Doc station as im sure the DACs in the mac are very poor. Also it would be nice if Itunes allowed for high quality downloads.

[Boombox]

I have a friend who is a music producer and he claims that a single recording of a demo track is on average 1.5Gb large. Music on a CD is in the order of 40MB a recording, which is a hell of a lot of compression from 1.5Gb. That said, a 128kb/s mp3 or even 192kb/s for that matter is way, way, way off in terms of musical clarity and definition. Personally, the iPod is a fantastic toy for the jog or car, but not Hi-Fi!! A cd playing through my playstation sounds better on my rotels than the iPod. I will agree with Vancouver:"...its fatiquing to listen to it..."

[audiojunky]

Thanks for the input - I guess I'll continue hunting for a good CD player to go along with the B&W and Rotel

[Lotus 78]

I use an ipod with the 1068. of course it does not compare to my 1072 but using apple lossless is not that bad. Not for critical listening but good for back round music

[wkhanna]

AudioAdvisor.com has some great deals on CabridgeAudio CDp's.
Some have the Wolfson WM8716 24-bit/192 kHz DAC, that have been looked upon with great favor.

[Azeke]

I use an iPod with my Rotel gear connection via a Monster audio connect (from charging base) through the Aux port on the preamp. Sound is OK; not as good as my RCC-1055 changer. Some of my music is RIPd using ACC and some is Apple lossless.

This is pretty much my scenario with the exception of my RCD-1070, which serves a my primary music source. I also use it in a Zone 2 system.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke

[chippa]

I too connect an IPOD to my Rotel (1098/1075 combination) using an universal dock, there is already too much commentary about audio quality and compressed music, and I'm not going to go there suffice to say all my 300 CDs have been ripped/encoded using the EAC/LAME combination at 256k VBR quality which sounds great to me. Any potential loss of quality is offset by the hassle of walking to the study to find what ever CD I'm looking for.

As Azeke does - I use IPOD and Zone 2 to connect to a multi-zone amp for the rest of the house.

My dream is to re-rip all the music in lossless format (flac), put them on my media PC and use a Squeezebox to connect to the PC to the Rotel.

[IntegrateMe]

Chippa, why the squeezebox?

Just run the FLAC/Vorbis/Ogg filter in Windows Media Center and hook up the coaxial/optical digital from the PC right into the Rotel.

For control, you can use a mouse keyboard combo, or grab some used Crestron gear on ebay and have your remote programmed to control the Media Center.

[mjb]

I really wish there was an digital audio ouput from the Mac Mini or the Ipod Doc station as im sure the DACs in the mac are very poor. Also it would be nice if Itunes allowed for high quality downloads.

Try a USB device like the M-Audio Transit, and Apple Lossless.

Now I use Airport Express for audio: the AE optical digital output is connected to my 1098 and it sounds excellent, again with Apple Lossless. The Mac (and iTunes) has long been my jukebox, I don't have a CD player :T

[chippa]

Chippa, why the squeezebox?

Just run the FLAC/Vorbis/Ogg filter in Windows Media Center and hook up the coaxial/optical digital from the PC right into the Rotel.

For control, you can use a mouse keyboard combo, or grab some used Crestron gear on ebay and have your remote programmed to control the Media Center.

Integrateme...a few of reasons really and I'm ashamed to say it but the main reason is for aesthetics. I like the idea of having the HTPC as the video and audio source and eventually it be will be but my HTPC is sitting in the study because of issues with a dual TV tuner. You need to put in a lot of time into it which I don't really have.

If the kids/wife are watching TV/DVD using the HTPC and I want to listen to music somewhere else in the house then I need something to stream music from the HTPC to the Rotels Zone2. If thats not enough reason - the squeezebox looks cool, appears well made using good components and has open source software.

The Crestron equipement is nice but I would use it if I wanted "whole" house control - you know lights everything. I'm happy with my Harmony remote at the moment. Chippa

[sirbogey]

Sorry guys! Is it just me or are there other people out there in the jungle, that just can't see that combination working together? iPod plus a Rotel? It's like owning a Porsche and feeding it with icecream.. :banghead:

[bzrk]

I use my ipod with my RSX 1067 too. My Ipod is connected to my Mac Mini which has audio (analog) to my reciever using Belkin Pure AV cables. All the music I have in my ipod is downloaded from itunes. To me the quality is horrible, and its fatiquing to listen to it. I really only use my ipod for running.

I really wish there was an digital audio ouput from the Mac Mini or the Ipod Doc station as im sure the DACs in the mac are very poor. Also it would be nice if Itunes allowed for high quality downloads.

the new (intel) mac mini has digi out

[Sim reality]

Sorry guys! Is it just me or are there other people out there in the jungle, that just can't see that combination working together? iPod plus a Rotel? It's like owning a Porsche and feeding it with icecream.. :banghead:

I would argue It's no worse then listening to the radio... In fact, it's a fair bit better...

[bulitnv]

I would have to disagree, If you have a good tuner and great signal, FM can be as clean or cleaner than a CD. I have yet to here any mp3 or other compressed file that even comes close. But, to each their own.

Chris

[Mitchell]

I have a 1072 and have for the last six months been using an ipod as well. I run it through my 1080 and B&W 703's.
I love having 1000 songs of my choice randomly playing throughout the day.
For parties or get togethers there is nothing better than making a playlist especially for the event.
The sound is clearly not as good as a CD. I think it is much better than the radio.
On some recordings there is little difference between the cd and ipod. many rock recordings I find are just recorded so badly it hardly matters.
Others are far inferior.
I go under the assumption than in the future there will be an addtional box in our racks that will be one large digital storage device that will hold many thousands of songs and music and it will be of equal or better quality to the CD's we now use.
I thnk the Ipod is just the first inkling of the future and I find the versatility fantastic.

[Sim reality]

I would have to disagree, If you have a good tuner and great signal, FM can be as clean or cleaner than a CD. I have yet to here any mp3 or other compressed file that even comes close. But, to each their own.

Chris

Well, that would be the same as the argument for vinyl versus CD... Under the right circumstances it may be true... But under 90+% of "normal" operating conditions it's better to go to something digital (IE: I don't have an external antenna, I don't have a separate tuner, it's not connect via co-ax to the antenna, the cable is running past a bunch of high electical noise areas, etc.)

I have to admit I am not a big fan of lossy formats either, but everything in life is a tradeoff...

[bulitnv]

Well, that would be the same as the argument for vinyl versus CD... Under the right circumstances it may be true... But under 90+% of "normal" operating conditions it's better to go to something digital (IE: I don't have an external antenna, I don't have a separate tuner, it's not connect via co-ax to the antenna, the cable is running past a bunch of high electical noise areas, etc.)

I have to admit I am not a big fan of lossy formats either, but everything in life is a tradeoff...

Concur. :T

[grit]

Well, that would be the same as the argument for vinyl versus CD... Under the right circumstances it may be true... But under 90+% of "normal" operating conditions it's better to go to something digital (IE: I don't have an external antenna, I don't have a separate tuner, it's not connect via co-ax to the antenna, the cable is running past a bunch of high electical noise areas, etc.)

I have to admit I am not a big fan of lossy formats either, but everything in life is a tradeoff...

I had XM radio for a while... and you could hear the compression. Music sounded digitized. It really kills it, IMO. I'd love one day to see a lossless mass storage device that sounds, as was said, about as good as CDs. Say, as good as my Rotel 1060 sounds (not nearly as good as a dedicated CD player, but not bad). That'd be an acceptable compromise to me for a mass storage system. For critical listening, I'd always prefer to listen to the CD or record via a dedicated transport.

[bigburner]

I rip to AAC on my laptop and play back through my Rotel RC-1070 / RB-1080 system using iTunes and a USB soundcard. Let's face it, the SQ is not as good as CD's, but the versatility of the system is much greater than CD's - for example, background music, party/dance music, or just finding songs quickly when my musical friends make requests. If I want to listen critically at volume I use the CD.

So basically it's a horses-for-courses choice.

[snowball]

totally off-topic here:

have any of you noticed this ipod craze/hype?

there are like a thousand other very good,and even maybe better mp3 players than the iPod,but for some reason(good marketing imo) the iPod has been on top of the hill!

i dont even own an mp3 player,but i have heard people complain quite often about various flaws on the iPod.

I think maybe its time to give a chance to other players as well!

[sirbogey]

I've been using my Archos Gmini XS200 for 1.5yrs. It has a 20GB harddrive and cost way less than Ipod. My wife went through differen ipods. In my opinion they all sound the same. Great jogging companions. Tried to hook 'em up to my car, but the quality is devastating. Never tried it with my Rotel.

As Mitchell said, I'm also waiting for that additional digital box in our racks.... :B

[Mitchell]

Is there an easy way to take music off of vinyl and digitize it to use on ipod?

[Azeke]

Is there an easy way to take music off of vinyl and digitize it to use on ipod?

Sure, I use this device with Cakewalk software (or Audacity software which is free):
M-Audio USB

Best regards,

Azeke

[bf2008]

I'm curious if anyone uses their iPod (or other MP3 players) to hook upto their Rotel gear.

I know that MP3 players compress music, but the Apple lossless format is really good and so is their high quality AAC conversion. One could argue that it is CD quality.

Question is how good does this sound compared to say the RCD-1072 CD player.

I wonder if anyone on this forum uses iPod with their hi-end gear and if yes, how is the overall sound quality and what kind of connectors do you use to connect your gear?

Thanks!

Hi. I'm also interested in this comparison. What happened in the end with this analysis?
The RCD 1072cd seems to cost here in the uk about the same as an ipod and a good dock like the denon or arcam, hence this question is very interesting. Is the sound quality better from the cd player or the ipod+good dock?
Thanks.

[cxc21]

I use my ipod with my RSX 1067 too. My Ipod is connected to my Mac Mini which has audio (analog) to my reciever using Belkin Pure AV cables. All the music I have in my ipod is downloaded from itunes. To me the quality is horrible, and its fatiquing to listen to it. I really only use my ipod for running.

I really wish there was an digital audio ouput from the Mac Mini or the Ipod Doc station as im sure the DACs in the mac are very poor. Also it would be nice if Itunes allowed for high quality downloads.

I use the optical connection on my G5, the build in audio out and usb interfaces had terrible interferences sometimes even radio station being pickup by my Rotel amp.

For all Mac users: do not forget to set the audio in and output in the audio midi setup utility to 48kHz and 24 bit for optical out (This is not a control panel but a utility. That improved sound dramatically.

And no the ipod/Mac output will not approach the quality of the 1072. I burn CDs from the AACs for best reproduction by the 1072.

[Dmantis]

Ipods are great. No question there. They are not a Audiophile grade Music server but

As said above for parties and back ground music , they rule. The key is getting your music ripped in Apple lossless and finding a dock to send it digital to the Rotel so you can take advantage of Rotels DAC's. This is where the biggest LOSS in sound comes from after you get over the RIPPED loss.

There are however many companies who now make Audiophile Music servers. Linn, Cambridge audio , McIntosh , etc all make fine servers. I'm sure there are many more but the price will be way out of the reach of any Ipod made.

I would love to own a server that can ripp SACD HDCD and CD with no loss. Having superior DAC'S on board.

I have found the Ps3 Using ATRAC recording to sound pretty damn good using Optical to my rsp1068. I find it close to cd quality. I use the Ps3 as my music server. I still use my SACD player for cridical listening for both SACD and cd. I have Analog for cd , 6 channel out for SACD and the digital coax for HDCD and sometimes use it for cd as well. And I still like to use the Ps3 for cd's. Playlists are the best thing since taking the time and making a Mix on tape or cd. Playlists can be changed in minutes. You gotta love that. Same goes with the Ipod. I love making playlists.

[cfrizz]

I am totally with you on this Mitchell!

I have a San Disc mp3 player that has over 600 songs on it. It is hooked up to my system listed below & does just fine. I'm not listening to it to try and hear compression, I'm not worrying about dacs, lossless, etc. I'm simply enjoying & singing along with my favorite songs that are be playing right now all day long, commercial free & nice & clear! Or as clear as they need to be for me to enjoy them!

It's about listening to the music for me, & not listening to the gear that plays it!

I have a 1072 and have for the last six months been using an ipod as well. I run it through my 1080 and B&W 703's.
I love having 1000 songs of my choice randomly playing throughout the day.
For parties or get togethers there is nothing better than making a playlist especially for the event.
The sound is clearly not as good as a CD. I think it is much better than the radio.
On some recordings there is little difference between the cd and ipod. many rock recordings I find are just recorded so badly it hardly matters.
Others are far inferior.
I go under the assumption than in the future there will be an addtional box in our racks that will be one large digital storage device that will hold many thousands of songs and music and it will be of equal or better quality to the CD's we now use.
I thnk the Ipod is just the first inkling of the future and I find the versatility fantastic.

[mjb]

Ipods are great. No question there. They are not a Audiophile grade Music server but

As said above for parties and back ground music , they rule. The key is getting your music ripped in Apple lossless and finding a dock to send it digital to the Rotel so you can take advantage of Rotels DAC's. This is where the biggest LOSS in sound comes from after you get over the RIPPED loss.

Is there any difference in the noughts and ones coming out of an "Audiophile grade" device, and any other digital source?

Otherwise, I agree - rip in Apple Lossless.

[mjb]

I would love to own a server that can ripp SACD HDCD and CD with no loss. Having superior DAC'S on board.

Apple Lossless preserves the HDCD flag, and the RSP 1098 correctly detects and decodes the stream, I assume other processors will too. SACD is a different story.

[MacUser]

You should take a look at Wadia's "170iTransport".

"The iTransport turns any currently available iPod player into a high-end media server by providing a bit-perfect digital audio output to an audio/video system, bypassing the player’s internal digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) and analog output stage."

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/82178

or

http://www.wadia.com/products/170i/170iTransport_home.htm