Is the iPod, at long last, a high-end audio component?

A Nano docked into the Wadia 170i Transport.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to think the iPod is a true high-end audio component. What's changed? I heard it in my high-end system, docked into Wadia's 170i Transport ($379). I can now testify to the iPod's bona fides.

Thing is, an iPod, even one loaded with uncompressed AIFF or WAV files, isn't all by itself a high-end component, but teamed with Wadia's 170i Transport, aka, dock, an iPod is elevated to high-end status. The transformation takes place when the Wadia transmits the iPod's zeros and ones to an outboard digital-to-analog (D/A) converter in your A/V receiver, or even better, a standalone high-end D/A. Wadia's claims that the 170i is the first and only "dock" to extract a digital output from an unmodified iPod.

The 170i's digital out sends a 16 bit/44.1 kHz PCM digital signal to a D/A. The 170i does that for MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV files, but just be aware that it converts all but AIFF and WAV to 16/44.1. It can also pass 16/48 PCM, but in most cases 16/44.1 is what you'll get.

According to Wadia's national sales manager, Martin Cooper, iPods store MP3, Apple Lossless, and AAC files in Apple's own digital language, and when an iPod is nestled into a 170i it converts those files to 16/44.1 PCM. That way, the signals can be processed by the D/A in your A/V receiver or high-end D/A. MP3, Apple Lossless, and AAC files will sound "good," just not quite the same as the original CD. In other words, only AIFF and WAV files can be heard with bit-for-bit accuracy over the 170i.

The digital and analog audio outputs, plus component and s-video outputs.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Full 170i/iPod compatibility is limited to the latest generations of iPods; check Wadia's site for more detailed info on that score.

For these listening tests I hooked up the 170i Transport to my high-end system: Sunfire Theater Grand III surround processor, Parasound JC-1 power amplifiers, and Magnepan 3.6/R speakers.

The iPod Nano 4GB/170i's sound was highly resolved, with great depth and high frequency air. As a "control" I hooked up the Nano via its 40-pin connector to the system. I can't say the difference between the Wadia docked iPod and solo iPod was huge, but significant enough to sway audiophiles. The Wadia docked iPod was cleaner and more transparent.

Awful sounding CDs, like Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run, still sound awful--whether it's a CD, AIFF, WAV, or 128 MP3. The old "garbage in, garbage out" truism hasn't changed.

The Wadia 170i Transport will delight audiophiles--you know, people who really care about sound quality. And yes, it'll pass video over its S-Video and component connections.

Have you heard the 170i for yourself? Are you planning on buying one?

[rdwalton]

yawn!!

[DerekStu]

It's "AAC" not "ACC."

[ralfthedog]

@DerekStu

When playing 70's rock it is ACC DCC but that is a very bad pun.

[enovikoff]

I think the answer to your question is "No, it's not a high-end component." The problem is lossy encoding. Sure, you can store losslessly encoded files on the iPod, but you'd have to make them yourself. For most people, downloads from iTunes are where they get their music. And it doesn't take an iPod and Wadia Dock to tell that those files sound significantly worse than even a standard CD: you can play them from a variety of other sources as well such as the many network players available. The music is dull-sounding, lifeless, with strange high-pitched squeaks added in various places (yes, I know those are perceptual artifacts, but that's what matters, eh?) We've traded convenience for sound quality. It's not a "bad" thing, but the sound isn't high-end, either.

[benjaminstraight]

Finally.

[soundman45]

$379 seems alot to pay for just a glorified digital output. I prefer to use my ipod for what it was designed for. A descent little, digital Walkman thats dockable

[alegr]

It's too cheap to sell. Must be $1000 to get real respect from audiophiliacs; no need to change the specs, though.

That said, for about same money you can get a real computer with an optical output on its sound card, hook its video to your TV, hook the optical audio cable to your receiver, and enjoy. Or just get an universal (DVD+flash+iPOD cradle) player with optical output. Will cost about the same AND play DVDs.

[ensignsj]

Right on, enovikoff. iPod audio is kind of like iPod video. It's ok on the fly, but high end is not the word I would use. Instead of buying this thing and going through all of this to replicate high end audio on an inherently low end device, why wouldn't you just pop in a CD? This seems like the answer to the question that no one asked.

BTW, I loved you in Short Circuit, which the animators of WALL-E have totally ripped off.

[minimalist]

Nice idea but I'm not sure of the point. My iPod gets used for portability only, not for home listening. Plus if you are an audiophile you are presumably going to be using wav files and you are only going to get (200) 800 MB CD's on even the biggest iPod out there (160GB).

Presumably you listening to this in your home where you have all your expensive audio gear. And if you have an iPod you also have a computer with the capacity for Terabytes hard drive space. Why not put all your lossless audio there get digital out into your gear and then control it with an iPod Touch via wifi from anywhere in the house?

[Jerry A]

an idea - leave your ipod for portable uses...get an airport express (prev generation which is wireless g - not n, can be had for $59 at mac mall). This features wireless itunes streaming (they call it airtunes) and has an optical output to get your pure 0's and 1's to your high end DAC. If you have an iphone or ipod touch, download the free remote app and you have yourself a pretty neat solution (a la sonos or squeezebox - which at this price point either appears to be a better solution than the Wadia dock - both have optical outs). Also, didn't get your comment on why apple lossless (or any losless) wouldn't give you bit for bit transparency - are they lying to us when they say its lossless?

[Martiat]

I agree with most of the comments, stating that an iPod is mainly used for its portability, using conventional earphones, to listen to music while doing other stuff (walking, jogging, in transports etc.). Then you do not need this level of quality anyway. Moreover, there is no remote, which makes it not very useful for home listening. A much better solution is to use an AppleTV, wirelessly synchronized with iTunes, on which you put lossless files. It has a remote and a digital output that you can connect to your DAC and can sit easily just by the rest of your system.

[cardes]

steve, ***? I thought the ipod was evil? I will cite this article directly after every terrible ipod bash you make from now on.

[fm24]

I don't get this comment in regards to Apple Lossless versus AIFF and WAV:

...Apple Lossless, and AAC files will sound "good," just not quite the same as the original CD. In other words, only AIFF and WAV files can be heard with bit-for-bit accuracy over the 170i.

The whole point of a Lossless codec is that it is bit for bit identical to the original when played back (hence the Lossless moniker). Am I missing something, or is my understanding of how the Lossless codecs work wrong?

[boxter]

Either the author doesn't know what he is talking about, or he accidentally added Apple Lossless to the first list. Apple Lossless is lossless, the same as WAV and AIFF. There is no difference to the CD :)

[make_or_break]

I was told about the Wadia roughly a couple of months ago by the owner of a local high end shop. Frankly I can't really fathom WHY anyone would desire to do this through an iPod. Merely to continue to use the iPod's user interface? The Wadia's clearly for stationary use, so anti-iPod. Despite the possibilities of have most of 160GB at your disposal, anyone who cares enough about lossless encoding will also keep a copy of those files on a drive (or drive array) that's a bit more secure and likely with far more cap room than a portable iPod to begin with. Wouldn't it make more sense to utilize those files, rather than feeding off of an iPod?

[menssie]

I purchased the Wadia 170i Transport, and I have no regrets whatsoever, let me explain why... It amazes me how people bash a product without understanding its function and what it does.

First of all as most of you know, the iPod is a portable jukebox. You can use it as a personal player to play back your 128KB AAC files through the ear buds that came with the iPod, or you can bump the resolution up to 256KB AAC for better audio playback, as well as upgrade to more expensive ear buds... Not everyone listens to the iPod with just ear buds! I don't...

Then there is AIFF, WAV, and Apple Lossless which are much larger files of the same songs, but bit for bit accurate to the original "Red Book" CD's. Yes more music fits on the iPod with the AAC encoded files compared to the lossless ones I've just mentioned, so some sacrifices need to be made. My music is all in AIFF format on my computer as well as the "Playlists" I've created for my 30GB iPod. Once you have AIFF formats, you can always down convert to AAC if drive space is at a premium. Up converting from AAC to AIFF does not improve the sound quality it just makes it 10 times bigger than the AAC with the same AAC sound quality. In other words, you can't make a lossy file like AAC or MP3 sound better once you chopped off a bunch of the data bits, while you can go the other way, AIFF to MP3 or AAC anytime.

Yes I can use my Airport extreme and stream Airtunes to my stereo equipment from my Mac, but I don't like the fact that I am taxing my Hard drive with excessive use and hours all the while I'm streaming my tunes. I listen to music for hours on end every Friday, Saturday and Sundays... 20 Hours plus on average every weekend adds up, and sooner or later my drive will crap out sooner than it should under normal use! To me, not a wise move...

This is where the beauty of the Wadia comes in. It is a "Pass-Through" device, meaning that it takes whatever songs you have on your iPod, weather encoded in AAC, AIFF, WAV etc. and bypasses the "Internal DAC" in the iPod and inputs the given encoded tunes into your external source, i.e. an "External DAC", or your Low, Mid or High end sound system/stereo. With AIFF encoded songs on my iPod, I plug it into the Wadia and all my songs input into a "Benchmark-Media DAC-1", then into a pair of "Dynaudio Acoustics" powered speakers as my set-up. The iPod never sounded this good! This is quite a slick set-up to say the least!! The better your audio equipment, speakers, external DAC and so forth, the better your music will sound, probaly as good as the "Studio Masters". Oh yeah, you can watch videos from the iPod too on an LCD, Plasma etc. TV via. Component Video jacks. A remote comes with the 170i also.

The only negative I've found is that you can not display the cover art or song titles onto a TV via the component video output. The GUI is not accessible from any of the iPods. It is blocked from doing so because of Apple's design not because of the Wadia.

The $379 price tag is mainly for the microprocessor that allows for the audio pass-through to bypass the iPod's DAC. This is the only product on the market, that I know of, which does this and does it extremely well! I hope this was useful info. for those who took the time to read it. Thanks!

[cyberDJ-2038765336053745013836]

There are not enough direct-digital docking devices for the iPod (or any other portable player for that matter).

I think the general consensus is that these portable players weren't designed for Audiophile-quality consumption.

[boxter]

Why would anyone buy this? Surely you can just use your PC as the source if you are at home?