Worth upgrading IPOD Classic to DAP and using best connection to AV Receiver

[BasalGanglia]

I currently own an Ipod Classic 8th Generation. Been happy with this for years as can store all my mp3 music collection (Currently 110GB) on it. Most of the time just use it with headphones in. But I also connect it to to my AV Receiver (Yamaha RX-V377) using a cable that goes from the bottom (30 pin i think) to an RC Cable split for left and right into the Red and White AUDIO.

I then tried a cable that goes from the bottom of the IPOD to the USB Connection in the front. As expected the sound was much louder and clearer. Connected like this I cannot change the songs on the ipod itself but instead a menu comes up on the screen. I think this may be faulty though as the back and forward did not seem to work and then it suddenly stopped and displayed no device. Not been able to get it to work again.

Anyway there is also an AUX at the front which has a 3.5m Jack input. If I bought a lead that would go from the IPOD to this, would this give a better sound than using the Red and White Analogue AUDIO connections at the back?

So was wondering it was worth buying a new DAP as believe they would have much better DAC for better sound. Would there be much difference when playing though headphones? And if it was connected to the AV Receiver would the DAC be bypassed from the DAP and the one in the AV Receiver be used instead and therefore output the same sound quality? Also looking at a few DAPS the outputs seems to be just a 3.5 jack or is this optimised for a line out to get a better connection?

I would still consider buying a DAP even if the sound was much better using the headphones. I would only need it for music. So coming with Android and features like Blutooth etc would not be needed. So can anyone suggest a budget/mid range one that has excellent sound quality but without all the extra features I don't need. I definitely would not want to spent more than £300 unless I can get a good one second hand. And can you tell me how to connect it to the AV Receiver for the best sound quality?

 

[JayCee]

The Aux input on the front of your receiver will be no better than the Aux input on the rear, it's only put there for convenience of connecting.
As your MP3’s are going to be a max 320K I think buying a DAP would be a waste of money and I doubt there would be much noticeable difference in sound quality.

 

[dannnielll]

I currently own an Ipod Classic 8th Generation. Been happy with this for years as can store all my mp3 music collection (Currently 110GB) on it. Most of the time just use it with headphones in. But I also connect it to to my AV Receiver (Yamaha RX-V377) using a cable that goes from the bottom (30 pin i think) to an RC Cable split for left and right into the Red and White AUDIO.

I then tried a cable that goes from the bottom of the IPOD to the USB Connection in the front. As expected the sound was much louder and clearer. Connected like this I cannot change the songs on the ipod itself but instead a menu comes up on the screen. I think this may be faulty though as the back and forward did not seem to work and then it suddenly stopped and displayed no device. Not been able to get it to work again.

Anyway there is also an AUX at the front which has a 3.5m Jack input. If I bought a lead that would go from the IPOD to this, would this give a better sound than using the Red and White Analogue AUDIO connections at the back?

So was wondering it was worth buying a new DAP as believe they would have much better DAC for better sound. Would there be much difference when playing though headphones? And if it was connected to the AV Receiver would the DAC be bypassed from the DAP and the one in the AV Receiver be used instead and therefore output the same sound quality? Also looking at a few DAPS the outputs seems to be just a 3.5 jack or is this optimised for a line out to get a better connection?

I would still consider buying a DAP even if the sound was much better using the headphones. I would only need it for music. So coming with Android and features like Blutooth etc would not be needed. So can anyone suggest a budget/mid range one that has excellent sound quality but without all the extra features I don't need. I definitely would not want to spent more than £300 unless I can get a good one second hand. And can you tell me how to connect it to the A.

The limiting factor is that you are using Mp3 music files, which is 1995 technology, and was intended to give the best audio performance for the least data size. The Apple DAC was matched to it. If you still have the source material ..say CDs, you can re rip them into flac, which is much more HiFi. So what I and others are saying is that unless you change your sources, there is little value in changing a DAC. I am an enthusiastic user of DAPs , and also have a number of cheap DACs around.
It is hard to give advice when there are so many options,all with better DACs.

 

[rpr]

You would have to rip to Apple lossless not FLAC if your still going to use the iPod Classic. I always used a 30 pin cable from the bottom feeding a Fiio DAC

 

[Steven]

As above use a 30 pin to RCA adaptor or dock for line out. Do not use the headphone port as a line out

Purchasing a new dap: if all you are doing is using it as a transport to feed music files to something else, then buy smart (budget). Lots of modern daps do offer analogue 3.5mm line output or spdif (3.5mm) line output

In an ideal world use lossless files rather than MP3, however, I do not think that is absolutely essential depending on your ears and chain. Spotify and Apple Music use lossy files for example. Tidal MQA is also lossy. Plenty of users find lossy files sound 'good enough'

*Spotify bringing out a hi-fi option later this year

 

[BasalGanglia]

Thanks guys. That confirms that there would be no point in buying a DAP when all my collection is just compressed mp3s. It would take far too long to replace them all with higher quality formats such as Flac so think I will just stick to using my IPOD classic for now

 

[dannnielll]

Thanks guys. That confirms that there would be no point in buying a DAP when all my collection is just compressed mp3s. It would take far too long to replace them all with higher quality formats such as Flac so think I will just stick to using my IPOD classic for now

I don't think that is what was being recommended. In the context of audio ,you are still a youngster, and have half your life ahead. Modern kit with a good DAC and with the kinds of headphones now available, suggest that you should be looking towards migrating upwards from MP3s. Any modern DAP or even USB port on Blu-rays or car stereos will read MP3 as well as the now better formats.

 

[BasalGanglia]

Nearly four months on and I have started to acquire my MP3 collection in FLAC format. I have also purchased a new Marantz PM6007 Amplifier and Dali Oberon 7 Floor Standing speakers. I have my PC connected to this via Optical Digital Cable.

Last week the connection to my Ipod Classic stopped working (At first thought it was the earphones). So I am now in the market for a new Digital Audio Player to play my FLAC music. I would be just using standard headphones most of the time.

However I would like to also connect it to the Marantz amplifier. What is the best way to do this? Purchase a DAP with a S/PDIF output or just use the 3.5mm headphone jack? I'm I correct in thinking the S/PDIF would use the DAC on the Marantz whereas using the 3.5 headphone jack would use the DAC on the Digital Audio Player?

Another problem is that a lot of the products don't seem to specify if they have a S/PDIF output. I have been looking at FIIO players up to the M7 (as can't afford anything above £400), the Sony NW-A55 and NW-A105 and Hiby R3 Pro. The iBasso Audio DX150 specifies that it does have one and have seen it on offer for a good price.

Can someone therefore recommend some good players. I don't really need advanced features such as Wifi streaming, blutooth or to connect to a streaming site. Is it better to get one with S/PDIF output?

Thanks again

 

[dannnielll]

Nearly four months on and I have started to acquire my MP3 collection in FLAC format. I have also purchased a new Marantz PM6007 Amplifier and Dali Oberon 7 Floor Standing speakers. I have my PC connected to this via Optical Digital Cable.

Last week the connection to my Ipod Classic stopped working (At first thought it was the earphones). So I am now in the market for a new Digital Audio Player to play my FLAC music. I would be just using standard headphones most of the time.

However I would like to also connect it to the Marantz amplifier. What is the best way to do this? Purchase a DAP with a S/PDIF output or just use the 3.5mm headphone jack? I'm I correct in thinking the S/PDIF would use the DAC on the Marantz whereas using the 3.5 headphone jack would use the DAC on the Digital Audio Player?

Another problem is that a lot of the products don't seem to specify if they have a S/PDIF output. I have been looking at FIIO players up to the M7 (as can't afford anything above £400), the Sony NW-A55 and NW-A105 and Hiby R3 Pro. The iBasso Audio DX150 specifies that it does have one and have seen it on offer for a good price.

Can someone therefore recommend some good players. I don't really need advanced features such as Wifi streaming, blutooth or to connect to a streaming site. Is it better to get one with S/PDIF output?

Thanks again

OK.. Its good you at least started to FLAC. It is a decision you will not regret in the longer term. Well I have the Sony NWA45 , and my wife a Filo M7 . Now the Filo is probably? Possibly? sonically superior ... but the Sony is a better package with software. The Sony will work as a DAC into the Marantz.,using the 3.5mm output.
But you say that you are already connecting the Marantz from the PC via Optical cable... So there is no improvement or disimprovment using the PC. ..I would continue to use the PC. Using the Sony and its 3.5 mm would not really be any improvement.

 

[BasalGanglia]

OK.. Its good you at least started to FLAC. It is a decision you will not regret in the longer term. Well I have the Sony NWA45 , and my wife a Filo M7 . Now the Filo is probably? Possibly? sonically superior ... but the Sony is a better package with software. The Sony will work as a DAC into the Marantz.,using the 3.5mm output.
But you say that you are already connecting the Marantz from the PC via Optical cable... So there is no improvement or disimprovment using the PC. ..I would continue to use the PC. Using the Sony and its 3.5 mm would not really be any improvement.

Thanks. It is when I would having a BBQ and would move the Amplifier into the shed that I would want to connect the DAP. If I connected a cable from the 3.5mm Jack of my OLD ipod to the amp then it sounded terrible but good if I used the connector pins at the bottom. Is this not the case then for DAPs over an IPOD?

 

[dannnielll]

Thanks. It is when I would having a BBQ and would move the Amplifier into the shed that I would want to connect the DAP. If I connected a cable from the 3.5mm Jack of my OLD ipod to the amp then it sounded terrible but good if I used the connector pins at the bottom. Is this not the case then for DAPs over an IPOD?

What to say?. I don't know what pins on the Apple 30 pin connector you are referring to. But you should be capable of equivalent performance from say the Sony.. these have a 3.5mm headphone jack ..and I have used this into AVRs as very acceptable. They also have additional connections on the DMPort ..a 22 pin connector on the bottom. However the RCA cables for these tend to be limited to the Japanese market.