iPod to Amplifier,

What is the best sounding and best video way to connect an ipod video 5gen. to an amplifier.


Links would be great.


-jake

get some kind of line out (dock, etc.) and connect it with an rca to phono (mini plug).

or you can run it straight from the headphone out.

Some prefer a true line out, and others prefer the headphone out.

You will need one of these
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2110460&cp=2032058.2032228.2032250&parentPage=family

parts express has these cables as well, but that's actually pretty cheap for monster.

just realized you said video too. Check with ipodlounge.com

Why do you want to connect your Ipod to your amp? An Ipod sort of implies a computer too. Why not connect your computer to your amp/tv?

PC Music to Amp - best way?

Like corey said, I think it's best to connect the PC to the amp/home stereo. I have an iPod, but I have most (if not all) of my CD-based music ripped into mp3 format on my computer. I'm looking for a good way to listen to the music on my stereo/HT system.

In my case, the computer and HT room are separate but I do have a network in my house (both wired and wireless) and want to use that to share the music. I have been researching several options to do this and came across the Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 (http://www.slimdevices.com/). This device has gotten good reviews, has decent styling and has a digital audio out (optical). I didn't want to use RCA.

Has anyone used this before and, if so, what do you think? Would there be a better device to use for this purpose, keeping in mind that I want the best sound quality possible?

Thanks!

The best way to hook up your iPod is through the line out part of the iPod dock connector. The headphone-out's impedence won't work well with your amp/receiver. The volume level will be minimal on your home audio speakers if you use the headphone jack as an auxilary input, even if you turn your amp's volume up very high.

If you don't want to buy Apple's OVERPRICED $40 dock (and it doesn't even include the power adapter, charger, or S-video cables), you may want to consider one of the following products:
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-fw.html
http://www.sik.com/din.php
http://www.sik.com/ram_din.php

Or, make your own:
http://ipodlinux.org/Dock_Connector

Good point about the impedance matching

Hooking up line inputs on an amp with line headphone outs on an Ipod (or PC) isn't ideal. Use an impedance matching device (Like the IPod docking station), then connect with the TRS mini to RCA male connectors to your line inputs.

I bought a Monster rca with a mini on one end to the line out on the front of my 3805. Sounds excellent as you can use the EQ settings in your Ipod. "classical" is best with my home stereo even though I have it on "bass booster" with my ipod headphones.

yeah yeah don't flame me for buying Monster. It was the only real high quality RCA I could find with a mini jack. I had a cheap generic red and white one and the Monster improved the sound quality dramatically.

In response to hooking up your PC to the home receiver, I do that in my den. I have an old JVC Pro logic in my den and it's great for 2 channel and headphones. However, taking the ipod out into the living room with my home theatre is much easier than unplugging everything and taking out my PC.

JC

I just bought a 4 GB Nano for my sister as a birthday present and I hooked it up to my receiver using a 1/8" mini to dual RCA cable connected via the iPod's headphone output. I would agree with the other posters that it isn't ideal as you have to turn the volume on the iPod to max and then STILL turn up the receiver very high to get any appreciable volume.

The funny thing is that the iPod docs say you should set the iPod to half volume to avoid 'overamplification'.

I wonder if the Doc (I didn't buy one) actually sends a true line-level signal and would sound better or if it's just a case of impedance mismatch as others have mentioned.

There is no such thing as an impedance mismatch when connecting a headphone output to a line input. The only difference between a line out and a headphone out, generally, is that the headphone out can provide greater current, in order to drive headphones, which are of a much lower load impedance than a line in. Also, do not expect higher voltage output from line out as compared to a headphone out on a portable device. Unless the line out dock accessory has a built in pre-amplifier, the line out voltage will be limited to the voltage limitations of the supply rails in the portable device. Generally, this means that not even 1 VRMS is possible from such portables unless they use an interal DC->DC convertor to increase interal voltage over the battery limit; I am not immediately aware of one that has such a feature. If there are audible differences between the sound quality of the line out and headphone out of a particular device, then they are the result of poor circuit design, or defect. However, most percieved cases are probably nothing more than placebo.

-Chris

So WmAx, you are saying that the headphone out and the line out should be identical unless the line out on the doc amplifies the signal to a true 1V line level? I'm inclined to doubt that the doc sends a true line level signal because I had read on the Apple forums that many people think the Doc is worthless as anything other than a convenient place to hold the iPod.

The amplifier in the iPod is supposedly 60 milliwatts. It gets quite loud when listening to headphones, but it has no appreciable volume when connected to a line in on a receiver unless you turn the receiver's volume way up.

MDS said:

So WmAx, you are saying that the headphone out and the line out should be identical unless the line out on the doc amplifies the signal to a true 1V line level?

Click to expand...

So far as maximum output voltage, they should be the same(unless some artificial means were used internally to limit one or the other below maximum capability of the power supply limit). But they should be different in that the the line out will not be designed to handle the low impedance of a headphone. But it is possible that by way of poor design, that the headphone stage on a particular device could be noisy, where as the line out could be quiet. This could further the myth that headphone out is inherantly poor in comparison.

I'm inclined to doubt that the doc sends a true line level signal because I had read on the Apple forums that many people think the Doc is worthless as anything other than a convenient place to hold the iPod.

Click to expand...

I don't know what the IPOD dock does.

The amplifier in the iPod is supposedly 60 milliwatts. It gets quite loud when listening to headphones,

Click to expand...

Depends on the headphones used, of course. It's not logical to refer to power output of a headphone driving device for reference purposes. Because headphones are typically limited in volume due to voltage limits of the driving device.

-Chris

No dock necessary. An unneeded expense. Get a high quality RCA with a mini on one end, plug it into the front line in jack on your reciever and that's it! What's the debate about???? Do not use the headphone jack.

JC

Johnny Canuck said:

No dock necessary. An unneeded expense. Get a high quality RCA with a mini on one end, plug it into the front line in jack on your reciever and that's it! What's the debate about???? Do not use the headphone jack.

JC

Click to expand...

I don't think the Ipod has a min-jack line output. You have to use the dock or an adapter tether to convert the unusual plug at the bottom of the Ipod to a conventional jack. But the heaphone output is fine. In fact, Stereophile measured the headphone output of an Ipod about a year ago(maybe a little bit longer), and the measured output terminated into a high impedance load(like a line in) was better technically than many stand alone component CD players.

-Chris

Here's the Stereophile article:

http://www.stereophile.com/digitalsourcereviews/934/index.html

Keep in mind the newer Video iPods have sacrificed some of the fidelity for added features and reduced thickness.

jaxvon said:

Keep in mind the newer Video iPods have sacrificed some of the fidelity for added features and reduced thickness.

Click to expand...

How do you know this? Can you provide a source? I'd like to read up on this.

I bought a high quality Monster cable. One end is a mini jack which goes into the IPod.

The other end is a regular RCA that goes into any available jack but I use the one on the front of my receiver.

No dock needed. No headphone jack.
It's like adding another piece of equipment to your receiver.
It sounds almost as good as a CD player.
What's the debate about? It's the best and easiest way to connect your Ipod to your home stereo. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise !!!! Geesh!!!!

JC

I use the IPod all the time.

I'm always using it to hook up to multiroom systems and such for testing.

There is no doubt, because of experience, that using the docking station is better than using the headphone jack. I haven't noticed a diffence in sound quality because I never drive anything that loud.

But, with the headphone jack on the IPod, I have to turn the IPod up all the way, and turn up any amplifier higher than I would have to under normal circumstances.

Yet, if I use the docking station, I don't have to turn up the volume so much to get a decent amount of output.

I've always thought it was an impedance mismatch issue, yet the only thing the didn't add up is that I would expect the results to be opposite; the headphone jacks being way too loud for Line inputs.

Is Line actually a higher energy level than headphone level?

Johnny Canuck said:

No dock needed. No headphone jack.
It sounds almost as good as a CD player.
What's the debate about? It's the best and easiest way to connect your Ipod to your home stereo. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise !!!! Geesh!!!!
JC

Click to expand...

bigpapa said:

There is no doubt, because of experience, that using the docking station is better than using the headphone jack. I haven't noticed a diffence in sound quality because I never drive anything that loud.

But, with the headphone jack on the IPod, I have to turn the IPod up all the way, and turn up any amplifier higher than I would have to under normal circumstances.

Click to expand...

That's what the debate is about. We are not talking about connecting the iPod to the headphone jack of the receiver but rather using the headphone jack of the iPod vs buying the doc, placing the iPod in the doc, and using the doc's line out to connect to the receiver.

I didn't buy the doc and my experience so far matches bigpapa - you have to turn the iPod volume to max and also turn the receiver volume way up.

Johnny Canuck said:

I bought a high quality Monster cable. One end is a mini jack which goes into the IPod.
JC

Click to expand...

Is this(1/8" miniplug line out jack) a feature on the new generation Ipod? The older Ipods required an adapter cable or dock to access the line out circuit. I don't use an Ipod, but I never saw a line out on the units I checked out in stores, and I've seen many references to the requirement of an adapter to access the line out circuit.

-Chris