Help Needed - "Pure" Ipod Dock

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
edited February 2011 in The Clubhouse
Can someone help here ? I was reading a thread yesterday that included a link for an Ipod dock that had onboard DAC's, extracted the digital bitstream, charged the Ipod, etc and sold for $99.00 clams. It was from Pure Audio or something like that. I am not sure if that was the website or brand name. Anyway, can someone help me out here ? I cannot find the thread that it was posted in. Many Thanks ahead of time. :cool:
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited February 2011
    This?
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited February 2011
    US Site
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited February 2011
    Keiko wrote:
    Damn! This is a cool dock, but it's not compatible with my 5th Gen Classic.

    Same issue here. Oh well...
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,726
    edited February 2011
    It's time for you guys to upgrade...

    The DAC in this dock is good, but the best part is it also outputs digital, so you can from this to an outboard DAC if you prefer.

    The trick for those who don't know to some of these higher end docks is that they pull the digital info straight from the iPod, therefore bypassing the mediocre DACs used in the iPod altogether.

    Load up your iPod with lossless audio and pair this with a good DAC and you'll be hard pressed to beat that sound at 5x the price.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited February 2011
    So can you plug a Touch into this the same as as the ipod plugs in? Have been considering a Touch or Ipod but not sure of the reasons to choose one over the other.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,726
    edited February 2011
    Yep, same dock on the bottom
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited February 2011
    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote:
    It's time for you guys to upgrade....

    Nope...my 80G Classic serves my purpose for now. I thought it would be nice to have a relatively inexpensive dock that I could run through a dac to my main system...but I'm not going to spend $250 for a new Classic and another $100 for the dock just for the abiltiy to do that.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited February 2011
    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »
    Load up your iPod with lossless audio and pair this with a good DAC and you'll be hard pressed to beat that sound at 5x the price.

    Definitely agree.

    I have been using the Wadia dock for over two years now, and love it. While Wadia was the first dock to extract digital, it is good to see others also providing digital docks.

    However, I have learned that even the digital out can have sound quality issues. The first Wadia had a relatively high level of jitter according to a stereophile review, and the new Wadia fixs it. Now the sound with the new Wadia is even better than before. I always thought the DAC would clean up the jitter, but apparently it still affects the sound.

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112423
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  • markmarc
    markmarc Posts: 2,309
    edited February 2011
    For a sheer retriever of digital info, it might be a terrific deal at under $100, but it may suffer from jitter issues. A DAC at this price has limitations. I have the Wadia as well, and appreciate how much nicer it is to allow a separate DAC to work with the digital stream.
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited February 2011
    Heres the thread nap.http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1523870#post1523870
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  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited February 2011
    madmax wrote: »
    So can you plug a Touch into this the same as as the ipod plugs in? Have been considering a Touch or Ipod but not sure of the reasons to choose one over the other.
    madmax

    All the ipods/phones use the same port configuration. Apparently, the older ones don't work with this thing. The main reason for buying a touch device is for the use of the OS (apps, etc). The other advantage is flash storage, so if you drop the thing, you are not going to cause any problems with the data. Of course, they hold a lot less than the classics. If you're looking for something to store all your music that you won't be moving, you'd probably be best served by a classic.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    FTGV wrote: »
    Heres the thread nap.http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1523870#post1523870

    Thanks. With all of the discussion I thought I had missed something. So is the concensus that this dock is worth 100 clams or not ? The system I use it in is just a little 2 channel system that I play pretty much all day when I am home. It has taken the place of radio (no commercials or DJ's) so just think of it that way. I was just looking to upgrade the sound. :cool:
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    Keiko wrote: »
    Damn! This is a cool dock, but it's not compatible with my 5th Gen Classic.

    http://support.pure.com/kb_article.php?ref=8420-MTCX-2240

    Rats ! Not compatible with my classic either ! :eek:
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    What the heck, I am going to order it. I have a nano I can use to play around with it. :cool:
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited February 2011
    nap wrote: »
    So is the concensus that this dock is worth 100 clams or not ?

    For what it offers I think it's a no brainer for that reasonable a price of admission.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    Keiko wrote: »
    Yeah, that's why I researched and posted the link as an FYI, Tony. Too bad, cuz I would have saved up my allowance for a couple months and bought one.

    Thanks for that Mike. Like I said, fortunately I have a nano that I can use for this. It had me very curious as to the sound quality. It seems odd that it is not compatible with certain models. The Ipod connector is the same to the best of my knowledge so I am wondering if it is due to the size (of the classic) or some thing else. I will try it with the classic when it arrives. For the money it will be another toy to play around with. :cool:
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,726
    edited February 2011
    Just keep in mind that the DAC in this is only good, not great. Don't judge this by the built in DAC alone. The real magic is in pairing this with a good DAC. This, paired with my inexpensive AMC DAC and a lossless audio track sounds just as good as any CDP I have in the house.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    Keiko wrote: »
    From researching this, I read it will work with the iPad too, even tho the link says it's not compatible. Apparently, it's just the remote that won't function if an iPad is used with it. I can't confirm this info though.

    Some bases are different, depending on which generation of iPod. I'm quessing it has to do with the pin configuration. Keep me posted if you decide to pull the trigger on one. It looks like a cool little device.

    Aloha,

    Mike

    Pulled the trigger on this last night. Its was just bugging me that bad. I wanted to get one and just play around with it. Worst case is it will end up bestowed upon one of my kids. Probably the one that isn't getting on my nerves at that particular moment. I let you know what happens. :cool:
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »
    Just keep in mind that the DAC in this is only good, not great. Don't judge this by the built in DAC alone. The real magic is in pairing this with a good DAC. This, paired with my inexpensive AMC DAC and a lossless audio track sounds just as good as any CDP I have in the house.

    Noted. Will probably try it both ways. It gives me the excuse to research and buy a DAC. Arguably one of the best things about this hobby. :cool:
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited February 2011
    cokewithvanilla wrote: »
    All the ipods/phones use the same port configuration. Apparently, the older ones don't work with this thing. The main reason for buying a touch device is for the use of the OS (apps, etc). The other advantage is flash storage, so if you drop the thing, you are not going to cause any problems with the data. Of course, they hold a lot less than the classics. If you're looking for something to store all your music that you won't be moving, you'd probably be best served by a classic.

    Thanks for the info!
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    The Dock arrived today (ordered it Monday night) good ratings for quick shipping. Haven't hooked it up yet. Full report to follow. :cool:
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  • Rodeo0530
    Rodeo0530 Posts: 797
    edited February 2011
    I ordered mine Monday as well and it arrived today. Very fast shipping indeed...especially good when you consider that shipping was free. I haven't been able to listen too critically thus far, but this thing is way better than my previous dock was. It seems like everything sounds much crisper and I don't have to listen to the music quite as loud in order to actually hear everything. I'm not good at explaining exactly why this dock is better, but trust me, it's much better than before IMO!


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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    Keiko wrote: »
    Try it with your iPod Classic and let me know, please, Tony. Thanks!

    Mike,
    I hooked up the dock and tried it with my classic last night. I am not sure exactly what Gen my classic is (I tried looking it up). It was purchased in June 2009 and is 120 GB if that helps. Anyway, it worked just fine with the dock and with the remote. The dock and remote are a fine product. Much better than the dock I had. The sound quality was greatly improved, very detailed but perhaps a little bright sounding. I hooked up the dock with a pair of quality interconnects (name left off to avoid a cable feud) rather than the cables provided with the unit. As a previous poster said, this is a $99 dollar product so the DAC is okay but not great. When used in the little two channel system (think of a garage type system - Technics 30 WPC analog receiver and Polk bookshelves) I have it connected to it is a vast improvement. I am greatly interested in buying an upgraded DAC (recommendations ?) and trying this out in my theater set-up for background fodder. My verdict - YEP for $99 clams it is a heck of a purchase. :wink:
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited February 2011
    nap wrote: »
    I am greatly interested in buying an upgraded DAC (recommendations ?)


    As you know, there are beau coup DACs around, and, since the industry is moving toward separate digital components, there will be even more in the future. Hopefully, better and less expensive. Ahh, the benefits of having separate components. :biggrin:

    Anyway, as with everything else, it depends on what your goal is, and what you want to spend. For myself, I originally started with a Benchmark DAC1 for my Wadia/iPod Classic. Worked great. A little over a year ago I upgraded to the Bryston BDA-1 DAC, and love that even more. It is 'softer' and more 'musical' to my ears than the Benchmark.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited February 2011
    Mike - I don't know if you have any such places near where you live but near me there is a shop called Mega Media exchange. They sell mostly DVD's but also sell video games, gaming systems, etc. They also sell Ipods used. I've picked up a couple of good units (my nano and an Ipod touch for my son) there at reasonable prices. You might want to upgrade your classic that way and save a few bucks. Just a suggestion. I guess others might suggest a pawn shop. Remember you'll need it while you are doing rehab on the hip, wink wink nudge nudge. :cool:
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