As the kids say, "OMG!" - Mp3 via Apple TV vs. Vinyl

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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,375
    edited August 2012
    Work recently gave me an iPhone 4s to use. I loaded it with some mp3s (256 Kbps) and connected it to my stereo via the iphone connector to RCA out. I was very disappointed in the lack of dimension of the music compared to the original Redbook CD's. I wasn't sure if this is due to the DAC in the iPhone or the media format or, more likely, both.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    skrol wrote: »
    Work recently gave me an iPhone 4s to use. I loaded it with some mp3s (256 Kbps) and connected it to my stereo via the iphone connector to RCA out. I was very disappointed in the lack of dimension of the music compared to the original Redbook CD's. I wasn't sure if this is due to the DAC in the iPhone or the media format or, more likely, both.

    Buy a LOD to RCA cable. That will help a bit as it takes the iPhone's amp out of the mix. I plan on buying one here myself shortly along with a better integrated vintage stereo for work and some headphones.

    Here is one example of the cable, and here is another. There aren't a bunch out there yet.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,375
    edited August 2012
    Yeah, I am using a LOD to RCA (couldn't think of the word at the time). Still sounds lifeless and a bit grainy.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    skrol wrote: »
    Yeah, I am using a LOD to RCA (couldn't think of the word at the time). Still sounds lifeless and a bit grainy.

    LOL.. dont tell me that! Did it at least sound better than a 3.5mm to headphone plug? LOL I hope so otherwise my 75 bucks will be a bit wasted. All my music is downconverted from AIFF to 256.

    Well as I am using headphones that might not matter as much... hopefully....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited August 2012
    skrol wrote: »
    Work recently gave me an iPhone 4s to use. I loaded it with some mp3s (256 Kbps) and connected it to my stereo via the iphone connector to RCA out. I was very disappointed in the lack of dimension of the music compared to the original Redbook CD's. I wasn't sure if this is due to the DAC in the iPhone or the media format or, more likely, both.

    Of course it sounds like crap. Using an iPhone DAC with MP3 files is double suck-a-tude. Use Apple Lossless files and buy a Wadia 171 iPod/iPhone dock that will extract the digital files off the device, and send it to a high quality external DAC.
    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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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Use Apple Lossless files and buy a Wadia 171 iPod/iPhone dock that will extract the digital files off the device, and send it to a high quality external DAC.

    Right now the 170i is on sale for 249......

    Or you could use the iStreamer from HRT....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited August 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Right now the 170i is on sale for 249...

    The 170 only accepts iPods. No iPhones or iPads.
    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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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,965
    edited August 2012
    For that coin just buy a SB and be done with it.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • newrival
    newrival Posts: 2,017
    edited August 2012
    The best software for digitizing vinyl is called pure Vinyl from channel d

    It along with their music playback system, pure music, are award winning.
    design is where science and art break even.
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    newrival wrote: »
    The best software for digitizing vinyl is called pure Vinyl from channel d

    It along with their music playback system, pure music, are award winning.

    I think that's what I'm looking for!

    Hard to justify the cost, for my listening habits, however.

    But glad to know it's out there!
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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