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Using iPod Classic as music server

I finally decided to organize my music on a "server" using an iPod Classic that I got as a hand-me-down from one of my grandsons. In order to replicate music as accurately as possible I'm ripping CDs using Apples lossless CODEC. My understanding of these formats like FLAC and ALAC is that accuracy of replication is 100% and I'm finding that playback using earphones or good buds at least, seems that that is so.

However, when playing through my system, although good, playback using the iPod is not the same as when the source is the CD player. The information seems complete and obviously better than compressed versions I've heard but resolution and detail in the upper frequencies seems to have been softened.

My ability to compare these two sources is straightforward because I can have the same track playing on both sources and A/B using the source selector on the preamp. Now il get to my question.

First I need to say that the present system performs extremely well for my listening tastes so I'm not questioning the existing components. However, there are at least the 2 new issues of concern; one is the quality of the CD transport in the computer and the other is the quality of the iPod playback. I don't mean to imply that the playback from the iPod is terrible. As a matter of fact, it sounds quite good but a little softer/warmer than I prefer for critical listening.

There must be a reason why dedicated music servers are expensive and I'm assuming it has to do with reproduction quality as with other components in a system. I've never seen one so don't even know the process(es) for downloading music to them but, for several reasons, I want to pursue the use of a digital server of some kind. I'm, therefore, asking for corrections of my assumptions as well as some guidance toward making an intelligent choice.

My present system is: Shanling S-100 CD player, Peachtree Audio Nova as a preamp, Peachtree Audio 220 amp and Martin Logan Odyssey speakers.
broadstone

Showing 3 responses by doggiehowser

doggiehowser
672 posts
 
Ah. The one you have isn't the Classic even though they share a similar form factor.

The older model the iPod Gen5 and Gen5.5 (60 and 80GB max respectively) aka iPod Video actually have a pretty decent DAC inside (Wolfson). Guess it was in the old days when the margins were pretty high. The newer ones use a much cheaper (and generally accepted to be worse DAC, Cirrus Logic I think).

You can modify the iPod Video to remove the cheap caps internally and replace them with better quality external caps to improve the sound quality. It's usually called the iMod - which were sold by RedWineAudio.

My iPod Video does work with the Wadia iTransport but in a limited capacity. I'd have to select the songs I want to play first, hit Play, then dock the player. Because once it's docked, the screen becomes "locked" and it displays a Wadia dock connected logo.

You might want to see if this works for you.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
I started out my hifi hobby with exactly that - an iPod Classic.

It was mated to a Wadia iTransport which was hooked up to a Benchmark DAC (the DAC1 Pre was the flagship then). The Wadia was the first of its kind - an iPod digital dock - it basically took the digital data from the iPod, bypassed its (frankly quite shoddy DAC) and passed it to an external DAC.

The DAC1 Pre was also (as its name suggests) a preamp. So all I needed was a couple of mono blocks to drive my speakers.

I then upgraded the power supply of the Wadia and made all sorts of upgrades over time.

These days, of course, you can go for much cheaper options than the Wadia. The Pure i-20 dock does pretty much the same thing for a whole lot less and it even includes a pretty decent DAC inside if you don't want to spring for a new one.

But here are the downsides.

One, controlling the playlist from the iPod is not much fun. The remote on my Wadia allowed me just the basics - pause/play, and track forwards and back. There's no way to change albums or playlists unless you get off your ass and walk to the iPod on the dock.

Two, you'll find that 160GB will get filled up pretty easily especially if you start ripping more of your CDs.

Three, as you've discovered - there's something different about playing back even a bit perfect copy like Apple Lossless on the iPod. I know you'll hear comments like "bit perfect is bit perfect". But give this a try. Rerip or convert some of your Apple Lossless songs into AIFF format or WAV format. Sync them to the iPod and listen to them again. I suspect you'll hear an improvement. And AIFF takes up even more space than ALAC (Apple Lossless) so the iPod's 160GB would start to look even smaller.

If you have a spare PC/notebook lying around and a have a respectable DAC already in your system, I'd recommend having a look at JRiver. It will import the music already in iTunes and even sync your iPod for you - but that's not the main thing. The PC can be used as a pretty decent music server.

All you need is to hook it up to a DAC. If your DAC is new-ish circa 2-3 years, you should have asynchronous USB connectivity. Use a USB cable to hook the computer to the DAC and voila. Instant music server. The good thing is that storage is cheap and you should be able to use a large HDD to keep your music library going for a long time. If your DAC is older, you can grab one of those asynchronous USB-SPDIF devices that provide a way to connect the PC to a SPDIF input on your DAC.

If you are a Mac user and already have iTunes installed, just buy a copy of BitPerfect from the App Store, and download the free Remote app from Apple on your iPhone or iPad. Then hook the Mac to the DAC (either using the DAC's USB input as mentioned in the PC example) or a USB-SPDIF connection.

Hope this helps.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
AppleTV IIRC resamples the audio to 48kHz.

If you want to use this route, I'd recommend getting an Airport Express which will send out 44.1kHz

Both will work with Airplay from your iTunes server
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