Have your say & ask the experts

Excuse my ignorance but can anybody tell me if there is any
advantage, with regards to sound quality in using an iPod dock (Onkyo ND-S1 or Arcam
r-Dock) over a GQ-24 interconnect cable for sourcing my music from an iPod?

Thanks

just for ref the nd s1 is not a dock in its true form - it outputs a digital signal from the ipod and therefore also requires a dac - this will sound the best - if you a home cinema amp most have dacs so can use with this otherwise you need an external dac

docks also charge - the sound from the gq and arcam should be very similar although far more in the signal path with the arcam so poss some sound filtering going on so will prob be slighty better

The sound quality issue is a bit of a personal one and I dont think that there is a regular forum poster who has heard all three, especially as the Onkyo is new. What hifi reviews suggest that the Onkyo is best followed by the GQ-24 then the Arcam dock.

The Onkyo bypasses the ipods amp and DAC and accesses its music files, the GQ-24 bypasses the amp but not the DAC and the dock takes its sound via the ipods amp and DAC.

i will by tomorrow plus the wadia!!!

the only two i won't have compared back to back because I sold the arcam before hand is the arcam and the gq but would have expected the arcam to be better than the gq

I would approach this slightly differently.

Firstly I maintain the iPod model makes a BIG difference, regardless of the analogue dock you use. To my ears anything from the Classic 120Gb model onwards is poop. My iPod nano 'fatty' sounded far better.

And I can confirm this with my rDock - my Classic 120 sounded poop, but my new touch 64gb sounds superb - and there's no need to use the CD section on my Arcam Solo Mini anymore.

Also, there's a new contender on the block which I would advise you to check out above all others - the new Cambridge Audio dock (the newer more expensive on of their 2 models).

The 'other' UK mag gave it 5 globes, and rated it above all other analogue docks (except the rDock which they did not include in the group test), and rated it above the GQ-24, saying the CA gave a more 'transparent' sound.

Thanks for the info guys. Amazing how much I don’t know. Until I get an opportunity to demo the r-Dock
 & Cambridge Audio iD50 I might just use
a GQ-24 as I’ve not heard a bad word about it yet.  

manicm  - I’d be interested to know if there is a list of iPod models
and their respective sound quality out there. There seems to be loads of
opinions and speculation but nothing definitive. 

idc:

IMHO Manicm is a bit of a loan voice with regards to the difference between generations of ipod classic. Anything I have read suggests a smal,l if at all difference. I think that it is also important to note that, with all of the EQ settings (including off) on an ipod, there has been no comparison which makes it clear what, if any EQ setting is being used, unless you can show me wrong manicm!

We all have our opinions idc, but I can assure you I am not a lone voice WRT iPod classic: there has been the PC Mag article. Go to the premier iPod and iPhone site - iLounge - there's a dedicated thread on the subject. Go to the review here on WHF - and on the Comments part a WHF writer gives his (subtle) opinion as well.

Also to remind you - I'm on my fourth iPod now (touch 64, and still not the last word in SQ but nice enough) - and to my ears by far the Classic 120gb was the worst sounding of the lot.

Also, ironically, one of the most expensive iPod docks is analogue - there's a review of it on the 'other UK website' - I'll give you a hint - its initials is TR - and its Hifi reviews are from one of the other leading UK hifi mags. This particular dock works only with the pre-Classic 120GB as they agree that the internal DAC was superior to the Classic 120gb's. Indeed it is a fact Apple threw away the Wolfson DACs for another one.

I know in various topics around I here I seem to be on a crusade against the most recent Classics, but apart from their large capacity I see no other redeeming features in them. They are really dated devices now. Of-course if one has a DAC and digital dock then it may well be a piece of gold.

Seconds out, round two….

At first I was just interested but
seen as I just put my nano 8gb through the washing machine I’m now on a
mission.

manicm:

I know in various topics around I here I seem to be on a crusade against the most recent Classics, but apart from their large capacity I see no other redeeming features in them. They are really dated devices now. Of-course if one has a DAC and digital dock then it may well be a piece of gold.

Fair enough! I am sure that the furture for me with the ipod is it connected via a dock to a definitely better off board DAC.

To the OP, have you tried drying it out or is it definitely kaput?

1trackman:

Seconds out, round two….

At first I was just interested but seen as I just put my nano 8gb through the washing machine I’m now on a mission.

Do not chuck the Nano out - it has been consistently great sounding - make it one big jukebox of your fave singles!

I've taken off the side panel of my PC and left the wet one there. A healthy dose of indirect warmth and then off to the rice jar. Say again - uncooked rice? Won't knock it till I've tried it....