Ipod to Digital Out

Thanks Marco - that thread was really helpful, and it does appear like the Monitor Audio unit takes digital out of the ipod. Maybe someday... we'll all be able to get digital out to our personal DAC!

I have not seen anything about Apple planning to add this feature to the iPod. However, if you do get an iPod and start using iTunes, you can purchase an Apple Airport Express ($109.00) which does have a Toslink (mini)digital output which you can connect to a DAC.

The Airport Express can join an existing wireless network or can be setup to connect wirelessly direct to your computer via b or g wireless. This allows you to wirelessly stream your music from iTunes and enjoy the benefits of your DAC.

I do this and it works great..

Chris

and it does appear like the Monitor Audio unit takes digital out of the ipod.

I don't know; I seem to recall that Vinnie was very skeptical as to how they might achieve that, and why more companies do not do the same thing. You might write to him if you want to get his input on the subject. That said, my car stereo has an iPod interface that I plug into which requires a separate box to achieve. I don't understand what the box does and why the stereo isn't just taking the line-out from the iPod and amplifying it (why would you need an interface for that? Other than to get another $100 from your customer.). In the case of my car deck (an Alpine), the CD player does sound superior to the iPod playing the same material for whatever that's worth.

OK - I've got an email in to the technical i-Deck person at Monitor Audio. I'll report back if I get an answer.

Peter_s

The Ipod is capable of digital out. BUT it takes software to do that. The new Itunes interface will read the songs from your Ipod and put them on your hard drive. Before this there were 3d party applications that would acomplish the same thing. So I think it is a matter of knowing which pins output the digital signal from the Ipod connection, fireing up the Ipod and reading the info from the Ipod. What this digital signal is I have no Idea so software may be required to convert it. But it seems logical that one could make a cable to go from the Ipod connector out to an RCA connector if the pin outs were known.

Just my 2 cents.