Ipod Dock with direct out?????

I had no idea the iPod could actually output digital and bypass it's own DAC.

Well, the Wadia 170 iTransport is the only licensed product on the market to do this. But, as you can read in this thread, MSB offers the ability to modify the iPod to do this as well.

"They actually re-clock the digital signal so that they reduce jitter to almost zero."
I'm not too conversant with this topic, but I would have thought that jitter wasn't really an issue with music file playback (such as mp3, AAC, lossless etc) since the file is read and bufferred by the playback device (PC or iPod), as opposed to a disc which has to read and play the data on the fly.
Any jitter will have come from the original rip and is now part of the file, unable to be removed. Am I wrong?

Any jitter will have come from the original rip and is now part of the file, unable to be removed. Am I wrong?

From what I have read, yes, you would be wrong, in context. There is a great article on jitter in a recent Stereophile or TAS issue that discussed jitter. Jitter is only an issue outside the digital realm, bringing it from analog to digital (i.e. making the master) and bringing it from digital back to analog. (So you are right in the sense of the original (master) rip, not the subsequent though and it cannot be removed. This is partly why early CD's were bad, according to the article.)

I just received my Wadia iDock. Know before you buy: this is not a fully developed product. If you use the digital out, you have no practical access to your iPod library through either the iPod’s LCD screen or any other OSD. You have to select / create a playlist before you connect it to the dock, and can only navigate within the playlist you have pre-selected. You can only access the full library using the iPod click wheel if you switch the output mode to analog, thus negating the main selling point of the product. To switch back to digital, you literally have to disconnect the iPod from the dock, and then reseat it, being mindful that you may have to turn off your processor also lest it be confused by the absence of signal.

Navigation with the included remote (clearly an afterthought) is painful with only play/pause and song-by-song click through navigation. And remember, with no LCD display, you have to rely on your memory to locate a song on the playlist (“is Stairway to Heaven before or after Black Dog")? Even if you change the mode output to analog, there is no menu button on the remote. The remote that came with my $100 JBL iPod speaker dock is positively state-of-the-art compared to this piece of garbage. For those of you that miss the inconvenience of working with a turntable, this is the product for you.

I'm still judging the sound quality difference between this and analog playback through the headphone jack. Songs that I had not converted to Apple Lossless or WAV files did sound much more detailed using the processor of my Arcam AVP700 (not a surprise). Oddly, I could not hear the same improvement in songs that had been converted to Apple Lossless. As I play more music through the Wadia, I will come up with a more developed opinion of its sonic merits.

The unit is made in China, not the U.S. like other Wadia products. The build quality is fair to good (notwithstanding my comments about the remote). The silver finish seemed “uneven” under certain light. Do not expect to see the same rigorous QC standards normally associated with Wadia products.

This is the first time I have ever been a “first adopter” of a new electronics gadget. I ignored what I know about all 1st generation products, and purchased the iDock based solely on Wadia’s reputation for quality. I am now paying the price. It’s clear they rushed the iDock to market before it was ready. Most people who converted to iPod digital did so primarily to gain convenient access to their music libraries. Regardless of Wadia’s intent to improve the sound quality of the iPod, they undermined the principle behind the product they sought to enhance. This is inexcusable. I can’t believe Apple gave their stamp of approval to this dock. I’m certain, like me, they expected much more from Wadia.

Wow, quite a brutal assessment Uclaid. My experience differs from yours and maybe this is partly because I knew somewhat what to expect from the iTransport going in, as I had seen it at an audio show.

I am curious what iPod model you are using? Some of the things you slam the iTransport for are not a problem for me, I use the iPod Classic. Example, I have no problems using the iPod click wheel to navigate through my iPod while it is docked on the iTransport while using the digital out; I did read in the manual that this may not be the case for all iPod models, there are many models. Again, I can freely navigate my iPod while docked. In doing so I can also see what tracks are being played, so finding Stairway to Heaven or Black Dog is not a problem. :)

As for sound quality, I am very pleased with the performance of it, indistinguishable from a Meridian transport.

Also, I find the fit and finish to be without reproach.