View Full Version : iPad sound quality
dave2010
24-05-2011, 04:44
I use an iPad for convenience, and sometimes listen via earphones directlly. Given the quality of the source material - some recorded from digital radio, some mp3s etc. I am mostly happy with the results. However I do wonder what it would sound like if I made up some tracks from good CDs - shold be easy enough to test. Would I then notice the limitations of the iPad compared with playing the CDs through a regular system?
For regular iPods - such as the Classic iPod - there are docks, including some digital docks such as the Onkyo and Wadia - which allegedly give much better sound quality. [I'm not doubting that some can hear this - but I've not heard any myself, so can't comment personally.]
Primarily I use the iPad for accessing the internet, and because it's often much quicker to use for tasks such as email - saves having to wait the hours (well sometimes up to 10 minutes) for waiting for a Windows laptop to start up. Audio wasn't a primary reason for buying it, but there's enough spare memory for me to be able to put quite a few albums on.
Is it even worth thinking about the audio output of an iPad?
Sound quality is very good from the iPad. I think you will be pleased. Rip some CDs into itunes and then sunc them onto your ipad and have a listen!
Butuz
dave2010
24-05-2011, 09:51
Sound quality is very good from the iPad. I think you will be pleased. Rip some CDs into itunes and then sunc them onto your ipad and have a listen!
ButuzI do have a cable bought from eBay which was recommended by someone else round here (under a tenner - maybe only £5 approx) which gives analogue outputs for feeding into an amp. I've tried it with a few iPods, but not seriously used it with the iPad.
Currently the only cable I can see on the Bay which is similar costs nearly £30 - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ipod-MP3-LOD-line-out-dock-cable-RCA-Phono-lead-amp-/220482067225?pt=UK_CE_MP3Access_RL&hash=item3355c15b19
which seems rather steep to me.
There did seem to be some views that using some form of digital output (e.g a digital dock) would give even better results, and a recent review of a DAC which I saw gave the impression that a good DAC driven by a digital output from an iPod could give really good results.
It's not vital for me - as I primarily bought the iPad for other reasons, but if it can do good quality sound as well that's a bonus. I could even buy a really cheap T amp for use in a bedroom maybe.
Just use any 3.5mm jack headphone lead. Very cheap. No need to use the ipad charge connector really as you can see the cables for that are very expensive.
I've only ever used the 3.5mm heaphone jack.
Butuz
Two options:
1. Buy this:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QRNseOS4L.jpg
Amazon link (http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-DAC-Amplifier/dp/B003N0XDT4). 10/10 from Trusted Reviews (http://www.trustedreviews.com/FiiO-E7_Portable-Audio_review). A bargain at £55!
2. If you buy the iPad Camera Connection Kit, you can connect a (preferably portable) DAC to it via USB :¬)
iPad is limited to 16bit, but that's still CD quality. To get bit perfect output from the iPad, you need to set the iPad/iPod app to full volume, and use the control on the DAC.
A handy list of compatible DACs with some key information (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/507559/list-of-dacs-that-work-with-ipad).
The NuForce uDAC 2 (http://www.istereos.co.uk/nuforce-udac2-laptop-headphone-p-344.html) is a nice option.
* iPAD with iOS 4.2.1 works with uDAC-2 provided that a powered USB hub is used between an iPAD and the uDAC-2.
You'd be covered in wires unfortunately.
dave2010
25-05-2011, 06:52
Ross
Think I've got an iPad camera connection kit somewhere - bought with other goodies. Presumably it should work with a Caiman, so could be worth comparing the output against the audio jack output. Might be better for Spotify etc. than using my laptop, though I prefer the Spotify interface on the laptop.
I'll try that when I have more time.
Ross
Think I've got an iPad camera connection kit somewhere - bought with other goodies. Presumably it should work with a Caiman, so could be worth comparing the output against the audio jack output. Might be better for Spotify etc. than using my laptop, though I prefer the Spotify interface on the laptop.
I'll try that when I have more time.
Dave, any particular reason you're choosing the iPad over the laptop as the music box? It might be a better idea to use the laptop for music and the iPad for mobile surfing/email and whatnot.
dave2010
25-05-2011, 10:43
Ross
Reasons
1. I don't use Spotify all the time.
2. Tidiness and speed of access. The laptop takes at least 4 minutes to fire up.
The iPad is usually charged and ready to go. Aesthetic considerations and other family members may also have an influence :)
3. Both would require to be plugged in, which in each case should only take a few seconds. The laptop may also need a mains socket, and that's not always convenient depending on what's plugged in where.
I do use Spotify with my laptop, and have used it to demonstrate music to others. Using an iPad is just another option, and as it seems I've probably got the bits, I may give it a shot.
One problem with the laptop, which could also apply to the iPad, is that if "something" happens in the computer it may emit a ping or a boing - which gets fed to the USB. This can happen if the screensaver kicks in, and then the mouse is moved to wake it up again. Similar things may also happen with the iPad of course.
Can you disable system sounds in Windows? You can in OSX, so I would imagine there is an option in the control panel.
dave2010
25-05-2011, 14:49
Can you disable system sounds in Windows? You can in OSX, so I would imagine there is an option in the control panel.Possibly, but then not everything actually works in Windows XP!
Life seems too short to worry about it. My imagining re Windows often centres on visualising millions of Windows systems being dumped into landfill, or being blasted off into outer space. :)
Possibly, but then not everything actually works in Windows XP!
Life seems too short to worry about it. My imagining re Windows often centres on visualising millions of Windows systems being dumped into landfill, or being blasted off into outer space. :)
Haha! :D
The iPad is fine through headphones (easily as good as an iPhone) and fine through a dock with built in speakers, but it's never going to set the world alight as a digital front end for a decent hi-fi system.
I have an iPad 1 (cannot vouch for the iPad2 mind you) with the camera connection kit which allows be async USB connection to my Audiolab 8200CDQ. It doesn't sound great. It's not as good as my 2007 Macbook Pro and that's nothing to write home about either.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.