Ipod docks

[Chris Frost]

Seems to me that it would be easier if the Ipod dock was the remote.

Ohh FFS, that's exactly what I've been saying. Jeez

[Pierre De Grenoble]

No, were not talking about a Squeezebox or anything that streams from your pc.

What we are talking about is you "walking in from work, taking your iPod out of your shirt pocket and..." plugging it to a handled dock that looks like a remote control but it streams wirelessly to a receiver plugged in to your HiFi. To change tunes you use the iPod jog wheel. OK?

So, would you buy it at £200???

No I wouldn't.. would I spend £200 yes I would. but call me old fashioned, I would just feel happier if the Ipod connected directly to the amp. I do not want to transfer data by wireless from the Ipod to the amp.
I suspect that the system/method you are describing streams the data from the player to reciever plugged into the amp, because this way, it works on any brand of player, using any musical file format, loaded using any software. etc etc & I can fully understand the economics of all this

It doesn't get away from my original question of why can't apple do this?? and give me and probably what a million other people need??

[shane]

Ohh FFS, that's exactly what I've been saying. Jeez

Sorry, long day....

[Vinyl Grinder]

I'm i missing something here or just stuck in my quality ways!!!???

[Vinyl Grinder]

I mean is what all these specialist hi-fi companies strived for over the years to come to this shite, wiping them off the map. not...

[shane]

No, I wouldn't have said so. When I was a kid, everyone had Dansette groove-grinders, and the tiny number of wealthy enthisiasts had expensively built valve amps and separates from very specialised outlets that the masses had never heard of. Seems to me that the situation is pretty much the same now. Whilst it hasn't caught up with the high end yet, An Ipod is a hell of a lot better than any Dansette could ever be, and is now good enough to be acceptable to the hi-fi enthusiast for every-day use, even if it isn't up to serious listening. My Squeezebox doesn't hold a candle to my turntable, but it gets a lot more use because it's so easy; it's on as background music all day. The Ipod/remote idea would be even better.

Mass-market sound has improved out of all recognition compared with twenty or thirty years ago.All those (including myself) who feel that vinyl is the ultimate tend to forget how truly awful a cheap record player could be! The downside is that the general public find the sound they get good enough now for it never to occur to them that there might be anything better.

[Pierre De Grenoble]

No, I wouldn't have said so. When I was a kid, everyone had Dansette groove-grinders, and the tiny number of wealthy enthisiasts had expensively built valve amps and separates from very specialised outlets that the masses had never heard of. Seems to me that the situation is pretty much the same now. Whilst it hasn't caught up with the high end yet, An Ipod is a hell of a lot better than any Dansette could ever be, and is now good enough to be acceptable to the hi-fi enthusiast for every-day use, even if it isn't up to serious listening. My Squeezebox doesn't hold a candle to my turntable, but it gets a lot more use because it's so easy; it's on as background music all day. The Ipod/remote idea would be even better.

Mass-market sound has improved out of all recognition compared with twenty or thirty years ago.All those (including myself) who feel that vinyl is the ultimate tend to forget how truly awful a cheap record player could be! The downside is that the general public find the sound they get good enough now for it never to occur to them that there might be anything better.

Perfectly said....................

[Chris Frost]

No I wouldn't

Well there you have it, you see. Current technology does offer a solution very close to what I've just described except (and I'll type this bit slowly so we can all follow the pictures, ) that it's a dongel that plugs in to the iPod instead of the iPod emdedding in to a "remote shaped/size" wireless transmitter. But you turned your nose up at it.

BTW, these things work by streaming the analogue output over a wireless link so it's software/file format independant.

There's always the Crestron solution. A mere snip at US $700 for the dock and $12,000 for the fancy colour touchscreen tablet & processor* which turns Apple's OSD in to nice pretty pictures for people with more money than sense. And guess what, it works on analogue too!

Have you though about sending an email to Apple HQ and see what response you get?


Regards


*$12,000 gets you more that iPod connectivity you'll be relieved to read. Control the telly, set the temp in your swimming pool, all the James Bond stuff. Still can't make the wife pick up a duster though; but if you've got $12K for a remote then she's probably got staff for those jobs.

[shane]

BTW, these things work by streaming the analogue output over a wireless link so it's software/file format independant.

Does that mean it converts the analogue output of the Ipod back to digital and streams it to the base station which converts it back to analogue, or is it an analogue wireless system, as with infra-red headphones and suchlike? Either way there will be degredation of the sound. Can an Ipod output a digital stream, or are you stuck with the analogue output via the incorporated DACs and audio output circuitry? I don't have one myself, so I don't know what it can do.
The ideal would be to stream the digital output of the Ipod to the base station wirelessly, which would then allow a really good DAC to feed the hifi. If the Ipod was full of AAC or FLAC files, then presumably the result could be better than CD quality.

[Chris Frost]

Does that mean it converts the analogue output of the Ipod back to digital........streams..........base station......... converts back to analogue, or is it an analogue wireless system, ....... infra-red headphones and suchlike? ....... ....... degredation of the sound. Can ....... ....... Ipod output ....... digital stream, stuck ..................... incorporated DACs ............................ audio output ...................................circuitry? ...................................stream the digital........................................... ..................................output.......... .................................................. .................really good DAC .................................................. ....................full of AAC or FLAC files,............................................ .................................................. .... better than CD quality.

Oh God, I'm losing the will to live.

There are cheaper, better, easier ways than trying to make this shire horse run the Grand National.

Here you are, an iPod with digital output. A snip at $2000. http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/28/i...-with-a-catch/

Here a link to a forum full of iPod hackers.