When it comes to digital audio and my DS I have used the Bridge, SPDIF, TOSLINK, and I2S connections on a regular basis. Without a computer (my iPad doesn’t count) in or near the listening room I had not used USB, but recently I tried it using my iPhone. I was listening to the CBC Music app and wi…

I would think it would have to bypass the internal DAC. I’m assuming you are using the Lightning connector to USB (with a special cable or some type of USB adapter). The DS can only understand a digital signal and that’s all the iPhone 7 puts out anyway so I don’t see what role the iPhone DAC coul…

Hi, I’m a PC guy, but I know the Mac Mini is one of the most popular computers to use for music. Anyway, never mind that, I just reread your post again. I personally don’t know anyone who uses their phone for anything but control. The signal may go through some things before output, but not the DAC.…

Thanks for the replies! I think Stevem2 gave me the Doh! response. Certainly makes sense now that he said it. The nagging feeling is there was such a big deal about the Wadia unit when it came out, but now there is no mention of it at all. I have a so-so Marantz all-in-one unit for use in my nor…

I misread your original post and thought you were using an iPhone 7 rather than a 5. Same answer basically. I’m not sure iPods and iPhones always put out a digital signal that could easily be read by external DACs. That may have changed somewhere along the line, which could explain why there were …

Stevem2, you read it correct the first time. I had an iPhone 5 and just upgraded to the 7. My observation (in a very small sample size, i.e., one or two listens) was the 7 sounded worse. That got me thinking if the DS was actually getting a raw digital signal or something else. My take on your o…

Just shows how bad my short and medium term memory have gotten. Also just too lazy to reread the post. [confused] It’s definitely a digital signal over the Lightning connector, for both iPhones.

The issue with the iPhone is that the data travels through the iPhone sound mixer and gets significantly degraded thru conversion processes in the digital domain. You end up with narrow stage width and reduced dynamics. Damien, the programmer for Audirvana, cannot write an app to send out pure data …

By-passing Internal DAC of Apple Products

Audio Components DACs

pmotz April 15, 2017, 3:39am 9

Cxp, thanks for that bit of information! It could be they changed something in the mixer between the iPhone 5 & 7 that accounts for the sound difference. Perhaps some experimenting is in order!

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By-passing Internal DAC of Apple Products

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