iPod touch as music server

[syganymede]

I had hoped to find that the iPod touch with the version 3 operating system, which enables Bluetooth audio (A2DP), would make it feasible to use an iPod touch as the music server, sending the audio out to a Bluetooth receiver/amplifier or Bluetooth enabled loudspeakers.

 

But I have been very dissapointed in the audio quality of the reproduction in a trial I made using a commercially available Bluetooth module. The sound is far far worse than 192kHz MP3 compression and has a kind of "sawdust" grating overlay to all high frequencies. The dynamics are lost and the frequency range is rather low (not above 15kHz). I don't know if the problem is the Bluetooth receiver module, the iPod or the implementation of the Bluetooth SBC codec... on either end.

 

I used some 24bit/96kHz source material, downsampled to 16/44 an AIFF file formats. The same material played out through the iPod touch audio output was an improvement, as again was the direct audio output from my MacBook. The Airport Express audio output was indistinguishable from the MacBook quality. It goes without saying that none of these compared to the 24/96 output through my Firewire DAC.

 

Any others have experience of using the iPod touch as a music source?

 

[Audio_ELF]

As I recall it, the A2DP implements compression so you won't get uncompressed / losslessly compressed in all it's glory. I did see that Onkyo have announced a iPod dock which accesses the iPod audio stream digitally (ala Wadia i170) for around £150 which can be connected to a DAC.

 

Eloise