Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter & USB DACs

[miguelito]

9 minutes ago, Donzauker said:

Yep....

you have to verify which sampling rate output your iPad support.

sure it must be 48kHz or more.

 

TIDAL on the iPad will not support anything other than 44KHz (maybe 48KHz in the case of MQA files). TIDAL DOES NOT stream anything over 48KHz, and since there is no software unfolding in iOS at the moment, that's what you will get. If you connect an MQA capable DAC to the USB output, the DAC could decode the MQA stream, but I am not sure if this actually is available yet in iOS (TIDAL on iOS might be trimming off the 8 bits that carry MQA encoding).

[miguelito]

14 minutes ago, BilboAlaska said:

I don't see where Apple tells us what the sample rates are available but I assume now that the new iPad Pro will always show the green light. Everyone from Tidal to Dragonfly is talking rates except the iPad and iMac.

It's actually very simple:

 

If you use the lightning audio interface, then the output is limited to 24 bit/48KHz max. Also true for Bluetooth connections. This is a design decision made by Apple. Connections that use the lightning audio interface are the Apple adapter dongle (to 3.5mm jack), the Apple earbuds, Audeze's lightning cable, etc.

 

If you use the lightning to USB adapter, you're NOT using the lightning audio interface but the data interface to the iOS device. In this case, if you use an appropriate player (*), you will be able to get higher rates out. In my case I use the Dragonfly Red with the lightning to USB3 adapter (the lightning to USB adapter, which is smaller, produced clicks and pops - a known bug in the adapter it seems).

 

(*) Eg: the Onkyo HF Player - which I highly recommend. This player supports upsampling, and files up to 24/192 and DSD64 if not higher.

[miguelito]

20 minutes ago, Donzauker said:

I don't know much about Tidal but maybe on the Mac you can stream or play files at high bit rate to see the pink light on DFR, while iPad can't do this and the max bitrate remains 44.1 kHz (green light).

The Mac or PC native TIDAL apps can "unfold" MQA files resulting in a 2x rate file off of the 44 or 48 KHz streamed file. At the moment no iOS/Android app can unfold the MQA encoding so there's absolutely no way to get TIDAL to stream out a file of higher than 48KHz rate out of an iOS or Android device.

[miguelito]

6 hours ago, BilboAlaska said:

I have to say on my recent 6 weeks traveling in Thailand with the new iPad Pro and Herus Dac to headphones the music sounded very good. I would say the headphones being the weakest linc because I didn't carry big high end cans. http://www.resonessencelabs.com/shop/herus/

I gave it to my bro in law and replaced it with the DF Red.  

 

At the same time I realized that a portable music player would be more convenient. I am considering the Onkyo DPX1, Astel &Kern, Sony, etc. but that is another forum thread. http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=DP-X1&class=Portable&source=prodClass

 

I just downloaded the Onkyo HF Player app.

 

I appreciate the members here patience with the digitally ignorant. Thanks.

I have a Sony ZX2 and Noble K10 custom IEMs. To be honest, I tend to not carry or travel with the ZX2 anymore... With the DF Red and the K10s off of my iPhone, I am done.

[miguelito]

3 hours ago, bmwr75 said:

I bought the USB 3 camera kit so I could use a Dragonfly Red in my car and simulaneously charge my iPhone 5 or latest generation iPod Touch.  It will not charge either device.  Anyone else ran into this problem?   I contacted Apple Support and they said it was not meant to allow charging at all.  WTF??

I can charge my iPhone 7 while playing just fine.

[miguelito]

4 hours ago, Donzauker said:

I charged and listened same time only once up to now with my iPhone 5s and it worked fine except a little interference (very low background noise). Have to retest...

I do not have any issues with either the USB (small, other than the clicks I used to experience with the DFR) or the USB3 (bigger, no issues with DFR). Using an iPhone 7+ with latest iOS and USB3 adapter firmware updated (the iPhone will update it for you if needed). Charges and plays perfectly fine (literally just checked as I haven't used it for a few weeks and there were two iOS updates in between).

[miguelito]

30 minutes ago, bmwr75 said:

Wonder if my USB3 camera kit is defective because based on the above responses it should at least charge my Gen 7 iPod Touch?  It doesn't though.

Possible... What version of iOS are you running? There's a lot of handshaking in lightning devices it seems and your iOS version might just be too old. I don't know. I am using the latest software versions.

[miguelito]

19 hours ago, Gonzbull said:

So after updating to 10.3 and then 10.3.1, my CCK2 is now unsupported. I know I'm not the only one with this problem. The CCK3 is a bit too bulky even though I only use the DFB at home. I managed to find this cable which i'm going to try. Not sure if its USB 2 or 3 but I guess that doesn't matter in my situation.

 

 http://www.lavricables.com/cables/reference-silver-lightning-to-audioquest-dragonfly-dac-interconnect-cable-by-lavricables/

That cable looks great. But indeed it is pricey!

 

FWIW... With my iPhone 7+ (running any iOS version, but more recently 10.3.1) I get a few clicks and pops when using the Apple Lightning to USB adapter (the small one) whereas no issues with the Lightning to USB3 adapter (the big one which also allows charging at the same time). This is a known issue that -some- people seem to have, can see it on the Audioquest website.

 

My point is this expensive cable might have the same issue as the small Apple adapter so I will stay away unless I can return it.