Possible to change the DAC in iPod Classic?

Question

I have a 160GB iPod Classic filled with around 300 cds in lossless format. The size of the hard drive and ipod interface are great but the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. I use Sure SE530 and Etymotic ER4P earphones, which sound amazing through the headphone amp in my regular Hi-Fi so I know it's not them. I have read that the Cirrus DAC is very likely the weakest link in this generation. Is there any way to change it out with a higher quality DAC Chip?

Answer 1

Apple could pretty much own the digital audio segment if they made a commitment to audio quality. If they were to make lossless files available on itunes, and built high quality dacs into their ipod and computers, they would put the CD player, transport and music distributors industries out of business. Until they find religion, we will have to fend for ourselves. Your question is really important, for if you are going to the trouble and expense (hard drive capacity use) of storing lossless files, you are also interested in the quality of the sound that comes out of your machine. Well, the solution is difficult. Most commercially available ipod docks are not line level and fewer still are digital out. If you can adjust the volume on your ipod after it is docked, then you are basically listening to the output that you would hear from your headphone jack. The reason the headphone jack sounds so bad is that is uses the internal dac of the ipod, and due to the limitations of headphones and earbuds, the headphone out bass is also attenuated. Therefore, it is important to find a dock that will use the digital source prior to the dac from your ipod. There are a few out there. Wadia makes a very expensive truely digital dock, and then you have to hook it up to your own dac with its digital out. Also, Red Wine Audio will mod a 3rd generation Ipod and upgrade the dac. Unfortunately, these solutions are so clumsy and expensive that you're better off using a Macbook or MacMini, with lossless files, and a USB dac to your audio system rcas. Someone needs to invent a compact digital dock with an integrated dac to make the ipod practical as an audiophile source. Their material doesn't get specific, so I can't figure out if the SRS iWow for the ipod is a dac, or an equilazer, but I suspect it does not bypass the ipod's dac. I'll have to call them in order to pin them down. If it simply acts as a preset equalizer, it is not much of a product. It will not add detail back to the music, nor will it be able to process the digital data in a refined manner, when compared to a quality external dac. In the meanwhile, any mac or pc can be converted into a digital source better than cd players selling for many thousands of dollars. I have one mac mini hooked up to a tube dac (and to tube monoblock amps), and another mini hooked up to an external dac and a tube buffer (and to a single ended tube amp). My next project is to figure out how to wirelessly stream my music files from my main mini, to the other one or my macbook, and to use mac tv to backup my main computers' files. I was told tonight that I can change the settings on my Airpot Extreme to do this, and I can add the mac tv later to back everything up. Other than that, all you can do is pray that Mac introduces an ipod for audiophiles. Then you can just put docks by each computer you use, wherever it is in the world, and have a first class digital source. I use dac and a USB chord with each of the other systems in my house and just plug the macbook into whichever system I want to listen to at a given time. Good luck.