Ab Work Outs: Wadia 170iTransport iPod transport with S/PDIF digital audio output Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is NOT your run of the mill iPod dock!
This is NOT a Digital to Analog converter!

This is an iPod dock that bypasses the ultra cheap D to A converter in your iPod (iTouch, etc.). Yes it charges the iPod and has a remote control, but it is NOT something you can set your iPod in, connect speakers, and listen to.

1. There (Yes, I'm repeating myself) is no internal Digital to Analog converter.
2. There is no internal amplifier. Thus there are no speaker outputs.

This first and foremost allows you to get the best audio quality out of an iPod. If you have loaded your iPod with CD quality audio files (AIF or WAV), what you hear from your audio system is CD quality audio.

I am not a fan of MP3 files but as a test I compared the output from this device to another traditional dock and could notice a difference in the audio quality.

Here is the bottom line. If you have loaded your iPod with CD quality audio and want to hear the true quality on your audio system this is the device for you. You will spend more on this device than you did on your iPod and you will need a Digital to Analog converter and an amplifier before you can attach speakers.

But let's look at it another way. I have seen iPod docks costing over $2000. Why pay that much for a dock when all of the audio first has to go through a D to A which probably costs less than $.25? Something about the weakest link in a chain.

At almost $400 if you primarily listen through earphones, buy a good set of earphones with the money. If you want to use your iPod as a convenient device to transport your CD audio files this is a great device.

This dock does have video outputs that perform in a similar way but I cannot comment on this functionality because I never load video files on my iTouch.

Oh yeah. Next time you are ripping a CD into iTunes set the quality to AIF. Then re-sample the file to MP3 in iTunes. You may hear a difference. If you do it only means you may have only 700 tunes instead of 7000 tunes, but you may enjoy them more.

Remember, its all about enjoying the music not the gear!

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Product Description:
The 170iTransport from Wadia is the first ever component specifically designed to transform your iPod into a high-resolution audio/video media server. The 170iTransport combines the convenience of personal audio with the performance and connectivity of your home audio/video system, delivering a bit-perfect digital audio signal via S/PDIF coaxial (RCA) output and DVD quality video via component outputs, all built on a sleek black aluminum chassis.