I purchase a large quantity of music from Itunes which I download to my Ipod classic.  I have my Ipod connected to my 2 channel set up via a Panasonic Ipod dock with remote. 

I am rather limited in my comprehension of the technical specifications of audio gear.  Would I experiece any significant or noticeable sonic improvemnt by running my Ipod through a DAC and into my pre-amp?  I have been considering the Cambridge Audio Dac Magic.  The specs are articulated below.

Thoughts and comments would be helpful and appriciated.  Thanks!

If you have downloaded your tunes as MP3's.....I doubt that you will get much improvement, If you have downloaded or the ability to RIP in a lossless format than upgrading your DAC will give you a nice improvement.....goes back to GIGO, I've never been happy with any mp3's with the exception of earbuds at a noisy gym.....

Thank you fenderbender for repsonding to my request for help.

 I am using a Parasound Halo P-3 pre amp (specs below).

Frequency Response:
         5 Hz - 55 kHz, +0/-1 dB, full output

        Total harmonic distortion:
        < 0.01% 1 kHz; < 0.03% 20 kHz

        IM distortion: balanced 16 V rms
        < 0.03 %

        Maximum Output :
        > 8 V before clipping

        Input Impedance :
        > line input 30 kW; phono 47 kW

        Output Impedance :
        60 Ω

        Input Sensitivity:
        line inputs 150 mV, +/- 5%; phono 2 mV

        Maximum Input level:
        10.5 V before clipping

        S/N ratio:
        line input >92 dB, A-weighted, ref 1 V output
        line input >84 dB, unweighted, ref 1 V output

        Cross-talk:
         > 55 dB, 20 kHz

        Channel level matching:
        < 0.1 dB

         Voltage:
        Switchable for 110V - 120V or 220V – 240V operation

        Dimensions:
        17-1/4" w x 4-1/8" h x 13-3/4 " d, 3-5/8 " h without feet

        Net weight: 16 lb.

I am using the Panasonic SJM3151 Ipod docking station with remote.  This thing is really cool (specs below). 

So the thought process is that the Cambridge DAC would be a repetitive application and of no noticeable sonic benefit?

I apprreciate your patience with my limited comrehension of this subject matter. Thanks a bunch!

Beta,

Forget the spec sheets, they don't tell you a thing about how equipment sounds. I have no idea what your system is but I can guess the IPOD is your weak link. You may be headed in a different direction but tell us about your system and we might be able to give a suggestion for the best/cheapest improvement .

Thanx, Russ  

 Hey Beta,

If you're listening to MP3's, that is most likely your problem.  All of my Itunes are Lossless and sound pretty good though my 2 channel set up.  But my buddies Ipod (mp3) sound pretty bad through my 2 channel set up.   I don't think any DAC is going to help much with MP3's.   

Dennie

 your music will sound better with an off board dac.  the dac chip in the ipod is pretty low end. also...you need to consider the background wine of the hard drive in your ipod.  moving to a flash based ipod would improve things furthur.

Russ:

You hit the nail on the head.  The Ipod is the weak link.  The challenge is that Itunes and the Ipod are such a great way to purchase music.  Furthermore, Ipod plays for ever without the need to change a disc etc.

 My 2 channel system consists for the following...

Parasound Halo A-21 250 watt 2 channel amp, Parasound Halo P-3 pre amp, Cambridge Audio 840C redbook CD unit, Denon DCM 380 five disc redbook/mp3 CD unit, APC power conditioner and Polk PSW 450 12 inch sub.  The amp and pre amp are connected via balanced cables.

My speakers are another story.  Unfortunately, I chose a pair of Polk Audio rt2000i towers (build in subs) over Klipsch several years ago.  HUGE mistake.  The Polks produce way too much base and offer (in my opinion) very, very poor mid and high range.  I prefer a much "brighter" sound than the Polks produce. 

I am very seriously considering moving into the RF-83s.  My hope is the RF-83s will give me the "crisper" or "brighter" high end I am looking for.  Many have suggested the Cornwall III.  However, my wife wouldn't cook for me ever again if I introduced such large (wide) speaker to our living room.

By the way, I just discovered I can connenct the Ipod directly to my Cambrodge Audio 840C, which supposedly have a very good DAC.  Supposedly far better that the one in the Cambridge Dac Magic.

By the way, I do rip all music from Itunes using lossless and the highest bit rate.

This forum is great.  It is truly hard to find folks that understand such subject matter.  Thanks for any tips anyone might be able to provide.  So very much appreciated!

Beta,

Your system electronics are first class, I'd go with the RF-83s. Your gear will match the RFs really well. Go for the speakers and we can tweak the cables for the last fine tuning. The Klipsch will be more forward in the midrange and upper midrange but they lack a bit of "air" around the very top end, it's a good trade off, the Polk are generally very laidback. Keep us posted.

Thanx, Russ 

Will do.  Thank you Russ!

Hey Beta,

If you have a Cambridge 840C then what would work great for you is a Wadia 170iTransport iPod dock. This is the only dock in the world that can extract the digital signal from an iPod and send it to be processed by an external dac, in your case the 840C. The crappy iPod internal dac is completely bypassed which means that as long as your music is ripped in a lossless format, your iPod becomes a CD quality music server. You can get these for around $350.

Thanks Tag 1.7

I have read many positive reviews of the Wadia 170i and I have visitied their web site many times. 

Any opinions on the quality and features of the remote that comes with the 170i?  My Phillips remote allows one to look up and select any song, artist, playlist, play songs randomly, by album etc.  The phillips remote is really quite spectacular in terms of features.    

http://www.wadia.com/products/transports/170i/craftsmanship.php

As always, thanks for the tips...

The Wadia's remote is very basic - just play/pause and skip basically. I just make up lots of playlists or hit shuffle when using this so it works great for me.