iMod craze

[Tony]

I keep seeing more and more trusted people on headfi saying the Vcap iMod is as enjoyable as Pico dac (albeit they are different in sound signature and qualities).

In the past I used to believe iMod was overrated, but now I'm basically convinced I want a Vcap iMod and I'm preparing some big money to get it. This thread (and your replies) will be the last trial before I commit.

Hope you can helpz.

[aardvark baguette]

I haven't heard the imod and I dont plan on it; no cap of any size can compensate for a lackluster DAC.

My 0.02.

[n_maher]

You're already convinced, what exactly are we supposed to do?

For me it would come down to whether or not you're tied to using the Ipod as your transport. If you're not, the Imod/dock treatment sounds like a shite load of money for a solution that limits what you can do with it. You can couple the pico to anything that can output usb audio, you can't do anything else with the Imod other than use it with the dock and you can't use the dock with anything other than the Imod.

[boomana]

I have no idea what a V-cap imod sounds like, but it considering the other limitations of an ipod source (storage being one), I wouldn't drop big bucks on it when there are more affordable options that sound excellent and offer more. I have two imods (one on purpose, one accidental). They do sound better than regular ipods, and when I could bring music to work, it was a nice little set up. Also a great travel or bedroom rig. I now plan on selling both, or at least one, as it makes no sense to have them.

[Tony]

Sadly I only listen to music with a portable rig. I listen to it while traveling, walking, also at home, but never hooked up to the same place. This is why a couple of times I have tried to build a bang-for-the-buck home rig, but ended up selling it and sticking to IEMs.

I used to think the iMod (blackgates) was good but not awesome as some people thought, especially coming from good non-ipod solutions (like Kenwood or JVC mp3 players).

I listened to the 4th iMod this summer and thought it had slightly better instrument separation than the JVC I currently own, but I didn't think total cost (included the Xin Reference I was listening to) was worth the bulk and money.

Lately, though, I started carrying an amp with me (the iBasso P2), and I don't mind keeping carrying it in a waist pouch.

I'm pretty much convinced since the Vcap iMod seems to trump the old gen one.

I will stick to the iBasso P2 as current amp, while I'll upgrade to a Pico amp when I have money for it.

What I can't understand, though, is how a capacitor dock can make a lesser quality dac, like that of the iPod, as pleasing as the Pico DAC which has better quality cheap. Can the signal be conditioned to such an extent by a capacitor?

I'm also having been made a ELNA or Blackgate cable so that I can switch to it when I don't want to carry the big dock.

[Pars]

Capacitors cannot add to the sound... in fact, caps are the furthest away from their ideal electrical model of any component I can think of, especially electrolytics (BlackGate, Muse, Elnas, etc.). There is a reason that KG designs most of his amps DC-coupled.

[slwiser]

I have a iMod with the ALO Super cotton cable (blackgates). I also have the Auricap recharging dock in red wood. Ken has also sent me the Vcap doc in it's new form factor, the same as my Auricap Dock if you want to check it out. The new Vcap doc is slightly taller than the Auricap one. There is a distinct difference between the Super Cotton cable and the Auricap with the Auricap reminding me of my Lavry DA10. The Auricap doc compares to the Vcap with the Vcap being slightly warmer and maybe (?) more transparent. For my money the Vcap does not win me over the Auricap. I am glad I purchased the Auricap doc. Another thing if you go this path get yourself a good RCA to whatever plug your amp takes. I have the Xin Reference with the quarter input so I can get better signal transfer this way as well. These docks are nice in that you can listen while charging at the same time.

Remember Capacitors don't add, at least I would hope not, anything to the sound or signal. The different caps just get out of the way with each type doing something a little different to the signal in different ways producing what people attribute to them as their different sounds or color. Vcaps are considered to get out of the way most between these three being discussed here. As I was posting this I got a warning of another post and it is very much like this paragraph here.

[tiberian]

save your money and spend it on something else. i seriously don't see the need to throw that kind of money on a vcap dock or a product that has such a limited use - your portable rig is already good enough.

[hYdrociTy]

Instead of paying a thousand bucks to juice up an ipod with an additional dose of imperceptible "sound quality" you can probably buy a ue11...

I own an ipod photo, and heard a 4g imod and 5g imod in one sitting with assorted imod lod cables. I did not have the same holy experience as all the numerous other people who bought and bought into the imod.

You pay 250 bucks for a "mod" that is less of a "mod" than the 200 dollar 4g imod. Then you are bound to get an expensive cable to link to the capacitor, and another cable that links to the amp. You will end up spending a boatload of money just to avoid the "piece of shit caps" inside the ipod, just so you can send the signal an additional length thousands of times longer than before, through the air unshielded, multiple solder joints and wire types, and then through a capacitor that is minutely better than the stock junk. Then the signal goes through more jacks, solder joints, wires, and then finally reaches an amp. Not fun.

[Smeggy]

Hmmm, it just doesn't seem to make much financial sense when you could make a huge really tangible improvement with better phones. The mods may well improve things a bit but I doubt it'll be anywhere close to what you can achieve by spending that cash elsewhere. I guess I like to put money where I feel it'll be of most benefit to me. But It's your cash and ultimately your choice.

[justin]

Coming soon, from Nate Mods, the iPico...

[n_maher]

Coming soon, from Nate Mods, the iPico...

Say wha?

[slwiser]

The iMod 5.5g is shown in the ALO Auricap dock using RCA connector into the quarter input on the Xin Reference feeding either the ATH-ESW9 on the left and my new Ultrasone HFI-780 on the right. The rig I had at work today was what you see here except for the 780.

[Tony]

Coming soon, from Nate Mods, the iPico...

HAhaha, that would be nice.

[Guest DevilMayCry]

The iMod 5.5g is shown in the ALO Auricap dock using RCA connector into the quarter input on the Xin Reference feeding either the ATH-ESW9 on the left and my new Ultrasone HFI-780 on the right. The rig I had at work today was what you see here except for the 780.

That is a fine setup you have there. At first I thought how come you are using an iPod as a tabletop setup; however, it makes great sense to use it as a portable workplace rig. How do you like the Audio Line Out dock?