How? How does it take the signal and get it off the iPod BEFORE the internal DAC? Once the signal has made its way to the dock connector port, it's already analog, no?

It must require modifications to the iPod to get digital out of the dock connector. Looks like a great piece, and sensibly priced (For Wadia). Hopefully it comes to market asap!

Price point is one thing, performance another. If I know Wadia, the iTransport "could" transform my iPod into an audiophile-grade digital music source. This is a scary thought for someone like me, to think that a mass marketed hip-hugging, grocery shopping, soccer-momming, pop-tarting, yet thoughtfully designed Personal Audio Device like the iPod could somehow win my heart when it came down to serious high-fidelity. Plop this thing down next to my Meridian Reference and when I'm convinced, you'll have a believer. Can an audiophile truly appreciate personal audio? Deep down, as much as I hesitate to admit this, I've been secretly hoping that this little gadget called the iPod would find a home in my high fidelity system. My least expensive pair of interconnects costs more than the iPod/iTransport setup. This is exactly what makes the iTransport so scary, and so wonderful. Perhaps it is time I find a Wadia dealer, raise my iPod from the depths of the car seat cushions, and begin dow

The unit does bypass the internal DAC and also the analog output stage of the stock i-pod. You don't need to modify your i-pod and it will work with an i-phone, i-pod-touch and the i-pod classics series. The idea is that the cradle authenticates itself in a special way to allow the i-pod to send out the digital data. It should be loaded as a WAVE or Apple Losless Coding file though as you cannot add data that has been lost due to lossy compression beforehand. I saw it in action. It is really quite nice even though the docking station is not yet finished on the cosmetic part of things. You can even use the small Apple control with it. Way cool! Jan

Very cool. The new transport, with iPod instead of CD's. I want one. I'm sure they've compared it to their high-end CDP/CDT's too. No ones talking? High-end CDP/CDT's were destined to become obsolete, or transmogrify into music servers, or in this case a Dock. It's inevitable. Question is; why didn't KRELL do this with their $1500 KID? $349 digital output iPod dock vs $1500 analog iPod dock. hmmmmm... An easy decision, and fantastic solution for those with high-end DAC's. No wireless streaming issues either, just straight digital output to a DAC and from a storage device with minimal HW and SW compared to a computer, that's a plus. Only real downside is limited storage and a somewhat inconvenient UI since it's on the iPod (you can use the Apple Remote, like with Front Row, although the iPod screen isn't really visible across the room. iTouch/iPhone remote solution?). And with storage capacity using Apple Lossless that's 400+ albums with the 160GB Classic

I'm very excited to see that cd and dvd players will be obsolete soon. The Wadia iTransport with a Wadia decoding computer would be a lot of fun if you have $7500 to burn. For me Apple TV does the trick for now. Apple TV already allows you to send the digital audio stream to whatever DAC you choose and you don't have to rely on a hack like Wadia has implemented. I'm not saying it doesn't work but certainly it might be vulnerable considering future iPod specifications.

This is not a "hack" like what we saw from MSB. This is an Apple Certified Accessory. Wadia worked directly with apple to modify the firmware to allow the dac bypass. I see no reason to worry about future compatability.

Is there any other product that offers a direct digital link? Also I agree Krell seemed to have miscalculated (and I am a Krell product owner). Also is this availible yet? I have been listening to my itouch with lossless audio and the sound is very impressive...Id like to hear this on my main rig!

It's great to bypass the DAC and yet the 16/44 output seems a limiting factor. On a laptop I can get from Lossless 24/96 files via Firewire to a high-grade D/A to produce pristine analog -- in fact, this is what pro audio engineers want for reviewing client projects. I wonder if a device like this could provide higher output bit rates in future, perhaps even via Firewire? That would make the iPod a viable alternative to laptops for this kind of hi-res audio.

Does the analog out on this dock = the ipod analog out?

Does anyone know if I can hook up the Itranport directly to a power amplifier and control the amplifier's volume using just the supplied remote? In effect I'd be bypassing a preamp to save a little cash.

I was looking into this but there is one big problem. With the ipod video you will not be able to access the menu/click wheel. Meaning you will have to create a play list and then navigate by memory through your songs.

The Wadia Dock need a HDMI and a usb , slot so you can use your monitor to view the movies , or playlist, the usb will be for future storage.

Is there any benefit in using the wadia in analog mode only, instead of a cheapo Apple ipod dock? Or is the only benefit to be had if you use a DAC or have a DAC built into your receiver?