Apple Dock and Rockbox

[h.finn]

Hallo,
I'm interested in buying a dock for my iPod 5gen. video.
I'm looking at any decent dock with rca out / or 3.5mm stereo jack out.
Not interested in the video out.
I was looking at the Apple Universal Dock.
I've looked at the list of tested accessories on the forum but can't find the right information.
Does anybody know if this dock would work with Rockbox or do you have any suggestion concerning any other compatible iPod dock?

Many thanks to all!
 

[Chronon]

Do you mean this page?
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/WebHome?topic=IpodAccessories

[h.finn]

Hi Chronon,
And thanks for the answer!
Yeah, that's the page: except they mention the "iPod Radio Remote" and I wasn't sure.
Is it actually the Apple Universal Dock?:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC746LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0OQ&mco=MjAyNDIwNTA#

................
hope so!!
 

[Chronon]

No, that is a different product.

However, there is a list of other docks (not made by Apple) that work to varying degrees.  I don't have any firsthand knowledge, so I can only point to what I read there.

[h.finn]

hhhmmmm
 
the fact is that of the ones listed, only the two Onkyo ones allow you to connect to a stereo amp.
And they are old models.
The others are just (lower quality) portable players.
Does anyone know of any dock that allows to connect to a home stereo and play songs in good quality? With a Rockboxed iPod?
At the moment I'm simply using this, but it's..........ehm......rather basic, .....but better than the earphone jack.

Many thanks!!!

[torne]

Those just happen to be the only ones where a user has 1) tested it and 2) actually reported back. Anything not listed just hasn't been tried, and may or may not work.

[h.finn]

Thanks again.
Does anybody have any suggestion?

Many thanks.
Post Merge: February 10, 2011, 11:16:32 AMAs a complement to my enquiry:
............I was thinking: if I don't care about the functionality of the remote, would any dock be able to bring the music from the iPod (+Rockbox) to the amp?

Thanks again!

[saratoga]

if I don't care about the functionality of the remote, would any dock be able to bring the music from the iPod (+Rockbox) to the amp?

The dock connector you have already does that. 

[h.finn]

Thanks Saratoga.
And yes, it does, but I was after a dock with a good sound quality output, something like the Arcam irdock:
http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,solo,ipod-docks,irDock.htm.

Thanks again for any suggestion.
 

[saratoga]

Thanks Saratoga.
And yes, it does, but I was after a dock with a good sound quality output, something like the Arcam irdock:

A dock is a piece of wire that connects the line out jack on the dock connector to your stereo.  They're all identical. 

[h.finn]

Aha....
not at all.
Docks like the Arcam, or Onkyo, or Apple etc. actually have a Dac inside.
Wolfson Dac in the case of the Apple............
 

[saratoga]

Docks like the Arcam, or Onkyo, or Apple etc. actually have a Dac inside.

If you're asking if you can use an external dac with your player, then no.  You can only use line out docks. 

[h.finn]

Thanks again Saratoga.
.........well, my options (if I understand it right) to get good quality music from the iPod to my amp are:
1) a basic connector (first picture).
2) a good quality dock (second picture).
3) a good quality "digital" dock that takes the unfettered digital signal before passing it on via coaxial or digital + an external dac (third & fourth picture).

I would prefer to go for the second one, and therefore find a suitable decent dock which works with rockbox.

Thanks
 

[[Saint]]

I'm not sure why you want a dock at all...personally.

You already have a line out connector, and, that does exactly the same thing as a dock is going to do...

Except of course in the cases of the docks with built-in DACs, but isn't the whole point of using the line out to get access to raw sound output?
In my mind, feeding that into a DAC from the dock just defeats the purpose.

If you're going to be plugging straight into an amplifier, then seriously...your simple connector is fine, and the most versatile solution also.

I made myself a Line IN/OUT adapter (the pinout fot these iPods is well known and freely available) quite similar to the one you have pictured in your earlier post.
It allows me to switch between line in/out via a switch on the adapter itself, and has two 3.5mm stereo female sockets to handle the line connections.

I built that for approximately $15 (including cabling and chosen ends to terminate for my line in/out-to-3.5mm cables) with parts from my local electronics hobby-supply store, it fits in my pocket so I can take it with me anywhere.

At the moment the dock adapter had a ~2" 3.5mm male-to-6.35mm male cable running from my CF'd iPod Color to the personal amp velcro-taped to the back of the iPod.
A nice, affordable, versatile, and practical solution IMO.


[St.]

[torne]

Docks which connect to the ipod as a "smart" device and have their own DAC will not work with Rockbox as we have no knowledge about the protocol this uses.

It would be extremely surprising if any line-out adapter, whether a dock or a simple cable, made any difference to the sound quality whatsoever. Line out is line out.