iLink Performance - How does it sound?

Some of you may wonder just why we care about a digital output if the iPod is such a great product already. It is easy to explain if you have ever listened to the iPod in a high-end system. Often in high-end products we can hear a difference but cannot see it or measure it with instruments. Not so with the iPod. You can see the difference in test patterns and real music easily. So there is no question about hearing it.

iLink
Specifications

Inputs:
Digital audio from Docked iPod
Digital audio via RF link

Digital Outputs:
Toslink Optical
RCA Coaxial
XLR Balanced AES/EBU

Jitter Reduction:
Complete re-clocking with 1/2 second buffer

Clock Stability:
+/- 2.5ppm temperature compensated clock

Control Features:
iPod interface
Signal Lock LED

iPod Capacity (lossless):
30 GB iPod:
   90 hours, 1300 songs, 75 CDs

80 GB iPod:
   240 hours, 3600 songs, 200 CDs

Seeing is Believing

The figure above is actual test data photographed from the screen of an oscilloscope, playing the same test track on the same iPod. In one case we measured the analog outputs of the iPod. In the other we measured the analog outputs of the MSB Power DAC, hooked up to the digital output of the iLink. Not only can you clearly see the improvement in noise, there are also ugly artifacts in the iPod output.

We are not saying that something is wrong with the iPod. It has a good low-power DAC for driving headphones and playing MP3s, just not the caliber DAC required in a high-end system. The iLink allows you to store your CD collection easily with bit perfect sound quality!