ido
For audiophiles, the MP3-revolution has been a painful experience. Audio files reduced in size by compression technologies like MP3 or AAC -- the technology the iTunes Music Store uses -- are not "lossless". Some of the audio fidelity is lost in the quest for smaller sound files. But so-called "lossless" audio files, which can be acquired by converting CD's in iTunes using the "Apple Lossless" format, retain all the quality and fidelity of a CD.

Load those files onto an iPhone or iPad and audio enthusiasts can have high-quality audio on the go. But, there is still a matter of the "inferior" digital-to-analog converters (DAC) built into the iOS devices themselves. That's where the NuForce Icon iDo comes in.

The Icon iDo delivers audiophile-grade CD quality sound to digital music files stored on Apple® mobile digital devices. iDo is ideal for music enthusiasts and musicians alike who primarily listen to—and have their digital music libraries stored on—these devices.

Apple products are becoming the hub of a person’s entire music and audio collection, so improving the audio quality produced by these devices is key. The Icon iDo delivers on that at very affordable price point.

The Icon iDo does two things. One, it acts as an amp and DAC for plugging headphones into an iPhone. It connects to the 30-pin dock connector on the bottom of the device, then converts the digital signal to analog and runs that through its own headphone amplifier. According to the company, the product "enhances the auditory performance of the headphones because optimal amperage is being delivered to them, allowing for greater audio clarity." The Icon iDo can output digital or analog signals to a stereo, as well.

The Icon iDo MSRP's for $249 and works with all recent-vintage iPods.

Hat tip to Gizmodo.

Top Rated Comments

Drumjim85 Avatar
151 months ago
Who comes up with the names for these things..

iDo.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Snypod Avatar
151 months ago
Who comes up with the names for these things..
iDo.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
151 months ago
Ah yes, the audiophile. Technology's equivalent of the wine snob.

The better term is "audiofool". These are the people who buy the $100 wood knob and the gold plated power cords. They are mostly ignorant people with money.

There are real "audiophiles" who know snake oil when they see it and who can understand the engineering. These people are mostly invisible on Internet forrums
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Undecided Avatar
151 months ago
I really think modern music (recordings) suck more because of the "loudness war."

See //www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ for a good explanation and demonstration.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rainmanbk Avatar
151 months ago
Who comes up with the names for these things.. How about something not silly that actually relates to what the product does.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tentales Avatar
151 months ago
Reality Check from a musician

Ok, both sides chill. It's juvenile to bash "audiophiles" as well as gloat if you have the $$$ to afford the finer things in life. I've written and produced albums and can tell you from a production side what matters.

99.9% of Pop/Rock stuff whether old or new is compressed and loudness enhanced, whether available from iTunes at 256kbps or on "remastered" CD.

Only some of the first CDs, ca. 1983/84 came close to using the full dynamic range (max. 96db). Compared to todays "remastered" releases, you can hear the difference in sound level to match today's listening devices. Very few people still have an analog amp with paper-cone speakers. Musicians & producers want to make money, so they produce music that sells to the masses, not a few "audiophiles".

As an example, compare the 1983 CD "Love Over Gold" by Dire Straits, to today's CD or iTunes store. I still have the original CD and it sounds way better musically, but less "loud".

In the Jazz & Classical genres, there's a few better examples of true high fidelity recordings, but even there many are "remastered" again for todays digital amps and speakers.

Now to the "iDo". For me it falls in between 2 markets, audiophiles & casual listeners and therefore probably won't sell well. I'm neither one, I appreciate music quality, not tech specs.

Here's my setup.
I have my Apple Lossless library stored on a MacMini, the equiv 256kbps AAC version on my MacbookAir & ipod/iPhone. If I'm in my car or on the road, I cannot (and I will claim most audiophiles won't either) hear a difference because you're not focused on the fine nuances when you're driving or otherwise mobile with ambient noise all around you.

The iDo has to be be plugged in, so if I need to be near a socket, I might as well use the optical output on the MacMini to feed into my digital amp with a BurrBrown DAC, which probably exceeds the DAC (since they don't name it) in the iDo. And I can control it with the Remote App on my ipod touch/iPhone/ipad. So, why would I buy an iDo ? It doesn't even include an optical S/PDIF (TOSLINK) connector. The USB->RCA doesn't give you electrical isolation, which is important to audiophiles.

A useless product especially at that price point. You can buy a $30 Line-Out ipod Dock connector and feed that into your headphone amp of choice. Good ones are available for $100. But again, if you're mobile with your ipod, just invest $50-$100 in a good pair of lightweight headphones instead of this bloated iDo. If you fly a lot, buy a $150 noise-cancelling set.

iDo? iWon't!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...