Since laugh not only the ears: NuForce iDO - DAC and headphone amp for iPhone, iPad and iPod

Slowly, I am exploring the audiophile path of enlightenment and have me as a test subject the NuForce iDO invited into my living room. A digital / analog converter with headphone amp for the beloved iDevices from Apple.

My recipe for juicy music enjoyment on your iPhone, iPod or iPad until two weeks ago was quite clear. Good music, sound encoded in a high data rate and a decent headphones! That was before I had to put iDO of NuForce between my iPad and my headphones and now know a sound experience that was previously unknown to me. My newest secret ingredient is therefore an external digital / analog converter, and in my case the NuForce iDO who has conveniently placed a headphone amplifier with on board.

Technique:
But let's start slow. What is it anyway for a little black box? The iDO picks the music not from analogy from the headphone jack, but sucks the zeros and ones directly to the dock connector of my iPad. The digital audio data is extracted in the highest quality, and converted from analog output through the headphone jack of iDO. Being used by Apple internal digital / analog converter is bypassed so.

Soundcheck:
I'm impressed, what difference has this little detour on the ears. As opens the iDO a small hidden Gehöhrgang, everything gets a bit more depth, space, dimension, sounds real and alive - as removed a lighter gray veil, which was previously on the music. Since then literally am the music junkie mutated and hear me throughout my music collection. Nice to make even the headphone amplifier, so you can rauskitzeln in moments of ecstasy still a few extra decibels.

Design and feel:
The NuForce iDO has a chic and sturdy Alukleidchen and is very well made. NuForce iDo provides in anodized aluminum in four colors at (silver, blue, black and red). The design is minimalist and therefore quite to my taste. The volume control touching her well and shows when turning the volume level on blue LEDs. Thanks to the included rubber feet to the iDo stands upright safe and compact.

Conclusion:
If you want to pamper your ears, should look at the iDO by NuForce to be more accurate. The soundcheck me the iDO convinced. I put my headphones in the future, definitely not without an external D / A converter on my iPad. The audiophile path of enlightenment I have probably only just entered, it will be a long and exciting journey. The NuForce iDO is my first companion and has given me a new sound experience. Gift?

Input:

• USB (iPod, iPhone and iPad)
• Maximum sampling rate: 48 kHz Resolution: 24 bit

Outputs:

• Analog: RCA = 2Vrms
• Digital: 75 Ohm coaxial RCA

Headphone output:

• 3.5mm jack for headphones with up to 300-Ohm (12 mW @ 300-Ohm)
• Output Impedance: 5 ohms

Headphone amplifier output power:

• 130mW RMS into 16 Ohms
• 88mW rms into 30 ohms
• 51mW rms into 60 ohms
• 28mW rms into 120 ohms
• 12mW rms into 300 ohms

THD:

• 0.01%, 1 kHz, 1.2 Vrms

Frequency response:

• 10Hz to 20kHz (-0.5dB)

SNR:

• > 95dB

Power requirements:

• 6.5V, 2.3A, 100-240VAC

Measurements:

• 12.25 x 11.43 x 2.55 cm

Supportive are loud NuForce website: nuforce.com

• iPod nano (5th generation Lightning connector)
• iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation)
• iPod classic (6th generation of 2009)
• iPod nano (6th generation)
• iPhone 5 (with Lightning connector)
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 3G
• iPad (3rd generation)