[gregfisk]

Not sure this is the right place to put this but couldn't see a better one? If it needs to be moved no problem and sorry for the hassle.

Like the subject line says I have been using a pure i20 docking station for a few years now and just bought an iphone 6+. unfortunately it is not compatible even with the apple adaptor from apple.

Does anyone know of another doc that has the lightning adaptor already implemented into it or works with the adaptor? It doesn't appear that Pure is going to release another version anytime soon or at all and the adaptors don't work. The pure i20 is a great dock in that it has (2) digital outputs and a decent dac built in and has remote control. It's really frustrating that there are no options now for the new iphones.

Thank you for any input on this.

Greg

[geowak]

I have two Pure I-20 devices and use an Iphone 5S. I use an Apple brand Lightning to 30-pin adapter which is slightly bigger than a quarter. It works perfectly. I don't know if it would work on an Iphone6 model. Also there are after market versions. I don't know if they would work. If the short version does not allow room for your phone on the cradle, apple makes a cabled version of this adapter.

[gregfisk]

Thanks Geowak,

The adapter I have from apple does work with the iphone5 but not with the iphone 6+. I've tried two different aftermarket brands and the real thing from apple and none of them work. If you own two of the i20 docks which I also do you can imagine my frustration not being able to use my new phone on them. There must be something out there that would work, even if it's a different brand of dock.

[Chesterfield]

I've been running into the same problem: there doesn't seem to be a clear upgrade path from the Pure i-20--not with a lightning connector.  The only path I've yet found is media servers (which is where the market seems to be headed), but they all start at around $500.  The Pure i-20, once you replace the noisy wall wart with a PSU, was one of the best values in the audio world--I expect I'll continue to use mine for a few more years.  It's really distressing that there's nothing to replace it.  Maybe I've missed it, but I've been hunting for weeks.  If you're willing to live with converting to USB, you can buy a lightning to USB cable, then use a Black Sand device: http://www.blacksandaudio.net/digital-converters/w4s-ulink

[Chesterfield]

There's also this--again, if you're willing to convert to USB.  I'm not sure that converting lightning to USB preserves a pure digital signal (one would hope it doesn't have to pass through the iPhone's DAC).  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=853817&gclid=Cj0KEQjw3s6-BRC3kKL_86XDvq4BEiQAAUqtZ20n7NcqT-GdOva2mIBLqA6vOfSRnjAOTBVYM4YwnMUaAiJR8P8HAQ&is=REG&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C92051678162%2C&Q=&A=details

[timind]

I use the Nuforce icon ido to get the digital off my iphone 6 (not 6+). The adapter works fine.

The best place to find one is ebay I suppose.

[Chesterfield]

The new Yamaha WXC-50 looks like a good fairly long-term solution.  I think this is the direction I'm headed, post Pure i-20. 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1246082&gclid=Cj0KEQjwjem-BRC_isGJlJ-0h-MBEiQAbCimWOA_mh-oAF5fAPK4ju2s2yl73qAhzgjm3Q1c3rG0l4UaAmtq8P8HAQ&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876%2C92051677442%2C&A=details&Q=

[gregfisk]

Chesterfield,

Thank you very much for bringing this old thread back to life, much appreciated since I still don't have a solution.

timind, I think you found the perfect solution... Now, I just have to find one since they are no longer made. I do have a question, does the digital out bypass the dac all together and if so, have you tried it with a different dac?

Thanks again to both of you, I started this thread back in April and thought I would never find a solution.

[geowak]

I continue to use the Pure I20 (both of them) since I still use an Iphone 5S. But when I update my phone, the docks will go away. I have recently helped my neighbor set up a Sonos system. He now uses his phone as a controller, mostly for Sonos and Spotify. Because I like the way this works, I will probably get a Bluesound Node 2 as a link to my Itunes library of AIFF files and I will continue to stream Spotify. I think I can? connect an external DAC to the Node 2. My hope is increased functionality and slightly better sound.

[TEA FOR ONE]

I believe there is a simple solution to your problem. Simply purchase an older Iphone(4,4s),and use it strictly for your pure i20. you should,afaik,be able to control the older phone with your new phone.

[srb]

I think I can? connect an external DAC to the Node 2. My hope is increased functionality and slightly better sound.

Yes, either via S/PDIF coaxial or optical.

The USB Type A port is used only for temporary access to music stored on USB storage devices being indexed differently than network drives and NAS shares.

I don't know if the hardware will give you better sound or not on 16/44.1 files but it does also give you up to 24/192 capability.

Steve

[gregfisk]

I believe there is a simple solution to your problem. Simply purchase an older Iphone(4,4s),and use it strictly for your pure i20. you should,afaik,be able to control the older phone with your new phone.

I appreciate the input and your thoughts but the problem is a bit more involved. I have 3 small ipods, 2 large ipod classics an iphone 4 and of course my iphone 6+.

No problems when I'm at home since I generally use my iphone 4 in my two listening locations docked to my pure i20 for internet music. Or I can use my ipod classics playing lossless also on my pure i20 dock.

The problem is when I go to my beach house, I don't have internet. My iphone 6+ is the only device that I have a data plan on so it is the only way I can listen to internet radio. And since I don't have a way to connect it to my stereo that bypasses the dac that's inside the iphone, I'm out of luck.

I think Timind has the best solution that I have seen but the device from Nuforce, the icon ido is no longer made and I can't seem to find one or anything else like it on the web.

[JohnR]

I'd have thought you could use the Apple Lightning to USB adapter and a USB DAC (either self powered or via a powered hub).

It works with my iPad mini, not sure why it wouldn't with an iPhone 6+?

[gregfisk]

I'd have thought you could use the Apple Lightning to USB adapter and a USB DAC (either self powered or via a powered hub).

It works with my iPad mini, not sure why it wouldn't with an iPhone 6+?

John, so the above mentioned adapter bypasses the dac in the iphone?  I didn't know that. If that's the case Iv'e been chasing my tail all this time for no reason.

I also have an ipad mini which I would also like to use in this fashion if that's the case? I already have a dac with an open usb port at the beach house so I guess I will buy an adapter and be done with it. I thought the Nuforce product was unique because it states the usb port is wired different just for the purpose of bypassing the internal dac on apple products.

Thank you for chiming in on this John, now I feel a bit foolish because for some reason i didn't think these adapters bypassed the iphone dac.

[JohnR]

Yes, it will be a digital signal through to the DAC's USB input.

There are two ways for an iOS device to connect to a USB DAC. When the DAC has a type A port like the Nuforce ido ("I do"??) then you use the regular Lightning to USB cable. I think this is called "host mode." The Marantz HD-DAC1 I had for a while has one of these ports. It means that the DAC can display track names and things, but it's also limited to 48 kHz.

The second way is to use the Lightning to USB adapter. The female USB (type A) of the adapter then takes a regular USB cable that you connect to the DAC. The DAC must report that it uses a very low current (less than 20 mA I think) otherwise the iDevice will complain that it "uses too much power." Even if the DAC uses no power, it still has to report that somehow in the USB protocol. Otherwise, you will need a powered hub (I use an Orico if that helps).

With the adapter, you can play hi-res if you use e.g. HQ Player Onkyo HF Player or Flac Player (this one: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8). I haven't actually tried hi-res with Flac Player but will as soon as I find the adapter (easy to lose...!)

[Edit] As mentioned, this is how it works with my iPad mini (Retina), I can only assume the same for your iPhone.

[JohnR]

Well, Flac Player will do 96k but not 192k or DSD.

At any rate, once you have a USB DAC connected, all apps just play to it, AFAICT.

[gregfisk]

John, Thank you again for taking the time to help me understand, this all makes a lot more sense to me now. I will give this approach a go and see what I can come up with.

Take Care,

Greg