[jaxwired]

Wadia has an update coming out for their wadia iPod dock.  The existing wadia dock is one of the few that outputs pure digital for external DACs.  Here's the info they sent me about their new version of the dock:
 

Thank you for your interest in the Wadia iPod transports.

The 171i will have the following features above the 170i:
•   Better internal power supply.
•   Audiophile grade connector for the coax digital output.
•   TOSLINK optical output.
•   Metal remote with menu controls for the iPod/iPhone.
•   Higher grade circuit board.
•   Better clock for lower jitter.
•   Licensed for iPhone.
•   Power indicator light.

The 171i will not be able to display the menus and the album art with the video out.

The 171 should be available starting in September and will retail for $599.  The 170i will continue to be made.

Please feel free to contact Wadia if you have any other questions or comments.

Thank you,

Brent Sitterley

Customer and Dealer Support
Wadia Digital     www.wadia.com

[Toka]

Looks like some needed and worthwhile improvements. I can't recall where it was but some site compared the original Wadia to the Onkyo dock and the Onkyo was notably better (and cheaper).

[jaxwired]

Looks like some needed and worthwhile improvements. I can't recall where it was but some site compared the original Wadia to the Onkyo dock and the Onkyo was notably better (and cheaper).

I can't speak to that as I heard neither.  However, the Onkyo is not available in the USA anyway.  Regarding the wadia dock, I really feel like it's overpriced.  I thought the 170i was a little on the high end at $379.  At $600, the 171i is definately overpriced.  The 171i should be the replacement for the 170i and should be sold for the same price.  The reviews I've read are extremely critical of the remote on the 170i.  Seems to me they've corrected what they didn't get right on round 1, but now they've practically doubled the price.  I guess we can blame Apple.  They are likely the one holding the market hostage.  Why the heck are there no alternatives to the wadia dock on the market?  It's ridiculous.

For a little more than the wadia dock I could buy a peachtree iDecco which taps the digital data on the iPod but also provides a great DAC, tube pre, and amp to boot. 

[Mariusz]

Onkyo ND-S1 "transporter" might be ordered from UK or Japan.
All in all, nice transport at fair price.
I might be wrong but my cost was somewhere around $240 .....or less (it would have been $15 less if it was shipped direct)
Not sure about claims regarding ND-S1 performance in comparison to Wadia but it does what it supposed to do - get the most out of iPod and do it cheaper then iTransporter. 

It has been used in my system for almost 6 months now and it performed flawlessly so far.   

[Stu Pitt]

I also think the iTransport is over priced.  I haven't heard the 171, just the 170.  The 170 doesn't sound great to my ears.  Decent, but nothing special as a transport.  But that's subjective. 

My main gripe with it is that it's ergonomically inept.  Not all iPods work, some freeze and need to be undocked and redocked.  Some click wheels get disabled, requiring the joke of a remote that's supplied.  Try finding one album out of 100 without the click wheel.  Most people have well over 100 albums. 

The Apple TV blows it out of the water for less money.  It has an optical out, far easier navigation with a TV and even easier navigation using an iPhone or Touch and foregoing the TV.  To my ears, it's output was just as good, if not better.  Using a re-clocking DAC or a stand alone reclocker makes both equally far better as transports.   

Anyone interested in an iTransport should take a good look at the Apple TV.  You can get an Apple TV and iPod Touch together from the Apple store refurbed for less than either iTransport. 

If the iTransport was developed by an upstart or mass market company, I probably would give it a little slack.  I expect far better from Wadia.   Then again, a mass market company like Sony probably wouldn't have released it without working out all the ergonomic quirks.  It makes Wadia look Bush League IMO.