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Very interesting product, with a quirk
Posted by Tobias from Montreal, QC on 2012-04-13Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Much improved sound
Cons: Requires attention when connecting; cost
Considering how well it works when you connect it properly, the lack of competition and the functionality of this unit, this device ought to be popular enough to sell well even at its I-beg-your-pardon price.
Functionality first: if you already have a good cable with a minijack on one end, buy a SendStation Pocket Dock and you won't have to buy a new line-out cable for your iPod/iPhone. Yes, you want a line out connection, please read on.
How well does it work? Even low-res MP3 files sound much better when they don't have to go through the iPod's built-in amplifier. With these, a Pocket Dock can make it possible to understand that a good performance is actually a great one. Full CD-res files are that much nicer: airier, more refined, better staged, finer textures and timbres. Singers sound more intimate. The improved sound will make you forget that it's a 30-dollar connection dongle and consider it great value.
However if the quirk bites you, well then, you'll be back cursing yourself for paying the thirty! Eirepaul's advice on this page of reviews is the only thing that will save the ship. Here it is: plug your minijack into the Pocket Dock first. Snap it all the way in, right up to the hilt. THEN plug the Pocket Dock into your iPod.
If you do this you will not get what I had for a year (until I read Eirepaul). One channel went missing until I eased the minijack part way out, but channel balance seemed wrong. Then there was a hum that became loud and objectionable as soon as I bought a really good set of in-ear 'phones. I was sure I'd got a dud dock but for various reasons I couldn't send it back. Drove me wild.
Then I read the reviews here and came across Eirepaul. Thank you, sir.
So, recommended, but plug it in the way the man says.
12 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great little device, but the Fiio L3 way better
Posted by Symes from Raleigh, NC on 2011-11-08Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good sound, can now chg iPhone from mini USB output
Cons: Poor fit - keeps dropping one channel unless you hold the cables in really tight - temperamental
I bought this and the Fiio L3 to get Line Out from my iPhone 4 to use with the Total Bithead headphone amp.
It does a great job and allows the phone to be charged simultaneously (a negative with the other product I refer to here). This is no trivial thing, because now with one tiny plug in device I can borrow anyones mini-USB output charger if I don't have my apple 32 pin cable handy...
The sound is clear and concise and if that is all I had heard, but then I tried the Fiio L3 cable (less than $9) and it blows the SendStation away sound wise - much richer and full while not being tiring at all.
On a final note, the SendStation fit seems a little fussy - for a while I only had one channel until I wriggled the 1/8" jack a little, but then it would drop again, and even taken out and in seemed to be a little temperamental and touchy.
The question is this - if I were not driving revealing headphones but going into a good car hi-fi that used an Aux-in - which would I use. Here, for a long journey, clearly the SendStation would be a winner due to the ability to charge the phone. But, I'd still be tempted to try out the Fiio too power or not, the sound is just so good.
Awesome little product though!
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Decent little device
Posted by Eirepaul from Madison, WI on 2011-10-20Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: works pretty well
Cons:
To the person that was having trouble with the connection - I was too until I discovered that you have to push the line out plug in there pretty hard until it snaps in, then it was fine. This should be done before pushing dock into I-Pod. Otherwise it works pretty much as advertised - there is not a huge difference in sound quality between headphone out and line out, but there is some.
13 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you?
If you get one that works, and as long as you're stationary, it might be nice, but I may never know
Posted by x320 from Saskatchewan, Canada. on 2011-10-01Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: No
Pros: none, i wasted 30$, along with a cost of time and energy and happiness.
Cons: no returns/exchanges, possibly defective, not to be used on the go, didn't really hear a diff.
when i first got it, plugging into the headphone jack, it would only work outside of the 11am to 5pm area (using a clock face to describe which way it had to be rotated out of) within the 11am to 5pm area, it would only give out volume from the left ear. after about two weeks , it degraded to left ear only.
the only way it would ever give me volume from both ears if the headphone jack was pulled out 1/5th of the way, at which point i could also hear background interference that would alternate between a buzz and a high pitched siren, and i didnt test it like that for very long, it being extremely annoying, as well as what i felt to be risky for the rest of my electronics (but im paranoid like that when it comes to 400$ equip vs 30$ junk)
the mini usb port might be in fine working order, but until i get off my ass and buy or borrow a cord to test it with, this thing is gonna be (figuratively speaking) collecting dust,
being an item that you dock your ipod on, i thought it would be sturdier. it does way too much wiggling up and down (none side to side) that i thought i would damage my ipod if i were to do anything more than sit still while using it. im betting that you have one good downward motion on the thing and it bends or snaps off with the core of the ipods inner dock connector!
id have preferred it locking on solidly, but i dont know how well that would work around an ipod case, since that would probably involve it being bigger or with some kind of clunky plastic container-case thing to lock around it as well as the ipod? coming with a case for the entire ipod? i don't know how this problem could be solved. ill just say its impractical at best if you're moving around, or are accident prone(, unless you're rich and can afford a new ipod / to have it repaired )
did i ever try to contact headroom about this item being faulty from the get go? no. partially because i thought it was my fault at first, like i wasn't doing something properly, or that the issue was with a different part of my equipment or something.. and got so busy with work and nightclasses that i missed the warranty window, and also because i dont think 30$ is worth the stress of fighting with folks over the phone and potential additional shipping/customs fees (I live in Canada) and all around extra bullshit that i would rather not have to stress over.
im only writing this review to caution the wishy-washy customers (like me) who think it won't hurt to drop the penny on something that could potentially improve their whole music listening experience.
so sure, pick it up if you know exactly what you're getting and have a solid reason for doing so, but otherwise, just move along.
(and actually i feel 30$ is overpriced for what it is and what its supposed to do, but i bought it because in comparison to my other purchases price tags, 30$ was chump change, and also because i was seduced by all the other good reviews. Such is life. Live and learn. And its better to learn from other peoples mistakes.)
12 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great Little Addition
Posted by B Dazzle from Penfield, NY on 2011-03-11Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Perfect Accessory
Cons: None
I have the SendSation iPod dock between my iTouch and Total Airhead and it works like a charm! I noticed a definite increase in the sound quality after I bought it. It comes with a longer mini to mini cable than my Airhead did which is really nice too. I take it with me everywhere I listen to my iPod. It's a great little addition!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?
A must if you use an amp with your iPod
Posted by Rocket Richard from San Diego, CA on 2010-01-30Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: works great
Cons:
As I wrote in the title, if you use a headphone amp to listen to any type of iPod, you need this little gem. I have it in between my iPod nano and a Total Bithead, and it works without any problem. I bought mine before HeadRoom started selling them, and I had to wait for it to be shipped from Germany, so enjoy the easier access folks! The purpose of this of course is to bypass the relatively weak built-in amplifier and get cleaner sound output. It makes a very noticeable difference with decent headphones like the Grado SR60s or anything more advanced. If you have poor quality headphones then you need to improve those first.
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you?
great find!
Posted by Head Guy from Minnesota on 2010-01-21Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: perfect ITouch accessory
Cons: none
I had heard about something like this, a direct line out connector for the ITouch, but didn't know where to go. Headroom is a great site as it is a one stop shop for everything headphone related. The price is reasonable and I am now getting the best possible sound from my Touch. My
Touch is 16 GB and I can get about 40 albums or so on it. That may not seem like much, but I record them in .wav format for best quality. And it's not that inconvenient for me to swap albums since it takes me a while to get tired of listening to 30+ hours of music.
8 out of 13 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
Great Product
Posted by jcmusicman from Philadelphia, PA on 2010-01-20Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Excellent Sound, Good Value,
Cons: Easily detaches from iPod
The SendStation iPod line out sounds excellent and lets the listener get the most out of their iPod while They're on the go. The only con for this product is that it can become easily detached from the iPod since it does not have a locking mechanism.
12 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Cheap ipod LOD
Posted by orthodromic on 2010-01-18Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Affordable
Cons: None
Affordable ipod LOD that works with all models. Not much to say beyond that. The sound is similar to the ipod dock that I have, though this is much more convenient. I can't compare it to the more expensive LODs on the market, though practically speaking, if you're looking for a LOD to start out with, you should probably choose this as a basis for comparison.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Such an improvement for such a small item
Posted by Whoosh from Netherlands on 2010-01-17Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: real pocket footprint, excellent design
Cons: don't let it out of your sight...
Just by plugging in a smal pass-through connector the real quality of my music became available on my amp. In my helmet during biking as well, especially in combination with de Airhead extra amp.
While travelling, there is the fact that it simply fits in my existing coat pocket - together with the iPhone.
At home, I leave it connected to both my amp and the AC adapter in the wall socket: just plug in the Pocket Dock tot my iPhone and play.
Great value for money!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Prety much the only game in town for iPOD line out connection
Posted by dwf_n_ca from Mountain View, CA on 2010-01-17Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Connects to the iPOD line out via the dock connector
Cons: Could be cheaper I suppose
I have purchase several of these to connect my families iPODs to the AUX in on our car stereo and my iPOD to my Total BItHead AMP.
What can I say it does the job nicely. No compliants
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Does the job
Posted by Bix from Pasadena, CA on 2010-01-17Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: None
I wanted to connected my iPod to my older HeadRoom amp. I wasn't ready to shell out for a BitHead. So I bought this, and I have been happy with the results. I'm using a Mini-to-RCA cable to connect it to my amp.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
iPod mini-USB
Posted by RichC12 from Florida on 2010-01-16Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great little device, easy to use
Cons: Maybe easy to lose.
I like this device. It came with the different type of connections needed to hook up to your amp or other electronic devices. I carry this with me when I go to parties because I am always asked to play my music on my iTouch.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Ok cheap addition
Posted by Love Cans from Seattle on 2010-01-16Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small and easy to use
Cons: Don't expect huge improvements
It's been said that iPods/iPhones sound best when they are connected through the bottom docking output. But I didn't hear a huge difference and I used the Cardas mini-cable. It's a bit better and if you have the Cardas cable I'd make the investment.
4 out of 7 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
An iPod dock that's actually practical
Posted by Mitchell B. from Kirkland, WA on 2010-01-15Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Essential for coupling an iPod with a Bithead
Cons: An unintended bend could wreck your iPod
More often than not, my iPod is used with amplified speakers rather than headphones. It therefore makes more sense to use a line-level output than a volume-controlled headphone output. My Apple iPod dock mysteriously malfunctioned, so a new dock was required, and this is way more practical than the Apple version. With the Apple dock, the slightest jiggle, such as skipping a track, would disrupt the sound. No longer a problem.
If you use an Airhead / Bithead with an iPod, this is a must. These amps perform better when fed with a line out rather than a headphone output. An added plus is that you no longer need the proprietary iPod cable to connect it to a PC.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
sorry I sold mine and will be purchasing another
Posted by DuValier from Clawson, MI on 2010-01-15Posted on SendStation iPod Pocket Dock Line-Out Mini-USB
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: allows line level signal without using apple ipod dock
Cons: not happy with all 3.5mm cables
I purchased this product to use my ipod with an accessory broadcaster unit in my work van. It did not like the cable wired into my dashboard [required fussing for both channels to work] and I allowed my roomate to talk me out of it. Since then, I have realized the benefit of using it with my Grado headphone amp, and will be purchasing another. Great product at reasonable price.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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