iPad as an audio device for audiophile?

[AppleHater]

As OP, here is my story. I was looking into decent headphones. I just got Sony 7506 and it sounds decent to me. I thought about some other more expensive headphones however, all have their issues.

So, thinking of saving bucks by settling cheaper at least... Realistically, my music from iTunes and amazon are at 256k at most. Dunno what kind of difference $500 headphones will make.

 

[Lotso]

Realistically, my music from iTunes and amazon are at 256k at most. Dunno what kind of difference $500 headphones will make.

Why do you even have 256k music?

 

[Roy G Biv]

Why do you even have 256k music?

For the occasional iTunes song?

Many audiophiles will say that high-end gear should be used only for 320k or better--no 256k. But is there much of a difference? It's only 64k. I bet if iTunes sold music in 320k, that would no longer be enough for these people.

I enjoy listening to 256k iTune-bought music on my $400 Denon D5000 w/ $130 uDAC and $170 EF2 tupe amp. There are marginal improvements with 320k and lossless, but they seem to be either exaggerated by others or lost in my mid-fi system.

 

[AppleHater]

It's funny that I found 7506 rather boomy but smooth despite what I heard or read from reviews. Hopefully, bass will get tightened once burned in. Usually, I prefer warm sound; rotel with b&w is my main setup, although I spend way more time with iTunes music at work.

 

[Lotso]

For the occasional iTunes song?

Of course for the occasional song. Heck I even have a few songs in less than that. But that majority of his library?

 

[Uofmtiger]

Big bummer. Look like my plan to buy ATV2 must be put on hold until further development. I wonder what is the culprit. OSX seems to handle bit-perfect audio just fine (unlike Windows 7, I must say). And ATV 2 is a perfect device for it. Nothing moves, no HDD, no fans etc.
Or this is the proof that iOS is just not the same as its brother.

I do find it strange that the ATV2 is one of the only devices (maybe the only device?) in their line up that can't put out bit perfect, yet it is one of the only devices that is specifically built to sit in your main home theater system. Maybe they want us to buy airport express units for the same system, too?

 

[daily dave]

I had heard about the poor quality of comp. files..

They're just being pretentious. Anything that doesn't cost more than a car is "garbage" to them.

Stop listening to "audiophiles" and just go listen to the equipment you are interested in. Let your own ears be the judge.

I was given an iPod in exchange for some work on a friends house, i hooked it up to my home stereo with RCA jacks and I thought the sound was terrible. thin, flat. I'm not too much of an audiophile...just a Yamaha amp and some simple, old Klipsh RB-5's. I was surprised.
but I know a coworker who just sits his iPod on a shelf and plays it thru the internal speaker, it sounds like ants crawling on my eardrums!

 

[psychedelia]

It's funny that I found 7506 rather boomy but smooth despite what I heard or read from reviews. Hopefully, bass will get tightened once burned in. Usually, I prefer warm sound; rotel with b&w is my main setup, although I spend way more time with iTunes music at work.

The 7506's ARE really boomy. I like the sense of space/stereo imaging in them though.