# Anyone got an AudioLineOut line-out?



## milkpowder

Just saw Mall-Fi ad for a completely new offering of iPod line-outs made by Cletus Bocephust. Has anyone ordered one of these? They seem like very good value!


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## NotoriousBIG_PJ

I don't know why anyone wouldn't want one of these. You get a compact solution that looks attractive and cuts out the unneeded doc to mini connection for a reasonable price. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Biggie.


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## vorlon1

I ordered a cable from Ken after midnight on the 20th and it came today. I've been listening to it with my system (Ipod 5G Video, Headroom Micro with DM and Ety 4 P's) all afternoon and I am extremely happy with it. I've been on a quest for cables lately and have been listening to quite a few and this is the most transparent cable I have ever used, it is like it isn't even there. I am getting clarity and detail and beautiful separation between instruments and all kinds of subtle things like some of the reflective sounds acoustic guitars make off the guitar body, and the initial friction sounds you hear when a closely recorded violin bow makes contact with the string before the note reaches it's full sound. Female and male vocals sound great, clear, present with a stable image and no smearing or glare. With large orchestral pieces you can get a sense of the size of the orchestra and the sounds of the entire string section don't sound congested or lumped together like it sometimes does. The sound is not at all grainy and it seems unconstricted and free flowing very much the sensation you get when listening live, which is why I said it is almost like the cable isn't even there, as if the music is flowing right from the player to your ears. So, I guess you could say I am very happy with this cable. The one I have he calls "nekkid silver tinned copper"


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## D.Holmes

I've been looking at getting one of these too. Anyone have anymore impressions?


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## gsteinb88

Well, i would reccomend going for it. I dont own one, but i made one using essentially the same componants (same dock connector, silver plated copper, neutrik plug), and it sounds great. Since his is of professional quality, and i rate mine under "hackjob", i would imagine that it only sounds better. I would go for it.
 -g


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## etys rule

I had Ken make one for me from Cardas wire. Sounds great and his build quality is great. Word of advice though, if you want a specific length, be sure to let him know. Mine is a wee bit too long for my rig.


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## KB

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *etys rule* 
_I had Ken make one for me from Cardas wire. Sounds great and his build quality is great. Word of advice though, if you want a specific length, be sure to let him know. Mine is a wee bit too long for my rig._

 

Hey Gary,

 Yeah that is good advise! For portable rigs where the amp is stacked on to of the iPod, a 2 to 3 inch cable is perfect I can make them at whatever length you guys want at no additional charge providing, it is under 8 inches and not the pure silver versions. Sorry yours was a bit to long, please email me and I can make it up to you.

 Thanks for the kind words,

 Ken


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## kwkarth

I bought a couple of these Line Out Docks today.

 When I realized Ken was local to the Northwest here, I contacted him. Since neither of us were able to make the National Meet, we decided to have a mini PDX meet today. We had a great time! Ken is certainly a gentleman. 

 I have been pretty disappointed with the quality of sound from my iPods when driving an external headamp from the headphone jack. I had been looking for a solution to improve the sound quality because I wanted to use the iPod as my primary source at the office and on the road. A docking station is certainly too bulky to carry on the road and really didn’t improve the sonics as much as it should have anyway.

 Enter the LOD. (LineOutDevice) Using one of Ken's LODs makes all the difference in the world. The sound is open and clean. The details are back! The grunge and general veil that hung over everything is gone. It was really quite amazing to me. The sonic improvement was so astonishing, it has caused me to re-evaluate my RSA SR-71. That is one fantastic amp! Man, does it do a great job with the AKG K-701s, and every other can I’ve plugged into it.

 I have a 60GB 5G and a NANO and using the LOD, the sound quality is very close to that of an external DAC output run through the same amp. 

 I ended up buying one of the entry level models which uses tecflex covered braided silver tinned OFC copper. The sound with this LOD produces better audio than I have ever heard from my iPods before.

 I was able to listen to every model Ken makes including a brand new top of the line model that is not shown on his web site yet. As good as the entry level model sounded, I could clearly hear sonic improvements and differences between all the models. Ken's newest model was indeed better sounding than all of his other models so I bought that one too.

 Here’s the scoop on this new model:
 Materials: 22 AWG silver wire >99.99%, Litz braided, soldered up with Ken’s best silver solder, some secret sauce he wouldn’t tell me about, then the conductors are encased in a special cotton dielectric: "Cotton- the natural environmentally-friendly insulator that gives better results than Teflon and other plastics. Cotton has a better dielectric constant than Teflon and PE. Use it to insulate copper or silver wire - Sound is a lot more open and less grainy than Teflon. Also great as it dampens vibrations along the cable.” The entire cable system is encased within Reflex Reflective sleeving. The cable is terminated in an F series Canare mini plug. If all this sounds a bit like hocus pocus to you, well, it does to me too, if I look at this with my engineers’ eyes. If, however, I LISTEN with my ears, I can tell you that something here is making an audible difference.

 Here's a picture of the entry level model (3rd from the top) along with other models I listened to:





 Here's a photo of the new top of the line model:





 Here's one of the cotton insulated silver conductors being fed into the Techflex.





 Follow the link below the next pic to see a slide show of some snaps taken at the mini-meet today.




Click here to see slide show.

 As others have mentioned here, construction quality is first rate.
 I am in audio nirvana with my iPods and my RSA SR-71 now. I never thought that would happen. Thanks for great products Ken & Ray!

 I hope all you guys at the National Meet are having a really great time!
 Happy Listening!


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## 2426

Does anyone have any idea what the pricerange of this new dock is going to be? I was debating between these and the TurboDocks, does anyone have a comparrison? Thanks.


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## kwkarth

I compared a turbo dock with the LOD's and to my ear, the LOD's sound substantially better. Particularly, the Cardas, the Silver and new top of the line. 

 The new top of the line LOD will probably be spendy. I paid roughly double the price of the previous top of the line for the prototype, and it was well worth it to these ears. Not only are the materials expensive, but the construction is VERY labor intensive.


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## Steve2237

I have a black "nekked" LOD. I havent listened to any other iPod line out devices, so I can't comment on sound quality, other than the fact that its a definite improvement over the headphone out on my 4g. Build quality seems nice, and Ken was very helpful in emails before I decided to buy, and he shipped promptly.


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## bmwdoode

I got a Cardas LOD from Ken for my 5G ipod, before i was using the lineout off of the universal dock available for the ipod. It was hooked up to my Supermini III and i have to say without a doubt the Cardas LOD from Ken sounds amazing compared to the ipod dock. Oh btw, first post! I look forward to an expensive adventure in HiFi audio!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Arjun


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *bmwdoode* 
_I got a Cardas LOD from Ken for my 5G ipod, before i was using the lineout off of the universal dock available for the ipod. It was hooked up to my Supermini III and i have to say without a doubt the Cardas LOD from Ken sounds amazing compared to the ipod dock. Oh btw, first post! I look forward to an expensive adventure in HiFi audio!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Arjun_

 

Muhahahah! Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.


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## mrarroyo

Who is this Ken? Is there a website? Thanks.


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *mrarroyo* 
_Who is this Ken? Is there a website? Thanks._

 

Hang on, I've got it around here somewhere...
 Here it is:
http://www.audiolineout.com/
 Click on the pictures for info on each.


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## Big G

Please find my lengthy review of the AudioLineout - Cardas here:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=175631


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## kwkarth

Nice review Gavin! So it wasn't my imagination after all!


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## Big G

Sure wasnt your imagination...

 Great product, I love both the Cardas and the new Silver wire LOD. 
 Without it being fully burnt in I cant comment with 100% certainty, but so far I prefer the silver L.O.D, I would love to hear the latest Cotton Insulated version!

 Anyone who uses an Ipod and a portable amp needs to get one of these 
 I reckon they are that good.


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Big G* 
_Sure wasnt your imagination...

 Great product, I love both the Cardas and the new Silver wire LOD. 
 Without it being fully burnt in I cant comment with 100% certainty, but so far I prefer the silver L.O.D, I would love to hear the latest Cotton Insulated version!

 Anyone who uses an Ipod and a portable amp needs to get one of these 
 I reckon they are that good._

 

The solid silver is very good, but the cotton is even better! All the extension, delicacy and detail of the teflon/silver, but better control, fuller, and more liquid refinement. I still can't understand it, but there's no denying the sonic differences! Amazing!


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## threEchelon

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_The solid silver is very good, but the cotton is even better! All the extension, delicacy and detail of the teflon/silver, but better control, fuller, and more liquid refinement. I still can't understand it, but there's no denying the sonic differences! Amazing!_

 

Were you able to try out the ALO Lightning Wire Dock? If so, would you compare it to the the cotton dock.


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## strid3r

I ordered a Cardas LOD this week, so I should be getting it either towards the end of this week or beginning of next week. I would've went for the silver, but the strain relief was too tempting. Definitely looking forward to it.


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## biged

Hey, I just wanted to add my two cents worth and let everyone know that the Cardas LOD is very good. I just regret not spending a few more dollars and getting the silver, but I am very satisfied with my Cardas LOD. Ken's service/speed is awesome. My rig is a 2d g Mini > Cardas LOD > pa2v2 > Grado SR-60s/Koss KSC 75s. I'm in the process of re-importing my songs at 192 kbs. The sound overall is very nice. Even my friends who think the Ipod buds are good were impressed. If anyone is unsure about buying a LOD from Ken, don't be, it is money (not that much) very well spent!!!

 Take care, Ed.


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *threEchelon* 
_Were you able to try out the ALO Lightning Wire Dock? If so, would you compare it to the the cotton dock.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Nope, Ken had not built any ALO lightnings yet when we met.


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## tyrion

I have the copper LOD and now have the silver. First, the fit and finish of these cables are excellent. I particularly like the silver cable. These cables are the best ipod/amp solution I've used so far. I have used a number of mini to mini cables and TD/TDII, which are fine but the extra mini connector made the setup longer than I like. I've asked a number of diy's if they would make a hard wired dock and they weren't ready to go that route. I then stumbled on Ken's work and ordered the copper and then the silver. The silver definitely makes my ipod/hornet sing.


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## aluren

i went to the website and was curious at the various docks. does anybody know how much of a difference the cotton/lightning wire compares to the standard silver or the cardas dock?


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_i went to the website and was curious at the various docks. does anybody know how much of a difference the cotton/lightning wire compares to the standard silver or the cardas dock?_

 

I've heard them all and compared all levels side by side. The enrty level LOD using silver tinned copper sounded so good, I bought one, and the Cotton Dock was so superior to that and all the others in his line up that I bought it too on the spot. I could hear an audible, but sometimes subtle difference between each type of LOD, and yes, to my ears, the Cardas was better than the entry level, and the Silver was better than the Cardas in some ways. The Cotton dock was superior in all ways to all of the other docks. The Cardas and Silvers were different from one another and which sounded better, might be a matter of personal taste. The silver had a brighter quality to it, but almost a ringing or undamped quality compared to the cotton. The Cardas had all the highs, but not as bright in a very subtle way, but seemed to have a more rounded bottom end than the silver. I'm not sure if my diatribe helps you or not, but there you have it.


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## aluren

thanks for the insight. so it seems like that you thought the cotton was better than all the rest (quite apparent by its price). could you describe the sound that was provided by the cotton? and the difference between the cotton and cardas are very noticeable? i just want to get an idea of these differences and whether to go for the best or just buy a regular dock... i currently have an ipod 5G with the shure e3c's and a PA2v2 amp. so i'm missing a line-out directly through the ipod (i have the standard ipod dock, but its hard to be portable with it), and i feel that those docks offered at alo will fit my needs (i mean wants 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ) very nicely.


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## TheMarchingMule

If I buy a cotton dock, where do I specify what length I want it?


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## Elephas

I got the Cardas and Multifilament AudioLineOut docks. I think the Cardas one sounds better.


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## milkpowder

^^ Different people have different opinions...


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## kwkarth

I had the opportunity yesterday to listen to a new ALO LOD using the same materials as the cotton, save for the insulators, which were made from silk in this case rather than cotton. I almost forgot, the actual connector that plugs into the iPod is different too. Overall, the silk dock is mechanically more compact and flexible than the cotton dock, which is on the bulky side. I will post pictures when I get a chance.

 Of all of the LOD's that I've heard, the silk is so close in sonic signature to the cotton docks that I am still haveing trouble in articulating the differences that I hear, so I'm going to ramble for a bit. 

 At this point, for lack of better words, I would say that the silk dock has a little more of that "ringing" characteristic that I hear with the silver dock than does the cotton. The cotton dock has absolutely all of the extension and detail of the silver, but is so completely controlled, whereas the silver dock seems to be "wild" and undamped in the extreme high end.

 Listening to high frequency program material you hear everything with both cotton and silver docks, but it seems as the silver dock adds a very small element of its own sheen to the sound. In complex passages, massed strings for example, with the cotton dock, you hear only and exactly what the source provided, so instrument to instrument seperation is ever so slightly better. Nothing more, nothing less. The silk dock seems to fall in between the very subtle "extremes." I struggle with this word "extreme" because many would not hear the subtle differences we're talking about here, at least they would not notice them. The differences, I assure you ARE there.

 Please understand I am trying to describe very, very, subtle differences here.

 Let me try one more time to describe what I hear. In terms of general characterization, starting with the copper dock as the baseline, the sound is full and articulate, and cleaner than anything I've ever heard come out of an Ipod. The silver docks seem to add a subtle sheen to the top end. Many will find this very desirable. The Cardas seems to have ever so slightly more top end detail and more fullness than the copper dock but without the sheen of the silver dock. The Cardas dock retains all of the fullness of the copper dock, whereas the silver dock seems like the fullness is slightly diminished in balance to the high end.

 The cotton dock has all of the copper and Cardas dock's fullness and then some, plus it has the added detail of the silver dock without the added sheen. The silk dock falls in between, being much closer to the cotton dock in character than to the copper dock. The Cardas dock to my ears, is closer to the copper dock in character, but clearly better than the copper.

 I hope I have not managed to confuse any of you. These ALO products are all top notch and even the least of them will give you better sound than you have ever heard from your iPod. I dare say, you wont believe your ears at first because the sound is that good.


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## B-side J

Just so any X5 users out there don't feel left out ALO also makes LODs for us!
 I have both a copper and pure silver version which I am going to review along side a Zynsonix, and a Qables LOD. 

 So far though, Ken's cables are really great, and I'm sure the sound sig is reativly the same as the ipod LODs. Personaly I like the copper so far but havent logged much time with the silver.I just have to wait for the qables one to arrive and I'll do a full write up!


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## kwkarth

Here's some pictures of the LOD gear I have:
Click here for a slide show of all photos.

 Here's a pic of Cotton Dock and the Silk Dock:




 Cotton dock on top, Silk dock on bottom.
 It's maybe not abundantly clear from the photos, but the silk dock is more flexible and compact than the cotton dock.

 Here you see the docking connectors side by side:




 Cotton on left, silk on right. Note that the connector on the silk cable is slightly more compact and shielded.

 I also bought a cotton dock with RCA on one end so I could conveniently drive the Max and Aria from the iPod. I plan to keep one of my Arias at my office and the iPod will probably be my main source there.









 Nice locking RCA connectors.





 Need I mention that it sounds great?


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## 2426

Will the silk docks be the same price as the cotton docks?


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## kwkarth

I looked at his site this morning and saw that he already had them listed at the same price as the cotton dock.


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## jeffreyj900

I ordered the Silk Dock, and got it in record time!!!! Only problem is, I don't have an amp to try it out with at the moment! I will tell you that it looks just like the picture above, VERY nice quality/construction, and it is very flexible (much more so than I thought).


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## jonnyhambone

my gawd man. get an amp! 
 I found that a decent portable amp made a huge diff. with iPod 4G and 
 HF-1's (I'm talkin' a Go-Vibe V4). I recently added a Silver ALO LOD and
 have been stunned and craving more. You may have some eargasm's coming and I congratulate you on the Silk LOD!


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## kwkarth

Yes, totally congratulations on the new cotton doc.

 Dude, get an amp already!!!


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## aluren

i ordered a cotton dock about a week ago and it came in within 3 days! funny thing is i don't have an amp either! i ordered a PA2v2 a week before the cotton dock and it still hasn't come in yet! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 anyways, can't wait to try them both out... hopefully this will complete my amateur portable rig setup.


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## jeffreyj900

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_Dude, get an amp already!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

The Hornet landed today!!! Listening to it with my Silk Doc, 5G Ipod, and ER-4P w/ S adaptor. A little Stevie Ray Vaughan (Pride and Joy from MTV Unplugged). Sounds amazing
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I am going to let them burn in together


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## aluren

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *jeffreyj900* 
_The Hornet landed today!!! Listening to it with my Silk Doc, 5G Ipod, and ER-4P w/ S adaptor. A little Stevie Ray Vaughan (Pride and Joy from MTV Unplugged). Sounds amazing
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I am going to let them burn in together
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

make sure you give us some intial impressions of them!


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## Elephas

I liked the Cardas AudioLineOut Dock so much I bought a Silk Dock.

 The construction and materials quality is excellent. The cable covering looks a bit similar to the RnB Black Diamond mini-mini cable. The silver mini plug is huge; it connects fine to the Hornet's line in.

 Even without much burn-in time, I think it sounds better than the Cardas ALO, as well as the TURBOdock II and RnB Black Diamond combination. I was surprised by the difference, because I thought my other docks/cables sounded pretty good already.

 I use the docks and cables with a 5G iPod playing ALAC and a Hornet.


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## kwkarth

Amazing, isn't it? How 3" of interconnect can make such a huge difference in sound still amazes me.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Elephas* 
_I liked the Cardas AudioLineOut Dock so much I bought a Silk Dock.

 The construction and materials quality is excellent. The cable covering looks a bit similar to the RnB Black Diamond mini-mini cable. The silver mini plug is huge; it connects fine to the Hornet's line in.

 Even without much burn-in time, I think it sounds better than the Cardas ALO, as well as the TURBOdock II and RnB Black Diamond combination. I was surprised by the difference, because I thought my other docks/cables sounded pretty good already.

 I use the docks and cables with a 5G iPod playing ALAC and a Hornet._


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## Elephas

Connected to iPod and amp: AudioLineOut Silk Dock

 Left: TURBOdock III and TURBO orange mini-mini cable

 Right: TURBOdock III and RnB Black Diamond mini-mini cable






 I like the Silk Dock the most.


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## tnmike1

Looking at the Blingbling vs. the copper LOD from Ken. For $45 they seem a bargain for my gym workouts in a Headroom bag with Portaphile and Ipod. Usual cable is Silver Dragon.

 Now the question: which has the better sound? Soundstage, overall presence, etc.?? I know how silver sounds, since I have the Dragon, but am totally unfamiliar with copper. Help please


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *tnmike1* 
_Looking at the Blingbling vs. the copper LOD from Ken. For $45 they seem a bargain for my gym workouts in a Headroom bag with Portaphile and Ipod. Usual cable is Silver Dragon.

 Now the question: which has the better sound? Soundstage, overall presence, etc.?? I know how silver sounds, since I have the Dragon, but am totally unfamiliar with copper. Help please_

 

For Gym workouts, I would recommend the copper. The sound is fuller and the copper itself is more flexible, so less likely to fatigue and break from constant flexing. You might send him an email and ask ask about a multi-stranded copper since that would be best from a durability/flexibility standpoint.


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## scrypt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_At this point, for lack of better words, I would say that the silk dock has a little more of that "ringing" characteristic that I hear with the silver dock than does the cotton. The cotton dock has absolutely all of the extension and detail of the silver, but is so completely controlled, whereas the silver dock seems to be "wild" and undamped in the extreme high end._

 

Two questions, kwkarth:

 1. Comparisons to the silk, copper and cotton docks aside, does the silver dock sound far better to you than other non-audiolineout dock solutions you've heard? 

 I ask because I'll be sending in my iPod photo for a redwine mod. Thus, I'd only ever use the audiolineout all-nude silver dock with my present 3G or whatever newPod I bought in a moment of materialusticism (please allow me to wipe off that neologism stain on your lapel). 

 2. Is it likely that your misgivings about the silver dock's highs might have something to do with being of a certain age? I'm not quite there yet, but I will be, of course, and have been told by an audiologist that certain highs grow more distasteful, that the ringing quality of which you complain can become more evident.

 This might not be true at all in your case, of course; nor should it imply some sort of arbitrary prejudice, which would be inhumane as well as idiotic -- age discrimination is self-hatred in a time machine. Only, I'm trying to determine whether the brightness and "ringing" which give you pause might sound so abrasive to me as to render an upgrade unnecessary. After all, I own a Turbodock already and, for the mome, am putting the scarlet springing member cap on higher priced cables.


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## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Two questions, kwkarth:

 1. Comparisons to the silk, copper and cotton docks aside, does the silver dock sound far better to you than other non-audiolineout dock solutions you've heard? 

 I ask because I'll be sending in my iPod photo for a redwine mod. Thus, I'd only ever use the audiolineout all-nude silver dock with my present 3G or whatever newPod I bought in a moment of materialusticism (please allow me to wipe off that neologism stain on your lapel). 

 2. Is it likely that your misgivings about the silver dock's highs might have something to do with being of a certain age? I'm not quite there yet, but I will be, of course, and have been told by an audioloiogist that certain highs grow more distasteful, that the ringing quality of which you complain can become more evident.

 This might not be true at all in your case, of course; nor should it imply some sort of arbitrary prejudice, which would be inhumane as well as idiotic:-- age discrimination is self-hatred in a time machine. Only, I'm trying to determine whether the brightness and "ringing" which give you pause would sound so abrasive as to render an upgrade unnecessary. After all, I own a Turbodock already and, for the mome, am putting the scarlet springing member cap on higher priced cables._

 

To my ears, from memory, the silver dock sounds very similar to the Qables line out dock. They both strike me as missing the bottom end fullness and as having a tendency to sound "ringy" at the top end.

 With regard to a correlation between age related hearing loss and the characteristic sound of silver interconnects, I would say no, because if any such correlation were to exist, I would expect it to be a reverse correlation. That is to say, as one ages, one looses the ability to hear the highest frequencies, therefore lessening one's sensitivity to high frequency anomalies. I don't know where your audiologist got their information, but I've never heard of any phenomenon like that before, unless it was related to some sort of auditory nerve or inner ear cilia damage

*Further musings on the sound of silver...*
 I had always thought that the published articles decrying the "badness" of silver for audio interconnects was suspect. In my mind, I could never rationalize that thought. From my own revelations from listening to the ALO products I have to say, that there were certainly unpleasant zingy/ringy and thinness qualities, albeit subtle, to the silver interconnects when compared to the copper ones. 

 How does one explain then, the complete lack of that ringy/zingy character in the cotton and silk docks which use identical conductors and geometry, but different insulators and conductor to conductor spacing? My only conclusion can be that the dielectric constant characteristics and physical spacing between conductors and those concomitant effects upon the electromagnetic field interference and electrostatic energy storage between and by the conductors themselves is responsible.

 So, my friend, FWIW, my crackpot theory $0.02. 

 No umbrage taken WRT age related hearing loss. I will freely admit, mine is not what it used to be. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 The 15750Hz horizontal oscillator frequency of a typical TV used to drive my nutz if I was in a room with one, but now, if I could find a conventional CRT based TV with a conventional horizontal flyback xformer and yoke, I'm sure it wouldn't bother me nearly as much. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Cheerz!


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## lostbobby

anybody order a Cryo Dock?


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## Blair_aus

Yeah I ordered one the other day. I hope to have It Monday. Ken made the following comments on the cable:

 "These are my all around best Line Out
 Cable we make because of the durability over solid
 silver and the great sound. These are very unique
 cables, each conductor is comprised of 50 99.9999%
 pure copper strands, encased in Teflon then
 Cryogenically treated. They are extremely durable
 and will resist breakage."

 They go for $85 plus postage. Considering they are priced close to the silk & cotton docks, i'm hoping they are just as good.

 Click the link to see a pic

http://www.audiolineout.com/cryocopper1.jpg


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## Melletron

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *lostbobby* 
_anybody order a Cryo Dock?_

 


 I've had one for a few weeks now. Ken sent it to me to try out at a really good price. I also have a cotton dock as well as a silk dock and a 24 inch cotton to RCA for my Dared MP5 amp. The cotton and silk are fantastic, I've never heard better. They sound very close to one another, as Kwkarth states. I really have to agree with him on all counts. I am completly hooked on them. Comming from a Pocketdock and a Monster mini to mini, the cotton and silk sound very much like an incrementel amp upgrade. I use them with a Xin Supermini III and Ety ER- 4P/S. As it turns out I needed something ultra portable and Ken, knowing my tastes, sent me this little jewel.

 So, how does the Cyro Dock sound up against these two instant classics? Fantastic. Almost there. What I mean is, it has all the highs and lows of the cotton and silk. All of them. The highs are sparkling like a silver wire(remember this is stranded copper) with none of that ringing that Kwkarth describes hearing with the Bling Bling. Compared to the cotton, the lows are all there, right to the bottom. The mids are silky smooth correct, as is the cotton. I can't seem to find any difference in perceived volume in the lows, mids, and highs when comparing all three cables. All three are very transparent. The only real difference I hear is in the soundstage being slightly less open, but not collapsed by any means. Remember, I am comparing this cable to the cotton. The only time I am aware of it is direct comparison. When I listen to this cable I've got to swap it with the cotton just to double check that this is not an illusion. The difference is that small. The tradeoff? Slight soundstage reduction for the ultimate in portability, looks, and sound.

 In my opinion, Ken has a real winner with this cable. It sounds really close to the cotton and silk. I've always been a silver guy, but this is the cable I use for my ulta portable rig. And I don't ever miss the cotton! I hope this helps.


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## ckhirnigs113

Hi, I have been contemplating getting the iMod done to my iPod, but reading the reviews of these docks from ALO, I am having some second thoughts. Has anyone had the chance to listen and compare the Silk/Cotton/Cryo Docks to an iModded iPod?

 If the docks get pretty close, then I think I would go for that over the twice-as-expensive iMod. I would also be able to maintain my headphone out intact for those times without an amp. 

 Thanks for any info. -CK


----------



## sijacko

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ckhirnigs113* 
_Hi, I have been contemplating getting the iMod done to my iPod, but reading the reviews of these docks from ALO, I am having some second thoughts. Has anyone had the chance to listen and compare the Silk/Cotton/Cryo Docks to an iModded iPod?

 If the docks get pretty close, then I think I would go for that over the twice-as-expensive iMod. I would also be able to maintain my headphone out intact for those times without an amp. 

 Thanks for any info. -CK_

 


 I would think the IMOD should be an improvement over the silk/cotton/cryo docks because the IMOD simplifies the signal path after the DAC in the IPOD and also upgrades the coupling capacitors but I too would be interested in a comparison between a IPOD/Dock/AMP/phones set up and the IMOD/AMP/Phones set up.

 The set up with standard IPOD and dock would certainly be more flexible as you say because it means you can still plug into IPOD headphone jack when you need to.


----------



## KB

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ckhirnigs113* 
_Hi, I have been contemplating getting the iMod done to my iPod, but reading the reviews of these docks from ALO, I am having some second thoughts. Has anyone had the chance to listen and compare the Silk/Cotton/Cryo Docks to an iModded iPod?

 If the docks get pretty close, then I think I would go for that over the twice-as-expensive iMod. I would also be able to maintain my headphone out intact for those times without an amp. 

 Thanks for any info. -CK_

 

Does anyone have both a iMod ipod and a 5G? I would be willing to shoot them a cable for a spin and a little comparo.

 Cheers,
 Ken


----------



## kwkarth

I would be willing to bet there's little difference, and very possibly the Red Wine mod may even sound worse. 

 After all, the design of the iPod shows that *some* thought went into the sonics. 

 I would also question the Red Wine mod on the 5g because removing the line out buffer from the signal path exposes the DAC directly to external screw ups, whereas the buffer can be designed to be more robust and resistant to shorts, etc. I would assume the output of the DAC is loaded/impedance matched properly to drive the buffers without the undue signal corruption that would arise from an improper impedance match when directly driving an external load of unknown value through an interconnect of unknown value. 

 In other words, the line out buffer probably has a relatively low output impedance to make it more immune to unpredictable loads. One looses this protection and benefit with the Red Wine mod.

 Just my conjecture...


----------



## nelamvr6

My Bling Bling just arrived today! Great service Ken!

 Unfortunately my amp has not yet arrived so I can't start breaking it in.

 But the quality of construction is obvious, it's beautiful!

 I took the time to apply some DeOxit to both ends of the dock and to my iPod's jack.

 Now just waiting on the amp!


----------



## ckhirnigs113

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_I would also question the Red Wine mod on the 5g because..._

 

As of right now, there is no option to get the iMod on the 5g iPod. It is only available on the 4g models. 

 Has there been a conclusion reached on whether these AL0 docks sound better coming from the 4g or 5g iPods? I know the headphone out is better on the 5g, but I don't think this has any effect on the line-out. I have heard the 4g iPod has a better DAC, but I am not sure. -CK


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ckhirnigs113* 
_As of right now, there is no option to get the iMod on the 5g iPod. It is only available on the 4g models. 

 Has there been a conclusion reached on whether these AL0 docks sound better coming from the 4g or 5g iPods? I know the headphone out is better on the 5g, but I don't think this has any effect on the line-out. I have heard the 4g iPod has a better DAC, but I am not sure. -CK_

 

Now I remember reading that on their web site. Thanks for setting that straight.

 I like your idea of doing a shoot out between the 4G and 5G iPods. That would be interesting.


----------



## KevC

I've read that this LineOut makes the iPod sounds better than an external DAC? The iPod's internal DAC is better than a $100+ external dac?! Are you guys serious? 

 Maybe I should sell my Fubar and just pick up one of these.....


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *KevC* 
_I've read that this LineOut makes the iPod sounds better than an external DAC? The iPod's internal DAC is better than a $100+ external dac?! Are you guys serious? 

 Maybe I should sell my Fubar and just pick up one of these....._

 

Let your ears be the judge.


----------



## scrypt

And then they collapsed en masse, stupefied by volleys of misconception. 

 Odd, that the usefulness of people's observations should be eroded by ill-remembered details. Yet it happens to all of us routinely (though not usually in successive posts on the very same thread).

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *KevC* 
_I've read that this LineOut makes the iPod sounds better than an external DAC? The iPod's internal DAC is better than a $100+ external dac?! Are you guys serious? Maybe I should sell my Fubar and just pick up one of these....._

 

An iPod can't be used with an external DAC. 

 However, a friend and I were just A/Bing these two rigs at the office: 

 FLAC/Faceless CPU/Foobar (set to 24/96)/Bithead 2006/HF-1.

 Apple Lossless/iPod/Turbo Lineout/RSA Hornet 1G/HF-1. 

 Not the most stringent comparison, due to sweeping variables. Even so, we both preferred the iPod setup.

 ================================================== ====

 Kwkarth:

 If you find the time, please have a look at the iMod specs on the Red Wine Audio site and tell us what you think. Here is the list of what gets modified:

 "-- The low quality stock SMT coupling caps after the Wolfson WM8975 DAC (used in all 4th gen. iPods)
 -- Opamp output stage following the Wolfson DAC
 -- The minuscule circuit board traces that travel from the top of the mother board down to the dock connector jack
 -- SMD resistors and inductors directly in the signal path
 -- The dock connector jack at the bottom of the iPod
 -- The signal path inside the iPod dock, which contains: the dock connector plug, a very cheap ribbon cable, more minuscule pcb traces, SMD resistors, and finally the line out jack. 

 "The goal of the Red Wine iMod is to significantly minimize the analog signal path that follows the output of the internal Wolfson dac chip. We take the analog output (line out) off of the dac chip and send it directly to the internal 1/8" headphone jack (converting it into a dedicated line-out jack) via high-end Black Gate Non-Polarized NX-Hi-Q coupling capacitors."


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_And then they collapsed en masse, stupefied by volleys of misconception. 

 Odd, that the usefulness of people's observations should be eroded by ill-remembered details. Yet it happens to all of us routinely (though not usually in successive posts on the very same thread).



 An iPod can't be used with an external DAC. 

 However, a friend and I were just A/Bing these two rigs at the office: 

 FLAC/Faceless CPU/Foobar (set to 24/96)/Bithead 2006/HF-1.

 Apple Lossless/iPod/Turbo Lineout/RSA Hornet 1G/HF-1. 

 Not the most stringent comparison, due to sweeping variables. Even so, we both preferred the iPod setup.

 ================================================== ====

 Kwkarth:

 If you find the time, please have a look at the iMod specs on the Red Wine Audio site and tell us what you think. Here is the list of what gets modified:

 "-- The low quality stock SMT coupling caps after the Wolfson WM8975 DAC (used in all 4th gen. iPods)
 -- Opamp output stage following the Wolfson DAC
 -- The minuscule circuit board traces that travel from the top of the mother board down to the dock connector jack
 -- SMD resistors and inductors directly in the signal path
 -- The dock connector jack at the bottom of the iPod
 -- The signal path inside the iPod dock, which contains: the dock connector plug, a very cheap ribbon cable, more minuscule pcb traces, SMD resistors, and finally the line out jack. 

 "The goal of the Red Wine iMod is to significantly minimize the analog signal path that follows the output of the internal Wolfson dac chip. We take the analog output (line out) off of the dac chip and send it directly to the internal 1/8" headphone jack (converting it into a dedicated line-out jack) via high-end Black Gate Non-Polarized NX-Hi-Q coupling capacitors."_

 

[size=medium]*WRT KevC's post:*
 I assumed he knew that one couldn't use an external DAC with an iPod. I assumed that he was attempting to compare the audio quality of an external DAC from a digital source to the quality obtainable from an iPod accessed through an ALO-LOD, so I didn't bother trying to correct anything.

*WRT the Red Wine Mod:*
 Yes, I read them a few days ago, and I have mixed feelings. 

 In general principle, replacing the "lousy" resistors, inductors, et al from the signal path with high quality caps and simplified signal routing may be a good thing, but without knowing those specifics and A/B'ing the differences, I can't really comment on the efficacy. 

 If I read the ad copy right, the output is not capacitively coupled to start with, and doing so does represent a real potential for signal degradation, however high quality the coupling caps are. 

 It does appear that the 4th gen iPod also uses an output buffer following the WM8975, as does the 5G iPod following it's DAC output, and my feelings remain the same with regard to removing the output buffer, if, indeed, that's what they're doing. 

 The comment in their ad copy about the "miniscule circuit board traces" is a complete non sequitur. Those "miniscule" traces aren't carrying any current and at the working impedance and load in that environment, may actually be a superior signal conveyance to whatever Red Wine does instead. So that part is quite possibly a marketing breakthrough. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





*Disclaimer:*
 My above musings regarding the above Red Wine audio mods are made with a great deal of surmising from a position of considerable ignorance as opposed to actually ripping apart a 4G iPod and executing the mod myself. I've never done it myself, nor have I had the pleasure of hearing one, therefore my musings are worth every ounce of paper they're printed upon. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 My statements are based upon a little common sense, sprinkled with a pinch of skepticism. The bottom line of it all, is as I said before, let your ears be the judge.

*WRT to your own comparisons of the quality of Bithead vs. Hornet...*
 The analog parts of your equation are so very different from one another that it is difficult for me to comment on your observations other than to suggest that the Hornet would have probably sounded even better if preceded by an ALO-LOD rather than the Turbo as has been my observation. 

 I can tell you that my ear is quite impressed with the very enjoyable quality of sound that is produced by my 5G iPod driving my RSA SR-71 via the ALO Cotton dock, and that's with a number of different bit rates and CODEC schemes, given their relative strengths and weaknesses. 

 Comparing the use of an ALO-LOD vs. using the Turbo dock as a signal conveyance, there is really no comparison. The two sound completely different from one another, and the ALO product, to no small degree, quite superior.

_As always, the devil is in the details, so remember, keep your stick on the ice..._




 [/size]


----------



## lan

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *KevC* 
_I've read that this LineOut makes the iPod sounds better than an external DAC? The iPod's internal DAC is better than a $100+ external dac?! Are you guys serious? 

 Maybe I should sell my Fubar and just pick up one of these....._

 

"better" is always subjective. I have never found the ipod to sound that great and actually I'd put the quality about the same as the Fubar. The Fubar has more bass and is a touch warmer but the main difference to me is I do not like the ipod treble. The ipod may have a little more detail though.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *lan* 
_"better" is always subjective. My advice to you:

 - Use your own ears as everybody's hearing and preferences are different.
 - Try to audition as many equipment as possible to find your sound.
 - Buy used to save money._

 

Good advice Ian!


----------



## jpelg

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_a friend and I were just A/Bing these two rigs at the office: 

 FLAC/Faceless CPU/Foobar (set to 24/96)/Bithead 2006/HF-1.
 Apple Lossless/iPod/Turbo Lineout/RSA Hornet 1G/HF-1. 

 Not the most stringent comparison, due to sweeping variables. Even so, we both preferred the iPod setup._

 

Why not use the Bithead in both systems using both the Bithead's line-input & USB inputs to localize the iPod vs Foobar comparison? I don't think you can compare the Bithead's amp section to the Hornet.


----------



## scrypt

The number of crossed signals on this thread is rather amazing (do understand: _that isn't meant as a put-down of anyone_); I'll have to return later to allow time to person-slap a particularly lengthy retort. Perhaps it's true what they say about Mercury tap-dancing backwards.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *jpelg* 
_Why not use the Bithead in both systems using both the Bithead's line-input & USB inputs to localize the iPod vs Foobar comparison? I don't think you can compare the Bithead's amp section to the Hornet._

 

While your criteria would have resulted in a fairer comparison than mine (of course), you and Kwkarth seem to have missed the qualifying not-so-fine print. Here is what I said:

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Not the most stringent comparison, due to sweeping variables._

 

The purpose of the exercise was not to decide which particular amp/source proved best but, rather, which overall system -- portable or computer-based -- would prove most suitable for my friend at work. After all, an external 80 GB hard drive can be had for $75, a hub for a pittance and a Bithead for $199 new (and far less used). My foont isn't about to shed fistwads of lettuce for an amp/DAC _and_ a dedicated Hornet. There had to be a demonstrable difference in quality for him to want to clone my portable setup; craveless to say, there was. As spiffy as the Bithead/Foobar auricled, the iPod/Hornet improved on the bliss-din considerably. Since the iPod can't make use of the Bithead's DAC, and the Hornet would be redundant in a CPU/Bithead setup, and we didn't have a certain inexpensive DAC in the shape of a miniature baby grand to chain to the Hornet (for your enhanced pleasure, Van Cliburn), the quick compo we auricled was the only one that would speak poultry for someone at said foont's level of interest in our, how-you-say, "hobby."

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_WRT the Red Wine Mod: Yes, I read them a few days ago, and I have mixed feelings._

 

Stinging skepticism on your part re the iMod's semi-specs, kwkarth. You've made me consider abandoning the RWA upgrade for a visit to ALO's Large Claims Cord Court. 

 Still: Weren't you skeptical about Ken's copper-crocheting voodoo before you heard the undeniable results? Was your decision to experiment with the cotton dock rather than the iMod based on a feeling/theory that Ken's enhancements seemed sounder or more fairly priced than Vince's? 

 I ask these questions not to be combative, but, rather, to introduce certain variables into the conversation. I tend to doubt you're even _interested_ in being wrong or right in the short-term so much as refining your audio philosophy and conveying your enthusiasm whenever you discover the means to reach new heights of pulsating cochlear glee. 

 What intrigues me most about your posts on this thread is watching you develop a working synthesis of skepticism, openness, knowledge and empiricism when it comes to third-party claims of audio enhancement.


----------



## Headphone Crazed

Got mine from ken a few days ago very pleased with product as always ken stand's behind what he makes. Highly recommended!!


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_...While your criteria would have resulted in a fairer comparison than mine (of course), you and Kwkarth seem to have missed the qualifying not-so-fine print. Here is what I said:_

 

I don't think I missed anything in your post. I saw the qualifiers. I simply was offering my thoughts on your comparison, as I am wont to do, as well as a suggestion to realize even better performance from your iPod via the ALO. 

  Quote:


 The purpose of the exercise was not to decide which particular amp/source proved best but, rather, which overall system -- portable or computer-based -- would prove most suitable for my friend at work. After all, an external 80 GB hard drive can be had for $75, a hub for a pittance and a Bithead for $199 new (and far less used). My foont isn't about to shed fistwads of lettuce for an amp/DAC _and_ a dedicated Hornet. There had to be a demonstrable difference in quality for him to want to clone my portable setup; craveless to say, there was. As spiffy as the Bithead/Foobar auricled, the iPod/Hornet improved on the bliss-din considerably. Since the iPod can't make use of the Bithead's DAC, and the Hornet would be redundant in a CPU/Bithead setup, and we didn't have a certain inexpensive DAC in the shape of a miniature baby grand to chain to the Hornet (for your enhanced pleasure, Van Cliburn), the quick compo we auricled was the only one that would speak poultry for someone at said foont's level of interest in our, how-you-say, "hobby." 
 

Got it! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Quote:


 Stinging skepticism on your part re the iMod's semi-specs, kwkarth. You've made me consider abandoning the RWA upgrade for a visit to ALO's Large Claims Cord Court. 

 Still: Weren't you skeptical about Ken's copper-crocheting voodoo before you heard the undeniable results? Was your decision to experiment with the cotton dock rather than the iMod based on a feeling/theory that Ken's enhancements seemed sounder or more fairly priced than Vince's? 

 I ask these questions not to be combative, but, rather, to introduce certain variables into the conversation. I tend to doubt you're even _interested_ in being wrong or right in the short-term so much as refining your audio philosophy and conveying your enthusiasm whenever you discover the means to reach new heights of pulsating cochlear glee. 

 What intrigues me most about your posts on this thread is watching you develop a working synthesis of skepticism, openness, knowledge and empiricism when it comes to third-party claims of audio enhancement. 
 

Yes, my friend, I was extremely skeptical about the ALO products at the outset. What drew me to them initially, at all, was a quest for enhanced "portability" over the Apple Universal Dock and it's variants. 

 Much to my chagrin _AND_ delight, I was quite literally amazed to the point of initial disbelief at what I was hearing. Even with Ken's least expensive LOD, the sound was _SO_ superior to anything I had ever heard from an iPod of any kind, regardless of hook up methodology... well, I was astounded. 

 The RW mod, at almost 10x the price of a Copper Dock, and being only applicable to a 4G iPod which I no longer had, was out of the question. 

 Moreover, the sound from the 5G iPod with the "cheap" copper ALO LOD feeding my SR-71, was mesmerizing. It was so very much better than anything I had ever heard through the SR-71, that I instantly realized that I had miss-characterized the SR-71 itself. I would proffer this; If the RW mod sounds any whit better than an ALO-LOD, particularly, the Cotton Dock, as wonderful as the SR-71 and AKG-K701 are, I seriously doubt one could resolve the differences using that set up. To my aging, but practiced ears, it's that good. As I sat there and listened in disbelief, Ken pulled out another dock and said "try this one." Before my jaw had risen from the table at Starbucks, he produced yet another variant, and said, "now try this one."

 No joke, as we plugged in one example of his wares after another, each time escalating up his line, to my utter amazement, the sound improved quite noticeably. 

 Crack seller.....Grrrrr.... Got me hooked on the cheap stuff and then before the green even hit the table, he proceeded to reel me in with better and better, and better sound. Me and my cabbage parted ways far more quickly than I had ever envisioned, but I continue to this day to be so completely delighted, and yes, still amazed, that I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 Am I gushing? I suppose so, but be warned, I am from Minnesota, ya, don'tchya know, and we Wobegonian scandinavians are not given to much display of enthusiasm, so take that for what it's worth.

 Your astute observation of the evolution for my newfound respect and appreciation for differences between means of audio signal conveyance, be they hawser or filament, gold, silver, or copper, has in fact developed from both personal observation and further study of conductor theories rather than by ingesting marketing hyperbole. 

 As they say, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

 If I'm not mistaken, even Ken himself was a bit surprised at how good the 701's and the SR-71 sounded with his LODs.

 I remain a skeptic at heart, but I am convinced, without a doubt, that these LODs work some tangible magic for the iPods, bringing a palpable reality of sound to the party. I even have some plausible theory to explain what and why I'm hearing what I do. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 As always, please take my obiter dictum with a crystal of sodium chloride or two. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Happy Listening!


----------



## Elephas

Hmm, K701 and SR-71...

 The Silk Dock makes the 5G iPod, Hornet and AD2000 combination sound good.

 I usually listen to the AD2000 with the AT-HA5000 amplifier and Lavry DA10 source. The Silk Dock improves the iPod rig's sound enough that I'm willing to use the AD2000 with it. Key differences with other dock/cables I've used is increased air, better separation and a larger soundstage.

 I'm very impressed with the iPod rig's sound quality. In my experience with this hobby, sometimes even incremental sound quality improvements are difficult to achieve. The Silk Dock makes the iPod rig much more attractive to me. I no longer think about buying an external DAC to use with a MacBook as a transportable rig.

 See, it's possible to save money on Head-Fi.


----------



## KevC

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_[size=medium]*WRT KevC's post:*
 I assumed he knew that one couldn't use an external DAC with an iPod. I assumed that he was attempting to compare the audio quality of an external DAC from a digital source to the quality obtainable from an iPod accessed through an ALO-LOD, so I didn't bother trying to correct anything.
 [/size]_

 

Yep, you're right. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Very very interesting.


----------



## scrypt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_I assumed he knew that one couldn't use an external DAC with an iPod. I assumed that he was attempting to compare the audio quality of an external DAC from a digital source to the quality obtainable from an iPod accessed through an ALO-LOD, so I didn't bother trying to correct anything._

 

I was referring to the coherence of his statement, not the practicality of his projected setup. Sometimes a nudge is required before a member realizes that the logic in his head isn't making it to his digits on the keyb.

 [size=xx-small]I didn't clarify this in my last response because I hadn't wanted to call attention to it. I didn't want the OP to feel he was being flamed for questionable style in a conversational post, which would have been rude and unnecessary on _any_ internet forum, let alone, on Head-fi. [/size]

 Rather witty response on your part, Kwkarth. I quite enjoyed it. I might be leaving NYC for the rest of the weekend in the next few hours; if not, I'll respond a Brad later.

 You've got me primed to try either the silk or cryo dock. More on that soon, if I cave.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_I was referring to the coherence of his statement, not the practicality of his projected setup. Sometimes a nudge is required before a member realizes that the logic in his head isn't making it to his digits on the keyb._

 

Sorry I didn't catch on, my bad.
  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Rather witty response on your part, Kwkarth. I quite enjoyed it. I might be leaving NYC for the rest of the weekend in the next few hours; if not, I'll respond a Brad later._

 

You inspired me, but thank you. Speaking of witticisms, only today did I notice the absolute poultry in motion of your earlier post #66. Nicely done! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Slipped right buy me, and I indeed, bought it. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'm glad you didn't chicken out but rather took a chance at running afowl of the local _pun_dits. I think my reply is _pun_ishment enough.
  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_You've got me primed to try either the silk or cryo dock. More on that soon, if I cave._

 

Oh, you are into spelunking too? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Sorry, couldn't resist. Looking forward to your rejoinder. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 BTW, the cryo is the way to go if you want max durability, and the Cotton, if you're after max fidelity, IMHO.
 Cheers.


----------



## bonethugz

i got a, is it called silver connecter too. it seems like, the sound are cleaner. even more alive. one question though, is it possible that this little cable can make sound louder? i have a pa2v2, i usually turn to around, five to(as a clock) and now about a quarter to.


----------



## TheMarchingMule

yes, the silver material has been known to amplify the sound a lot more than a usual dock.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *bonethugz* 
_i got a, is it called silver connecter too. it seems like, the sound are cleaner. even more alive. one question though, is it possible that this little cable can make sound louder? i have a pa2v2, i usually turn to around, five to(as a clock) and now about a quarter to._

 

Nope, the LOD is a passive device. The only thing any passive cable can do is impede, corrupt, or conduct the signal more or less than other passive cables. NO passive cable can "amplify" a signal.


----------



## Melletron

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *bonethugz* 
_i got a, is it called silver connecter too. it seems like, the sound are cleaner. even more alive. one question though, is it possible that this little cable can make sound louder? i have a pa2v2, i usually turn to around, five to(as a clock) and now about a quarter to._

 

Immediately, upon first hearing my new Silk Dock, my very first impression was that the music seemed louder and there was more bass. After a short time I realized that it was the presentation delivered from this cable that was better. The individual parts are more realized, more defined. Wider and deeper soundstage. There is more air and better texture, no veil. More highs and better bass extension. I think all this makes it seem louder.

 I too listen to my music at lower volumes with all of my LODs. Because the notes sound richer and fuller and I can hear all kinds of micro textures, lower volumes satisfy me in a kind of silky smooth way.


----------



## TheMarchingMule

So I stand corrected in light of these two posts.

 I guess silver is just of a more 'open' material?


----------



## Melletron

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *AtheisticFreedom* 
_So I stand corrected in light of these two posts.

 I guess silver is just of a more 'open' material?_

 

I don't think it's just a matter of silver being a more open material. That Cyro you're targeting is stranded copper and it sounds to my ears as good as high quality silver. To me it actaully rivals the Cotton Dock.


----------



## GIGANTOID

You guys are gonna make me second guess my purchase of the Bling Bling.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *AtheisticFreedom* 
_...

 I guess silver is just of a more 'open' material?_

 

I understand how one might come to that conclusion from reading all the silver love in this thread, but keep in mind, the conductor itself is only part of the total equation. No less important in determining the final sound are insulation, shielding, construction geometry, solder, technique, and plugs/jacks. 

 Many well respected authorities in the audio world claim that silver is not a good conductor to use for audio. I personally do not subscribe to that sentiment as a generalization, and I would encourage you to keep your options open as well. 

 The bottom line is how good something sounds with the system in which it is being used. Consider, for example, the ALO Cryo dock. Multi-stranded conductors in teflon insulators. Both no-no's in many people's play books on cable construction. One cannot, however, argue with the sound of said Cryo dock. The sound is remarkable, and the conductors are copper. To my ears, the Cryo dock sounds quite a bit better than the solid silver in teflon docks, and better than any other copper based interconnect I've ever heard for that matter.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *GIGANTOID* 
_You guys are gonna make me second guess my purchase of the Bling Bling._

 

If it sounds good to your ears, then know that you've made a good decision and enjoy! One factor in this "sound" equation we've not discussed overly much is system synergy. I suspect that there are certain components when paired, sound better with the Bling Blings, than many other ALO LODs.


----------



## scrypt

As of yesterday, I've found myself in the position to compare various incarnations of the Audiolineoutdock. Since exposure to a loud sound-system has necessitated a rest for my ears, I haven't gotten involved in rigorous testing. Even so, I can make a few cursory observations:

 Listening to Bill Evans's _Waltz for Debby_, I can hear a distinct difference between the Cotton Dock and a Turbodock III with Turbo-confected cable. Even so, I'm not certain everyone would hear the difference or benefit from it over time. Because the Turbo configuration is brighter, a case could be made that the Cotton Dock is less fatiguing. Then again, some listeners favor a brighter sound. For them, the upgrade might not be necessary. 

 However:

 Auditioning the top-of-the-line Singlepower at the National Meet has changed the way I evaluate reference audio equipment. In the past, I'd have associated a brighter sound with the brutal truth, and demanded that a brittle recording be reproduced in all its excruciating glory. However, hearing the Maestro ZR has afforded deep bass and balanced highs a loftier place in my reference criteria. There seems to be nothing particularly objective about privileging metallic sources and harsher setups. If anything, one dulls the mix slightly to compensate for shrill-sounding kit. 

 I still intend to check mixes against pedestrian equipment to be certain they translate to ordinary consumers' setups (perhaps my democratic/populist leanings are showing). But from now on, I'll bring whatever is necessary to allow my engineers to tune tracking and mixes to higher end equipment.

 Which brings me to this brief observation re the Cotton Dock and Turbo Dock II/Turbo cable: 

 After a few auriclings, I realized the Cotton Dock's bass response is reliably deeper, its mids, more evenly spread, its highs, more balanced, than those of the Turbo or any other iPod setup I've ever heard. This is not the result of some pleasing form of degradation. No veil or visor has been placed over the iPod's highs; rather, the other frequencies are now more balanced in proportion. (I'd love to know how a mere cable accomplishes this.)

 With the Turbodock, Evans's high runs and glissandos have an attractive sparkle that puts one in mind of an 80s Yamaha grand, with its deliberately thin shellacking and shallow-felted hammers. The upright bass sounds articulate and deep; sadly, the cymbals and hi-hat still seem digital casualties. 

 With the Cotton Dock, however, the piano resonates more deeply and its attack acquires mediating overtones. The upright bass, while retaining articulation in the high attack transients, now plunges deeper. Those glitttering brass plates sound far less grating, though no less accurate.

 Greater time with these cables will reveal whether any of my impressions are qualified by the _placebo glitz effect_ (Ken's cables look beautiful and are expensive, therefore, one wants them to sound the best). However, my initial experience suggests the Cotton Dock's superiority is not some case of audiophile voodoo. I'm not even going to address the difference between the Zu Mobius Pivot and Ken's Cotton dock-to-RCA LOD yet. The LOD sounded leagues better than the Pivot through my XP-7, but I need more time with that setup to pinpoint the reasons for the difference. 

 These observations are perfunctory and might change over time. I haven't even contacted the manufacturer about any of this yet: I wanted to post here first, since I imagine he'd prefer it that way.


----------



## kwkarth

Ah, scrypt...
 Welcome to ALO and sorry about your wallet, as they say...
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I'm looking forward to your developing opinion, as I always value the musician's ear. Your reference to an '80's Yamaha grand brought back memories. Always was a thin sounding piano. Definitely at the opposite end of the spectrum from a Bosendorfer Concert Grand. Steinways are bright without sounding thin. Young Chang sounds fairly nice too, but has a soft pin block and won't stay in tune even after one spirited playing.

 Thanks for the ALO impressions thus far.


----------



## GIGANTOID

I haven't seen anyone show this angle and maybe it'll help people decide if size is an issue as it was with me.






 Pictured is the ALO Cryo Dock and the Sendstation PocketDOck USB with HeadRoom basic 12" mini.


----------



## GIGANTOID

Also I'm the proud new owner of a baby Cryo Dock called Gladys.


----------



## Chef Medeski

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *B-side J* 
_Just so any X5 users out there don't feel left out ALO also makes LODs for us!
 I have both a copper and pure silver version which I am going to review along side a Zynsonix, and a Qables LOD. 

 So far though, Ken's cables are really great, and I'm sure the sound sig is reativly the same as the ipod LODs. Personaly I like the copper so far but havent logged much time with the silver.I just have to wait for the qables one to arrive and I'll do a full write up!_

 

Have you done that review yet?

 I just bought a Qables on sale for $20.....

 Its the one with the straight neutrik connector... so pretty much top quality.....

 Wanted to how it sounded compared to ALO..... even though it would just be hurting myself.... since I just got mine for $25 and I don't think I could have gotten anything from ALO for less than double that..... so I consider it a good deal. Please say it sounds the same


----------



## milkpowder

Can someone please review the Cryo dock? It looks so good! Does it sound as good? Greatful if you can compare it with other LODs too, eg ALO Cotton, Silk, Qcable, TURBO, etc...


----------



## GIGANTOID

I dont have the ears to do so. But there DEFINITELY is a thread abot it and its mentioned often in this thread. Do a search and you'll find the info.


----------



## milkpowder

Found it. Thanks a lot. Looks like the Cotton dock is still the king with the Silk and Cryo docks coming in at a close second and third. ALO's docks seem to be the best that the "industry" has to offer at the moment.

 Anyone know if the Cotton and Silk docks are too bulky for use with the Hornet?


----------



## Melletron

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Found it. Thanks a lot. Looks like the Cotton dock is still the king with the Silk and Cryo docks coming in at a close second and third. ALO's docks seem to be the best that the "industry" has to offer at the moment.

 Anyone know if the Cotton and Silk docks are too bulky for use with the Hornet?_

 

If the Hornet is about the size of a Xin Supermacro (my yardstick) you should have no problem if you stack the iPod on top of it. You can then band them together (polybands work well) or you could velcro. Ken at ALO actually has a picture of his velcro solution up on his website, although I don't remember which amp he shows. The cotton really does rule.


----------



## hYdrociTy

I ordered the new Silver Six-Shooter from ALO today and will be getting it soon along with a clear total airhead! I will post impressions as soon as I recieve it. Anyone else have a sixshooter?


----------



## Chef Medeski

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *hYdrociTy* 
_Silver Six-Shooter_

 

What size bullets does that thing take?


----------



## GIGANTOID

320kbps


----------



## hoosterw

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Chef Medeski* 
_I just bought a Qables on sale for $20.....

 Its the one with the straight neutrik connector... so pretty much top quality....._

 

There were no cables on sale with neutrik, I do not use that connector for sale (as of yet). The topline is finished with Switchcrafts, which for me is the quality/price/performance best choice and as the cheaper alternative I use the PHX titan which in price/performance I find the same as the neutrik but the construction (specially the strain relief) is more study. Cables D and E were with PHX's all the rest were switchcrafts.

 Rgds Hans.


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *hYdrociTy* 
_I ordered the new Silver Six-Shooter from ALO today and will be getting it soon along with a clear total airhead! I will post impressions as soon as I recieve it. Anyone else have a sixshooter?_

 

Wow! That thing looks schweet! If it sound 1/2 as good as my Bling Bling you're in for a treat!

 I guess I know what my next purchase will be!


----------



## jdimitri

Well, i sold my Bling dock because i was trying to get away from the ipod as source
 But while checking the site out to find a link for the buyer to see the cable, i found the cyro dock
 Then i found this thread..
 Well u know the rest of the story, sold the silver dock for $30, added $63.50 for the cyro
 Pretty risky, i'm going on holidays in 2 weeks and i'm doing the same thing with my supermini (sold the III and added a bit for a used IV), both shipping from the US to australia
 *crossed fingers*
 They'll get here on time.. they'll get here on time 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 Holidays straight from headphone output jack 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 I'm excited though, if they're anywhere as good as you guys said, i'll be a happy chappy


----------



## renton

really looking forward to the impressions of the six shooter, i've been eyeing it for a couple of days. btw first post, lurker for about 2weeks


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *renton* 
_really looking forward to the impressions of the six shooter, i've been eyeing it for a couple of days. btw first post, lurker for about 2weeks_

 


 Mine is OTW right now, I'll be sure to post impressions.


----------



## milkpowder

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nelamvr6* 
_Mine is OTW right now, I'll be sure to post impressions._

 

I hope its more than a "studier" bling-bling dock. It sure looks super-bling


----------



## hYdrociTy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_I hope its more than a "studier" bling-bling dock. It sure looks super-bling
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Well from what i can tell the bling has three conductors while the six has...six
 I wonder if that is the only difference, besides that dashy looking translucent icewrap. Man this thing would so complement my total airhead clear...clearness dr00l


----------



## btbill

Been using the silver bling, bling for a few weeks now and the more I use it, the more I like it. At first it seemed just a tad bright, but after some burn in time ( something I didn't believe in before ), it is sounding quite nice. The improvement over my ipod headphone out is amazing, even to my old ears!!!
 btbill ( new guy )


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *hYdrociTy* 
_Well from what i can tell the bling has three conductors while the six has...six
 I wonder if that is the only difference, besides that dashy looking translucent icewrap. Man this thing would so complement my total airhead clear...clearness dr00l
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Don't forget the heavy duty Switchcraft mini-plug.

 From the BOM it seems like it should be sturdier than the Bling Bling with all the sonic goodness of the Bling Bling. The proof will be in the hearing.

 Which BTW I've not yet felt like the Bling Bling was flimsy in any way. It's just that I plan on traveling with my rig, if I can avoid breakage I consider it money well spent.


----------



## SwedeSound

Yo,

 I bought one of the Silver Six-Shooter (*In fact, I named it for him)prototypes almost a month ago from Ken at ALO. It's incredible (at least to my ears). Not harsh or unusually bright. The sound is big and true with a grand soundstage - and it's improving the longer I burn it in. Hearing things I never heard in recordings, even through a respectable home system.

 I use it with my 5g iPod through a PA2V2 into either Senn HD595s or PX100s. It's my first L.O. cable, but I have no complaints. The build quality is exceptional and it seems the six cables (vs. three on the bling) is going to mean a more durable cable. My money was well-spent.


----------



## scrypt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *btbill* 
_. . . after some burn in time (something I didn't believe in before), it is sounding quite nice. . . ._

 

As a semi-born-again Cablingian, I ken your cautiously phrased amazement. I've refrained from saying more because I haven't inserted myself far enough into my dock as yet to grasp the subtleties of the pleasures it affords (all aurally shrieking, of corpse -- let's try to keep our mimes out of the stutter).


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_As a semi-born-again Cablingian, I ken your cautiously phrased amazement. I've refrained from saying more because I haven't inserted myself far enough into my dock as yet to grasp the subtleties of the pleasures it affords (all aurally shrieking, of corpse -- let's try to keep our mimes out of the stutter)._

 

I almsot understand what your saying. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves...etc, ect.

 But I'm not sure just how much I'll ever be able to detect the kinds of differences burning-in brings with respect to my ALO, since I am listening to my iPod with mp3 files.

 Granted, they are rather nicely encoded mp3's (VBR highest quality), but mp3's nonetheless.

 My Bling Bling sounded great from the start. It has about 100 hours on it right now, still sounds great. It doesn't sound different that it's first few seconds. I don't believe that indicates that it doesn't burn-in, I believe it is just very difficult to detect such subtle changes with this source material.


----------



## krmathis

Yes, I have a AudioLineOut Silk Dock.
 I am very impressed with the sound and build quality.


----------



## scrypt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nelamvr6* 
_I almsot understand what your saying. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

Fleer not; we've all felt almsotted from time to time. I myself have staggered home besotted with alms more than once, to the chagrin of my significant bother. (Then again, I moonlight as a medieval beggar, toots.)

 Buy the whey: The meaning of the last parenthetical in my previous post will become clearer if you try to think of two well-worn phrases that sound like mine but say something rather more conventional. Semantic dissonances in my posts tend to play finger golf with various cliches in King James's thesaurus. 

  Quote:


 But I'm not sure just how much I'll ever be able to detect the kinds of differences burning-in brings with respect to my ALO, since I am listening to my iPod with mp3 files. 
 


 That could change. Even I with my history of using a Mac professionally have been encoding FLAC files on a PC because I prefer the results. Of course, Apple Lossless is quite good as well. Only, it doesn't appeal to the control geek pitched between my ribs.

  Quote:


 My Bling Bling sounded great from the start. It has about 100 hours on it right now, still sounds great. It doesn't sound different that it's first few seconds. I don't believe that indicates that it doesn't burn-in, I believe it is just very difficult to detect such subtle changes with this source material. 
 

Certain equipment seems to make detection easier pour moi -- HD-650s and an XP-7, Furred Juan's Ex-Ham Pull. RS-1s and an EAR Purist, Foreign Other.


----------



## plainsong

Is it an objective term to say the cryodock sounds more..organic than my Sky blue mini, v.1? So many reasons that would be, but yes, I like the combination of copper, quality, hardwired dock and flexible.... and freezing dead people.


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Fleer not; we've all felt almsotted from time to time. I myself have staggered home besotted with alms more than once, to the chagrin of my significant bother. (Then again, I moonlight as a medieval beggar, toots.)

 Buy the whey: The meaning of the last parenthetical in my previous post will become clearer if you try to think of two well-worn phrases that sound like mine but say something rather more conventional. Semantic dissonances in my posts tend to play finger golf with various cliches in King James's thesaurus.




 That could change. Even I with my history of using a Mac professionally have been encoding FLAC files on a PC because I prefer the results. Of course, Apple Lossless is quite good as well. Only, it doesn't appeal to the control geek pitched between my ribs.



 Certain equipment seems to make detection easier pour moi -- HD-650s and an XP-7, Furred Juan's Ex-Ham Pull. RS-1s and an EAR Purist, Foreign Other._

 


 Yes, I am very familiar with both flac and EAC. In fact, my VBR mp3's were ripped with EAC and encoded with Lame.

 My home rig uses a Squeezebox3 which is fed a steady diet of flac files.

 But on my portable I've made a compromise. I want to have the largest percentage of my collection possible with me when I travel. I made the best compromise possible between sound quality and size. Hence VBR - Highest Quality mp3 files.

 I am still pondering the last parenthetical, so far no joy. But don't give me any more hints...I want to see if I can cypher it myself. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




*EDIT:* 

 Is it: "Morally speaking...let's keep our minds out of the gutter"?


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_As a semi-born-again Cablingian, I ken your cautiously phrased amazement. I've refrained from saying more because I haven't inserted myself far enough into my dock as yet to grasp the subtleties of the pleasures it affords (all aurally shrieking, of corpse -- let's try to keep our mimes out of the stutter)._

 

Those converts are always the worst kind... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 You did, as I recall, have an opportunity to compare a number of different models. What were the relative differences you observed??


----------



## Romanee

Scrypt --

 Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary -- 3: paper currency or a token issued for temporary use in an emergency.

 [Typically, spurs of the MOMA currantsy flooding Demarketz inner Civil War -- now momentarily wartless, if possessed, of some worse as collate-able mammary bilious.]

 {cinnamons: abs truce, zircon specs, sides (SAG/AFTRA only)}

 Whaddeesay?


----------



## Romanee

So far --

 Bling Bling -- eye-catching, cute & refreshing
 Cotton Dock -- impressive & neutral!
 Cryo Dock -- devilishly tempting... uh-oh.


----------



## scrypt

Kwkarth: For the past few weeks, I've been sidetracked by frequent weekend trips to the Outer Boroughs without a computer. (I wish the cause weren't net-shy and would consent to my showing you her picture -- then perhaps you'd fathom the gravitational pull of her pulchritude.) I'm also trying to afford equal time to the Hornet M, which I'll be comparing with Original Ray's Original Hornet in a review in the next few weeks.

 Don't worry, though; more LOD impressions are forthspraying. I'm approaching a long week off in September, which I expect to squander in Cape Cod with my squeeze, a laptop, several LODs and a few irked Hornets.

 Romanee: Using emoticons in place of quote marks (or HTML tags, for that matter) won't excuse you for attempting to misdirect blame for your own _mere_ obscurity. (The tell is the absence of rhythm, contrast and humor, which can sound glum in a game of satire such as yours.) 

 Even so, I applaud your stab at mimicry, since the exercise involves stepping outside of yourself. Few foonts attempt as much. Also: imitating a style you dislike can be a way of reinforcing or finding your own. (Originality makes a welcome appearance in your second post.) 

 Nelamvr6: You were extremely close. Offset the apposite _of course_ with commas and you've got the departure point for my non sequiturs, mock-morbid imagery, homonyms, slant rhymes, assonance and puns. Also:

 While I can appreciate your familiarity with EAC, the studio rat in me can't fathom your wanting to auricle loss-riddled files away from home. (I buy higher capacity PMPs to accommodate the need for space, of course.) Also: I tend to reserve my listening time for quiet places, since listening while traveling can be dangerous and I don't want to tempt that obnoxious Roman god, Tinnitus (the beastly mimic who brandishes a giant bell).

 Plainsong: I liked your riff on frozen stiffs.


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Nelamvr6: You were extremely close. Offset the apposite of course with commas and you've got the departure point for my non sequiturs, mock-morbid imagery, homonyms, slant rhymes, assonance and puns. Also:

 While I can appreciate your familiarity with EAC, the studio rat in me can't fathom your wanting to auricle loss-riddled files away from home. (I buy higher capacity PMPs to accommodate the need for space, of course.) Also: I tend to reserve my listening time for quiet places, since listening while traveling can be dangerous and I don't want to tempt that obnoxious Roman god, Tinnitus (the beastly mimic who brandishes a giant bell)._

 

I believe that we have different modes of travel, you and I. When I travel I live in hotel rooms for weeks at a time. It really comforts me to have as much of my music with me as I can manage. Hotel rooms are usually fairly quiet, and I listen at moderate levels, so I don't fear that particular Roman god.

 But I'm afraid I can't help myself, when I'm in the mood for Sibelius, I want Sibelius! Likewise, when Porcupine Tree is what I want, settling for something else will be disappointing at best.

 For me, having 20% of my collection with me at slightly lesser quality is better than having 5% of it with me lossless.

 Expanding the size of my PMP is not possible at present, I am already using a 60GB iPod. There are rumors of a higher capacity iPod on the horizon, but even then I will likely continue to use VBR mp3's while traveling. I find them to be actually quite good, and certainly adequate for my purposes.

 As for your cypher, I am very close to despair. I am afraid I am no closer to solving that one.


----------



## nelamvr6

I am very happy to report that my Silver Six Shooter arrived today.

 Ken is up to his usual high quality productions. The first thing that struck me when I opened the package was just how cool this thing looks! Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you may not find it as cool looking as I do, YMMV, etc, etc.

 This LOD is much more flexible than the Bling Bling. That much is immediately obvious. The quality of construction is up to Ken's high standards. I really like the heavy duty Switchcraft mini plug. It is really beefy, but it fits in the input jack on my Portaphile without any clearance issues.

 As for sound, well it's still burning in. In fact it has fewer than 3 hours on it right now. I can tell you that the sound is superb right out of the box. The sound quality out of the box was equal to my Bling Bling with at least 200 hours on it. I can only imagine what it will sound like with 100 hours on it!


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Kwkarth: For the past few weeks, I've been sidetracked by frequent weekend trips to the Outer Boroughs without a computer. (I wish the cause weren't net-shy and would consent to my showing you her picture -- then perhaps you'd fathom the gravitational pull of her pulchritude.) I'm also trying to afford equal time to the Hornet M, which I'll be comparing with Original Ray's Original Hornet in a review in the next few weeks.

 Don't worry, though; more LOD impressions are forthspraying. I'm approaching a long week off in September, which I expect to squander in Cape Cod with my squeeze, a laptop, several LODs and a few irked Hornets._

 

Ahh, I'm not too long in the tooth to have forgotten that sort of flame. They do say that light and gravity are related, you know... I suspect you'll be somewhat distracted from your auricular inclinations should you go to the Cape with your hunig, and well you should be! Congrats! 

 I'm interested in reading of your impressions regarding the genus vespa and all its vespine variants. As you know, I own the SR-71, and have been reading between the lines of late that the Vespidae/Vespinae/Vespa may in some cases be auricularlily more fleet of wing than Turdus merula. It sort of _bugs_ me because one would expect the Turdus to eat vespines for breakfast, or even dinner for that matter... (Carolus Linnaeus may have been the father of modern taxonomy, but he had no imagination and seems to have had an inordinate interest in fecal matter and Italian scooters of the future... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


----------



## Romanee

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Romanee: Using emoticons in place of quote marks (or HTML tags, for that matter) won't excuse you for attempting to misdirect blame for your own mere obscurity. (The tell is the absence of rhythm, contrast and humor, which can sound glum in a game of satire such as yours.) 

 Even so, I applaud your stab at mimicry, since the exercise involves stepping outside of yourself. Few foonts attempt as much. Also: imitating a style you dislike can be a way of reinforcing or finding your own. (Originality makes a welcome appearance in your second post.) _

 

"Imitation is the sincerest of flattery."
 — Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832), Lacon, volume I, no. 183

 Obfuscation more than obscurity -- and though no intent to flatter, neither was any malice in mind.

 Just seemed like a challenging bit to attempt. Your style is intriguing, and tho' I don't dislike it, I have no interest in adopting it. I find that language is always fascinating. I don't pretend to have any great command of it, but I enjoy what little I can summon and seek to generate a few new brain cells to stem the outgoing tide of (dying) gray mattter. 

 Hope my bit of fun didn't irk you too much.


----------



## scrypt

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Romanee* 
_Just seemed like a challenging bit to attempt. Your style is intriguing, and tho' I don't dislike it, I have no interest in adopting it._

 

Which is a good reason to try any sort of pastiche -- though, ideally, I try to discover bits I can use in the process.

  Quote:


 I find that language is always fascinating. 
 

You didn't really think I'd argue with that, did you?

 I much prefer writers who focus on style, aesthetics and technique to those who are compelled to convey partisan messages or feel they have "something important to say." 

  Quote:


 Hope my bit of fun didn't irk you too much. 
 

The roll-eyes emoticon annoyed me slightly (as judgment emoticons usually do; nothing personal, it's just that I deplore it when intolerance masquerades as common sense, and Mister Roll-Eyes seems designed to function as snobbery's Trojan horse). Your pastiche, however, did not annoy me at all.

 If I were truly irked, the results might have been a Hank more entertaining for others on this thread. However, they wouldn't have gotten any nearer to knowing more about Ken's latest cables (my fault, weigh the buy).

 Which reminds me -- we'd better return to our topic, don't you think?


----------



## hYdrociTy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Which reminds me -- we'd better return to our topic, don't you think?_

 

Yes Indeed
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Well here it is:





 Quite a beauty. Ill let it burn in as per the instructions included- which happened to include a lengthy article on burn in and twice warned that solid silver cables are fragile. Reading that paper induced paranoia in me now and I am afraid to touch it.

 Has anyone noticed that ALO cables seem to fit the portaphile perfectly, and other amps with the line in perfectly centered? The total airhead has the line in at the corner in an angle
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 , and from what I can tell it will be a challenge to connect it without having the cable at an extreme angle like the manual warns against..
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Well once I figure out how to attach this to the amp thats sitting at the fedex center near my house Ill give some impressions.


----------



## KB

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *hYdrociTy* 
_Yes Indeed
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






 Quite a beauty. Ill let it burn in as per the instructions included- which happened to include a lengthy article on burn in and twice warned that solid silver cables are fragile. Reading that paper induced paranoia in me now and I am afraid to touch it._

 

Hydrocity,

 Don’t worry about the cable being busted from normal use. The flyer that we include is just meant to discourage abusive use, and any cable should not be bent at sharp angles. I have only (knock on wood) had 2 come back with a damaged conductor and we have sold hundreds. I feel obligated to let people know about the inherent properties of a solid silver wire and do not mean to scare anyone.

 Nice pic - Its hard to take a photo of that cable isn't it? It really dose not capture the weave and the color at all. I had a hell of a time shooting that one. I think I need to hire Devwild and his camera.

 Thanks for your support and biz,

 Ken


----------



## hYdrociTy

wow now thats what i call customer support!
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Yea when I saw the beauty of this thing I naturally have then tendency to treat it like a baby! Yea btw it is in no way light duty, and no my extrememly excited/rushed photography definately does not do it justice. I think Im gonna spend the rest of the night trying to get good photos of this... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Wouldnt it be cool if ALO made sennheiser or akg (k240) cables with his artistic braided silver cables...hint hint. I would be the first to buy!


----------



## Romanee

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* 
_Which reminds me -- we'd better return to our topic, don't you think?_

 

Positive-ly - tho' I pretty much stated what I oughta in most terse terms.

 Cotton Dock is happily my portable cable of neutral reference, and Cryo Dock beckons to serve tortuous travel duty.


----------



## aluren

just got the cryo mini to mini last night, the cable is thinner than i thought. anyways, what is the burn in time for copper wires?? 100 hours? 

 i must say that ALO's narrative holds true and that the cryo sounds very very close to the cotton dock. i have both now and did some comparisons between the 5G ipod and cotton dock vs. iMod ipod and cryo mini, and i have to say that the latter wins out. but of course, this isn't due to the cables, but the ipods itself. overall i am extremely impressed with the cryo. i'm a happy camper!


----------



## aluren

i just saw this on the ALO website:

http://www.audiolineout.com/myrig/myrig.html

 ken is introducing a 6 wired cotton dock! my mouth dropped to the floor when i saw that!! also, a cryo treated recabled HF-1!!! and to top it off, the F-12 canare plug is cryo treated too... man things are looking good for us! (for ken too)... kwkarth, have you tried them out yet??


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_i just saw this on the ALO website:

http://www.audiolineout.com/myrig/myrig.html

 ken is introducing a 6 wired cotton dock! my mouth dropped to the floor when i saw that!! also, a cryo treated recabled HF-1!!! and to top it off, the F-12 canare plug is cryo treated too... man things are looking good for us! (for ken too)... kwkarth, have you tried them out yet??_

 

Nope, not yet. I just became aware of them yesterday. They're on my radar though!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Those woodied & recabled Grados look pretty sweet too, no?

 Congrats on the iMod & cryo, BTW!


----------



## aluren

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kwkarth* 
_Nope, not yet. I just became aware of them yesterday. They're on my radar though!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Those woodied & recabled Grados look pretty sweet too, no?

 Congrats on the iMod & cryo, BTW!_

 

thx! man you were right, the cryo is surprisingly similar to the cotton! the sound is much more airy than before. what an experience! it even makes my shure e3c's sound good! i was studying at starbucks tonight and barely got any studying done! instead, i was just trying out the cryo! i must say though, during the first hour, the cryo did gave me a slight headache. maybe i wasn't used to the airy presentation (had the same experience with the cotton in the very very beginning). so i left it running while at work today and after playing for 10 hours, my headache's gone. 

 please give us some impressions once you try out those cryo grado's!! i hope ken will recable more than just grado's!! would love to send in my DT880 for recabling!


----------



## wakeride74

Oooooo, I think I might want that Jumbo Dock... looks like it has the skin of a king snake or something
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Ken - let me know when you are ready to recable my PS-1's


----------



## kugino

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_i just saw this on the ALO website:

http://www.audiolineout.com/myrig/myrig.html

 ken is introducing a 6 wired cotton dock! my mouth dropped to the floor when i saw that!! also, a cryo treated recabled HF-1!!! and to top it off, the F-12 canare plug is cryo treated too... man things are looking good for us! (for ken too)... kwkarth, have you tried them out yet??_

 

pretty cool...maybe when i start listening to my hf-1 a bit more i will try a recable. been listening more via my laptop rig while on-the-go so i'm not using my good headphones...k81dj and er6i getting a lot of love these days.

 so i'm getting one of those new nanos that will be announced tomorrow (hope my prognostication skeels do not betray me) and need a dock/cable. which of ALO's offerings will mate best with the nano and the supermini IV? note that both are pretty tiny and the cotton looks a bit too big...also, if the solid cables aren't supposed to be bent to extreme angles, would a nano/supermini combo on top one another be too much bend for the cables?


----------



## JayJayz

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kugino* 
_pretty cool...maybe when i start listening to my hf-1 a bit more i will try a recable. been listening more via my laptop rig while on-the-go so i'm not using my good headphones...k81dj and er6i getting a lot of love these days.

 so i'm getting one of those new nanos that will be announced tomorrow (hope my prognostication skeels do not betray me) and need a dock/cable. which of ALO's offerings will mate best with the nano and the supermini IV? note that both are pretty tiny and the cotton looks a bit too big...also, if the solid cables aren't supposed to be bent to extreme angles, would a nano/supermini combo on top one another be too much bend for the cables?_

 

if you think the cotton is too big, id go with the silk, but the best would be the cryo, and its more flexible too, and if you think it will bend too much, get it shortened, he would gladly make it shorter for you, but the standard length should be quite fine.

 good luck.

 JJZ.


----------



## kugino

well, i ordered a six-shooter...my only concern was its durability since i'll be bending it quite extremely with my very-thin portable setup of the new nano->supermini IV. ken assured me that it should be robust enough...

 now, my question for you guys is whether i should upgrade it to the cryodock...hmmmm....


----------



## aluren

thinking of upgrading already?? well i think either cable would work great. so far i've used the cotton and cryo dock from ken. its really hard to tell the difference (me personally), but compare those 2 cables to a generic cable, they make all the difference!! i'm loving the cryo dock right now! would definitely go well with your nano/supermini on the go since it is very durable.


----------



## kugino

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_thinking of upgrading already?? well i think either cable would work great. so far i've used the cotton and cryo dock from ken. its really hard to tell the difference (me personally), but compare those 2 cables to a generic cable, they make all the difference!! i'm loving the cryo dock right now! would definitely go well with your nano/supermini on the go since it is very durable._

 

i ended up sticking with the six-shooter...with my black nano and black supermini, the white cord will give it a nice contrast...i think the cable itself will be thicker than my nano and supermini combined 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 i'll see how portable the setup is when the cable arrives...i'm already thinking that i might return the six-shooter and ask ken to put on a right angle connector...might be easier. we'll see.


----------



## sebascrub

About a month ago, I had bought the base ALO (ultra thin copper, I think it's called)...but sadly, the connector broke or something. Luckily, I sent it back to Ken, and he replaced it free of charge....as well as an extremely pleasant surprise...... he included a Silk Dock that he had made too short, for free!!! To say the least, I was extremely grateful and impressed, not only with the level of commitment he has to his cables and the satisfaction of the customer, but also with the quality of the cable. The first couple of days I had it, I would just lie in bed and listen to my iPod endlessly, staring at my roof. I couldn't believe how transparent it was! I was totally and completely flabbergasted... I mean, that a simple cable like that was able to make a difference in my modest rig. Now, I'm not saying that everyone should go out and buy the most expensive model... I was impressed with the base model after having used a Cardas 6" HPI mini-to-mini between my iPod and PA2v2....the difference between not having one and having one is amazing... I would've never expected it. The difference between the Silk and the base model are less obvious, but still present. All I have to say is, thanks Ken, thanks for an amazing product! Switching from using the headphone out to the line out was the second best upgrade I ever did (after the ER 6i's, of course).

 sebascrub


----------



## camille

i'm just a bit weary of the durability of silver wire. i wonder if it will take the abuse of the rig bounced around in my messenger bag. i just couldn't splurge for the cyro dock right now. i'll probably get an ALO dock to RCA IC in the near future....

 anyway, what's the best way of burning in the cable? do i leave it connected to the dock to play, or plug it into a different headphone jack, pump up some volume and let it run for X amount of hrs?


----------



## sebascrub

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *camille* 
_i'm just a bit weary of the durability of silver wire. i wonder if it will take the abuse of the rig bounced around in my messenger bag._

 

Dunno about the cryo, but from what I hear, it's a lot more resistant than the Silk/Cotton Docks, and I can say from experience that I bent my Silk Dock into the right shape, haven't touched it since, and haven't had any problems. I take it with me to university every day, jousling in my shoulder bag with the rest of my books. My iPod and PA2v2 are held together by a rubber band
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




... I may need a better way to join the two, heh. 

 But yeah, the cables are super durable, unless you go ape-sheet on them.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 sebascrub


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *camille* 
_i'm just a bit weary of the durability of silver wire. i wonder if it will take the abuse of the rig bounced around in my messenger bag. i just couldn't splurge for the cyro dock right now. i'll probably get an ALO dock to RCA IC in the near future....

 anyway, what's the best way of burning in the cable? do i leave it connected to the dock to play, or plug it into a different headphone jack, pump up some volume and let it run for X amount of hrs?_

 

I burned mine in by just playing music at slightly higher than moderate levels.


----------



## Romanee

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *sebascrub* 
_Dunno about the cryo, but from what I hear, it's a lot more resistant than the Silk/Cotton Docks, and I can say from experience that I bent my Silk Dock into the right shape, haven't touched it since, and haven't had any problems. I take it with me to university every day, jousling in my shoulder bag with the rest of my books. My iPod and PA2v2 are held together by a rubber band
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





... I may need a better way to join the two, heh. 

 But yeah, the cables are super durable, unless you go ape-sheet on them.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 sebascrub_

 

You do have to be careful with solid silver cable. I was taking extra good care of my Cotton Dock, but a colleague accidentally bumped my elbow while I was holding my iPod/amp/Cotton Dock, knocking it to the desk -- and the cable did break.

 It did seem quite durable while I was carrying it to and from work every day, but it's not indestructible.


----------



## camille

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nelamvr6* 
_I burned mine in by just playing music at slightly higher than moderate levels._

 

k, cuz right now i connected the miniplug to my PC speaker's headphone jack whilst playing music. is that alright? or do i need to connect it to my iPod and the amp?


----------



## nfusion770

I have 2 cottons and a cryo. The cottons sounds a little more full I guess, but the cryo is perfect for a portable- very thin and the jack connector is small enough that I can just about get a fingernail at the switches of my supermacro(
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




). I like the cotton a little better, but Nano- cryo- micro is going to be a sweet portable. I have burned the cryo for 15-20 hours thus far.


----------



## kugino

i was debating between the ultra-thin and the six-shooter...i was worried about the durability of the silver wire but ken assured me that it would be robust enough for my travels...i'm more worried about how to bend it enough to fit my nano/supermini. we'll see. ken did say that he's only received 2 silver cables that were indeed bent too much to the point of breaking...


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *camille* 
_k, cuz right now i connected the miniplug to my PC speaker's headphone jack whilst playing music. is that alright? or do i need to connect it to my iPod and the amp?_

 


 Well I just connected it to my iPod and amp. I don't think your way will work since there's no current flowing through the cable.


----------



## milkpowder

Any 6-shooter vs cryo comparisons?


----------



## kugino

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Any 6-shooter vs cryo comparisons?_

 

someone send me a cryo and i'll do one


----------



## camille

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nelamvr6* 
_Well I just connected it to my iPod and amp. I don't think your way will work since there's no current flowing through the cable._

 

i kinda figured. thanks though. i'll stick to ones advice and just not worry; connect it and listen to the music


----------



## wakeride74

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Any 6-shooter vs cryo comparisons?_

 

I'm going to do a thread on the Jumbo Dock and will try to draw some comparisons to the Cotton. Not that this answers your question but the Jumbo also uses six


----------



## nfusion770

This might be a moon landing type announcement, but I just noticed the jumbo dock is now for sale.


----------



## wakeride74

I've got about 50 hours on mine and will try and get a thread up around the end of the week when it's passed the 100 hour mark but so far I am very imopressed.


----------



## nfusion770

I just bought a new mini to mini a few weeks ago because it appears that the jumbo is awfully big. I might upgrade if its significantly better, but I am pretty happy with the cryo and cottons at this point.

 Looking forward to your thoughts though, so long as they dont influence me in the direction of "needing" something new.


----------



## milkpowder

ALO keep on outdoing themselves... the Cotton was good (well, best), now the JUMBO is even better sounding(and more expensive!).

 OH, and I noticed he started cryogenically treating everything as if it was fun or something. What would cryo'ing the connector do?! :/


----------



## milkpowder

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *wakeride74* 
_I've got about 50 hours on mine and will try and get a thread up around the end of the week when it's passed the 100 hour mark but so far I am very imopressed._

 

Is the Jumbo dock OK for the Hornet? Is it not too big?


----------



## ouchia

the jumbo is pretty big, it lifts the 5g ipod up off the hornet, but prob would be perfect for an sr-71 or larocco prII (stricly in terms of size).


----------



## ouchia

*strictly


----------



## aluren

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_OH, and I noticed he started cryogenically treating everything as if it was fun or something. What would cryo'ing the connector do?! :/_

 

LOL! let's have a cryo party! 

 i guess silver can't be cryogenically treated... otherwise it would've been done that would sound better than copper strands...


----------



## wakeride74

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Is the Jumbo dock OK for the Hornet? Is it not too big?_

 

My Jumbo came bent... looked like a shrimp
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 so when I connect it my iPod rests flat on top of my Hornet. The iPod is of course larger than the Hornet but everything fit just fine. I'll have some pics and impressions posted probably by Monday.


----------



## SAP7

I started a post about which cable in the amp section... 
 Wont hurt to repeat the last bit of it here....

 Best audio line out for this set up:

 5th G 60 gig iPod > Hornet > E500 (portable use only, in your pocket type).

 Due to being portable, must not drastically increase size of cbundle.
 SQ is MAIN factor 
 but MUST be durable for all those knocks!!


----------



## aluren

the cryo dock will be perfect for you. it has a high end ALO sound along with the durability that you need. i love my cryo cable to death!


----------



## zippy2001

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_the cryo dock will be perfect for you. it has a high end ALO sound along with the durability that you need. i love my cryo cable to death!_

 

I know that you also have the iMod as well as the cryo dock, but can you tell the differences between the cotton dock and the cyro dock as far as how they sound? do they have different strengths?

 thanks,
 zippy2001


----------



## aluren

the resemblence in sound quality between the cotton and cryo is very very similar. i can't believe how similar they are since i thought that copper wires have a different sound signature than silver. you can't really go wrong with either one. the only difference i can say about them is that the cryo is thinner, more flexible, and more durable.


----------



## camille

w00t! placed an order for an Cryo iPod Dock to RCA cable! my home rig is complete (now for the arrival of said cable and LD2+)

 ooh, i can't wait!


----------



## kwkarth

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_LOL! let's have a cryo party! 

 i guess silver can't be cryogenically treated... otherwise it would've been done that would sound better than copper strands..._

 

Actually, I have tried an experimental silver cryo dock and I didn't feel that the sound was much if any different from the untreated silver. The cryo copper dock seem to be another matter entirely. As has been observed and reported a number of times on this forum, the cryo copper (Jena wire) dock sounds remarkably similar to the cotton dock. I think we're maybe at the knee in the curve of diminishing returns here...

 I haven't tried the Jumbo dock yet but Ken tells me it sounds better than the cotton and I believe him. His ear seems to be pretty good.


----------



## milkpowder

Right, I just got the Six Shooter (poor man's Jumbo
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




). I hope it'll be great. I was considering the Cryo, but then the Six Shooter looked so good! Perhaps another time...

 EDIT:
 Does anyone know what gauge wire is used in the Jumbo? 6 x 22AWG or 6 x 24AWG? What's the difference (soundwise)?


----------



## camille

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *camille* 
_w00t! placed an order for an Cryo iPod Dock to RCA cable! my home rig is complete (now for the arrival of said cable and LD2+)

 ooh, i can't wait!_

 

w00t! arrived! can't believe it comes so fast! ooh, the cryo cable looks so hot! LD2+ is next!


----------



## nfusion770

Just a little cross promotion- I am selling a perfect condition, month old cotton dock for $75 shipped right here.

 Back to your discussion.


----------



## milkpowder

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nfusion770* 
_Just a little cross promotion- I am selling a perfect condition, month old cotton dock for $75 shipped right here.

 Back to your discussion. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Argh! Why didn't you post earlier?!


----------



## markkr

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Argh! Why didn't you post earlier?!_

 

My thoughts exactly! although I love my new Cryo


----------



## milkpowder

Looks like I got the last Limited Edition Silver Six Shooter from Ken
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 ! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 The actual webpage is still available, but there is no longer a link from the main page to the Six Shooter page. You'll have to use google cache


----------



## hYdrociTy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_Looks like I got the last Limited Edition Silver Six Shooter from Ken
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 The actual webpage is still available, but there is no longer a link from the main page to the Six Shooter page. You'll have to use google cache
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Ive noticed. Sigh.. It is such a beauty. Maybe a beefed up cryo version would be in the works? silver six magnum.. whoa..


----------



## milkpowder

ALO Silver Six Shooter is "in da house"!

 Three pictures taken with different settings and lighting:


 

 



 I didn't know the iPod could sound so good?! I finally found out what the infamous iPod bass rolloff was and also what I was missing.


----------



## bigshot

The problem with the bass in early generations of the iPod have to do with headphone impedence. Any brand of dock connected to a headphone amp would correct that.

 See ya
 Steve


----------



## aluren

i think ken should do a cryo six shooter! and i hope he will offer re-cabling services with cryo cables for headphones soon.


----------



## hYdrociTy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *aluren* 
_i think ken should do a cryo six shooter! and i hope he will offer re-cabling services with cryo cables for headphones soon._

 

^2! 
 Seriously, after all this time I wonder if he could make like a silver six cannon for headphones. I was about to purchase one of his mini > rca connects and just take off the rcas plugs and solder direct to cans.. or we can ask him to make a mini split into two pairs with no connectors and we can manually solder onto our phones..


----------



## burnsy1

I just gone mine in the mail. Unfortunately I dont have much to compare it to as it is my first line out. It's a Bling Bling "One of a kind"

 I suppose I would call it the Bling Bling "Mini"


----------



## k371n

Just got my jena wire cryo dock today.
 Listening to The Cure's Mixed Up and burning it in some too.
 Just out of the bag and hooked it up to a Nano 8GB + LDM+
 and it sounds just fantastic!

 With the super.fi3 it's the right amount of musicality for me.
 I've been to The Cure's concert and this setup just reminds
 me of it, the "colours + images" the music conjures.
 I don't think I'll be doing any work today :|

 The dock is well built and sturdy, firm connections.
 However, I'm loathe to bend the cable given it's precious nature 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Now to find a suitable small fitting case to protect the setup..
 Then maybe.. just maybe I'll buy better IEMs and Xin's supermicro
 for better soundsatge.. ermm, no I shouldn't, must do some work.
 enjoy
 k_


----------



## threEchelon

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *burnsy1* 
_I just gone mine in the mail. Unfortunately I dont have much to compare it to as it is my first line out. It's a Bling Bling "One of a kind"

 I suppose I would call it the Bling Bling "Mini"_

 

The first time I saw the pics, I thought that you got the "one of a kind" gold dock. I hadn't seen a silver dock with the slim dock connector in the one of a kind section.


----------



## burnsy1

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *threEchelon* 
_The first time I saw the pics, I thought that you got the "one of a kind" gold dock. I hadn't seen a silver dock with the slim dock connector in the one of a kind section. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

The gold dock was sold when I inquired about it, the one I bought hadn't been listed on the page, he told me about it via email.


----------



## 4metta

I'm trying to decide between the ALO cotton and cryo docks myself for a portable setup. It will be used with my Nano, e500s and probably a Hornet. As it is now I'm leaning towards the cryo cause it looks very durable and it's also quite compact, but cotton has had many praises as far as sound. Has anybody spent enough time with both to notice the difference in sound signatures between cotton vs cryo?


----------



## Tuarreg

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *4metta* 
_I'm trying to decide between the ALO cotton and cryo docks myself for a portable setup. It will be used with my Nano, e500s and probably a Hornet. As it is now I'm leaning towards the cryo cause it looks very durable and it's also quite compact, but cotton has had many praises as far as sound. Has anybody spent enough time with both to notice the difference in sound signatures between cotton vs cryo?_

 

*Jumbo rules. *

 You need this: http://www.audiolineout.com/jumbo/jumbo.html

 Tuarreg


----------



## 4metta

They are sold out and may not return.


----------



## digihead

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *4metta* 
_They are sold out and may not return. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Interesting...any idea why the Jumbo would not return?


----------



## milkpowder

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *burnsy1* 
_I just gone mine in the mail. Unfortunately I dont have much to compare it to as it is my first line out. It's a Bling Bling "One of a kind"

 I suppose I would call it the Bling Bling "Mini" 









_

 

Nice! It's got an Apple-style connector!


----------



## mrarroyo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *milkpowder* 
_ALO Silver Six Shooter is "in da house"!

 Three pictures taken with different settings and lighting:


 

 



 I didn't know the iPod could sound so good?! I finally found out what the infamous iPod bass rolloff was and also what I was missing. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

Does the Six Shooter have 6 individual wires inside? I mean it looks like it only has 3. Thanks.


----------



## milkpowder

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *mrarroyo* 
_Does the Six Shooter have 6 individual wires inside? I mean it looks like it only has 3. Thanks._

 

It does have 6 solid silver wires. I've unscrewed the plug and there are 6 wires. 

 ALO Silver Six Shooter:




 RnB Sky Blue Mini V3


----------



## hYdrociTy

Oh man check out that new Jumbo Cryo dock. The alo dox are getting fatter and fatter... I can't wait to see how far this goes! Im so about to get the jumbo cryo, but i need to get a better amp first...


----------



## JLai

My ALO Copper Dock came in a couple days ago. Needed something that would be durable as I bought this so I can travel with it as well as use it at home...aka it might get shoved in a bag. So silver wire was definitely out. Still burning it in, but sounds great right out of the box.

 I wonder how much this dock differs with the Cyro in terms of sound and durability. The wires feel really sturdy.


----------



## aluren

i decided to get the jumbo cryo mini cable. it is currently burning in right now. so far all i can say is its amazing. will post some pics later.


----------



## knalb

I can't decide between the bling bling and the copper. I'll be using it with a LDM+ and MS-1s...any suggestions?


----------



## JLai

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *knalb* 
_I can't decide between the bling bling and the copper. I'll be using it with a LDM+ and MS-1s...any suggestions?_

 

You want silver or copper?

 Durable or not so bendable?


----------



## knalb

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *JLai* 
_You want silver or copper?

 Durable or not so bendable?_

 

well, i'm thinking the copper would warm up the LDM+. i'm not concerned about durability, but which one is more durable?


----------



## TheMarchingMule

Silver is like a paper clip (even looks like one...); bend it too much too far, and...yeah. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Dunno about copper though.

 I will confess that I am worried about my Bling Bling, but...oh well. The Bling Bling will also be louder than if you used copper iirc; it's more sensitive.


----------



## Snacks

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *KB* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Does anyone have both a iMod ipod and a 5G? I would be willing to shoot them a cable for a spin and a little comparo.

 Cheers,
 Ken_

 

Has anyone rogered up on Ken's offer; as I and I'm 99% sure, others would love to hear the outcome.


----------



## Snacks

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *scrypt* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Kwkarth: For the past few weeks, I've been sidetracked by frequent weekend trips to the Outer Boroughs without a computer. (I wish the cause weren't net-shy and would consent to my showing you her picture -- then perhaps you'd fathom the gravitational pull of her pulchritude.) I'm also trying to afford equal time to the Hornet M, which I'll be comparing with Original Ray's Original Hornet in a review in the next few weeks.

 Don't worry, though; more LOD impressions are forthspraying. I'm approaching a long week off in September, which I expect to squander in Cape Cod with my squeeze, a laptop, several LODs and a few irked Hornets._

 

scrypt - Have you been able to attend to any of the aforementioned reviews? I am personally looking forward to hearing your thoughts on both of these fine devices.


----------



## lohrm1@excite.co

Just ordered a Jumbo Cryo from Ken and he couldn't have been more helpful. Now I just have to wait for my Diablo to arrive from LaRocco...


----------



## TNAaron

I ordered a Jumbo Cryo from Ken last night around 10:45. I had a tracking number almost 12 hours later. Keep up the great work Ken and I can't wait to hear the Jumbo!


----------



## Raphael

speaking of lineouts, one of the members in this forum was very kind enough to send me his sik ram din several months ago. So, I am thinking of updating that as overtime, my ears have become disappointed with the ipod. I am running the sik ram din to my Go-Vibe 5, which is amplifying my Etymotic ER-4S. My choice of mp3 player on my computer is foobar, and it has given me sound quality that is worlds better than the ipod. Yes, the ER-4S are actually capable of providing visceral bass for those who are unconvinced with it, and the Go-Vibe 5 provides that, with help from foobar. Now unfortunately, the sound from my ipod is rather thin compared to that of foobar, so my conclusion is this. Either a) purchasing a better line-out would make worlds of difference or b) the ipod sound quality just sucks. And believe me, I'm not using anything spectacularly different. I'm using a regular stereo cable (nothing fancy), and the intel HD audio output from my laptop (which is surprisingly damn good for integrated sound). 

 So my question is this, would a better line-out make a lot of difference? Specifically, if you have used a sik ram din before, or anything alike. And while I am on that question, would a good interconnect also make a big difference? I can understand the line out as it is not being amplified by the ipod headphone jack, but I'm not sure if wires make that big of a difference. Any ideas guys?


----------



## takezo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Raphael* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_
 ...So my question is this, would a better line-out make a lot of difference? Specifically, if you have used a sik ram din before, or anything alike. And while I am on that question, would a good interconnect also make a big difference? I can understand the line out as it is not being amplified by the ipod headphone jack, but I'm not sure if wires make that big of a difference. Any ideas guys?_

 

cables and interconnects, to use a poor analogy, can be thought of as motor oils in a car...

 the best most expensive $15 per litre motor oil won't make your honda civic perform like porsche...but merely allows your 4 cyclinder civic to perform up to its specs...

 but sustained use of cheap $0.79 per litre generic motor oils can and will degrade the performance on a porsche...leading to burnt residue and engine failure at prolonged high revving...

 top of the line cables won't add to the source...unless there's a nano-amp in there...LOL

 but poorly made, low spec cables can and most likely will degrade the sound coming from the source...


----------



## Raphael

yes, i am well aware of that. I didn't buy good canalphones and a headphone amp to add to the source, but rather to get the best out of it. So I'm wondering if the sik ram din is indeed a bad lineout, or if a higher interconnect or lineout will make a big difference in my listening. For example, the Ety ER-4S definitely made a big difference. But certain things like, a 9.6v battery instead of a standard 9v (8.4v) don't make a very noticeable difference in a headphone amp. Nor does say, 256kbps mp3 vs 320kbps. So I ask if the diifference is very subtle or something dramatic.


----------



## takezo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Raphael* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_yes, i am well aware of that. I didn't buy good canalphones and a headphone amp to add to the source, but rather to get the best out of it. So I'm wondering if the sik ram din is indeed a bad lineout, or if a higher interconnect or lineout will make a big difference in my listening. For example, the Ety ER-4S definitely made a big difference. But certain things like, a 9.6v battery instead of a standard 9v (8.4v) don't make a very noticeable difference in a headphone amp. Nor does say, 256kbps mp3 vs 320kbps. So I ask if the diifference is very subtle or something dramatic._

 

i have a cardas 6" mini to mini and a cryojumbo mini to mini by alo. with careful listening in a quiet environment i can discern a "subtle" difference but nothing comparable to changing the source or the cans...the cardas is 22awg copper and was $18 and the cryo $170...


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## Raphael

Ahh, okay. Thanks! How about ipod lineouts?


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## daveypadot

I have an Ipod 80 GB and a Tomahawk. I also have e500's. I do not have any cables to connect the Ipod to the Tomahawk. Please let me know what is the best cable to get. That will give me the best sound.
 Thanks,
 Davey


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## nickknutson

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I have an Ipod 80 GB and a Tomahawk. I also have e500's. I do not have any cables to connect the Ipod to the Tomahawk. Please let me know what is the best cable to get. That will give me the best sound.
 Thanks,
 Davey_

 

Davey, 
 This one has the best sound I've heard, yet. It's an ALO Multi-Array SaltyPepper Dock. I use it with my UM2's and it sounds amazing!


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## Iceroid

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I have an Ipod 80 GB and a Tomahawk. I also have e500's. I do not have any cables to connect the Ipod to the Tomahawk. Please let me know what is the best cable to get. That will give me the best sound.
 Thanks,
 Davey_

 

OR if you want something a bit cheaper, I recommend the Cryo Dock or Copper Dock.


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## takezo

the mini to dock would probably sound similar in tone character compared to the mini to mini; some will disagree i'm sure, if you take into consideration the integrity of the contacts, solder and soldering technique...

 but, what i'm trying to get at is that the interconnect between you source, an ipod lineout with no modifications, and the portable amp will make a substantially lesser difference in SQ than, let's say, the cable between you portable amp and your cans/iem...

 for a $170 cryojumbo, you should first really look into upgrading your amp or source, like getting a 4th gen ipod and getting the RWA imod done by vinnie...now, the source will match the cable...


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## daveypadot

I have been hearing about the imod. What does that do for an Ipod. Please explain.
 Thanks


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## takezo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I have been hearing about the imod. What does that do for an Ipod. Please explain.
 Thanks_

 

i won't go into technical jargon but let's just generalize by saying that the ipod is made up of average and cheap circuitry components, in an effort by apple to minimize cost and maximize profit margin. what vinnie of RWA does is replace, shorten and clear up the current signal path to maximize the integrity of the original recorded source without compromising the interface nor physical attributes of the ipod. what you get is incredibly low electrostatic floor noise and clearer and more salient music on par with $750+ CD source components...


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## daveypadot

Thank you for the reply. I am going to get a better soud quality with the imod and a high end mini to mini cable pluged into my tomahawk than just using an interconnect from my current ipod to the tomahawk?


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## takezo

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Thank you for the reply. I am going to get a better soud quality with the imod and a high end mini to mini cable pluged into my tomahawk than just using an interconnect from my current ipod to the tomahawk?_

 

sound quality wise, yes. but, like most components, the imod requires a "burn in" period of at least 100 hours to stabilize the capacitors that vinnie puts in connected to the headphone jack...you may not notice any significant differnece once you receive the modified ipod from vinnie, but you will, after the burn in period.

 what interconnect are you using right now? you will need a mini to mini cable for the imod to a portable amp...


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## daveypadot

I am actually not using any I got ahead of myself and bought e500's and a tomahawk and no interconnect


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## oicdn

All this talk about interconnect matching the source or amp. Does an ALO mini-mini match a shuffle and Go Vibe 5? 

 Basically, where do you draw the line bewteen where your amp is what's the "bottleneck" when you have an interconnect like an ALO, and where's the line for when the source/media player is the bottlneck???


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## Walie

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Thank you for the reply. I am going to get a better soud quality with the imod and a high end mini to mini cable pluged into my tomahawk than just using an interconnect from my current ipod to the tomahawk?_

 

if you were thinking of getting the imod for your ipod, you can pretty much forget it as you mentioned that you have the 5G 80GB version. Vinnie only does the imod on 4th gen ipods


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## aluren

does somebody know what ken means by this and whether or not it's better than the cryo copper:

_Extremely high purity (exceeding 6/9) copper wire, cast as opposed to drawn, single crystal (125 meters per crystal) copper. _


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## 4metta

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Thank you for the reply. I am going to get a better soud quality with the imod and a high end mini to mini cable pluged into my tomahawk than just using an interconnect from my current ipod to the tomahawk?_

 

If you have an 80gb ipod you can't get an imod. It's only being done on 4th gen ipods.



 BTW...You have great earphones don't try to save money on your interconnect! Go ALO jumbo cryo or anything else jumbo. Silver or copper jumbo. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 (Cryo will be more durable)


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## 4metta

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *daveypadot* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I am actually not using any I got ahead of myself and bought e500's and a tomahawk and no interconnect_

 

No worries. Ken is very fast!!! It IS the holidays so bear with him but he generally ships out very fast.


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## Raphael

Is the imod applicable to second gen Ipod Mini 6GBs? And I am assuming that this will have a significant difference as I have found the quality between my ipod and friend's cd player (i forget the company, but it was a rather big beast, started with m... anyway) to be quite significant in difference. And I don't belive it is because of the difference in mp3 and cds. I always rip with lame mp3 with max quality vbr and the slowest process to ensure i squeeze out every bit of quality that I can. I have even done A/B comparisons afterwards, and there was little difference in quality there.


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## 4metta

The imod is only applicable to 4th gen ipods.


 ONLY 4th gen ipods. No others.


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## KayoDot

Seems like there's another new LOD from Ken, http://www.aloaudio.com/Mini%20Dock/minidock.html. It looks interesting, I think I might buy it as my first ALO I/C, depending on the price.


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## oicdn

I just got an ALO Switchcraft righty mini-mini. And I must say, I'm now a believer. The sound is alot more robust. That really sums it up. The increments in SQ between a rat shack, a silver DIY with neutriks, and the ALO are very minute, but noticeable at the same time back to back.

 The biggest benefit of the ALO, is the pliability of it. It's as flexible as the rat shack cheapie, yet it has better SQ and looks tons better. It's not as stiff as the silver solid (duh). Also, it feels more rubbery. Not plasticky like the DIY teflon or the ratshack housing. Even the shrink tubing, feels rubbery, not like hard plastic. It oozes quality though. Looks like the ALO is my new mobile....


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