# Lightning LOD?



## krismusic

It seems a huge shame that no one has bought out a Lightning to 3.5mm LOD. A missed opportunity for a nice minimalist LOD.
 Another thing, I gather that the Apple Lightning connector contains a DAC. Headphone out must go through an internal DAC . Can someone explain to me why the connector DAC is necessary?


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## pltan

Still no lightning lod cable? 

I have been out of touch and am wondering what my options are in terms of using a Idevice with lightning port and my RS predator or Fiio E11.

Thank you


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## Austin Morrow

pltan said:


> Still no lightning lod cable?
> 
> I have been out of touch and am wondering what my options are in terms of using a Idevice with lightning port and my RS predator or Fiio E11.
> 
> Thank you


 
  
 It's all digital, it won't do analogue out, only digital out.


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## pltan

Thank you.

So should I just be using a 3.5 mm to 3.5mm to connect to my amps?


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## Austin Morrow

pltan said:


> Thank you.
> 
> So should I just be using a 3.5 mm to 3.5mm to connect to my amps?


 
  
 The predator has a built in DAC, with the amplifier. Using a lightning LOD that has a mini USB-A plug on the end (Forza Audio Works LOD below as an example. Not the right end plug, but still the same concept, and can be custom ordered) will completely bypass the DAC and amplifier in the iDevice, and the Predator will be doing all the processing, converting, and amplification, which is exactly what you want.


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## pltan

Thank you very much sir!


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## Austin Morrow

pltan said:


> Thank you very much sir!


 
  
 Any day, tell me how that goes! Remember, the end plug NEEDS to be Mini USB, it's essential. Other than that, have fun with some sonic bliss!


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## pltan

austin morrow said:


> Any day, tell me how that goes! Remember, the end plug NEEDS to be Mini USB, it's essential. Other than that, have fun with some sonic bliss!


 
 I'll take a peek around for a Lightning to mini usb type of cable (no such luck yet with some easy googling so far ). I suppose if push comes to shove I could find a USB A female to mini usb male adapter/cable to go with the one you recommended above.  
  
 Thanks apple for going from one proprietary plug to another, sigh, I was quite happy with my current LOD cables :/


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## Austin Morrow

pltan said:


> I'll take a peek around for a Lightning to mini usb type of cable (no such luck yet with some easy googling so far ). I suppose if push comes to shove I could find a USB A female to mini usb male adapter/cable to go with the one you recommended above.
> 
> Thanks apple for going from one proprietary plug to another, sigh, I was quite happy with my current LOD cables :/


 
  
 I agreem, making the lightning LOD all digital was ridiculous. 
  
 Forza Audio Works, their cheapest offering at least, should work.
  
 http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=54


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## pltan

austin morrow said:


> I agreem, making the lightning LOD all digital was ridiculous.
> 
> Forza Audio Works, their cheapest offering at least, should work.
> 
> http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=54


 
 Ah ha, I missed where you could choose a mini plug when I scanned the page earlier, thanks again you've been a big help


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## heliuscc

So anyone tried the forza lightning LOD with an iDevice yet and rsa predator?


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## ClieOS

Posted this on another forum, thought I might repost it here since this question does get repeated a lot:
  


> LOD means Line-out dock, a dock that sends line-out signal from an source to the amp, and line-out is ALWAYS an analog signal. The problem with Lightning connector is that it only has digital signal, so it doesn't have any line-out or analog signal to send, and therefore you can't make a LOD out of it. The best you can do is making a 'digital cable' for some DAC that support iDevices. The genuine Apple Lightning-to-30pins adapter is NOT a LOD, but actually a miniature DAC. Therefore using it can give you line-out signal, though it might not be better than double amping the headphone-out.
> 
> So if you can get a Lightning digital cable, can it support any DAC? Unfortunately the answer is no. To really get iDevice to detect external DAC, you need to have the MFi chip in the DAC, which you will need to get a license from Apple to use. that's why many external DAC that has MFi chip costs over US$500 (there are a few cheaper one, in the US$300 region). But if you have a iOS7 device, you can use the camera connection kit (CCK) to enable the USB host function hiding inside iOS7, which will let you use most USB DAC that doesn't have the MFi chip, as long as the USB DAC itself doesn't draw too much power from the iOS7 device (and if you ever wonder - yes, the Lightning-to-30pins adapter had the MFi chip built-in as well).


 
  


> ...Forza lists in its website that you will need a MFi enable DAC such as Foxter HP-P1 and Cypher Labs Algorythm Solo (or Sony PHA-1 / PHA-2) for that cable. Just plugging in any random DAC WILL NOT work.


 
  
 Just in case it isn't clear, RSA doesn't have any MFi certified DAC/amp AFAIK.


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## Toxic Cables

I did make myself a lightning to 3.5mm, but don't sell them.
  
   

 We do have some Lightning to USB cables currently available, made with genuine lightning connectors.


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## DogMeat

So.
 How did that work?
 Audio out to your amp okay?
 I assume that that's the official Lightning to 30 pin adaptor, containing the Mfi chip in there....


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## DogMeat

>





>


 
 So.
 How did that work?
 Audio out to your amp okay?
 I assume that that's the official Lightning to 30 pin adaptor, containing the Mfi chip in there....
  
  
  
  
 sorry. meant to quote you with my first reply.
 buh.


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## havvvvvv

Dude could I pay you to do 3.5mm female to lightning?


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