Lightning adapter for a FiiO E17k Alpen

[transmaster]

Is anyone making a digital connector cable to connect an iPhone 7 directly to the digital input of my FiiO E17k. FiiO was supposed to be coming put with one but I have never seen it. Apple had some sort a dongle that might have worked but it was quite expensive, too expensive to take a chance on. A simple lightning to 3.5mm coaxial digital cable is that too much to ask for.

 

[E.Auer]

You cant just use a cable as Lightning/USB is different than coax (S/PDIF) format.

In your case I would get a CCA, connect it to the optical 3.5mm on the FiiO and stream thru that.

Eric

 

[whoaru99]

Is anyone making a digital connector cable to connect an iPhone 7 directly to the digital input of my FiiO E17k. FiiO was supposed to be coming put with one but I have never seen it. Apple had some sort a dongle that might have worked but it was quite expensive, too expensive to take a chance on. A simple lightning to 3.5mm coaxial digital cable is that too much to ask for.

I doubt Apple will allow direct digital out unless they get a healthy chunk of the action. Maybe not even then as they're big into DRM, correct?

 

[whoaru99]

You cant just use a cable as Lightning/USB is different than coax (S/PDIF) format.

In your case I would get a CCA, connect it to the optical 3.5mm on the FiiO and stream thru that.

Eric

Right, but I think the point is if they can squeeze a DAC and such into the Lightning adapter they probably could make a Lightning adapter verison with a S/PDIF converter instead (or both maybe) if they wanted to.

 

[E.Auer]

Right, but I think the point is if they can squeeze a DAC and such into the Lightning adapter they probably could make a Lightning adapter verison with a S/PDIF converter instead (or both maybe) if they wanted to.

People in general prefer non wired solutions these days so probably not much profit in a converter. Maybe some 3rd party stuff down the line but I doubt it would sell all that well.

(and most DAC's have USB anyhow)

Eric

 

[E.Auer]

Behringer does have a very affordable USB to S/PDIF solution. No Idea how well it works for a Iphone.
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-BEHRINGER-U-CONTROL/dp/B000KW2YEI

Eric

 

[whoaru99]

My point was to clarify there probably isn't a technical roadblock to what was was requested.

Whether it sells is a different matter; but I know at least two would.

 

[transmaster]

It is an Apple thing the lightning chip set. I can hook up the Alpen with an analog connection but not the digital one.

FiiO does have an interesting alternative to the Apple Adapter, the FiiO i1. It is a lightning to 3.5mm adapter headphone amp the DAC/headphone amp even has volume controls, $39.95.

 

[KrisM]

Didn't uofmtiger mention a solution for this awhile back, maybe with the lightning to USB camera adapter thingy? Or am I not remembering correctly?

Pretty sure it involved an Apple dongle of some sort.
And yeah, those can be pricey, for what they are.
I bought the lightning to HDMI + lightning one a few months back, and I think it was in the $50 range. It did what I needed it to though, so no complaints.

 

[transmaster]

Yes it is the Camera adapter the problem is it doesn’t always work it costs $29.00 if I could try it first to see if it would works fine but $29 bucks is too expensive for it to wind up in the drawer of forgotten Apple Dongles.

 

[E.Auer]

Yes it is the Camera adapter the problem is it doesn’t always work it costs $29.00 if I could try it first to see if it would works fine but $29 bucks is too expensive for it to wind up in the drawer of forgotten Apple Dongles.

View attachment 1032246

This, of course, is a Lightning to USB adapter that would not give you s/pdif out by itself.

Eric

 

[uofmtiger]

Yes it is the Camera adapter the problem is it doesn’t always work it costs $29.00 if I could try it first to see if it would works fine but $29 bucks is too expensive for it to wind up in the drawer of forgotten Apple Dongles.

View attachment 1032246

Assuming the DAC has a USB input, I would get the USB dongle that also has a lightning input.

The problem with the other dongle is that it may not provide enough power. I have used a Plugable USB (I think I have a photo in my stuff link) that has helped with that issue on the old one port dongle, but I can't say it works with every DAC.

The above solution allows you to plug in the iPhone to power (you can use a battery pack, as well) which typically kills the message that you are not getting enough power to feed the USB DAC.

To get coax out of this, you would have to add a converter in the middle and that may complicate things. I have an Old Nuforce DAC that has USB in and Coax out and it would feed a coax signal to another DAC, but I have not tested that in a long time.