About the Nuforce Icon iDo
The portable music lover's dilemma
The portable music lover's dilemma
Sure, your iPhone works just fine with lightweight portable headphones while you're on the go. But what happens when you get to work, or home, and want to listen to your mobile music library through some serious high-fidelity cans? Or your big-rig audio system? What happens is... not much! At least, not much that sounds good, anyway. And that's the problem the made-for-earbuds circuitry inside your iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad has a choke hold on the sound of your music. It just can't muster the power and precision that is absolutely vital for critical listening on a high-quality sound system or high-end headphones. NuForce has the perfect solution to this problem.
Get pure digital performance
The impressive Icon iDo gives you a direct digital connection to the music on your player for richer, fuller sound. Just plug the supplied cable into your Apple device's dock connector (or use the cable that came with your player). You'll be feeding your music in its original digital form through the iDo's audiophile-grade digital-to-analog converter. This bypasses your player's DAC and headphone amp, allowing you to hear your tunes with dramatically improved clarity. The iDo's versatile output connections give you the flexibility to enjoy your music on your finest headphones, powered speakers, home theater, or stereo system.Realize your music's full potential
If you've never heard your digital music played through a high-quality DAC or headphone amp, you're in for a big treat. You'll get sparkling clear highs, detailed midrange, and deep, sonorous bass you can feel all the way down to your tailbone. Every instrument and vocal stands out clearly and distinctly in its own separate space, allowing you to easily follow each one note-for-note. You'll feel immersed in sound with a greater sense of ambient space around you.
From the review A one-stop solution to get quality sound from your Apple portable
"Overall, this product feels well-designed and thought through and reasonably priced... I have a feeling Nuforce's mighty iDo will rank high on my wish list for the upcoming year."
Woody, Crutchfield Home A/V Writer
Product highlights:
- desktop digital-to-analog converter exclusively for use with select iPods, iPod® touch, iPhone®, and iPad®
- back-panel USB port accepts direct digital signal from player, bypassing its built-in DAC and analog audio output circuitry for superior sound
- built-in high-quality headphone amplifier drives headphones with impedance of up to 300 ohms
- built-in high-resolution 24-bit DAC for greater sonic detail
- bit-perfect, low-jitter USB operation
- no sample rate conversion for purer sound quality
- digitally controlled analog volume control provides precise level adjustments
- built-in IR receiver accepts control signals from the Apple Remote for volume and playback adjustment on connected players
- inputs:
- USB Type A (compatible with iPod/iPhone/iPad only)
- outputs:
- 3.5mm minijack headphone
- 1 pair gold-plated RCA analog audio
- gold-plated RCA coaxial digital audio
- external power supply included
- removable non-slip silicone stand included
- 30-pin dock port-to-USB cable included
- 6-3/8"H x 3-3/16"W x 5-1/2"D (with stand attached)
- warranty: 1 year
- MFR # NF-ICON-IDO-RED
What's in the box:
Nuforce Icon iDo owner's manual
- External DAC/Headphone Amp
- AC power adapter (with attached 58" DC cord)
- 2-Prong AC plug
- 39" iPod/USB cable (with 30-pin Apple connector on one end and a USB type-A connector on other end)
- Rubber stand
- Instruction booklet
- "A Beginner's Guide to Good Audio" sheet
Featured video:
Customer reviews for Nuforce Icon iDo
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Average review:
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Customer photos
This review was collected as part of a promotion
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More details on the Nuforce Icon iDo
Features & specs
Design | ||
---|---|---|
Type | --- | |
Built-in Rechargable Battery | --- | |
Built-in Headphone Amplifier | ||
Output Power | --- | |
Output Impedance (Unbalanced) | --- | |
Output Impedance (Balanced) | --- | |
Audio Specs | ||
Bit Depth (USB) | 24 | |
Max Sampling Rate (USB) | 48 kHz | |
Bit Depth (S/PDIF) | 0 | |
Max Sampling Rate S/PDIF | 0 | |
S/N Ratio (Unbalanced, in dB) | --- | |
S/N Ratio (Balanced, in dB) | 95 | |
THD (Unbalanced) | --- | |
THD (Balanced) | 0.01% | |
Supported File Types | ||
PCM | --- | |
DSD | --- | |
DXD | --- | |
MQA | --- | |
Inputs | ||
Total Inputs | 1 | |
USB | Type A | |
Optical Digital | None | |
Coaxial Digital | None | |
3.5mm Digital | None | |
Stereo RCA Analog | None | |
Stereo 3.5mm Analog | None | |
Stereo XLR Analog | --- | |
Headphone Outputs | ||
3.5mm Unbalanced | --- | |
1/4-inch Unbalanced | --- | |
4.4mm Balanced | --- | |
XLR4 Balanced | --- | |
Other Headphone Outs | --- | |
Line Level & Digital Outs | ||
RCA Line Out | 1 | |
3.5mm Line Out | None | |
XLR Line Out | --- | |
Subwoofer Out | None | |
Optical Digital Out | None | |
Coaxial Digital Out | 1 | |
Wireless Connectivity | ||
Bluetooth | --- | |
Wi-Fi | --- | |
Apple-compatible | --- | |
Android-compatible | --- | |
General Info | ||
Width (inches) | 1-1/4 | |
Height (inches) | 5-15/16 | |
Depth (inches) | 5-1/2 | |
Weight | 1 lbs. | |
Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
Labor Warranty | 1 Year |
Product Research
Features
Overview: The NuForce icon iDo is an audiophile-grade DAC and Headphone amp for select Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPods. Featuring audiophile-grade 24-bit D/A converters, the iDo extracts the original digital audio data from your compatible Apple device and then coverts the digital audio data to a high-quality analog signal for use with headphones or your home stereo system. The iDo offers a built-in headphone amplifier capable of powering hard-to drive headphones to their full potential. The iDo's analog RCA and coaxial digital S/PDIF connectors interface with your home stereo system. The iDo is ideal for music enthusiasts who primarily listen to their digital music libraries stored on their Apple devices.
USB Port with Apple 30-pin Charge/Sync Cable: You can connect select Apple mobile devices (iPad/iPhone/iPad) to the icon iDo's USB (type-A) port with the Apple approved and included 30-pin sync/charging cable (or the Lightning cable included with your iPod/iPhone in the case of the newer models). In addition to transmitting audio, the iDo will charge your connected Apple device. The NuForce icon iDo is compatible with the following Apple devices (as of 2/21/2013):
iPod Model | Generation | Tested Version | Audio Output | Charging | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Headphone | Stereo RCA | Coaxial Digital | ||||
dock connector | 3rd | n/a | N | N | N | N |
clickwheel color | 4th | n/a | N | N | N | N |
mini | 1st | n/a | N | N | N | N |
2nd | n/a | N | N | N | N | |
video | 5th | 1.3 | N | N | N | N |
classic | 80GB | 1.1.2 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
120GB | 2.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
160GB | 2.0.4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
nano | 1st | 1.3.1 | N | N | N | N |
2nd | 1.1.3 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
3rd | 1.1.3 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
4th | 1.0.4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
5th | 1.0.2 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
6th | 1.1 PC | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
7th | 1.01 PC | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
touch | 1st | 2.2.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
2nd | 4.2.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
3rd | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
4th | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
5th | 6.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
iPhone | 2G | 3.1.3 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
3G | 4.2.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
3GS | 4.3.5 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
4 | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
4S | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
5 | 6.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
iPad | 1 | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
2 | 5.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
3 | 6.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
4 | 6.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
mini | 6.0.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Note: The NuForce icon iDo is designed to work only with Apple iTunes and iPod software. Apple iPod/iPhone software updates may change functionality results. If you download a newer software version, you may need to reset the device and your iPod/iPhone to regain functionality. If this doesn't work, you may need to wait until a newer software update is available.
24-bit DAC: The NuForce icon iDo features audiophile-grade 24-bit D/A converters that operate exclusively at the data's native sample rate for bit-perfect, low-jitter music file playback (no sample rate conversion). The iDo extracts audio data in its original digital form (in USB Host mode) from your Apple mobile digital device, delivering bit-perfect, low-jitter, audiophile-quality music file playback. As a result, the icon iDo delivers audiophile-grade CD quality sound to digital music files stored on your Apple mobile digital devices.
Note: The maximum sample rate currently supported by Apple is 16-bit/44.1kHz or 24-bit/48kHz.
iPod DAC Bypass: Apple uses its own audio codec, Apple Lossless Encoder (ALE), to compress and store music files on its devices in original CD quality without loss. However, even ALE files only sound as good as the default DAC (digital-to-analog converter) found within the mobile digital device. The icon iDo bypasses the built-in DAC and extracts the audio data stored on the device in its original digital form in USB Host Mode. It then converts the high-quality files for bit-perfect and low-jitter music playback.
Headphone Amp: The icon iDo also offers a built-in headphone amplifier capable of powering power-hungry headsets, giving users a total audio experience. By properly powering headphones, the icon iDo enhances the auditory performance of the headphones because optimal amperage is being delivered to them, allowing for greater audio clarity. The icon iDo is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect a set of headphones for private high-quality sound playback.
Analog & Digital Outputs: The NuForce icon iDo is fitted with an analog stereo RCA output and a coaxial digital output. The icon iDo plugs into your home stereo system using stereo RCA cables or a single coaxial cable (both sold separately).
Digitally Controlled Volume Control: Digitally controlled analog volume control provides precise control, accurate channel tracking, and superior resolution. The volume is set to 10% when the iDo is turned on. The volume level is indicated by the relative position of the Blue LED indicator on the front-panel.
External Power Supply: The NuForce icon iDo operates off of standard household current using the supplied AC power adapter. The external power adapter is separate from the icon iDo to further improve sound quality.
Note: Power button is located on back of unit.
Specifications
Input Section:
- USB: type-A for iPod, iPhone, or iPad
- Max Sampling Rate: 48kHz
- Maximum Resolution: 24-bits
Output Section:
- Analog Output: RCA, 2Vrms
- Digital Output: coaxial RCA 75-Ohm
- Headphone Output: 3.5mm mini-jack (16-300 ohm / 12mW @ 300-ohm)
Frequency Response: 10Hz to 20kHz (-0.5dB)
THD+N: 0.01%, 1kHz, 1.2 Vrms
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >95 dB
Power Requirement: 6.5V, 2.3A; 100-240VAC
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Customer Q&A
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I have the Nuforce Icon iDo feeding an Onkyo receiver and Definitive Technology towers. Setup was easy and the sound is amazing. I think it has definitely brought back the impact to the music on my iPod. Not sure if there is a break in period or not, but it sounded great from day one to me.
James from Georgia