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iPad Lightning cable to Micro USB B Input on DAC ?

KR500

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Just purchased a 9th Generation iPad to take over from my 2017 Android tablet playing Apple Lossless Music.

How can you plug an iPad in to a Schitt Modi DAC usb micro b input ?
I don't want to cough up $40 for the Apple adaptor, or use the iPad headphone output.
Will a female USB adaptor from a Lightning to USB make this work ?

Not sure why this particular lightning to micro usb cable is unobtanium in anything affordable and easy to find
 

Doodski

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Just purchased a 9th Generation iPad to take over from my 2017 Android tablet playing Apple Lossless Music.

How can you plug an iPad in to a Schitt Modi DAC usb micro b input ?
I don't want to cough up $40 for the Apple adaptor, or use the iPad headphone output.
Will a female USB adaptor from a Lightning to USB make this work ?

Not sure why this particular lightning to micro usb cable is unobtanium in anything affordable and easy to find
Is it Lightning 4? I priced a Lightning 4 connector and mounting plate for my desktop PC and cables too. $170 CDN for the rear panel connector thingy and up to $130 for a L4 cable.
 

staticV3

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Your best chances at making this work are by coughing up that $40 for the Apple adapter.
3rd party cables are hit or miss (mostly miss). You need to look for "OTG". Or just buy the 1st party adapter plus a regular Micro USB cable.
 
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staticV3

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Is it Lightning 4? I priced a Lightning 4 connector and mounting plate for my desktop PC and cables too. $170 CDN for the rear panel connector thingy and up to $130 for a L4 cable.
I think you're confusing Lightning with Thunderbolt. There's no "Lightning 4"
 
OP
KR500

KR500

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Thanks Static, I am afraid you speak truth and will probably spend the $40, seems odd that is the only option.
 

staticV3

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Thanks Static, I am afraid you speak truth and will probably spend the $40, seems odd that is the only option.
I'll let you in on a secret: it's very much by design that 1st party Apple accessories are basically the only option. Welcome to the ecosystem.
 

AdamG

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Just purchased a 9th Generation iPad to take over from my 2017 Android tablet playing Apple Lossless Music.

How can you plug an iPad in to a Schitt Modi DAC usb micro b input ?
I don't want to cough up $40 for the Apple adaptor, or use the iPad headphone output.
Will a female USB adaptor from a Lightning to USB make this work ?

Not sure why this particular lightning to micro usb cable is unobtanium in anything affordable and easy to find
I can confirm these cables work:

AGVEE [0.3ft] USB-C to Lightning OTG DAC Adapter Cable Converter Cord for iPhone iOS Device, Wireless Lavalier Digital Microphone, Type-C Headphone Amps Amplifier, for RODE Samson, Dark Gray https://a.co/d/4YbLr98

You want to look for the “OTG, DAC” rated cable. I think the above manufacturer makes this same cable with usb-c on both ends as well. Hope that helps.
 

Axo1989

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By way of background Lightning was designed some time before USB-C. The upside is that it's very compact and reversible and supports many functions. But to achieve this it actively re-assigns pins on the device depending on the connection. That makes connections more complex. It certainly works in Apple's favour but certification does more or less guarantee cables and adaptors work as expected. My iPads are all USB-C models but looks like @AdamG247 has experience and good advice.
 

cnowacki

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I can confirm that the cable below works well. I use it for playing music via my iPhone 12 Pro to the USB input on my SMSL SU-9n DAC. Apple Music loseless high resolution seems to work as my DAC reports 24bit at 96khz and dispalys the high resolution icon. I have also used it with Tidal Masters but was not able to test full MQA unfolding since my DAC does not support it.

 

Tom C

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I can confirm that the cable below works well. I use it for playing music via my iPhone 12 Pro to the USB input on my SMSL SU-9n DAC. Apple Music loseless high resolution seems to work as my DAC reports 24bit at 96khz and dispalys the high resolution icon. I have also used it with Tidal Masters but was not able to test full MQA unfolding since my DAC does not support it.

This is what I’ve used with iPhone 12 mini and old iPad Air, and not had a problem
 

Enstip

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Apple Music > iPad 6 15.6.1 > Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter > 4 metre usb A to B > ADI-2 DAC Fs v51 > QED Reference Audio 40 Phono to phono interconnects > Musical Fidelity M3Si integrated amplifier in power amp mode > 2 metres per channel of QED Original speaker cables> Focal Kanta no 1 speakers


Just a related perspective for anybody researching this subject.


I use a standard £10 4m long USB A to USB B cable and it’s bit perfect (the DAC comes with test files to check). I use the Apple video adapter rather than a USB C to USB B cable, because USB C cables have chips in them of unknown efficacy, so best avoided, if these things worry you. I trust Apple to convert C to A properly. (Yikes!)
 

bokolobs

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If you set iOS Apple Music app volume to max while using the lightning to USB adapter to a DAC, is it bit-perfect?
 

Enstip

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I’m not sure, but my educated guess is that the bit stream is what it is, and volume just shifts the reference voltage for that whole bit stream up and down. So I would think that volume control has no effect on bit perfection. But, make sure that there are no EQ settings upsetting things in the AM app.
 

bokolobs

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I’m not sure, but my educated guess is that the bit stream is what it is, and volume just shifts the reference voltage for that whole bit stream up and down. So I would think that volume control has no effect on bit perfection. But, make sure that there are no EQ settings upsetting things in the AM app.
Thanks! I have Dolby, EQ, and Sound Check off. @staticV3 explained in another thread it has something to do with UAC2 vs UAC1 in the DAC.
 
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