A quickie

[fk040254]

I am looking at getting an H140 after deciding that an H340 offers nothing new for £80 more.

I need to be able to play my mp3 through my existing stereo, does the 140 have analogue output which can be connected to a stereo aux. input?

If it does, is the neccessary lead included in the pack?

[BlueBandicoot]

Yes and yes!

There's EVEN a couple of optical in/out ports for the extra quality option, but you need to get an optical cable for that (not included). Your stereo also has to have an optical input.

But for analogue line out, you're good to go.

BUT - if your stereo has two input ports - one red, one white (RCA ports), you need to get a Stereo-to-2xRCA adapter.

[fk040254]

Just checked, one red, one white.

How much is the adaptor and where do I get it?

Thanks for your help.

[zezayer]

Its usually a lead rather than an adaptor, headphone jack on 1 end and double phono (red & white plugs) on the other end, plug headphone jack into line out on iriver and phonos into stereo.

Maplins in UK or Radioshack accross the water sell them. £2-3. ($5)
Can even get them in Asda (Walmart! yanks). v common.

[stevie]

It's worth paying more to get a decent audio interconnect. I bought a Kimber Tonik Cable from Russ Andrews here in the UK for £40 and it makes the music so much more detailed and crisper.

[snowcrash]

Actually, there's a big debate over whether different types of audio cables affect the sound. Most people avoid the cheap thin ones usually supplied with equipment, but after that, whether spending 10 or a 100 pounds is debatable. If you are playing compressed music thru your hifi via the H, then I wouldn't spend more than a tenner on the cable.

[jelly]

snowcrash, thats the reasoning i had, no point in buying expensive cables for compressed audio. however, i changed my speaker cables from old beat up copper to the mains cable wire (actualy works really well) and it was weird, i think people saying that a cable can make that much of a difference is snobby, but i could hear a new beat in my dads art of noise cd that i couldnt before, it was very bassy, was a bit of a revalation, as it added a lot to the song. so, in my mind for cds it really does matter, and for mp3s etc, doesnt that much...

just my 0.02p

Jelly

[snowcrash]

Hi Jelly

as u probably know, there's a raging debate amongst 'audiophiles' whether i/cs really make a difference.

I have a fairly good hifi set up and demo'd a few different types of cables at varying prices. IME, couldn't hear a difference b/w a 10 pound one and a 200 pound one. Ended up buying a 40 pound one, because it was supposed to be smooth sounding with good bass. Now whether it is has physical properties which acheive this, I actually doubt, but because I believe it to be the case, I hear that sound.
If someone did a blind test b/w the different cables, I doubt I could tell the difference.
So at the end of the day, it's up to individual, on how much they want to spend.

regards
sc

[IanR]

i got one of these http://www.discountdiscs.co.uk/Merch...ory_Code=cable
thought i would get something abit better than the cheapest,but not the most expensive like Snowcrash said

[fk040254]

All

Thanks for your thoughts, looks like I'm going for the H140.

(Ian - Excellent link)

[IanR]

cheers

[robkiger]

Also with regard to the H140's optical out. I tried connecting my player to my home audio system via the standard line out and I had to have the amp's volume control at 12-o clock, a setting that would normally blow the windows out.

I know somebody might proffer that the player's volume control could have been low (it was set at the level for my e2c's), but as far as I'm concerned raising this level shouldn't be necessary. A line level output should output a particular voltage at 0dB, irrespective of the player's volume control setting. Sound quality was okay though. I then used an optical cable and the volume control was back where it should have been, around the 8-30ish position, and the sound quality was awesome (OGG 200Kbs)

Glad I went for the 140 and not the 340 with its missing opto out.

[y0da]

Originally Posted by robkiger

Also with regard to the H140's optical out. I tried connecting my player to my home audio system via the standard line out and I had to have the amp's volume control at 12-o clock, a setting that would normally blow the windows out.

I know somebody might proffer that the player's volume control could have been low (it was set at the level for my e2c's), but as far as I'm concerned raising this level shouldn't be necessary. A line level output should output a particular voltage at 0dB, irrespective of the player's volume control setting. Sound quality was okay though. I then used an optical cable and the volume control was back where it should have been, around the 8-30ish position, and the sound quality was awesome (OGG 200Kbs)

Glad I went for the 140 and not the 340 with its missing opto out.

the line out is not a true line out it is still affected by the volume of the player

most just turn the volune on the player to 40

it isn't however just a 2nd headphone jack ...there is a differance and if you plug headphones into it you will be able to tell that differance

[FlameGrilled]

As far as the business of interconnects goes, and the mucho degree of 'snake oil' that's used to sell the bloody stuff at audiophile market levels, i think it's all been said before.

In the real world, where you dont spend the substantial deposit of a home on yer hifi kit (most of us, myself included), as long as you buy cables that are substantial, i.e. decent coax, for stuff like interconnects between a player and amp you are ok.

Cost, well, around a £5 buys you a half-decent replacement destined for such stuff - usually the same grade of ready-made that comes with decent multimedia speakers (and it's often good enough).

If you want more, dont be lead into buying silly stuff like the Monster brand - go down your local electrical/electronics spares place and buy some coax and plugs. What you get, for the extra effort, is your choice of interconnect length.. lower loss cabling (not that it's much of an issue for this purpose) and total construction quality control.

Option 2, making up yer own, is a good one as you can buy a small reel of the coax and replace all the cruddy coax leads that come with packaged hifi separates package deals.

Another good idea is to get one substantial lead with two pairs of phono/rca's and a 2xRCA's -> 3.5 mm adaptor.

Not for every day use, but it's a good backup since the cost of ready made non-y cables is far more cost effective than for y cables when you want more than say a metre or two of cable run.

A bodge, you may say..??

Dunno, but when i had the Arcam lashed up to a computer's soundcard (testing the inputs of someone else's ancient soundcard), that lash-up sounded ok.. nothing to complain about.