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Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter & USB DACs


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Hi Guys - I originally posted a question about using this adapter with the AudioQuest DragonFly Red (link). Since answering this question by purchasing the adapter myself, I've since discovered how cool this thing is and think a thread for the Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter by itself is a good idea.

 

Here's the story.

 

Apple's standard lightning to USB camera kit does allow connecting a USB DAC to an iOS device, but most DACs have an issue sucking too much power and won't work. the iOS device throws up an error. On the other hand, DACs like the new DragonFly Red will work with the standard adapter but there's no way to charge your iOS device at the same time. For example, I want to use my iPhone and DragonFly Red on a plane to Italy next month, but I don't want to use all my iPhone battery.

 

The new solution is the $39 Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. this adapter enables both USB DACs and power from a lightning cable simultaneously.

 

After purchasing the adapter today, I ran some tests and found great things.

 

It works with USB DACs like the DragonFly Red and any lightning charger.

 

It also works with main system USB devices like the Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB. The Alpha sucks a lot of USB power and has never worked with an iOS device in the past. The one caveat to this is that you must power the adapter / iOS device with a 10+ watt charger like this one (Apple 12 watt charger).

 

I was able to stream bit perfect 16/44.1 audio from the Tidal app on my iPhone 6 Plus.

 

I was able to stream 16/44.1 audio bit perfect using JRemote and the play to this device option. However, JRemote didn't deliver bit perfect playback on 96, 176.4 and 192 content. The sample rate was correct but something was wrong with the bit depth.

 

I was able to play 16/44.1, 24/96, 24/176.4, and 24/192 from my iPhone 6 Plus to the Alpha USB using FLAC Player.

 

 

This is a really cool adapter with a lot of potential. I think many CA readers will have tons of ideas about how to use this with an iOS device to play music to a good DAC. I'm sure some will use an UpTone Regen on the USB as well :~)

 

 

 

 

 

Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter - Apple

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-20 at 10.41.09 PM.png

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-20 at 10.41.03 PM.jpg

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Chris, thanks for sharing this - that's the exact use case I would see for this setup (*long* international flights).

 

Could you post a quick pic of your setup, just to validate what I think I'm picturing in my head?

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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Chris, thanks for sharing this - that's the exact use case I would see for this setup (*long* international flights).

 

Could you post a quick pic of your setup, just to validate what I think I'm picturing in my head?

Here is a quick snapshot of how I'm using it. The lightning to USB cable will simply connect to the airplane's USB ports.

 

IMG_1908.jpg

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Here is a quick snapshot of how I'm using it. The lightning to USB cable will simply connect to the airplane's USB ports.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26427[/ATTACH]

 

Thank you! I was picturing it correctly ;) Really cool.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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This is a really cool adapter with a lot of potential. I think many CA readers will have tons of ideas about how to use this with an iOS device to play music to a good DAC. I'm sure some will use an UpTone Regen on the USB as well :~)

 

Hi Chris:

 

Thanks for calling attention to the new Apple USB 3 Camera Adapter. And you are right, a lot of people use the REGEN with iPad/iPhones and a CCK (the shorthand for what Apple used to call the Camera Connection Kit)--in large part because the REGEN does not draw ANY power from the iPhone/Pad, yet it provides the DAC or DAC/headphone amp with all the USB 5VBUS power it could possibly want.

 

It is neat though that Audioquest went with a USB processor and DAC chip design that draws so little power it can run direct from the iDevice without iOS complaining that it draws too much.

 

One cool thing that not everyone is aware of is that with a good wifi connection you can actually stream hi-res content over you network, to iPhone/Pad, and out to your DAC. So even though iTunes won't let you sync/copy hi-res music files onto your phone, if you turn on HomeShare you can access and play up to 24/192 through your phone! I've done it a few times for fun.

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Works with iPhone 5 (and Apogee Groove) without any problems. Do you have newest iOS?

 

 

After the iOS upgrade it works like a charm with the Firefly now and a great upgrade for car audio. Tighter and more solid bass and far clearer sound than directly from the phone.

 

It did remind me why sabre DACs are not for me for my main listening rig... too fatiguing.

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  • 7 months later...

I tried an old Dragonfly with the apple camera adaptor on a brand new iPad and it did not work, not did an old HRT headstreamer. Instead of another new Dragonfly I got a Rennesense lab Herus and it works and sounds great. 1-Apple camera adapter to 2- USB x USB-B male printer cord into the Herus DSD DAC. The Apple printer cord was the only USB x USB-B cord that I could find. It works nice with a variety of headphones, eg PSB, Sennheiser, Grado, teem buds.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi all.

I'm waiting to receive the Dragonfly Red Audioquest DAC. I will use it on my iPhone 5s (and my iPad Air). Will the lightning / USB 3 Camera adapter will work with iOS 9 or it will need to upgrade to iOS 10?

Once connected will it work as USB 2 or USB 3?

Thank you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Chris and Gang,

 

Listening to Leon Bridges around the pool at The Kandy House, Kandy, Sri Lanka. As a famous past Australian sports commentator would say

 

"Bloody marvellous that"

 

 

Draogonfly with Camera KitJPG.JPG

LOUNGE: Mac Mini - Audirvana - Devialet 200 - ATOHM GT1 Speakers

OFFICE : Mac Mini - Audirvana - Benchmark DAC1HDR - ADAM A7 Active Monitors

TRAVEL : MacBook Air - Dragonfly V1.2 DAC - Sennheiser HD 650

BEACH : iPhone 6 - HRT iStreamer DAC - Akimate Micro + powered speakers

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Be forewarned that with standard Lightening/USB2 CCK with iPhone 7, there are many reports of pops/clicks with Dragonfly B/R. I have DFR & have this experience, forced to exchange for lightening/USB3 (probably a better choice anyway, but still aggravating.)

 

Audioquest: "In some rare instances, the combination of an iOS device in conjunction with the standard CCK and DragonFly Black or Red causes a clicking in the background of the music.

Neither we nor Apple have been able to determine why that is, but in circumstances where this occurs we’ve found that using Apple’s Lightning to USB 3.0 Camera Connection Kit resolves the problem."

 

Apple:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7685241?start=0&tstart=0

A: Mac Mini => Peachtree Nova => LFD Integrated Zero Mk.III => Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 | Musical Fidelity X-CAN V-8 => AKG K 701

B: Airport Express = > Benchmark DAC1 => Rega Brio-R => B&W DM 601 S2

C: Airport Express => AudioEngine A2

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