Wadia Digital, Inc. announced that it will debut the $349 iTransport iPod dock in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) January 7, 2008. Certified by Apple as "Made for iPod®," the iTransport bypasses the iPod's internal D/A conversion to output an S/PDIF signal, "providing CD-quality resolution from full-resolution from file formats such as .WAV and [Apple Lossless]."

The accuracy of a hi-fi system's "soundstage" reproduction seems to be of paramount importance these days, just as a component must now have "transparency" to possess hi-fi righteousness. If the system in which that component is used doesn't give good soundstage, then the system's owner has definitely fallen by the wayside. But what defines a good soundstage? Stereo imaging must have something to do with it, I hear you all cry. (I would have said stereo <I>imagery</I> until Larry Archibald pointed out that imagery has far less to do with hi-fi than with good writing, something I'm sure we agree has no place in a hi-fi magazine.) OK, what defines good stereo imaging?

The accuracy of a hi-fi system's "soundstage" reproduction seems to be of paramount importance these days, just as a component must now have "transparency" to possess hi-fi righteousness. If the system in which that component is used doesn't give good soundstage, then the system's owner has definitely fallen by the wayside. But what defines a good soundstage? Stereo imaging must have something to do with it, I hear you all cry. (I would have said stereo <I>imagery</I> until Larry Archibald pointed out that imagery has far less to do with hi-fi than with good writing, something I'm sure we agree has no place in a hi-fi magazine.) OK, what defines good stereo imaging?

As one of the founders of Threshold Corporation, its present chairman, and its longtime technical head, Nelson Pass has had a hand in the design and implementation of the products to come out of that company since its inception. His <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/16threshold">SA-1</A&gt; power amplifier and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpreamps/987fet10">FET 10</A> preamplifier have been long-term favorites of <I>Stereophile</I> founder J. Gordon Holt and I reviewed the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1290thresh">Threshold SA-12/e</A> power amplifier a year ago (Vol.13 No.12). I cornered him on a visit to Santa Fe...

As one of the founders of Threshold Corporation, its present chairman, and its longtime technical head, Nelson Pass has had a hand in the design and implementation of the products to come out of that company since its inception. His <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/16threshold">SA-1</A&gt; power amplifier and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpreamps/987fet10">FET 10</A> preamplifier have been long-term favorites of <I>Stereophile</I> founder J. Gordon Holt and I reviewed the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1290thresh">Threshold SA-12/e</A> power amplifier a year ago (Vol.13 No.12). I cornered him on a visit to Santa Fe...

As one of the founders of Threshold Corporation, its present chairman, and its longtime technical head, Nelson Pass has had a hand in the design and implementation of the products to come out of that company since its inception. His <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/16threshold">SA-1</A&gt; power amplifier and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpreamps/987fet10">FET 10</A> preamplifier have been long-term favorites of <I>Stereophile</I> founder J. Gordon Holt and I reviewed the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1290thresh">Threshold SA-12/e</A> power amplifier a year ago (Vol.13 No.12). I cornered him on a visit to Santa Fe...

As one of the founders of Threshold Corporation, its present chairman, and its longtime technical head, Nelson Pass has had a hand in the design and implementation of the products to come out of that company since its inception. His <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/16threshold">SA-1</A&gt; power amplifier and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpreamps/987fet10">FET 10</A> preamplifier have been long-term favorites of <I>Stereophile</I> founder J. Gordon Holt and I reviewed the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1290thresh">Threshold SA-12/e</A> power amplifier a year ago (Vol.13 No.12). I cornered him on a visit to Santa Fe...