Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

sshambles

macrumors 6502a
Oct 19, 2005
766
1,128
Australia
You're welcome. The pictures come via a series of dongles and adapters plugged into my Hi-Fi's dock connector:
1) A Scosche 30-pin firewire to 30-pin USB 'dock' adapter. (because orignal iPods charged over firewire only)
2) An Apple 30-pin to lightning adapter (the 9" cabled version)
3) An original white apple lightning dock stuck to the top of my Hi-Fi!

All that gives me a "lightning-dock Hi-Fi"! Not pretty, but great sound. Got it for $150 on clearance at Target ten years ago.

It'll still be going strong in 20 or 30 years because, unlike most Apple electronic products made now, it has NO built-in batteries. So nothing to fail (until the circuit boards give up the ghost, of course.)
Can you post a photograph please?
 

MrUNIMOG

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2014
654
424
Hamburg, Germany
Here you go. This is what it looks like on iOS 11.1.2
View attachment 738326
Wow, neat. When I got my iPod Hi-Fi a year ago I was just happy that it still worked with the latest iOS via the 30 pin adapter, didn’t even notice that menu in the settings. Bummer that 11.2 removed it.

Alas, iOS 12 (or some 12.x version along the way) killed iPod Hi-Fi compatibility via the 30 pin completely it seems. It’s recognized as „Dock Connctor“ for less than a second and then disappears. Rather seems like a bug than a deliberate decision, so let’s hope reporting the issue to Apple will make them do something about it..
[doublepost=1563107593][/doublepost]
Well, it failed because it was ridiculously overpriced at the time - and the iPhone came out soon after and didn't work with it. (The iPod Hi-Fi only supports charging the device over the Firewire pins of the Dock connector, not the USB pins - and later iPods, along with the iPhone, only support charging over the USB pins.)

The first iPhone did in fact support FireWire charging, just like the 2007 iPods did. However later iPhones and iPods with 30 pin work flawlessly with the Hi-Fi too, it just doesn’t charge them.

I don’t think it was overpriced BTW given the sound quality, design and ease of use. If Apple gave it a Lightning dock and AirPlay, 350 would be a steal even today.

It’s hard to overstate how happy I am with mine which I just got a year ago, now AirPlay 2 enabled via 2012 AirPort Express and optical cable.
 
Last edited:

tranceking26

macrumors 65816
Apr 16, 2013
1,394
1,549
I'm thinking of buying one on eBay. In fact I already made an offer for one.

Will it play/charge the 120GB iPod Classic out the box or will I need an adapter?
 

MrUNIMOG

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2014
654
424
Hamburg, Germany
I'm thinking of buying one on eBay. In fact I already made an offer for one.

Will it play/charge the 120GB iPod Classic out the box or will I need an adapter?

The Hi-Fi will play from any iPod with 30 pin connector.

It will charge any iPod that supports FireWire charging (also the original iPhone), the complete list you can find here: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/ipod/ipod-faq/ipods-charge-and-sync-firewire-usb2.html

Your iPod classic should both play and charge without an adapter.
 
Last edited:

McScooby

macrumors 65816
Oct 15, 2005
1,249
807
The Paps of Glenn Close, Scotland.
It makes a cracking soundbar for the TV!:D Got 2 used from eBay a few years ago, paid over the odds, but nothing compares to it. It got slated on launch as there was nothing to compare it to & SJ's audiophile comments were trashed when it was found it only went to 17KHz, that aside can't say I notice!:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

Riviera122

macrumors 6502
Sep 14, 2008
488
164
Honestly one of my favourite vintage Apple products. The culmination of SJ/Ive’s mid-2000s design approach. Sounds great, and paired with an AirPort Express still has plenty of modern uses.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

DouglasCarroll

macrumors 6502
Dec 27, 2016
367
343
I was given a new Amazon echo so I set it up and then plugged the audio out from it to my iPod Hi-Fi....Wow, I love the two together!! Talk about a great marriage of old and new technology. I can control all the Amazon echo stuff with voice commands, but also using my apple remote with the iPod Hi-Fi I can control the volume or mute it...very convenient. I used to have the iPod Hi-Fi connected to an Airport Express for wireless use, but I personally find the voice command of the Echo more fun to use with the Hi-Fi.

Anyways, my 2 cents.

Love the iPod Hi-Fi!!!

:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arran

kajukenbo

macrumors newbie
May 16, 2018
27
9
Does anyone know where to buy:

A Scosche 30-pin firewire to 30-pin USB 'dock' adapter. (because orignal iPods charged over firewire only)
 

kajukenbo

macrumors newbie
May 16, 2018
27
9
I saw that listing but I was worried as it didn't have much information in the listing. Thank you for confirming it at least looks like the right piece, so for $12 I ordered it.

For some reason my AUX in doesn't work. The Apple 30 pin adapters also don't work, I assume due to the Firewire versus USB 30 pin issue. The only thing that works is using an old 30 pin iPod, but only for audio and not charging.
 

Arran

macrumors 601
Mar 7, 2008
4,858
3,804
Atlanta, USA
I saw that listing but I was worried as it didn't have much information in the listing. Thank you for confirming it at least looks like the right piece, so for $12 I ordered it.

For some reason my AUX in doesn't work. The Apple 30 pin adapters also don't work, I assume due to the Firewire versus USB 30 pin issue. The only thing that works is using an old 30 pin iPod, but only for audio and not charging.
Uh oh. I just tried out my own setup.

My old iPhone 6 running iOS 12.4.4 still plays just fine through the iPod HiFi.

HOWEVER neither my iPhone 11 Pro (iOS 13.4.1) nor an old 2015 iPad Pro (iOS 13.4.1) will play. They charge, but won’t play. I’m guessing Apple dropped support for this in the OS?
 
  • Sad
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

MrUNIMOG

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2014
654
424
Hamburg, Germany
Uh oh. I just tried out my own setup.

My old iPhone 6 running iOS 12.4.4 still plays just fine through the iPod HiFi.

HOWEVER neither my iPhone 11 Pro (iOS 13.4.1) nor an old 2015 iPad Pro (iOS 13.4.1) will play. They charge, but won’t play. I’m guessing Apple dropped support for this in the OS?

I noticed this a while ago. Apparently something in iOS 13 has broken playback on the iPod Hi-Fi through the Lightning to 30-Pin adapter. It really is a shame, I was amazed how flawlessly current devices still worked with the iPod Hi-Fi before that happened.

I'm resorting to AirPlay via an AirPort Express and optical cable now, which does work great and in many ways is more comfortable; however I now have to use the iPod Hi-Fi's remote to control the overall volume. Before, connecting my iPhone directly via Lightning to 30-Pin, the iPhone had control over the iPod Hi-Fi's output volume so I could adjust it from my Apple Watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arran

Minato1990

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2017
363
646
So I was finally able to chase down a airport express for airplay 2. I have one of them hooked up(ordered a tos link female to male adapter so I can use my tosh link splitter to connect both of them to the airport express) It works great with the Homepod too. Now I can control siri to make it play on it
Only thing that sucks a lil is that I can't stream the audio from my TV to it. It's a samsung that has airplay 2. However I have an apple tv so that makes up for it. The main reason I would have loved the ability to send the sound from my tv is because of my PS4.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrUNIMOG

Minato1990

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 12, 2017
363
646
Was anyone able to use an optical audio cable splitter with two ipod hi-fi for the airport express? I tried using my splitter however it doesn’t work no sound comes out
 

barbu

macrumors 65816
Jul 8, 2013
1,262
1,052
wpg.mb.ca
67300F92-CDED-476A-8914-F320EF219A23.jpeg

$40 cdn for this little set up (40 for hifi and free iPod from workmate). Although, the clear case for the 5G was about that much again! The original front case was trashed. Long live the Hi-Fi!
 

Grumpus

macrumors regular
Jan 17, 2021
249
162
Hi there,
@barbu
where did you buy the transparent case? It's beautiful.
You're replying to a years-old post, but maybe @barbu is still around and will reply. Meanwhile, you can try looking for a transparent case at Elite Obsolete Electronics under the Parts menu for your particular iPod. They're in the US and I don't know for sure if they ship internationally, but it can't hurt to ask. I have no connection other than as a customer. I'm pretty sure the transparent cases are available only for 5th, 6th and 7th gen "classics."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mark.g4

philden

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2010
119
52
You're replying to a years-old post, but maybe @barbu is still around and will reply. Meanwhile, you can try looking for a transparent case at Elite Obsolete Electronics under the Parts menu for your particular iPod. They're in the US and I don't know for sure if they ship internationally, but it can't hurt to ask. I have no connection other than as a customer. I'm pretty sure the transparent cases are available only for 5th, 6th and 7th gen "classics."
I think the clear cases only naturally fit the 5th gen. To use them with a 6th or 7th gen you need to completely take the iPod apart and rebuild it using the metal mid-frame from a 5th gen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mark.g4

Grumpus

macrumors regular
Jan 17, 2021
249
162
I think the clear cases only naturally fit the 5th gen. To use them with a 6th or 7th gen you need to completely take the iPod apart and rebuild it using the metal mid-frame from a 5th gen.
Thanks for the clarification. Might be worth it if you ever have to change the battery in a 6th or 7th gen, since it's almost impossible to open those without damaging the soft aluminum faceplate (or so I'm given to understand, I've never actually tried).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.