FiiO L3 Line Out Dock (LOD) Cable For iPod and iPhone

Searched high and low but could find no direct statement that said the item worked with iPhone 4's dock. Bought it on chance and was pleasantly surprised it worked without a problem. The reason I questioned its functionality is that my other LOD I use with my 5th generation iPod does not work with the iPhone 4. I knew the pin outs changed at some point in time in the evolution of the ipod dock but couldn't recall the specifics. This get more confusing when you consider that my USA spec car stereo interface can go between my iPhone and iPod with no problems. Enough about connectivity.

The device clips in well to the iPhone's dock and is slim enough to work easily with my phone cover without interference. A small strain relief supports the cable where it exists the dock connector. I was expecting the cable to be a bit thicker since this is a step up from the Fiio L1. None the less it has good flexibility to permit connecting back to a headphone amp with a 180 degree turn. The fairly small and slim 1/8" connector has an over-molded plastic housing that seems to be slightly rubbery (high durometer TPE maybe). Not sure how well this plug will hold up over time but it should do just fine unless you plan on jogging with a headphone amp and need this sort of connector (don't think many people do that anyways). No real comments on sound, it sounds like a solid line out connection to me. I expect people that will notice the biggest differences using the LOD would be those that use high impedance or low sensitivity headphones with mild or low power portable amps fed by the headphone output of the iPhone. In this scenario you may have the volume high on the iPhone and over driving its amp (more distortion, less headroom). With the line out, you're only at the mercy of the headphone amp.

Happy with this purchase and would recommend. Just about everything on ebay competing with this ships from Asia and takes a long time to receive; not to mention higher costs. This is shipped locally in the US and from an established manufacture.

Great, inexpensive LOD for my iPod nano. Worked flawlessly, seems to be well made. The connector to the iPod itself fits in snugly, and it is held in place with spring-loaded buttons on the side that you press to release it. The cable terminating in the mini-jack seems to be of good thickness and quality, with lettering on the side that says "HPC"--which I can only presume to mean high-purity copper (a nice touch). Only downside (hence 4 stars) is that the cable isn't very long, maybe approx. 4", forcing my iPod to sit very close (and out of reach/sight) of my car's mini-jack input. I'll be looking to get an extension for this otherwise excellent product!

The hooks (w buttons to release) that are meant to secure the iPhone side of this plug do not fit the iPhone 4 and consequently the plug easily moves slightly out of its socket. The iPhone then stops playing and warns that "this accessory is not designed to work with this iPhone".. I have also gotten this warning several times when the plug is securely plugged into the socket.

Update: I noticed the connector edges were butting against the tiny Philips screws on the iPhone 4 frame next to the connector. By trimming off a little plastic on each side of the FiiO LOD connector, it can be inserted a tiny bit further and the hooks now attach reasonably securely. Updating from 2 to 3 stars. This would have been so easy to fix at the factory/design stage.