hmmm, I will check with mine tomorrow, but I don't remember hearing any distortion or much at all.What i mentioned, is if your serious about the signal.. Yes, you can just buy an adapter with a 1/8 stereo plug or what ever an i pod has on it, to rca.. I did this years ago on my first system with a walkman but it wasn't the greatest, as far as sound quality, lots of distortion.