Portable Sources w/Digital Output Listing

[jamisons]

The old (discontinued) Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox 3 has an Optical line out. Actually, the same plug doubles as an analog line-in (stereo mini). I never used the optical facility since I didn't have an appropriate D/A, but there it sits... in my desk drawer, replaced by an iPod Classic 80g.

Actually... it doesn't. My apologies - I remembered wrong. The optical jack on the Nomad is actually a digital INPUT, not output. So useful, perhaps, for nominally portable recording using an outboard ADC or from a computer with optical out, but not for digital output.

[j-dawg]

First gen Minidisc players MZ-1 and MZ-2P have optical outs. Unfortunately they are not very portable and most of their Ni-Cd batteries are dead by now (and only provided 60 min or so running time even when new! ) But I think they do deserve to be on the list.

Another thing I'd like to add if you feel this is relevant, is a column indicating lossy playback yes/no. I'm pretty sure none of the Sonys will output digital when playing MP3/ATRAC CD's. Unfortunately I found that out AFTER I ran out and snatched a DNE20 on eBay but... well that's my bad for not researching. It says so right in the manual. Can the iRiver CDP's run digital out with MP3 CD's?

[Rav]

The Aiwa xp zv1 CD player has optical out, although i've never tried it on mine.

[JTori]

I just posted my DCP-150 on Ebay because I haven't used it in several years. The reason I bought the Denon was because it had two DACs and a good analog output stage (I was feeding a Headroom Supreme from the analog outs). While I considered it a bonus that the Denon has digital out, I wasn't equipped at the time to take advantage of it. Mainly, I used my hard-shell-protected Sony D25 for travel (even though it was in a Headroom bag) because of its slim profile and kept the Denon as a pampered backup. For a time, I fed the Denon through some nice interconnects into a Proton 300/301 table radio system I had on speaker stands in my bedroom and was blown away by its coherence, separation and imaging. As a (primarily) home audio guy, I have found that the biggest improvement in CD player sound quality comes from the implementation of multiple, multi-bit DACs, vs. single, single-bit, high sampling rate DACs (no matter how well implemented). This and good solid power supplies do more to improve the sound than just about anything else when it comes to CD players, in my opinion.

[ascherjim]

Has anyone tried, or have knowledge of the LG DP771 portable DVD player. It's the model with the seven-inch screen, but more important and relevant from my standpoint is that it apparently has a digital out and can play mp3 from a flash card in addition to playing CD's (and of course DVD's). Consumer Reports gives the model with the eight-inch screen its highest rating. If it can play mp3 music from a flash card and be picked up through its digital out, and operated with the cover closed, that might answer many of our needs well. It sells for $109 at New Egg, and is carried by RadioShack for about $129.

[jamess71]

Originally Posted by ascherjim

Has anyone tried, or have knowledge of the LG DP771 portable DVD player. It's the model with the seven-inch screen, but more important and relevant from my standpoint is that it apparently has a digital out and can play mp3 from a flash card in addition to playing CD's (and of course DVD's). Consumer Reports gives the model with the eight-inch screen its highest rating. If it can play mp3 music from a flash card and be picked up through its digital out, and operated with the cover closed, that might answer many of our needs well. It sells for $109 at New Egg, and is carried by RadioShack for about $129.

HMMMMM very interesting.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by jamess71

HMMMMM very interesting.

I just went to Radio Shack to try it out, and it works perfectly for my needs described in my initial posting. It even works with the cover closed. And what is even better -- it's currently on sale at Radio Shack for $99, so I bought myself one!

[dancekat59]

relative newbie here...
w/ the digital out does that mean one can play CD's, digital out to an external DAC ----> amp ----> headphones?

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by dancekat59

relative newbie here...
w/ the digital out does that mean one can play CD's, digital out to an external DAC ----> amp ----> headphones?

Exactly right. You can also play mp3 via the usb port. I am going to use an 8GB flash- or thumb-drive. I expect that any means you might have to deliver mp3 via the usb port would work.

[dancekat59]

Originally Posted by ascherjim

Exactly right. You can also play mp3 via the usb port. I am going to use an 8GB flash- or thumb-drive. I expect that any means you might have to deliver mp3 via the usb port would work.

Thanks. Sorry, I'm still a bit confused. USB port? This player has a USB port? What USB port are you referring to?

Can I connect a USB DAC like the Predator or Pico to this player?

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by dancekat59

Thanks. Sorry, I'm still a bit confused. USB port? This player has a USB port? What USB port are you referring to?

Can I connect a USB DAC like the Predator or Pico to this player?

No. The USB port is solely for providing the player mp3 music to be played in addition to CD's. You would feed the DAC from the player's coaxial out.

[dancekat59]

Thanks for your patience. Perhaps I'm Googling the wrong words but I cannot find a coaxial to USB cable that I would need to connect this player to a USB DAC like the Predator or the Pico.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by dancekat59

Thanks for your patience. Perhaps I'm Googling the wrong words but I cannot find a coaxial to USB cable that I would need to connect this player to a USB DAC like the Predator or the Pico.

If I recall correctly, the Predator and Pico are portable USB amps that take in the signals they process (converting them from digital to analogue then amplifying to headphones) through their USB ports, the initial signals of which usually come out of the USB ports of their computers. The portable DVD/CD/MP3 player we are talking about here can also function as such a digital-signal source, similar to a computer, but whose digital signal for processing is accessible from its coaxial port, not from its USB port (which is solely use for inputting MP3 from a flash card). In other words, this DVD/CD/MP3 player in this instance is a digital signal source. not a processor. (Of course, it also -- and primarily -- is a source for an already processed -- but inferior -- analogue signal, which you can access directly with your headphones.) If you want to use a Predator or Pico with this, you'd have to get an adapter to plug into the USB ports of the Predator or Pico so as to plug into them a coaxial cable from the DVD coaxial port of the DVD player. Such adapters have been discussed frequently elsewhere in this forum.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by ascherjim

If I recall correctly, the Predator and Pico are portable USB amps that take in the signals they process (converting them from digital to analogue then amplifying to headphones) through their USB ports, the initial signals of which usually come out of the USB ports of their computers. The portable DVD/CD/MP3 player we are talking about here can also function as such a digital-signal source, similar to a computer, but whose digital signal for processing is accessible from its coaxial port, not from its USB port (which is solely use for inputting MP3 from a flash card). In other words, this DVD/CD/MP3 player in this instance is a digital signal source. not a processor. (Of course, it also -- and primarily -- is a source for an already processed -- but inferior -- analogue signal, which you can access directly with your headphones.) If you want to use a Predator or Pico with this, you'd have to get an adapter to plug into the USB ports of the Predator or Pico so as to plug into them a coaxial cable from the DVD coaxial port of the DVD player. Such adapters have been discussed frequently elsewhere in this forum.

Further to my last posting, you might want to consider acquiring an iBasso D1, if you can locate or wait for one. It has inputs for all three digital methods -- coaxial, optic and USB.

[Sludig]

Today ibasso d1 is avaliable