I have an issue with the DAP's currently available on the market. My problem is I think they all suck.
Sure, the odd company here and there will throw in lossless file support here and there, but by and large these are token upgrades.
The mass majority do not use their MP3 player to listen to music, not in the sense that the audiophile does. Do the audiophile goals of clarity, purity, and quality matter to the masses?
No, most people use their portable media devices as a source of 'white noise'. They do this to block the rest of the world out, so the quality of what is playing could matter less to them. As for the players and their supporting firm/software, they are designed for the "Moron Level" end user who thinks that adding a lowercase "i" in front of a product makes it cool.
So what about the audiophile? We have to perform extensive modifications to these devices and jump through hoops to get software to play our large lossless music files, on top of finding an DAC/Amp to keep our expensive headphones from clipping.
Or do we?
Enter the idea of the media brick.
NOTE! MASSIVE EDIT AHEAD: I made the idea of the Brick WAAAYYYY to complicated, so here are my revisions.
The idea behind the Brick to design a digital music player to fit audiophile needs. To do this it must have a large memory capacity, quality components, lossless audio compatible software, and be able to drive high end headphones.
Your typical portable rig does the following:
Music File---> File Read/Signal out ---> Device Volume ---> Line out to Amp---> Amp Gain ---> Amp Volume ---> 1/8" Jack ---> Headphones
The Brick would do things a different way:
Music File---> File Read/Signal out fed directly into an integrated Amp (Gain/Volume) ---> 1/4" Jack ---> Headphones
This is a more simple set up where the audio signal doesn't have to go all over the place to get to your ears.
So the Brick will have:
1) Open source media firmware that supports lossless files and easily allows the user to organize and customize.
2) A simple LCD screen to see your file organization, select tracks, and see what is playing.
3) A large internal memory source, possibly able to accept external SD/USB memory.
4) An integrated amplifier that receives the signal straight from the player's hardware.
5) A single single point of volume/gain adjustment with the integrated amp.
6) A 1/4" headphone jack, straight out of the amp, for better sound quality
7) A good sized rechargeable battery to power the player and amp.
8) All wiring and internal components will be high-end and well shielded.
This will of course make the device larger, but how portable do you really need a player to be?
Ultra-Portable:
iPod + Amp + Earbuds = A pack of smokes, a lighter, and your wallet.
You can take these literally anywhere you want to go, and use them even while jogging or rock climbing if you wanted to.
While they would be easier to carry in a bag or backpack, you can fit these in your pockets with out too much hassle and could even carry them around all day if you had to.
Portable:
Portable CD Player + Amp + Full-Size Cans = A book, your wallet, and a bag lunch.
You can take these with you literally anywhere, although you wouldn't want to go jogging or rock climbing with them. You can easily take these with you if you have a bag or backpack and could easily carry them around for a while if you had to.
While the Brick would be a little larger than a CD player, this would still fit most audiophile needs.
Anyone up to giving this a try?
Sure, the odd company here and there will throw in lossless file support here and there, but by and large these are token upgrades.
The mass majority do not use their MP3 player to listen to music, not in the sense that the audiophile does. Do the audiophile goals of clarity, purity, and quality matter to the masses?
No, most people use their portable media devices as a source of 'white noise'. They do this to block the rest of the world out, so the quality of what is playing could matter less to them. As for the players and their supporting firm/software, they are designed for the "Moron Level" end user who thinks that adding a lowercase "i" in front of a product makes it cool.
So what about the audiophile? We have to perform extensive modifications to these devices and jump through hoops to get software to play our large lossless music files, on top of finding an DAC/Amp to keep our expensive headphones from clipping.
Or do we?
Enter the idea of the media brick.
NOTE! MASSIVE EDIT AHEAD: I made the idea of the Brick WAAAYYYY to complicated, so here are my revisions.
The idea behind the Brick to design a digital music player to fit audiophile needs. To do this it must have a large memory capacity, quality components, lossless audio compatible software, and be able to drive high end headphones.
Your typical portable rig does the following:
Music File---> File Read/Signal out ---> Device Volume ---> Line out to Amp---> Amp Gain ---> Amp Volume ---> 1/8" Jack ---> Headphones
The Brick would do things a different way:
Music File---> File Read/Signal out fed directly into an integrated Amp (Gain/Volume) ---> 1/4" Jack ---> Headphones
This is a more simple set up where the audio signal doesn't have to go all over the place to get to your ears.
So the Brick will have:
1) Open source media firmware that supports lossless files and easily allows the user to organize and customize.
2) A simple LCD screen to see your file organization, select tracks, and see what is playing.
3) A large internal memory source, possibly able to accept external SD/USB memory.
4) An integrated amplifier that receives the signal straight from the player's hardware.
5) A single single point of volume/gain adjustment with the integrated amp.
6) A 1/4" headphone jack, straight out of the amp, for better sound quality
7) A good sized rechargeable battery to power the player and amp.
8) All wiring and internal components will be high-end and well shielded.
This will of course make the device larger, but how portable do you really need a player to be?
Ultra-Portable:
iPod + Amp + Earbuds = A pack of smokes, a lighter, and your wallet.
You can take these literally anywhere you want to go, and use them even while jogging or rock climbing if you wanted to.
While they would be easier to carry in a bag or backpack, you can fit these in your pockets with out too much hassle and could even carry them around all day if you had to.
Portable:
Portable CD Player + Amp + Full-Size Cans = A book, your wallet, and a bag lunch.
You can take these with you literally anywhere, although you wouldn't want to go jogging or rock climbing with them. You can easily take these with you if you have a bag or backpack and could easily carry them around for a while if you had to.
While the Brick would be a little larger than a CD player, this would still fit most audiophile needs.
Anyone up to giving this a try?
.
