PMPs vs Portable DACs?

Quote:

Originally Posted by therock003 

Can someone help me understand the importance of the external portable DAC devices? What can someone gain by using a seperate unit for this process, and how does it compare with the internal DACs included on PMPs such as iPodsand cowons?

There are very few PMPs that can make use of an external DAC. An external DAC is made to be used with computer. Portable DACs are meant to be used with laptops. To make use of a DAC, you must get a digital signal from it. The only players (AFAIK) that you can get a digital signal from are:

Cowon Q5

iRiver H120

iRiver H140

iPod + Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo

QLS QA-350

QLS QA-550

Portable DACs are ridiculous (unless you've got a laptop with noisy onboard) - do without.

Just be sure to equalize it if needed, many DAP's have a weird colored frequency response, unlike computer sound cards and proper dacs.

I love my iBasso D10 dac and use it with an older Sony pcdp or my Acer netbook both of which can deliver optical out. It also worked fantastic with the old iRiver H140

Portable dacs are also external dacs (by definition). Some dacs have only usb, some only have optical and/or coax and some (amongst them the D10 which is portable and an amp/dac combo) have all 3 options. The dac in the D10 is certainly better that the internal dac of the laptops/netbooks, iRiver H140 and Sony pcdps I have used it with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by violinvirtuoso 

There are very few PMPs that can make use of an external DAC. An external DAC is made to be used with computer. Portable DACs are meant to be used with laptops. To make use of a DAC, you must get a digital signal from it. The only players (AFAIK) that you can get a digital signal from are:

 

Cowon Q5

iRiver H120

iRiver H140

iPod + Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo

QLS QA-350

QLS QA-550

Creative Zen Vision:M has a digital line out

Quote:

Originally Posted by whistler 

Creative Zen Vision:M has a digital line out

What is a digital Line-Out? A Line-Out is an analogue signal that is coming straight from the internal DAC. A digital signal is obtained before the signal goes through a DAC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by violinvirtuoso 

What is a digital Line-Out? A Line-Out is an analogue signal that is coming straight from the internal DAC. A digital signal is obtained before the signal goes through a DAC.

Whatever. You submitted a list. Add the Zen Vision:M to it!
 

Any DAC that accepts both power and signal is a "portable DAC" and I guess the larger ones would be "transportable DACs." HRT Media Streamer and gamma2 are examples of high-end portable DACs

EDIT: just now saw the date... Sorry for bringing back a dead thread, I just saw it on "related threads" and felt compelled to answer.

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