Little Dot DP_I Unboxing and Initial Impressions (Black Player Pics Added) - Page 3

     Quote:

Originally Posted by kellzey 

Hmmm....  any more updates?

 

This looks to be promising.

Little Dot just posted a new firmware update on the web page.  It takes a little finagling to get the update working, but I managed.

I will report my impressions of the update (soon) at the beginning of the thread (not the drastic changes I was hoping for).
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

I'll wait for a Mk II. I think early adopters of any Chinese DAP must be up there with vulcanologists and swingers as folk who like to live dangerously. 

After my experience with the DP_I, I won't disagree.   Also, you need the patience of Job...
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemshemems 

Hello

 

There are some better detailed pics outthere of the pcb, i find the soldering very sloppy and the use of smd devices is a fine option, but if there is a point to getting a short signal path, u better have facilities to make this right...

The unit I received has soldering that looks much cleaner and well done than the PCB pics on the site (my camera shots at the beginning of the thread doesn't do the PCB justice).

Cheers!

-HK sends

 

      Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

HK_Sends, thanks for the work you have put into this, but for ~$500 I have to question whether this thing is a viable option for anyone other than the recipients of Trust Funds and relatives of one Bernard Madoff ?

Well, Uncle Bernie wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday...

I have to agree on some points based on my experience.  I have been (and remain) a loyal customer of Little Dot, but I think they really didn't realize what developing a DAP was going to entail.  All of the issues I identified (resolved or yet to be) are things that should have been addressed in development.  I think they also got bitten by development costs which is why it's being advertised for $429.

At the risk of burning bridges, it's an unfinished product (especially with respect to firmware) that really needed to be refined prior to release.  Cowon at least offers more functionality out the gate with its players (except, perhaps the D3) and then refines and adds features (and squashes the occasional bugs).  Unless the next few DP_I firmware changes make significant progress addressing the interface and functionality, I won't be able to recommend it.

Disclaimer:  I pretty much knew what I was getting into...  Sometimes you just have to give things a chance.  I still believe new firmware can make this a great player, but Little Dot better put more effort into it and not take six months for the next update.

The hardware is great...the software is killing it.

Cheers!

-HK sends

PS - Still missing gapless flac playback...