I've got a small scale rig at my desk at work. Right now it looks like this:
Netbook -> Modi -> Asgard
I want to replace my netbook with a tablet for overall cleaner appearance and a touch screen UI. Can anyone recommend any android tablets (or similar devices) that would be good for this purpose?
As far as I can tell, the only requirements are:
1. Expandable storage (preferably dual micro SD slots for up to 128gb extra memory, if such a thing exists)
2. USB port other than the charging port so it can draw power while playing music
Any suggestions?
You're forgetting one other problem:
where does the Modi get enough power? There are a lot of laptops that can't push the right amount of power through their USB ports, let alone tablets through OTG (or CCK for Apple). Yes, some DACs without their own battery or PSu work, but some of them actually don't work "right." AFAIK, with the Modi, at a minimum, you're going to need a USB cable with a pigtail on the USB-B end, that way on the female USB-A you can hook up at minimum a 1Amp charger.
As for the separate USB and power port, those tend to be on older tablets (whose hardware and OS usually don't support USB audio, even if other OTG devices work). AFAIK there's one Archos that does USB audio, has a separate charging port, and I think it's also the one with a 500gb HDD; the 30-pin iPads had some aftermarket docks that had a separate 30-pin for data (and also the CCK for USB Audio) and a mini-USB for charging. Alternately, I think the newer, high-power convertible tablets (Core i3 and up, instead of the usual mobile device processors like the Tegra) like the Surface Pro has a separate power port, but that's gonna cost a lot of money.
If your concern for charging is driven by your netbook's battery life with the Modi, let's get back to my first point about powering the DAC. Your netbook puts out adequate power to the Modi, but its battery is essentially running both of them. Using the pigtail USB cable (remember the pigtail has to be on the DAC, USB-B end) and a separate charger or mobile powerbank means the tablet's battery won't run the DAC, so unless you wan't to keep the screen running the whole time you're listening, don't worry too much about battery life. My S3 smartphone only loses about 2% to 3% battery life per hour of listening, with the screen only coming on when I switch after the last track of one album to move to the another that isn't on cue (I never set playlists). I get home from work or class with my phone anywhere between 40% to 60%, dock it, listen, then plug the charger into the dock before going to sleep.
Alternately, you can use a powered hub, but check if it works properly (sends out USB audio
and charges your tablet). You can check here for the Android tablets and hubs that are known to work, plus the necessary software (music player app, rooting, etc): http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs
Note - updated list every five or ten pages or so, not the first post; also read the last dozen or so pages before posting, someone might have asked the same question, ie about the powered hubs or where to get the splitter USB cable.
BTW, for aesthetics and clutter management, get a Samsung or any other tablet that has a sync+charge dock. My main system now has all cables out of the way and the phone sits upright neatly when I use it. Galaxy and Note Tabs have original docks from Samsung ($$$) and some other brands on Amazon. Got one for my S3 for less than $10.
