[wavoman]

Yea, I used Search, but found no up-to-date answers. I need to replace my Cowon. Can you help? Criteria:

1. Has line out (analog, for input to portable amp that does not have a DAC), either built-in or there exists a third-party connector/cable that provides line-out (or a mod is available).

2. Flash, not hard drive: 8 or better yet 16 GB. OK if this requires an add-in memory chip/card.

3. Very small and lightweight. Screen quality, and video performance, are not important.

4. Care only about SQ, so it is really the DAC chip performance that matters. Never use any EQ or enhancement filters ... not important to me.

5. Would prefer real buttons to touch screen.

6. Battery life not important.

7. Plays standard (no DRM) WAV files. Drag-and-drop from Windows Explorer, no driver should be needed for XP. Don't care about FLAC, don't care about tags -- just display the filename and I am fine. Typically these WAVs are produced from redbook 16/44.1 CDs using EAC, but it would be nice to future-proof and have it handle 88.2 and 96, even 192. I realize the DAC might not be up to this.

8. I am happy to buy used if a unit is no longer in production.

Any and all ideas very much appreciated!

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

If you didn't care about size and only sound quality and a line out why not consider a vintage discman and buy a cd burner. There is also the option of converting hard drive players to flash like compact flash modding an iriver ihp120/ihp320 or rio karma.

 

[wavoman]

Thanks, the vinage Sony with both line-out and digital out is a great idea, found that in forums here, and bought one on eBay. Works great, but not for portability on airplanes, etc.

 

[wavoman]

Ah, I may have answered my own question. I had thought that no one was commerically selling Sansa Fuze line out -- one fellow on eBay offered them but that seemed to be discredited. I saw a reference to headcoverage, but that web site was gone.

I have just seen that headcoverage is back as jmoneyaudio. Does not list a Fuze line-out cable on his site, but I will contact him.

So is the (obvious -- should have figured this out before posting) answer an 8GB Fuze with JMoney LOD ??

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

I believe that someone started that the fuze lineout was not a true lineout since it is a system on chip which intergrates the headphone amp on the chip meaning no actual way to bypass the internal amp as far as I've read. you could do an ipod lineout and rockbox it.

 

[wavoman]

I'm confused -- I believe what you say is true of the SANSA CLIP line-out jack, but on the FUZE (identical electronics, but maybe not the pinouts) one of the connector pins is a real line-out, but it needs a voltage source, hence the DIY'ers know how to wire this thing.

Can anyone help us with this "true line out or not?" question? Anyone? And if the SANSA is not true line out, what is (other than iPod) ?