Are there no modern portables for Audiophiles!

[joay]

Is it me or is audio equipment generally regressing?
<rant>By 2023 media players will be the size of a dime, 150 Terabytes and hold 640 Billion songs ripped at 8Kbs and you should be able to hear some audio so long as the gain is at 5:00 and your using 16 ohm or less phones <end rant>.

But seriously, are there no media players with digital outs? I see the circa 2004 Iriver h120 and h140 have optical outs. Are there no others? The cowon Q5 doesn't have a digital out (unless i'm missing something).

Any other digtal outs i'm missing?
Attachment 2879

 

[zip22]

why does a portable need digital out? if its going to be used as a portable, there is no need.

 

[musicmaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif why does a portable need digital out? if its going to be used as a portable, there is no need.

Well because the DAC & amplification circuitry in portables is generally not that great and don't yield the best sound you can extract from the unit. This is why some people (myself included) seek portables with an optical out so you can hook up an external DAC & amp. You trade some portability for sound quality.

 

[joay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif why does a portable need digital out? if its going to be used as a portable, there is no need.

For use with a DAC/Amp portable.

 

[HipHopScribe]

I don't think the Kenwood Media Keg players have a digital out, but their built-in digital amp is supposed to be good enough to qualify them for being called portables for audiophile, based on what I've read about them.

 

[Singapura]

MP3 players are made for the masses not for "audiophiles". The added value of a digital out compared to the cost would make it too expensive for most non diehards while the real diehards would rather buy desktop equipment. Only crazy niche consumers like us would spend more then $1500 on portable equipment. Having said that, I wouldn't mind spending $1000 on an iPod with an optical out, 160Gb storage space and a Touch interface.

 

[morphsci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joay /img/forum/go_quote.gif The cowon Q5 doesn't have a digital out (unless i'm missing something).

I quess I must be imagining send my Q5W's digital coax output into my desktop portables DAC

 

[joay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Singapura /img/forum/go_quote.gif MP3 players are made for the masses not for "audiophiles". The added value of a digital out compared to the cost would make it too expensive for most non diehards while the real diehards would rather buy desktop equipment. Only crazy niche consumers like us would spend more then $1500 on portable equipment. Having said that, I wouldn't mind spending $1000 on an iPod with an optical out, 160Gb storage space and a Touch interface.

I agree 100% but alas audio enthusasts are amoungst the vast minority I suppose.

 

[joay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphsci /img/forum/go_quote.gif I quess I must be imagining send my Q5W's digital coax output into my desktop portables DAC

COWON America

Which port is that now?

 

[HipHopScribe]

Just did a little checking, the Q5 does have an SPDIF out

http://www.cowonamerica.com/images/p...ure_img_08.jpg

 

[monolith]

The Pacemaker is ideal for the classic audiophile who's ready to sacrifice convenience for sound quality. Big memory, digital out.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HipHopScribe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just did a little checking, the Q5 does have an SPDIF out http://www.cowonamerica.com/images/p...ure_img_08.jpg

This looks amazing. But unfortunately one needs to use the included big multicable to access the I/O port and get SPDIF out. If this takes off, maybe ALO could be convinced to create a special short cable that just feed SPDIF.

(Another potential issue is that the website relates SPDIF to TV use. I assume that you could just use it for music...)

 

[Uncle Erik]

Why do you need digital out?

Real audiophiles know analog is the only way to go:

 

[shigzeo]

yeah, using an outboard dac and then amp makes the portable into a desktop unit. id rather attach to a great home system than a half-arsed portable,amp and dac.

if you do that, they 'portable' is bigger heavier and more inconvenient than even older digital players like cdps of the 90's. i think audiophile has taken a new meaning. the older iriver had optical out but yeah, id rather just hook up my laptop to a dac than that thing which then id have to bring the mains adapter anyway for.

i think they were not so much audiophile by definition as all in one. if you want an all in one solution for a rucksack or something, then yeah, but for pure portability, plug a pair of iems into that and all you hear is hiss.

for cowon, then the same thing. plug a pair if iems and get... massive bass roll - off. they are a great idea but to call players non-audiophile because they are simpler i think is unfair. think of old cd players, all they did was playback cd format, that is it. if you wanted to hook up to a dac, you could but that kills it as a portable as well as with cd player you basically have to struggle with jitter and scratched cd's.

i think the new portable players are very good for what they target, portable audiophiles!

 

[jamess71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Pacemaker is ideal for the classic audiophile who's ready to sacrifice convenience for sound quality. Big memory, digital out.

Are they out yet? looks awesome, how is the sound quality?