Does there exist an MP3 player that could work with my FiiO E17k?

[Orionis]

I have no phone at the moment and am looking to buy a cheap mp3 player that could simply hold the music files, but play the music through my DAC. 

I know there are many mp3 players with decent sound cards in them, but I already have the FiiO E17K so if there was a cheaper mp3 players that I could just use it would be great.

Thanks!

 

[PurpleAngel]

I doubt there any any cheap mp3 players that come with USB or coaxial output that could have a digital connection to the E17K's USB or coaxial inputs.
 
The E17K does have an analog line-input, so it could be daisy chain from just about anything with a headphone jack or line-output.
A Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip would be a good low cost music source.
Rockbox is a nice third party firmware upgrade on the Clip Zip
I like my Sony E465 & E474 mp3 players more then my Clip Zip.
The Sony's are thinner and the battery charge lasts longer and the screen is bigger.
 
I think your better off just buying a DAP (Digital Audio Player), plug headphones straight into the DAP.

 

[Orionis]

  I doubt there any any cheap mp3 players that come with USB or coaxial output that could have a digital connection to the E17K's USB or coaxial inputs.
 
The E17K does have an analog line-input, so it could be daisy chain from just about anything with a headphone jack or line-output.
A Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip would be a good low cost music source.
Rockbox is a nice third party firmware upgrade on the Clip Zip
I like my Sony E465 & E474 mp3 players more then my Clip Zip.
The Sony's are thinner and the battery charge lasts longer and the screen is bigger.
 
I think your better off just buying a DAP (Digital Audio Player), plug headphones straight into the DAP.

Thanks for the reply!
I was hoping for an option that would use the actual DAC and not just use it as an amp. If I understand correctly, connecting the FiiO E17K with anything other than the USB OTG wire will significantly reduce audio quality. 

For example I have an old Samsung S3 that I wish I could use, but it doesn't seem to register the DAC (it notices it being connected but when I play any song there's no sound output and the songs appear to be playing in fastforward in the music player) and if I were to just connect my with an analog wire instead, Id be using the terrible S3 sound card. 

PS: If I would use your method, would the coax option be better than the analog?

EDIT: What I meant to say was, if I use a headphone jack > DAC > Headphones, wont I get significantly less quality than if I did USB > DAC > Headphones
 

 

[reginalb]

  Thanks for the reply!
I was hoping for an option that would use the actual DAC and not just use it as an amp. If I understand correctly, connecting the FiiO E17K with anything other than the USB OTG wire will significantly reduce audio quality. 

For example I have an old Samsung S3 that I wish I could use, but it doesn't seem to register the DAC (it notices it being connected but when I play any song there's no sound output and the songs appear to be playing in fastforward in the music player) and if I were to just connect my with an analog wire instead, Id be using the terrible S3 sound card. 

PS: If I would use your method, would the coax option be better than the analog?

EDIT: What I meant to say was, if I use a headphone jack > DAC > Headphones, wont I get significantly less quality than if I did USB > DAC > Headphones
 

 
Not if you're using a decent line-out. When you say cheap, how cheap are you thinking?

 

[Orionis]

   
Not if you're using a decent line-out. When you say cheap, how cheap are you thinking?

I have no set budget, I'm looking for the cheapest options and if those are 300$+ it'll suck but Ill see from there. I kind of paid for the decent DAC, all I really wanted was something to hold the audio files to play through the DAC. In theory the technology to do that should be really cheap but I doubt that things can be that simple

 

[reginalb]

  I have no set budget, I'm looking for the cheapest options and if those are 300$+ it'll suck but Ill see from there. I kind of paid for the decent DAC, all I really wanted was something to hold the audio files to play through the DAC. In theory the technology to do that should be really cheap but I doubt that things can be that simple

 
Haha, well an LOD cable and an iPod classic would give you a lineout with plenty of capacity. But not a USB out. Might be able to get an old iPod touch, so long as it runs iOS 7 (I don't know if the oldest ones do) according to this: http://blog.jdslabs.com/?p=838, but you need that little adapter that they show. I think that would be a 4th gen iPod touch minimum. Don't quote me on that. The 64GB version of that runs $179 refurb direct from Apple. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks for the reply!
I was hoping for an option that would use the actual DAC and not just use it as an amp. If I understand correctly, connecting the FiiO E17K with anything other than the USB OTG wire will significantly reduce audio quality. 

For example I have an old Samsung S3 that I wish I could use, but it doesn't seem to register the DAC (it notices it being connected but when I play any song there's no sound output and the songs appear to be playing in fastforward in the music player) and if I were to just connect my with an analog wire instead, Id be using the terrible S3 sound card. 

PS: If I would use your method, would the coax option be better than the analog?

EDIT: What I meant to say was, if I use a headphone jack > DAC > Headphones, wont I get significantly less quality than if I did USB > DAC > Headphones
 

 
The E17K can use it's USB digital input with a computer (PC, Mac & Linux?).
But I'm guessing smartphones do not come with the drivers that they would need to communicate with the E17K (using USB).
 
Finding a low costing mp3 player, with a coaxial output, I guess is wishful thinking.
 
When the E17K is daisy chained to the headphone jack of the smart phone, the phone's DAC chip is doing the digital to analog conversion.
If the smart phone comes with a good DAC chip, then your not going to have significantly less quality (maybe just slightly?).
 
Still think your best choice is to just buy a nice DAP and sell off the E17K.
A FiiO X1 is nice DAP, sells for $99.