My point is:
I think it is pretty reasonable to want to listen to all the media you consume using your professional $350 audio device.
The professional media device is the Fiio X5.
All your media consumption is your FLAC, mp3, dsd... library, your films and YouTube (well, films aside cause you're supposed to experience them in a big Full HD screen with nice speakers or headphones, not a tiny 5" screen).
That makes a 5" touchscreen display, WiFi and Android in the X5 almost a MUST. Period.
So that's why I say it, and that's why I consider it the next logical step in the X5 series.
Don't you have a smart phone? Why then replicate and make a redundant array of functionality?
It seems you want an android phone with a good dac and amp. They exist already, Meizu MX4 Pro (or so) with ESS9018K2M dac and OPA1612 amp. Just switch off cellular and boom, there it is.
I don't want to schlepp around another 5inch device that does what my phone does. I want a portable, audiophile grade DAP (digital AUDIO player) not a DMP.
The downsides of your proposed 5inch monster:
- large display, large energy consumption, low battery life, powering up such a large display every time you want to skip a track? Really?
- usability. My AK100 has a forward, backward and play/pause button and a volume knob, perfect. Display never needs to switch on when just playing through a folder or list
- you underestimate the development costs for such a device and the numbers you can sell
- bill of materials is not the cost of a device, software development, drivers, tooling, psb design, industrialization, production refinancing, marketing, distribution, logistics, warranty handling, repairs, and endless other things costs an awful lot of money, all that needs to be covered with the profit margin later on and unknown sales success....tough, really rough.
- focus: if you have a media player that can do email, games, videos, YouTube etc. you need to keep that things safe, constantly updated and certified, you won't get that in a small production run $350 device (yet)
- last thing I want when listening to music is getting notifications about whatsapp, emails, updates etc.
If I want a media player with great sound I would buy a iPhone and the Hifi skÿn... Wait, I already did, haha.
Alternatively I could connect my iPhone to the ifi idsd micro - amazing dac and amp can even power my planar magnetics. But for portability, I really don't want that.
If there is a market for what you want then I am sure Fiio will produce it, it's not an exclusive or...
Anyhow, the point is, there are already solutions for Rambo. You just need to look around.
Cheers,
K