[steinba]

For me the perfect portable player would have good SQ, a fixed volume (non attentuated) line out (without having to use a dock or an adapter), mp3, flac and ogg/vorbis support, be hard disk based and have a 12V cigarette lighter socket power supply option.

Does something like this exist?

What would get me closest?

Any suggestions?

I'm looking at the iAudio X5(L).

Thanks

 

[pds6]

steinba asks:
Quote:

What would get me closest?

iPod with SiK Dock.

 

[rhymesgalore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pds6 /img/forum/go_quote.gif steinba asks: iPod with SiK Dock.

You're kidding right

He said no adapter or dock....

Something that almost fits all your requests would be the iriver H120 or H320.
But they are both discontinued and don't support FLAC. So you would have to buy one used.
If you use ROckbox, an alternative firmware, you would get everything you need., because it supports FLAC (and some other codecs and nice stuff).

But Rockbox would also work on an iPod, but there comes the adapter/dock problem again. And battery life on Rockbox is considerably shorter with an iPod than with the irivers.

The X5 seems like your best bet if you want no hassling with alternative firmwares.
But first the line out on the X5 is no real line out (and in comes the "dock dilemma" again....), and second, it sounds like crap, too.

 

[pds6]

rhymesgalore says:
Quote:

iriver H120 or H320 ... both discontinued ... X5 ... ut first the line out on the X5 is no real line out (and in comes the "dock dilemma" again....), and second, it sounds like crap, too.

First you insult me and then three paragraphs of crazy.

 

[rhymesgalore]

boy, you really aren't nice...

First of, sometimes those smilies are there for a reason. I didn't mean to insult you in any way (not like you did to me with your answer).

And second, I tried to help the OP with informations regardings the choices he already considered.
- Discontinued doesn't mean it's vanished from the planet, you can still buy them used.
- He considered the X5 himself, so i tried to tell him what problems he might been facing.

there are nice people on headfi, and then there are.............

 

[pds6]

rhymesgalore says:
Quote:

boy, you really aren't nice... ometimes those smilies are there for a reason.

I also

 

[rhymesgalore]

touché.

Let's keep it at that, and be nice again

 

[khbaur330162]

steinba: H320 all the way. A heck of a lot easier to find than the H1X0, awesome battery life when using Rockbox, FLAC support, and a line-out jack. The only problem I see is that I think it's "attenuated" meaning the volume fluctuates depending on what you have the DAP's settings at. Not a big deal, I don't think. Set it at about 75% or so and be done with it. Good luck.

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by khbaur330162 /img/forum/go_quote.gif steinba: H320 all the way. A heck of a lot easier to find than the H1X0, awesome battery life when using Rockbox, FLAC support, and a line-out jack. The only problem I see is that I think it's "attenuated" meaning the volume fluctuates depending on what you have the DAP's settings at. Not a big deal, I don't think. Set it at about 75% or so and be done with it. Good luck.

Set the volume at 0 dB in Rockbox for unattenuated output.

 

[steinba]

Thanks for the tips. I'll check out these suggestions.

 

[steinba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pds6 /img/forum/go_quote.gif steinba asks: iPod with SiK Dock.

I must admit that the Sik Dock looks like a great solution. Maybe I can survive without ogg/vorbis, and apple lossless is a decent substitute for flac, right?

 

[EFN]

I had the same dillema about getting HDD DAP that will:
- Play FLAC
- Have Good Battery Life
- Have excellent SQ from Headphone and Line Out
- Upgradable HDD

So far iPod has been ruled out because with Rockbox the battery runs bonker and before you know it you end up carrying the USB cable to charge now and then - I have tested Rockbox on 3G, 4G and even the experimental 5.5G, with regard to this, iPod Rockbox fall out of favour in my list. Another thing is that the combo of iPod and amp looked a bit bulky for ultraportable use with that Dock jutting out.

So next on my list was an iRiver H340, I was almost certain that this will be the one but I was unfortunate to secure one unit from where I am located now - they have become a legacy "hard to get" DAP

Then, I came accross a rare opportunity to get a refurbished Rio Karma. The interesting fact is that Rio Karma happen to be made in Malaysia, my home country where I am now and this dealer who has link to old Karma sources had a few refurb units at hand. I jumped at it since it only cost me $90 for a full set. The good thing about this ugly DAP is that I don't need to use an amp to sound good - that makes them highly portable (I am lucky I am not into heavyweight hi impedance cans). So off go my LDM+ and my iPod 5.5G. I am happy with what I have now

 

[Rogane]

You'll probably hate me for suggesting sony but if you can get the HD5 it has lineout at the push of a button!!

 

[TzeYang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogane /img/forum/go_quote.gif You'll probably hate me for suggesting sony but if you can get the HD5 it has lineout at the push of a button!!

and the line out's pretty good too. Somehow if sony would ditch the softwares, add support for files like flac, they'd make a good choice for us audiophiles.

 

[LeChuck]

I was in the same position a few weeks ago when I was looking for a player to use Rockbox with (all my music is Wavpack). After considering various options, I ultimately decided to go with the iAudio X5L 30GB; it has a huge battery reserve, plenty of storage, Rockbox runs beautifully (the native firmware also supports all the formats you want, if you aren't willing to use Rockbox), and it sounds awesome.

On long haul trips I use a BitHead through the headphone jack (with the Rockbox volume set to 0dB, which is as loud but better sounding than the line-out), but the jack is probably the best I've ever heard on a portable and I find myself hard pressed to hear much difference between amped and unamped with my HD-280 Pro's.