[colinallcarz]

Hi all,

I've been using my Fiio X7 (1st gen) docked with a Fiio K5 for a while now. It's done pretty well with Everything from my HD800S to my Aeon Flow.

However, I'm getting tired of dealing with the X7 and I'm sitting on a Yulong Sabre DA8 II dac/amp that I'd like to use. I was hoping to get some suggestions on a source to push my audio to the Yulong. It doesn't need to be portable. I listen mainly to Spotify on high quality and my saved FLAC files. In the best of worlds, I'd like to keep it under $300 - I'm going to turn around and sell my Fiio setup, so maybe a little more. Would a tablet or chromebook work, or would I lose too much quality?

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Would a tablet or chromebook work, or would I lose too much quality?

You have problems other than quality.

1. Storage. Spotify will work with streaming but what about your FLAC? Will it all fit into a microSD card? Will the Chromebook work with a USB-powered drive and the DAC simultaneously (see #2 below)?
2. Compatibility. Will the tablet or Chromebook work with your DAC via USB in terms of software and any USB power draw? Does the tablet even have USB audio capability?
3. Ergonomics. You have to pick up the tablet off the table unless it's one that has a sync dock available, or you have a case that props it up but like the laptop you have the wires coming out the side, which isn't as neat as actual audio components.

If you have an Android smartphone you might as well buy an Android miniPC that has SPDIF output for the DAC and then use desktop external HDDs that have their own power source (if you have a home server you can access that), andthen use the Android phone as the interface so you don't need to put a monitor and peripherals where the miniPC is.

 

[colinallcarz]

Thanks for replying!

That definitely makes sense. Yes, I do have an Android phone - S8+. Any suggestions on a mini PC? I did a quick browse on Amazon and mainly came back with Android TV boxes. Besides that, I already have a couple of portable hard drives and some optical cables, so I imagine I'd just need to get a mini PC and usb-c cable.

Do you think the sound quality will be that much better if I do this? I honestly just feel like I'm not doing my headphones service with the Fiio setup.

Again, thank you for all your help.

 

[colinallcarz]

Or would it benefit me just to get an inexpensive laptop?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

That definitely makes sense. Yes, I do have an Android phone - S8+. Any suggestions on a mini PC? I did a quick browse on Amazon and mainly came back with Android TV boxes.

When I was looking into this the most popular were the Minix Neo 7 and the Raspberry Pi.

Besides that, I already have a couple of portable hard drives and some optical cables, so I imagine I'd just need to get a mini PC and usb-c cable.

What do you need the USB-C cable for? The miniPC's don't have USB-C yet.

If you're thinking of using the S8+ with the miniPC that way that's not what I meant by using as an interface - you have to set it up as a Headless Audio Server. On initial set up you just have to download an app on the smartphone that kind of works like TeamViewer on Windows, and you'll still need peripherals and a monitor. Once you get it set up and the Android phone has access you can put the Android miniPC to where you'll be using it and every time it boots up you just open the remote app on the Android phone.

Do you think the sound quality will be that much better if I do this? I honestly just feel like I'm not doing my headphones service with the Fiio setup.

Not any better but I thought your main concern was that you don't like using the X7, presumably because of either the UI or the ergonomics without the DK1 dock that makes it a wired remote like the Playstation One-era fishing reel controller.

Or would it benefit me just to get an inexpensive laptop?

Get one that has an HDD since you can't tell if putting that DAC on one USB and USB drives on another USB port can have problems with how much power it can send to all the USB devices connected. That means some kind of 10in Netbook running a Celeron processor. You won't be multitasking so that's fine. Some 15in laptops still have HDDs but these will take up a lot of space.

 

[colinallcarz]

Got it. Thanks again for your help!