[wmacky]

Somewhat new to headphones after years with a nice full size system. I'm pretty impressed with the current crop of bang for the buck equipment. (some from China). I recently purchased a Dark Voice 336, and a topping D10 DAC. The sound is excellent, but I was really amazed at the build quality and materials for the price. Incredible value compared to what inexpensive stuff looked like in the 80's / 90's. I hate plastic!

The thing is, I haven't used these 2 items much due to a lack of a source solution for digital files. I'm not thrilled with the idea of using a full computer, or laptop. Yuck! I like real hardware.. What I want is a audio server. Here's the thing, there doesn't seem to be the "bang for the buck" equivalent for audio servers, as there is for amps,and DAC's? Most seem to be full size and expensive. Here's what I'd like. I love the "midsize",of the DV336E amp and Topping D10 DAC. IMO they are the perfect size for a desktop rig. I'd like something of similar size, style, and bang for the buck value as them, but just can't find one.

I've looked at many of the rigs of other forum members, and it seems no one else has found one either. Most use computers (Yuck) or portable players. Portable players may be my best bet, but they seem kinda out of place in the rig, being smaller, and just laying there with wires hanging out like a temporary solution, or bodge. I'd love suggestions and examples of what others here like.

As another option I have thought about a DIY dedicated Raspberry Pi server solution with a touch screen, built in a midsize package, or a larger portable player with matching looks on a rigid stand.

Should I just give in and use a portable DAP? Is that the solution most use for desktop rigs, or is the computer more common? Do any portable players have USB output, as that is the only input my new D10 DAC accepts? I'd hate to replace the brand new DAC !

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I've looked at many of the rigs of other forum members, and it seems no one else has found one either. Most use computers (Yuck) or portable players. Portable players may be my best bet, but they seem kinda out of place in the rig, being smaller, and just laying there with wires hanging out like a temporary solution, or bodge. I'd love suggestions and examples of what others here like.
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Should I just give in and use a portable DAP? Is that the solution most use for desktop rigs, or is the computer more common? Do any portable players have USB output, as that is the only input my new D10 DAC accepts? I'd hate to replace the brand new DAC !

If you use a Fiio DAP you can use the DK1 dock. One caveat - I don't think you can use the USB digital output except on the X5III and X7. Latest X1 already has 1.9V line out so that's close to Redbook; check the latest X3, X5, and X7 specs and see which ones have the features you need and close to 2V line output (note: if you're using a 300ohm headphone on the DV336se you're using it at its peak output performance, and combined with a higher gain tube that doesn't add any noise, you'll be able to compensate for a 1.5V output well enough).

https://headfonics.com/2016/08/the-dk1-multifunction-dock-by-fiio/

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I've been using my smartphone on a dock for years too. Fanless unlike computers and with the Cantate.2 there's no noise even at max volume setting on high (+6dB) gain. Touchscreen interface and a 128gb microSD are a joy to use on FLAC files on my primary phone and Spotify with a 64gb microSD on another phone. In case you already have a Samsung phone (ie these are the only ones that work almost across all models, plus expandable storage on top of the internal 32gb that you put your apps in and music and photos in the SD card) you could try running an OTG cable with your D10 first. I have a back up DAC-HPamp that has driver issues on Windows even when installed but works without any issues with Androids, except it's capped at 24/96 (then again, that one's DAC can't do higher than 24/96; and even my Cantate.2 which doesn't have the problems of many CDPs and DACs does so with just 16/44.1).

 

[wmacky]

I kinda have a thing about smartphones, but I am starting to lean toward a docked DAP setup, and I do like the Fiio stuff. I'm surprised to not to many docks? I wonder if the one you posted will work with the X7 Mark 2? I'll try to research, but you do think these will output digital over USB to a DAC?

Edit -- Oh ratz. I see now that that doc only allows line out. I was hoping for usb out or at least spif.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I kinda have a thing about smartphones, but I am starting to lean toward a docked DAP setup, and I do like the Fiio stuff. I'm surprised to not to many docks? I wonder if the one you posted will work with the X7 Mark 2? I'll try to research, but you do think these will output digital over USB to a DAC?

Edit -- Oh ratz. I see now that that doc only allows line out. I was hoping for usb out or at least spif.

DK1 came out just before the X7 MkII so the latter was designed to work with it. Line out for sure.

DK1 is also a sync dock so there's data connection and X7 (and X5III) run Android, so it might be possible. Best ask Fiio.

 

[wmacky]

I decided on the digital source. I just ordered a Ibasso DX150.

Can anyone tell me how expensive of a external DAC I would need to better the DX150's internal DAC? This including the analog output section to the line out. Would one of the popular Topping DAC's such as the D10 be a downgrade?

 

[buke9]

I still don’t get the “Yuck “ with computers as even a smartphone or dap is just a computer that only does certain things.

 

[wmacky]

I'll explain.

I may be older than you, but I prefer purpose built hardware for audio like in the good old days. I dig computers, I was the first person I knew that owned a computer. ( Commodore VIC20 in 1981) That said. I work all day on a computer. When I listen to music, I don't want to see a computer, I want to see hardware. Even if a DAP barely fits that description, I consider it hardware.

Don't ask how I feel about cell phones!

 

[buke9]

You might be older than me but I did have a Vic20 also and my first video game was Pong as a kid.You didn’t say what headphones or earphones you were wanting to drive so that might have a say in what is recommended.

 

[wmacky]

Wow, another rare Vic 20 owner! Awesome I plan for a variety of headphones, but for the moment, I have only a set of the "Massdrop" AKG 7XX's though they are not the best choice for mu OTL amp. Still, they sound pretty good with it!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I still don’t get the “Yuck “ with computers as even a smartphone or dap is just a computer that only does certain things.

Same thing about people using vinyl I guess. That said, computers are noisy, so there's one practical reason to at least use a dedicated network player/server with a NAS, or a custom miniITX Windows player in an enclosure that doubles as a heatsink (if Core Y CPUs fit in a regular 115x socket the Macbook/Ultrabook Core Y5 quadcore would get a lot of cores at very low voltage, perfect for Windows and a player app).

I may be older than you, but I prefer purpose built hardware for audio like in the good old days. I dig computers, I was the first person I knew that owned a computer. ( Commodore VIC20 in 1981) That said. I work all day on a computer. When I listen to music, I don't want to see a computer, I want to see hardware. Even if a DAP barely fits that description, I consider it hardware.

Computers are hardware though. Noisy fans (unless you use BeQuiet fans and a BeQuiet or Thermalright cooler, which then require a huge case to fit, and then have only the intake fans barely even running; which is fine if you're only running a player app anyway) but still hardware. Besides, if you just want to see awesome hardware, you can get a computer case with a tempered glass side panel and RGB LEDs so you can see all the glory of an Asus X399 ROG Rampage VI Extreme motherboard (all lit up with RGB LED on the board and full control on the fans!) sporting an Intel Core i9-7980XE 18 core, 36 thread processor flanked by at least four memory sticks (with RGB LED so you can see them all) and dual NVidia GTX Titan graphics cards all cooled by a custom liquid cooling system with hardline tubing.

Hardware porn rated XXX is probably why some people keep a box of Kleenex at their computer desk

If what you're actually against is complex software, well, a DAP or dedicated music server still runs with software more complex than what a CDP would use off a single controller chip. If you don't like software, and not just in an ideological but also practical manner (ie having to rip CDs or download legit files, fixing track tags, making sure the archive scan works properly then repeat if not, etc) you'd probably be better served by a CDP and some exercise in switching out the discs plus taking them apart every few years in case you really wear them out because they have mechanical parts (which is what prompted me to stop using CDPs in the first place, especially an SACDP that stopped reading SACDs but can read the Redbook layer with no problems just weeks after the one year warranty expired).

Don't ask how I feel about cell phones!

Well...they're not cellphones like some old Nokia music players with audio chips crappier than iPods, they're now smartphones complete with digital output and in most cases it's the software and not the network that causes noise, capable of decoding or sending out 24bit/96khz at least (all my prior CDPs only did 20bit at most; most were 16/44). Other than some flaw with my Note3 that produces electronic noise when plugged in but no player app running I can turn the amp all the way up on high gain on a 97dB/1mW headphoone and still get zero noise in a quiet room.

Advantages over a general purpose or gaming/workstation computer: fanless. You have to build a custom mITX PC in an expensive aluminum case that doubles as the heatsink, and even then it has to use a NAS to access digital files but kept in a separate room or you build a NAS just for audio and only use SSDs, otherwise the HDDs can be audible (more so if it's a headphone system where some people have a tendency to have the system and the NAS on the same desk, ie, it's still failrly close to their ears).

Advantages over CDPs: that thing about "hardware?" CDPs are mechanical and wear things out more easily (and unlike HDDs, you can't just easily go over to a store and get a new transport, then detach one cable and not even need a tool to pull out the transport). I can't count how many times I replaced the gears on my Marantz CD60 and Sony X7x, which is kind of a thing even on the tray (since you can listen for about 60mins max, and then you have to move that mechanism again to put in another disc), and then all the other ones that used better transport tray mechanisms still busted the lens every few years. Solid state memory gets around this. On top of that I last fixed my CD60 in 2010 or thereabouts only to find out it can't read newer CDs because some have PC content on the inner rings, and it just assumes it's not an audio disc instead of looking farther out.

Basically there actually are reasons for not using a totally dedicated source device and there are ways to make a general purpose device function pretty much like it's specific for audio.