Neuros Portables feedback wanted- Hardware
Sep 19, 2005 at 7:27 PM Post #106 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by jmb
Hardware: good shielding to reduce outside interference affecting outputs and inputs.


Could you expand on "outside interference" do you mean interference from sources outside the player like RF?

I'm sorry to respond to one point out of about 50 that have been recently brought up, but again, please know that we are listening to all of them and we'll be asking more questions as the time comes.

One question that comes to mind, starting with the development boards that will be available in about a month or so, it would be nice to start doing some SQ analysis, I'm sure there will be some volunteers to test on a qualitative basis, but what about quantitative? Any labs or sound pros that you folks rely on for analysis of SQ?

Joe
 
Sep 19, 2005 at 8:13 PM Post #107 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeBorn
Could you expand on "outside interference" do you mean interference from sources outside the player like RF?

Joe


RF interference yes (FCC regulation?), but also any device with a current has an electromagnetic field. Devices such as laptops, portable amps, monitors, cell phones, mp3players can cause interference between one another by the interaction of their EM fields. This interference is often audible in the headphone amp with critical listening. Having a "noiseless" headphone output in as many aspects as possible would be great.

Also, internal shielding of noises from within the player itself, like changes in current, HD reading, etc.
 
Sep 19, 2005 at 9:50 PM Post #109 of 159
I think there are two ways to go about developing a high end player.

1. Just make it a high end source with plenty of direct outputs

2. high end source, dac, amp

I would prefer #1. Gapless playback from a silent HDD would make a great transport. Stick in some RCA jacks (for straight to headamp) and digital (RCA and toslink, for DAC) and you're golden. Almost the same as the rio karma, but with the advantage of a bit-perfect digital out. I have a similar setup in my bedroom but I have to use a computer. It would be awesome just to stick a N3 on there and use my existing DAC+amp. I tried an IHP-120 (digital out) but it didn't sound good... so maybe you can find out the mistakes they made and develop a better implementation of optical out.

An interesting idea - you could have the DAP be modular. The HDD and playing mechanism are one piece with an digital rca and toslink out, DAC connects onto digital rca and has analog RCA out, headamp connects to analog RCA out.

Good luck.
 
Sep 19, 2005 at 10:11 PM Post #110 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeBorn
One question that comes to mind, starting with the development boards that will be available in about a month or so, it would be nice to start doing some SQ analysis, I'm sure there will be some volunteers to test on a qualitative basis, but what about quantitative? Any labs or sound pros that you folks rely on for analysis of SQ?

Joe


there are some folks with real technical background at the DIY section...go and ask, it would be great to see technical discussions over there
 
Sep 19, 2005 at 10:53 PM Post #111 of 159
A crossfeed HARDWARE feature I believe could improve sound imaging. Will crossfeed be used in the payer.
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Design must be nice. Even if it is the best player an ugly design is going to scare what could have been more sales.
 
Sep 19, 2005 at 11:33 PM Post #112 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Iriver
A crossfeed HARDWARE feature I believe could improve sound imaging. Will crossfeed be used in the payer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Design must be nice. Even if it is the best player an ugly design is going to scare what could have been more sales.


For the headphone amp, top priorities:
1. Increase power
2. Reduce noise

Sound processing (e.g. crossfeed) should be minimal, to allow for a clean powerful headphone amp.
 
Sep 20, 2005 at 1:15 AM Post #113 of 159
Ok, what everyone else has said has been good, but there are two things which haven't been mentioned (unless I missed them)

1) I would like to see support for the "music to go" services (rhapsody to go, yahoo, napster to go) Although I hate DRM to death, this is probably the future. I don't see the services getting worse, and audio quality only improving from here on out.

2) Price. This is kind of determined on the features put out, but I think something with no video, a simple screen, would sell a ton in the $250-$350 range with some of the features mentioned above (40-60 gig, around 10 hour battery life, extremely good audio quality, etc).

Other stuff/comments (in no particular order):

Please please PLEASE do not screw with us in terms of release date/availability. I am in the process of buying a player right now (Samsung YH-J70) and I'm just getting screwed around with. It is in stock from their corporate store (updated today in stock
rolleyes.gif
) yet I got an e-mail saying they are backordered with an estimate of 2-3 weeks. This makes me more mad than anything. They aren't available anywhere else even when it says available in retail stores (with specific chain store locations) and they have never even heard of the player!!!!!

As far as the size, just make it be able to fit in a pocket.

Make the batteries user replaceable for CERTAIN, but I don't think a user-replaceable HDD is that big of a deal. If anything, add some sort of an expansion slot (I don't personally care for it though).

Drag and drop would be awesome. Have it support whatever software you bundle, and have it be drag and drop. Would that be too big of a deal?

Put the headphone jack on top.

Recording is not important, focus on sound.

I don't think people really use USBOTG that much, so it shouldn't be a priority.

Ruggedness is good.

FM radio would be nice.

I'll post more stuff when I think of them. Thank you very much for coming and asking our opinions.
 
Sep 21, 2005 at 12:17 AM Post #114 of 159
Is this thread still active?

Actually I change my mind.

I said it would be good to have the best amp, and DAC possible.

If the device has a very good analog out, I now think, it would be better to use an Usual DAP amp, but place the best DAC possible. Some phones like the SA5k, CD3k, grados, don't need a really powerfull amp, but what they do benefit from is a very good source. Now if the phones need an amp, then an amp can be plugged into the very good line out.

A question to JoeBorn?

IS the sound (DAC) of this DAP, aimed to sound better than a DAP, yet around the in same level, or is it more than that, as in to sound competetively with sound cards like the EMUs (EMU 0404, 1212), or Maudio audiophile/transit adapters.

I ask this because if it can replace something at least like the $100 EMU 0404, then it would also become an awesome sounding home system.
 
Sep 21, 2005 at 2:52 AM Post #115 of 159
jmb - you don't need careful listening to hear interference. Just put your cellphone on top of your headphone amp and wait for a while...
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Sep 21, 2005 at 7:44 AM Post #116 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by StripedSRT4
Ok, what everyone else has said has been good, but there are two things which haven't been mentioned (unless I missed them)

1) I would like to see support for the "music to go" services (rhapsody to go, yahoo, napster to go) Although I hate DRM to death, this is probably the future. I don't see the services getting worse, and audio quality only improving from here on out.


Why have a portaphile player and low bitrate badly encoded mp3 files?
 
Sep 21, 2005 at 7:46 AM Post #117 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill
jmb - you don't need careful listening to hear interference. Just put your cellphone on top of your headphone amp and wait for a while...
smily_headphones1.gif



Absolutely right. My point exactly. Since it is portable it will be exposed to a variety of elecromagnectic devices, causing interference.

Don't forget internal noise...
 
Sep 21, 2005 at 8:37 AM Post #118 of 159
Im a latejoiner here, but a removable battery would be isntantly something that seperates you from the rest of the "trash". Especially if its a battery i could get relatively cheaply and easily.

Rob.
 
Sep 24, 2005 at 7:46 PM Post #120 of 159
Quote:

Originally Posted by mekanoplastik
there are some folks with real technical background at the DIY section...go and ask, it would be great to see technical discussions over there



Thanks I'll hope over there and make a fool of myself with some new folks
tongue.gif
 
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