[Ruahrc]

Trying to set up a listening nook with headphones, amp, and source all sitting on a small table near my couch so I can listen and relax.

I have some ideas for amps but have been considering trying to incorporate some digital sources/amps.

Is there ANY solution out there for getting standalone digital audio output in a compact package? My listening nook will not be near a computer so going USB or digital out via a computer is not a possibility.

I've seen the network-based solutions but these are expensive and also suboptimal because they still require a computer to do the music serving.

What I'd like is a source that can preferrably store music content locally, and provide a digital out connection so that a DAC may be used (for optimum audio quality) in combination with the amp.

Since all my music is in MP3 format right now things like SACD or CDP devices are not really usable. And they're typically way too big for the space I have available.

Does such a thing exist? I may have to settle for analog audio at the moment (probably iPod line-out) and then upgrade later to the digital path when such a device comes available...

Ruahrc

 

[monolith]

Perhaps an Apple TV?

I'm pretty sure there are standalone music servers out there, but they're probably very expensive. I'd just build a really small computer, like an EEE Box or a Mac Mini if I was going to spend that kind of money.

 

[Ruahrc]

Hmm Apple TV is an interesting idea. It certainly is much cheaper than a mac mini or other fully functional computer. The Mac Mini is a pretty powerful alternative given its small form factor but pretty expensive for what I'm looking for.

I forgot that the apple TV had an internal HD, thus can it serve out music on its own, without being dependent on a separate computer? Is it basically a standalone version of front row? The only problem is that has no display. And the TV is across the room from the listening nook. Any way to get around this?

Ruahrc

 

[faichiu]

didn't iriver h140 has digital output?

 

[montell]

Digital sources with a digital out (like usb port or optical out) that arent big standalone cd players and arent computers are very hard to find.

I am not sure about Hi-MD but alot of net-MD players have optical outs. Just pop a disc in your player and transfer your mp3s via sonicstage. Works just like itunes regardless of what everyone is telling you. Iriver h120 has a optical out too. These are the only ones I could think of.

Your best bet is in my opinion a small efficient computer running foobar2000, the best audio player bar none. Or one of those sony vaio notebooks. They have dedicated av buttons so you never even have to boot into windows to listen to some tunes.

 

[krmathis]

How about a Wadia i170, with a matching iPod?


[size=xx-small]Click picture for more info...[/size]

 

[hagak]

I know you mentioned that a network player is not a solution. However have you looked at the option the Slimdevices offers? The Squeezebox Classic (use to be called Squeezebox 3), is very nice and small with very good digital output and pretty decent analog outs. It supports both 802.11G or 100baseT network connections. So while you must have a music server to listen to your personal collection (you can use SqueezeNetwork for internet radio without the need for a server) the server can be in another room connected by wifi.

The player supports FLAC, AIFF, and MP3 natively. It may support a few more native. However the server software can transcode many other formats on-the-fly for those the player can not handle natively. It does NOT support DRM music.

If sound quality is a concern and portablity is not a concern I am not sure why you want the music to be stored locally. That requirement makes the device both larger and noisier. Granted the iPod can do this, it can not store much music in a lossless format even on the 160GB version. Course my definition of "much music" may vary from yours.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by montell /img/forum/go_quote.gif Digital sources with a digital out (like usb port or optical out) that arent big standalone cd players and arent computers are very hard to find. I am not sure about Hi-MD but alot of net-MD players have optical outs. Just pop a disc in your player and transfer your mp3s via sonicstage. Works just like itunes regardless of what everyone is telling you. Iriver h120 has a optical out too. These are the only ones I could think of. Your best bet is in my opinion a small efficient computer running foobar2000, the best audio player bar none. Or one of those sony vaio notebooks. They have dedicated av buttons so you never even have to boot into windows to listen to some tunes.

As a long-suffering MD fan, it is my sad duty to report that HiMD decks do not offer digital outs. MD offers a nasty choice: either you buy a used, vintage unit that has a digital out, but doesn't offer uncompressed sound, or you buy an RH1, which offers uncompressed sound (PCM format) but no digital out. Sigh. Lineout mode on the RH1 does sound quite good, but you're still stuck with the interal DAC.

 

[Punslayer]

actually, there is at least one way to get a digital out from Hi-MD. The Onkyo X-N9TX(D) is a Hi-MD/CD mini-system with digital in and out. Not sure what they cost off the top of my head, but probably between six and eight hundred dollars. I also highly doubt that they're sold outside of Japan.

X-N9TX(D)

On topic, I would also like to see a reasonably priced standalone music server, but I'm not hoding my breath. At the moment the best solution is probably building your own dedicated music PC as others have said, although that's not perfect either.

 

[Ruahrc]

Good suggestions- the two things really holding me back though are space and money. A lot of these proposed solutions woudl work but are pretty dang expensive. And a lot involve large bulky pieces of equipment (building a small PC, squeezebox which requires a computer or NAS somewhere,etc) whereas I'd like to keep the smallest footprint possible.

Although the Wadia i170 is a very elegant solution, for some reason I always thought it cost like $700, which was way too high. But I looked again and I guess in reality it's nearer to $350, which is a lot more reasonable. (I don't see why anyone would pay for an iMod plus those ALO docks when they could get this for the same price as the dock itself?) My only beef with it is that it is pretty big. Probably because it has the ability to play video but I don't need that functionality. Laughably Wadia is based in Saline, MI which is literally right down the road from Ann Arbor. I should see if I can pay them a visit and check out a Wadia for myself.

Anyone know if it is possible to use the AppleTV to stream using AirTunes to an Airport Express? This would be a pretty good combo as it could run independently of a computer and the AppleTV could be hooked up to a TV display and also would not need to be directly next to your DAC.

To address hagak's question, I'd prefer local storage of content for the sake of self-sufficiency. The squeezebox is a great device but it requires a computer to deliver the audio. I don't run my desktop PC 24/7 nor do I run my Mac laptop 24/7 either. I'd have to turn one on if I wanted to listen to music. To get away from the computers I'd need to build or get a NAS which costs several hundred dollars minimum. Don't get me wrong setting up a NAS in my house would be great (not just for audio purposes) but it's just too expensive to do- if I already had one I'd probably seriously consider some wireless streaming device. But for my current situation, I think it makes more sense to try for a locally stored solution as opposed to attempting a client/server style solution.

Lastly a more general question- if one's music source media consists of high-bitrate MP3s, is even bothering with a digital source/DAC a waste of time? Granted these are not plug-and-chug MP3s you get from itunes or wherever they were ripped from CDs using EAC and encoded with high bitrate settings (VBR, averaging around 225kbps). I can start moving towards lossless but it may take a while as I have moved recently and did not bring my CDs with me thus I'd need to wait till my next visit home to get or re-rip my CDs.

My MP3s have always served me well and I could never hear any compression artifacts or discern them from the CD sources, even most recently when I took them to a fellow Head-fi'ers place and tried them on his setup, which was a PC source going USB into a DAC and then into a Little Dot MKIII amp finally going into K701s. They still sounded great. But would I just be wasting money and effort on a setup that was too good for my source media?

No matter what route I take, I still probably am going to try and wait things out a little and see what becomes of the new iPods that will come out in mid/late September.

Ruahrc

 

[BigTony]

If your not using lossless source, then why bother with a DAC? Just use the Ipod lineout to an amp and enjoy.

BT

 

[jinp6301]

youre a definite candidate for a iriver ihp-140 + dac

that was my college dorm setup for a while

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punslayer /img/forum/go_quote.gif actually, there is at least one way to get a digital out from Hi-MD. The Onkyo X-N9TX(D) is a Hi-MD/CD mini-system with digital in and out. Not sure what they cost off the top of my head, but probably between six and eight hundred dollars. I also highly doubt that they're sold outside of Japan. X-N9TX(D)

I stand corrected! How annoying that they would include digital out with a mini system, but not their component decks!

I've got an old MDS-E10 component deck, which has complete digital I/O -- both optical and coax -- but it's a pre-HiMD unit, which means no PCM. The sound you hear is me, gnashing my teeth.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTony /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your not using lossless source, then why bother with a DAC? Just use the Ipod lineout to an amp and enjoy. BT

I use a DAC with my H140 and high bitrate mp3's and using the DAC provides a significant improvement in sound. Lossless is great, but good mp3's are no slouch either.

 

[Punslayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif I stand corrected! How annoying that they would include digital out with a mini system, but not their component decks! I've got an old MDS-E10 component deck, which has complete digital I/O -- both optical and coax -- but it's a pre-HiMD unit, which means no PCM. The sound you hear is me, gnashing my teeth.

I was looking for a CD deck with digital out, but had a hell of a time finding even an optical out on anything. Including some of the upper-mid range Denon, Onkyo and Sony models. On the other hand, even $30 DVD players almost always come with both optical and coaxial outs. It's a goofy market sometimes.

As far as mini systems go, i do like the Onkyo's a lot. They have a really nice footprint and are pretty audio-centered. Interestingly, they're hard-disk mini systems record in ATraC (although not lossless) in addition to MP3.