[qscq]

I just found out that old portable CD player like this:
Amazon.com: Sony DEJ615 Portable CD Player: Electronics
sounds to my ears a bit better than If I would play FLAC's out of my computer with Move's amp and DAC.

Do your Move sound better with line-out of portable mp3 player than out of your computer?

What kind of cost would a USB-DAC have to be superior to Move's?

 

[Zorander]

The DAC on the Move is not bad. I enjoy listening from it in the office. It is not as good as the iPod line-out but nevertheless it will provide you with enjoyable listening, not to mention a convenient DAC to replace the on-board sound of any PC you may be forced to use.

Cheers!

Edit: There are plenty of dedicated DACs out there that will readily outperform the 'standard' DAC on the Move. However, if you are talking about portable DACs, the Pico and iBasso should be next on your list.

 

[qscq]

Quote:

The DAC on the Move is not bad. I enjoy listening from it in the office. It is not as good as the iPod line-out

What iPod are you using? As I have undestood that 5g/6g are different but neither is clear winner. Too bad there are none other players with FLAC support to rival 6G iPod in battery life.

Is the difference clear or do you have to listen carefully to hear it?

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qscq /img/forum/go_quote.gif What iPod are you using? As I have undestood that 5g/6g are different but neither is clear winner. Too bad there are none other players with FLAC support to rival 6G iPod in battery life. Is the difference clear or do you have to listen carefully to hear it?

Rockbox'ed 5.5G iPod. Its headphone out totally sucks but its line-out into an amp is, in contrast, a charmer.

There is a difference in sound between its line-out and the Move's DAC (the iPod simply sounds clearer), but the difference is not stark. Keep in mind as well I have been switching between the two daily (between office and commuting) for the past 4-5 months so I am very familiar with any changes in sound. The Move's DAC, even if not a top-of-the-line product, is fine-sounding.

Cheers!

 

[ManAtWork]

The sound quality from PC through USB should not as good as directly from a CD with PCM output, it is not the problem of the DAC in MOVE. You can try listening the CD compared from PC and CD Player then you should agree. As a USD~$200 portable amplifier, the DAC is only a value added component so I don't have too much expectation on it - think about there are DAC costs thousands and tens thousand outside.