PDA as quality DAP?

[Azazel90x]

What would you think about a PDA for a quality DAP?

Like the HP iPaq 211 with a SD and CF slot for a max of 64gb storage?

Or does anyone have any other opinions?

 

[appophylite]

If its a good quality PDA, they work rather well. I've been out of the PDA loop for a bit now, but back in '04-'06, I used to use a Dell Axim x50 as my DAP with high, capacity SD cards and CF cards and I couldn't have been happier with the sound quality that came from it!

 

[Spadge]

I own the iPaq 214 (Australian version of the 210)

I tried it as a music player before buying an iPod classic. I found that the headphone out was quite noisey (hiss) when using my Atrio M8's or Ety ER6i's. If I put a 33ohm resistance adaptor or used an amp then the hiss dissapeared and the sound was actually quite nice.

If there was some way to use a line out (apparently possible... but none exists) then it would be perfect.

When I was using it as a music player I had a 32GB CF card and a 16GB SD card in the machine so the storage capacity was great.

Since getting the iPod classic I haven't used the iPaq as a music player as the ipod has a much nicer interface and with a lineout does sound better.

For casual listening or portable listening with an amp/impedance adaptor or higher impedance headphones I think it's a fine device.

Good luck
Paul

 

[selkin]

yeah they're pretty impressive. a bit expensive tho

 

[Azazel90x]

Yea they are a bit expensive, and maybe ill just wait for a new DAP to hit the market, thanks for the opinions

 

[iriverdude]

Doubt analogue or headphone stages would be any good I'd definietly use digital out.

 

[Navyblue]

I think my iPaq 3870 running Pocket PC 2002 has the most powerful headphone out of any portable device I own, but the battery life is horrible for a DAP and it won't play MP3 higher than 256 kbps. I could tell the difference between 256 kbps and 192 kbps MP3 with Sony MDR-EX70 which sounds muddy to me, I think that says something about its SQ.

 

[qusp]

wouldnt you find one with usb audio and use a portable dac with it?? thats the only reason i can think odf to carry something thats not quite a computer, but not quite a DAP either. But I suppose if the battery life sux already, powering something over USB would be pointless

 

[Spadge]

The problem with USB is that windows mobile doesn't have any USB audio drivers that I know of.

Paul

 

[aniym]

I use the Samsung Blackjack II smartphone as a backup music player. I currently have a 8GB MicroSD card in it, and although it needs an adapter to connect a 3.5mm headphone to, the sound quality is really, really good. Easily on par with my Toshiba Gigabeat T400 (which is ranked second behind the Sansa Clip in terms of sound quality, IIRC).

 

[qusp]

cant you find one you can run some type of linux build on?? then it would be fairly easy to compile one. but yeah you would have to get a separate battery pack to power the dac as the dac is usually powered by USB input and this would run down the PDA in no time

 

[arekieh]

battery life will get owned