[jj94]

I realize this is a very noob question, but I was just wondering where music is stored digitally (not portable) other than a computer? I didn't know what to search for in the search bar so...
There are DAP's for portable music but can one simply hook up a DAP to a home amp and listen through cans like that? Or is there some different storage device more commonly used? If not obvious, I'm just now starting to learn more about cans and home systems for them.

 

[moogman]

Yes, you can connect DAPs to a home amp with the right cable or docking station. The iPod has a line-out port which you can connect to the CD/AUX input of an amp.

Of course the most common non-computer storage device for digital music is the CD

 

[krmathis]

CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, USB thumb drive, external hdd, cellular phone, and more...

 

[iriverdude]

Paper tape..

 

[jj94]

Oh, so if one does hook up their DAP to an amp, will the DAP's sound sig affect the music? Or instead, will the amp's sound sig affect the music?

And how would you hook up a USB flash drive or external hard drive to an amp? Would you have to hook it up to a DAC and then an amp? How would you pick what songs to play and stuff?

 

[Meliboeus]

You can connect the Line out of a DAP to an headphone amp via a jack to rca adaptor, but sound quality would be quite poor, as the DAC and analog stage of a portable player is definitely not top notch.

An alternative to a computer would be a multimedia hard disk, there are many unit supporting lossless FLAC playback and are equipped with an optical out you can use with an external dac...but to operate such a device you'll need a monitor or television.

 

[jj94]

Oh, ok. So then...what if I got a DAC to pair with the amp when using a DAP. Would that help any?

 

[iriverdude]

Your DAP doesn't have digital out, you'll have to buy iriver h120/h140 or another model with optical/coax out.

 

[jj94]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Your DAP doesn't have digital out, you'll have to buy iriver h120/h140 or another model with optical/coax out.

Oh, ok thanks for the heads up. I'm really new to this so please bear with my questions.

Anyone care to share the basic parts of a home headphone set up? I know it's something like source/DAC/amp/headphones but then I don't really know much about the sources and DAC's. Is a good DAC just as important as a good amp or headphone? I'm still confused as to what is commonly used as a source for a home set up.

 

[iriverdude]

Yes digital to analogue conversion is pretty important, if it's a low end DAC nothing down the line will help. What you class as basic may not be as someone else but generally you need source-pre amp-amplification-sound producing device. You can alter those about for example a pre-amp and amplification can be in one physical unit, or split into two (or more) and then add a DAC inbetween your source(s) and pre-amp, or a add a headphone amplifier after your pre-amp from the tape/record outputs.

 

[Meliboeus]

A normal headphone audio chain is made up of simply two components :

- An amp, where you connect the headphones, and which accepts line level analog signal, usually via RCA inputs.

- A source which provides said line level signal to feed the amp : devices which can act as sources are for example, CD players, DAPs, Turntables via a phono preamplifier, or standalone DACs.

A DAC is an unit which converts a digital signal which travels on coaxial rca or optical cable, coming from a Cd transport or any other digital source, into line level analog.

This is how any headphone listening setup is made, even when you listen with a DAP with your IEMs, it's a single unit but it is still made up of a digital source, a DAC chip and and headphone "amplifier".

To carry out all these duties you have different options, depending on your needs, especially how your music is stored, do you have CDs ? All digital downloads ?

 

[jj94]

I'm all digital, so no vinyl or CD's for me. DAC's don't store music too....do they?

 

[iriverdude]

No they don't, they just convert digital audio to analogue audio signal.

 

[jj94]

Oh, ok that's what I thought.

So what would a better choice for a digital storage device that won't need much extra components (because one person suggested a multimedia hard disk that would need a monitor to operate)? I'm hoping to get started a headphone rig by the end of this year so I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I get started. (In case anyone was wondering, I was thinking about starting with an HD600, HD650, or D2000 and a Little Dot MKIII or MKIV)

 

[El_Doug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj94 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm all digital, so no vinyl or CD's for me

please let me know where to find analog CD's