What DAP for my Car?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by cyclistsb, Feb 3, 2017.

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  1. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I just want a DAP to play all my DSD, FLAC and perhaps SACD ISOs via Bluetooth or USB in my car....I see a few "budget" models up and coming on the market. FIIO X5 Gen 3, Cayin DAP or even the older Pioneer XDP-100R-K. I'll be honest, casual searches resulted in little if no real info on if it is worth spending $$$ on a player like this for my car but I have tons of FLAC and DSD files that don't fit on my iPhone. Need something that holds up to 500GB and plays ALL formats...and uses Bluetooth and USB. Budget around $400...not $800-$1000 or Ill listen to talk radio or podcasts like No Agenda!
     
  2. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    I wish you good luck looking for such a thing. I've chosen a different strategy: converting to 320 kbps mp3 and putting the music on a thumb drive, which my car can read. If your car isn't new enough to read thumb drives, it's probably not quiet enough for you to hear the difference between 320 kbps mp3 and DSD while you are driving. In that case, you might consider an experiment with high-rate mp3 on the iPhone, and see if it works for you. Some conversion programs do a great job, JRiver being one of them.

    BTW, I am not recommending mp3 for general audio use . . . but in a car, airplane, or gym, it works just fine for me.

    Have fun!
     
    beppe and JediJoker like this.
  3. Blue Gecko

    Blue Gecko Peace

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I hope this isn't thread crap since it does not address your question, but...

    I searched for a while and instead went with a convenient verses all encompassing solution. I use my Android and my wife's iPhone to store music for car and work. It's been a good solution for a couple of years now. Specifically, I use the QFile app and access my QNAP NAS and download albums via wifi to the QFile directory. I can load as much as the phone storage can handle and add/replace any of the download directory files as desired. I'm sure other NAS boxes offer similar apps.

    With a large number of albums, I find updating software, storage, devices, and music files can become time consuming. I have learned to simplify processes over time and build systems for reliability.

    Best of luck in your search.
     
  4. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    +1 to this. You'll never get me to believe the nuances of lossless vs. streaming is going to matter with even a good car stereo.

    But, to the OP's question, I'd go fiio X5 because of the dual SD slots. You could get two 256GB micro sd cards. That much capacity will require two card slots, and I'm not aware of another DAP that has two.
     
    toddrhodes likes this.
  5. Linto

    Linto Mayor of Simpleton

    DSD ISOs, via bluetooth, in a car, is it worth it?

    X5 is a good answer, or DX80/DX90
     
  6. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Got a decent data allowance with your phone contract? Got Bluetooth in the car? Got a computer at home?

    Just use Muzecast. You can set it to play original resolution via Wi-Fi and varying levels of reduced resolution via 3g/4g

    Total cost, about $3 dollars for the app, if you want it ad free, otherwise nothing.
     
    Cliff likes this.
  7. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Lots of constructive feedback, while I might give MP3 320 a try...it isn't really the path I wanted to take as I have a second goal of having a hi rez player for the gym, work and otherwise. The thought of wireless Bluetooth headphones also seems to be a desired factor. But I do agree, the small benefit of hi rez in my car may not be worth the effort but so far when playing music using my iPhone and Onkyo HiRez app player, I notice a substantial degree in quality over the radio and MP3.

    The Pioneer offers two 200GB compatible slots, which is why I mentioned it originally. The requirements for me are ~400-500GB storage capability, Bluetooth, DSD, ~$400...SACD ISO support is optional. My search continues...I may try over at computer audiophile and see if there is a similar thread.
     
  8. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    Do you have aux port on car stereo? If you forgo the blue tooth part, a Pono can play the files you want.
     
  9. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    I don't have an answer for you, but a few thoughts here. If you can use an aux-in (as @jeffmo789 mentions above) then your options increase heavily.

    I don't think you'll find too many dedicated players with Bluetooth, and USB is a problem in that it rides off your car's ability to read music formats (basically USB = your device is a storage device and the car's firmware has to understand codecs and file systems).
     
    JeffMo likes this.
  10. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    If your eventual goal is bluetooth headphones, that's one more strike against lossless/hi res and one more plus in favor of using your phone and a streaming service.

    Note that I own a Pono and many portable DACs/amps, have gone down that path, and just concluded for the kind of applications we're talking about here it's sooo much easier to handle and the quality will surprise you.
     
    JeffMo likes this.
  11. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I'll check into getting a phone with more storage, streaming services haven't been something I have yet to try. But will still continue to research these newer DAPs, there are a few being released this month which haven't hit the American market yet.
     
  12. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So I am looking at the Galaxy 7S Edge as a new phone. Can add 200GB micro card? Anyone try this out with hi rez music? Any success?
     
  13. sublemon

    sublemon Forum Resident

    unless you intend to listen with the car off and not moving, there is no reason to worry about DSD or really even lossless in a car. Even super quiet cars have a pretty high noise floor. So does the gym, again unless you are sitting motionless in a separate room not actually in the gym. Personally I use an old galaxy s3 for both purposes - takes sd cards (only up to 64GB though), has bleutooth, plays flac or mp3, has apps that do replay gain, replaceable battery, etc. Plus basically free, I think I paid $19. If you really want to spend $400 on something you won't ever take advantage of given your application that is fine though.
     
  14. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thanks, so far I have gotten a lot of opinions on how I should be listening to my music...not a lot of actual technical advice on what use case I am trying to accomplish. Not trying to say to say you are wrong, but the questions I am trying to answer just aren't being directly addressed. I have my reasons...maybe I won't get the whole fidelity of DSD but I just want to know if it is possible...in theory.
     
  15. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
  16. TimB

    TimB Pop, Rock and Blues for me!

    Location:
    Colorado
    I would look at the Fiio X5 II if I were you. I have the X3, and it sounds great. The X5 has 2 micro sd slots and can support 200gb in each one. The Fiio supports dsd and 24/192 no blue tooth. You can also look at the Xduoo line, I have the X10 dual slot. While it sounds nice, there are a few issues with. Check out headfi.org they have a lot of discussions on these and other portable dap's. But Like I say check out the Fiio players, best bang for the buck, and there are local distributors in the US.
     
  17. roughdiamondnickel

    roughdiamondnickel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    The DAC in the S7 is probably not good enough to display the differences in 320/FLAC/hi-res. You should be able to play hi-rez files with no issues, but be aware the DAC just honestly doesn't sound that great. And yes, you can add a 200 gig micro SD card into the phone.
     
  18. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    My 60gb iPod does the trick! :shh: It plugs into anything.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    You're unlikely to get anything that will play .iso files of any kind. Most of them convert DSD to PCM (if they'll play them at all)
     
  20. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thanks, the FIIO X5 Gen 3 is on the top of my list but you can't buy it in the states yet. This was the advice I was looking for, not snarky remarks on how I should better spend my time! Gesh folks, its an audio forum for music snobs...let me get some real answers for the questions I am asking.
     
  21. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thanks, has anyone actually tried playing hi rez files using an app like the Onkyo HiRez player? From your post it doesn't sound like you have??? Or am I wrong?
     
  22. TimB

    TimB Pop, Rock and Blues for me!

    Location:
    Colorado
    The gen 5 is touch screen and android bases. The gen 2 has a scroll wheel and buttons. Depending on which one you like. I purchased the X3 II because of the price and performance. Fiio is nice because they back their products, updates to firmware etc.
     
  23. TimB

    TimB Pop, Rock and Blues for me!

    Location:
    Colorado
    On both my Fiio and Xduoo, I have played Flac 24-192 and dsd files.
     
  24. roughdiamondnickel

    roughdiamondnickel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    I haven't used the S7 for hi-res files. I've used it for FLAC and mp3/AAC files and honestly, I think hi-rez would be wasted on this. That's why I plugged in a Dragonfly Black DAC into the phone and listen out of that now.
     
  25. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I use my FIIO X3 2nd gen via the line out (no bluetooth on that player and I'm not sure Bluetooth would be the best sound option anyway) and the car aux in for playing high res files (or whatever other res files are on there, AIFF, FLAC, and yesbitbhas native DSD) from time to time. Not a great automotive solution because the scroll wheel and interface are not really something it's easy to deal with when driving. Maybe the X5 next gen would be more functional in that regard. The player is fine, if a tad on the warmish side of neutral, and it has a lot of great features -- plays all kinds of files, can be used as a DAC, the aforementioned line out.... But for driving easier to play CDs or listen to the radio or satellite.
     
    cyclistsb likes this.
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