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Looking for a Dap...without DAC, Amp and battery

The French

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Hi,

I mostly listen to my music on my bed.
I have my fellow Topping DX3Pro next to my bed, and was until now using an Ibasso DX50 as a transport, without the battery, and plugged to the power supply.
The DAP is on my hand.
I always shuffle my music, so the Next button is the only one I need.
No need to look at it, or to move as it's in my hand.


Now that I've been using online music (Amazon Music HD), I need to upgrade my transport, for an android one.

But it seems there is no solution for what I'm looking for.

Of course, I can take an Android phone.
It will output digital audio through the USB port, but I will have to charge it regularly...and won't be able to listen to music when charging.
And there is no Next / Previous buttons. I've tried several apps to use the Volume Up and Down as Next and Previous, but it's not very handy.

I can also buy an android DAP with a digital output.
That's actually what I do, with a Fiio M11 Pro.
It does have a coaxial output.
It does have Next/Previous buttons.
But it's a shame to use a DAP like that as a transport, and if I need to use the digital output and charge it in the same time, it will ruined the battery.


Do you know if there is any possible solution ?
 

Jimbob54

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Hi,

I mostly listen to my music on my bed.
I have my fellow Topping DX3Pro next to my bed, and was until now using an Ibasso DX50 as a transport, without the battery, and plugged to the power supply.
The DAP is on my hand.
I always shuffle my music, so the Next button is the only one I need.
No need to look at it, or to move as it's in my hand.


Now that I've been using online music (Amazon Music HD), I need to upgrade my transport, for an android one.

But it seems there is no solution for what I'm looking for.

Of course, I can take an Android phone.
It will output digital audio through the USB port, but I will have to charge it regularly...and won't be able to listen to music when charging.
And there is no Next / Previous buttons. I've tried several apps to use the Volume Up and Down as Next and Previous, but it's not very handy.

I can also buy an android DAP with a digital output.
That's actually what I do, with a Fiio M11 Pro.
It does have a coaxial output.
It does have Next/Previous buttons.
But it's a shame to use a DAP like that as a transport, and if I need to use the digital output and charge it in the same time, it will ruined the battery.


Do you know if there is any possible solution ?

I can't answer the physical skip button on android issue, but I can help with the charging and listening problem. https://m.aliexpress.com/item/40001...er_id=e03c809ab6bc48249ea327ab8ed16bbd&is_c=N

Now, there is seemingly 2 types of ways android charges. My oneplus phones don't work and keep switching the connected USB dongle off. My pixel phones and Huawei ones work fine.
 
OP
The French

The French

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Many thanks for the link. I've gonna give that cable a try.
But will have to find a proper solution for that Next button.
 

Jimbob54

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Many thanks for the link. I've gonna give that cable a try.
But will have to find a proper solution for that Next button.
There is this setting in USB audio player Pro if you use qobuz or tidal. I've never got it to work but ymmv
Screenshot_20210912-202527.png
 
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The French

The French

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Unfortunatly, USB audio player Pro apparently doesn't work with Amazon yet.
But I see there are still some options to solve my issue.

Many Thanks
 

Jimbob54

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Unfortunatly, USB audio player Pro apparently doesn't work with Amazon yet.
But I see there are still some options to solve my issue.

Many Thanks
Indeed it does not, nor do I think it ever will.
 

JustAnandaDourEyedDude

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But it's a shame to use a DAP like that as a transport, and if I need to use the digital output and charge it in the same time, it will ruined the battery.
Maybe up the ante with a second DAP? You would alternate between the two DAPs, using one to feed the DX3Pro while re-charging the other's battery. And the battery of each DAP should have a doubled lifetime, as you would be using each DAP only half as often as you would a single DAP.
 

Roland68

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How about a simple Raspberry PI solution? Can be configured completely freely, control via touch display, remote control or keypad.
Thanks to the large selection of software solutions and hardware, it is very versatile, can be updated and upgraded.
 

b7676

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imagine you could just have a numberpad on the usb as well, or wirelessly
 
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The French

The French

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How about a simple Raspberry PI solution? Can be configured completely freely, control via touch display, remote control or keypad.
Thanks to the large selection of software solutions and hardware, it is very versatile, can be updated and upgraded.

Is Android working on Raspberry ?
I'm gonna have a look at that.
 

Roland68

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Is Android working on Raspberry ?
I'm gonna have a look at that.
Good joke, of course Android works on the Raspberry. But there are enough ready-made software solutions for audio that support everything you need, e.g. Volumio.
 
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Timcognito

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The French

The French

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How about a simple Raspberry PI solution? Can be configured completely freely, control via touch display, remote control or keypad.
Thanks to the large selection of software solutions and hardware, it is very versatile, can be updated and upgraded.

Well, it looks very versatile indeed, but as far as I can see, it doesn't really match my need.

I understand the Raspberry is a tiny computer, which can, among other things, stream music.
But it still need a screen (phone, computer, tablet) to be used.

And today, I'm already using a screen (my phone or a dap) to stream my music, without the need of another streaming device.
Adding a raspberry just for the button issue, doesn't look like the right idea, even if it could solve my issue of having physical buttons via an USB port.
At least, it won't be an easy solution.
 
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The French

The French

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You can put a Raspberry Pi in a case with an LCD touchscreen and add an IR remote and run Volumio on it.

Looks easy to do when said, but I'm sure it's not that easy to configure, or to properly install.

I know there are also 3.5mm IR dongle, to control smartphones.
Doesn't look like a proper solution either. :(
 

Roland68

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Looks easy to do when said, but I'm sure it's not that easy to configure, or to properly install.

I know there are also 3.5mm IR dongle, to control smartphones.
Doesn't look like a proper solution either. :(
For me, the requirement is not entirely understandable.
You want a digital audio player for your home that sends the data via cable to your DAC / headphone amplifier. Listening is done with wired headphones.

What speaks against a very simple solution with a remote control?
I hear at home with headphones exactly as you describe it. Macbook-> DAC-> HPA-> Headphone with Apple remote. Would work the same way with a Windows, Linux or Android based notebook, tablet, mini or stick PC.

If you definitely want a mobile Android DAP, take an Onkyo DP-X1 or Pionieer XDP-300r, for example, there is a really huge community. But there is no way to charge it and connect it to a DAC at the same time. You'd have to hack it and plug in a power supply instead of the battery. Somebody did that once.
But otherwise the Raspberry is the most widespread, best supported and probably most future-proof DAP and streamer worldwide. There are over 20 audio-only distributions, hardware, and stores with no end.
At audiophonics.fr there are various semi-finished products (Raspberry missing) or finished solutions with a pre-installed system, touch display and remote. Of course, this is more expensive than ordering the parts individually. But there are also many other shops that offer this.
 

JustAnandaDourEyedDude

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FiiO M17 could replace the combination of M11Pro and DX3Pro. It comes with a 15V DC external power supply. There is a switch button for going between internal battery and DC power supply when plugged in. If the switch is set to "DC" instead of "BAT", the battery is bypassed (while still being topped up) and the DAP is powered directly from the DC power supply. After the battery eventually wears out, the DAP will still continue to function using just the DC power supply.

The M17 has physical buttons for Next and Previous (and Pause/Play), as well as for volume, plus a volume wheel. It runs Android 10, and could stream Amazon Music HD (or other streaming service) wirelessly from the router, as well as play music from 64 GB internal storage or from microSD card. The CPU is Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. Dual ESS ES9038Pro DAC chips. THX 788 desktop amplifier circuit. Priced to match specs.
 
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The French

The French

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FiiO M17 could replace the combination of M11Pro and DX3Pro. It comes with a 15V DC external power supply. There is a switch button for going between internal battery and DC power supply when plugged in. If the switch is set to "DC" instead of "BAT", the battery is bypassed (while still being topped up) and the DAP is powered directly from the DC power supply. After the battery eventually wears out, the DAP will still continue to function using just the DC power supply.

The M17 has physical buttons for Next and Previous (and Pause/Play), as well as for volume, plus a volume wheel. It runs Android 10, and could stream Amazon Music HD (or other streaming service) wirelessly from the router, as well as play music from 64 GB internal storage or from microSD card. The CPU is Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. Dual ESS ES9038Pro DAC chips. THX 788 desktop amplifier circuit. Priced to match specs.

That is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for !
Well, I would have vote for that same dap without the amp and DAC, but it might be an option.
Doesn't seems to be available yet, it's not even listed on the Fiio's website .
The only question now is...how much. More than dozen of Raspberry, for sure.

And is it even good as a DAP/Amp (But I'm sure Amir might answer that question).
 
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