USB interface question

[Kiwimike]

Hello , just a short question, I'm looking at getting the SMSL D6S DAC .
My question is can you listen to music files from a portable HDD via the USB Interface ?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Dunring]

Hey,
It's got to be plugged into a computer for that. It can do it via Bluetooth though, but a DAC like that can't recognize a hard drive on it's own.

 

[JSmith]

Hello , just a short question, I'm looking at getting the SMSL D6S DAC .
My question is can you listen to music files from a portable HDD via the USB Interface ?

Thanks for your time.

Hello and welcome to ASR.

AS @Dunring said, not just with a DAC only... it's for USB audio from a another device like a Pi4, streamer etc.

Have you considered a DAC/streamer in one unit, like this?

Eversolo DMP-A6 Streamer Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Eversolo DMP-A6 Streamer and balanced DAC. It was sent to me by the company. I don't have the price but see it on sale for US $850. The DMP-A6 design is absolutely gorgeous. A large, high contrast LCD allows it to show realistic visualizations...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This will accept an external HDD via USB.


JSmith

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Hello , just a short question, I'm looking at getting the SMSL D6S DAC .
My question is can you listen to music files from a portable HDD via the USB Interface ?

Thanks for your time.

Hello @Kiwimike Modern connections like USB-C make this less obvious, but USB is simply a computer-to-peripheral bus. It treats a computer as a central hub and has USB "spokes" connecting peripherals like printers, HDDs and mice and DACs. One end must be a computer. A DAC is a peripheral and an HDD is also a peripheral. So you can't plug them together, there needs to be a computer in the middle.

 

[somebodyelse]

One end must be a computer.

For certain definitions of 'computer' - most people don't tend to think of things like a NAS, router or streamer as being a computer, even though that's effectively what they are internally. This can add to the confusion.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

For certain definitions of 'computer' - most people don't tend to think of things like a NAS, router or streamer as being a computer, even though that's effectively what they are internally. This can add to the confusion.

I get that. I was doing corporate IT when USB began being commonly used. The cable had two different ends: the rectangular end could only be plugged into a computer in those days; and the square end went into printers, tape drives, external HDDs, scanners etc. DACs were not a thing.

These days pretty much everything has a processor and UI. Mice, keyboards and printers are clearly still peripherals.

But it must be confusing for people to work out why a dedicated streamer is a host and an ADC/DAC is a peripheral. I feel sorry for people new to this, such as the OP!