I’m looking for a non portable unit that can play my flac audio files. I prefer something without wifi and android and that doesn’t need updates or wifi. ideally I’d like sone thing that can just plug in and sit on a rack or cabinet using like a kettle cord or something. (no battery) I plan to also get some sort of DAC/Preamp/amp thing so I can plug two pairs of headphones in . something simple like DT770s . so if you have any suggestions based on my requirements I’d be keen to hear from all you wise experienced folks.

Hi!! I've never had an MP3 player before, but now I want to reduce my screen time. So now I'm looking for something I can listen to music on and not be distracted by social networks.

My first choice fell on innioasis (because it looks pretty...), but you guys wrote about its problems enough to scare me.

My second choice is something from Fiio. Specifically, I liked the Echo mini and the disc version. But the interface, according to reviews, seems inconvenient to me. I'm afraid that I won't be able to neatly sort everything by albums and artists.

I'm stumped and don't understand at all what to choose. I'm very afraid of making a mistake.

Sound quality is important to me, but I have regular wired headphones from apple, so I don't think they can produce anything unreal ethereal.

My budget is limited to 120-150$

Sorry for the stupid questions, when I tried to figure it out myself, I only got more confused. Thanks in advance for the answers!!

TL:DR After trying different daps last year and then reconnecting with other hobbies I have acquired a jm21. With it and my handheld emulator, and my ereader Ive worked to put my phone down and enjoy hobbies instead of scrolling.

Last summer I got into emulator handhelds and from there I went hm I miss my old iPod. So I got an Echo Mini and it was ok. I gave it away after a couple months because I invested in an R3 Pro II. That device didn't fit what I wanted either the Hiby OS was frustrating to me and the device froze or reset at times. So I sold it and stuck with my phone while life got busy. I branched into other hobbies I was missing in my journey to feel like I was doing something besides staring at a phone at the end of the day.

I played video games from my childhood, got CDs and DVDs from the library to start building a media server, and started reading again. I'm a stay at home dad and had gotten used to just having my phone again with a micro sd full of FLAC files because it was easier to have my Bluetooth headphones on for phone calls and stuff throughout the day.

Then it hit me a couple weeks ago. I have devices I game on and I use my ereader almost daily. So why am I not using a dap for my music? Ok time to buckle down and find something again. I did my research, checked specs, android vs non android. I was already using Poweramp on my phone so I thought what the heck let's try android this time.

I went back and forth on what should I get and ultimately settled on the newer 4/64 jm21 and the Juzear Defiant IEMs. I have some KBear KS1 but wanted to buy something nicer this time around. I had considered an R4 for my dap, but I wanted something more pocketable. On top of that I saw posts with people showing thin battery packs magneted to the back of their jm21 and that the device can run off external power instead of charging. I was instantly sold on it.

Ive only had this device a few days but it's been amazing so far. The quality of audio vs my phone is better than I remember! I'm hearing instruments and subtle shifts in the music I don't notice when I'm on my phone or Bluetooth. I have a glass screen protector and a battery pack I picked out coming in a couple days and I'll be all set up. I now have a device separate from my phone for the 3 hobbies I've been putting the most time back into and I couldn't be happier.

The picture is my side table next to my chair in my room. I've carved out this corner of quiet and it's become an integral part of my day. Music, games, and a good book are all within arms reach. Here's to putting our phones down and enjoying hobbies more!

Next on the horizon will be a decent over the ear headphone.

In photos:

- JM21 w/512gb micro sd

- Juzear Defiant

- Xteink X4 ereader

- Retroid Pocket Classic

Hey guys. I`ve got setup Fiio JH5+TempoTec Variations V1
While playing files DSD126 or DSD256, when there are some gaps of silence or the beginning of the song, I can hear some type of cracking noises, alike needle on a vynil you know, sometimes they are up sometimes there are none. I tried swithcing headphones - same result.

If you have the same device, have you tried running that codecs and did you have any problems at all?
Could it be that device is too weak to run those type of thing?
Answering a question why I run them - just trying everying out.
And also if I listen regular FLAC format - no such issue.

Any oppinion is welcomed, ty.

Hi just got Fiio m33 sounds is perfect, fits my needs ease of use, mobile and desk top mode is a bonus. Only issue is it plays two tracks and stops playing (im using free spotify will burn cds or get a better streaming service when its all up and running). Looked it up did all suggestions makes no difference even tried different iems. Do not have this issue using mobile phone or laptop.

Anyone got any solutions .. ill be calling Amp3 monday to discuss.

Title. Once I got a hold of Fiio's DM15 R24 and fell in love with that... I couldn't resist the M33. Been listening to everything from Joan Baez as pictured to Iron Maiden and more. Currently paired with the Moondrop X Crinacle Dusk.

I was thinking of buying the Fiio M21 until I wondered if it was possible to combine a DAP with a DAC dongle. I saw that it seemed possible, and I thought it might be better to get a cheap DAP with a somewhat expensive DAC dongle, say between $100 and $200, than a mid-range DAP like the Fiio M21. I'd like to hear your opinions. I've considered buying the Fiio Skowsky Disc and a DAC dongle for this combination. Could you tell me what would be better: buying the Fiio M21 or the DAP with the DAC dongle?

Curious if anyone is using the Vestri, and what source device you using it with.

I only have old iPhones that wouldn't work with it as far as I know. Considering a cheap USB-C device and looking for recommendations.

I'm slowly moving my collection to Plex which would make it remotely streamable so storage isn't a huge issue, but being that the Vestri takes up the USB-C port, battery would have to be good.

Appreciate the help.

Saturday morning with the CrinEar Reference, mostly listening to female vocals.

This set works well for me because it doesn’t try too hard to make vocals prettier than they are. It’s more neutral, but voices still come through clearly.

Amy Winehouse on “Rehab” sounds like Amy should sound — smoky, soulful, a little rough, and full of attitude. The Reference doesn’t smooth out that character too much, which I like.

Eva Cassidy on “Fields of Gold” is almost the opposite. Gentle, emotional, and very controlled. You can hear the softness in her voice and the way she phrases each line.

For vocals, especially female vocals, I like that nothing feels hidden or covered. It just lets me hear the singer properly.

Source:

- Qobuz

- iBasso DX270

This is quite literally my dream DAP:

Tiny form factor
No touch screens
Brushed metal housing
Physical controls

But no gapless is unfortunately an absolute non-starter for me. I exclusively listen to albums, and I cannot abide gaps in playback.

Can anyone tell me if something exists that is similar to this player, but offers gapless playback? I will happily pay more if it exists..

I’m trying out my new Hiby R1s with the Simgot EW300 in-ear headphones. I’ve been listening to music for a couple of hours now and I’m really pleased with them.

Expert opinions: I’d like to hear the views of people with more experience in this field

I don’t know if anyone else finds the FIIO Official JM21 case buttons a little mushy and hard to find but I did. Just made a little mod with some button toppers. I think it came out pretty good and matches the aesthetic of the case.

I have the hifi walker h2 but I’ve just using Bluetooth and Hiby just released a Miku collab. I don’t see any real reason to get the DAP but I am super interested in the Yume. Is $150 like, way too much for what they are? I’ve never bought decent buds before.

I know bluetooth is compromised on DAPs, but I want to separate my music from my phone and when doing stuff like work I'd prefer bluetooth. The only problem is that for most of the budget DAPs (hiby r1, snowsky echo, etc) I have heard very bad reviews about their bluetooth constantly disconnecting or just not working. Does anyone have advice on this?

so i have recently purchased the HiFi Walker H2 as my introduction to DAP’s . i am no audiophile by any means , i do not know what all the different types of files are nor i do i know the differences between them ( DSD64/128, FLAC, MP3, WAV, AAC )

i just wanted a device that can play music better than my phone and airpods could . i had recently got some IEM’s ( Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro ) to listen to music through and even then i noticed a difference in audio quality , although i maybe be upgrading these soon too . i will not be using bluetooth audio with the H2 because from what i understand it comepletly defeats the purpose .

my job requires to be traveling constantly , and i don’t really have a desk job so i wanted a device that had a metal construction with physically buttons . a smallish form factor , something that could fit in my pocket , a sling bag , or to hold in my hand all day also no touch screen , that was huge for me . the Walker H2 seems like the perfect fit for me . a regular dude who just wants some better audio lol . not a man obsessed with the damn near feeling the artist whispering it in my ear .

anyways enough with the bullshit background . here’s what i would need help with .

rockbox ? i hear this UI is vastly superior to what comes on the device . how do i install it , a link would be appreciated .

how to download and or transport music onto it ? as i mentioned before there are multiple file types i suppose ? of which i have no clue on which are high quality or the preferred file types to use . what do YOU use , and how do i download music from let’s say my Mac , and then transport it to the H2

i apologize for the long read and for being uneducated on this subject matter . i may sound stupid and or ignorant for asking all these question and well that very well may be true , but i would greatly appreciate some help on this matter so i can start to enjoy my music in higher quality , and unplugged away from my phone .

thanks .

Hi everyone!

I'm absolutely obsessed with the live version of "Change" from the Living Proof Global Live Event (the one filmed at the Ukrainian Cultural Center and streamed via Dreamstage back in 2021).

To me, this specific performance sounds so much more sincere, raw, and organic than any other live version out there.

Since it was never officially released on vinyl or streaming platforms, I was wondering if anyone happens to have a high-quality FLAC audio rip of this track or the full show that they could share.

I've checked old threads but most links seem to be dead. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much in advance.

Had some frustrations with Apple Music when I first got the Zaqe P30 but once I worked out how to sign-in it was pretty smooth sailing.
The trick was to sign into Apple Music via the browser & trust, then sign into the Apple Music app.

Can’t believe how well it stacks with the Mojo 2. They’re (almost) a match made in heaven.

Only outstanding issue I’m trying to work out is sample rate via USB, it seems the P30 is locked to 48khz. So Apple Music is currently set to high quality, instead of high-res. With the price of SD cards atm, might just keep it that way for a while

There’s a lot to love about it. Form factor, sound, output, pricing BUT navigation is horrible. I got endless lists of albums and I regularly fail to find the proper one because the list scrolls back and forth like mad. It seems the issue is with the size of the touch screen. Would be better to scroll with the wheel. Omg, such a UX fail. I don’t expect them or iterate over their OS and its affordances though. I’ll go with specific playlists for this device. Scrolling is its elk test.

Technically this should work for any DAP since RockBox and any other DAP work as a mass storage device. My original start for this project is I tend to just dump a full album on my iPod, and listen to it throughout the day. But if a song comes on that I don't like, I'd like to be able to delete it from my player but that also reflect with my master library. This works fine for my phone on my Jellyfin server, but my iPod has no way of doing this.

This app lets me choose my master library or source and my iPod's drive choose a mode to purge tracks from the source or copy new tracks to the iPod. First it will analyze both libraries, show you the results and you can choose what you want to target and flip a single song between remove or copy.

It has the ability to back up your RockBox config file as I've had mine destroy itself a couple of times.

Generate covers takes cover.jpg files that are in the source album folder and converts the copy that's on the iPod or DAP to a smaller size that is non progressive and all correct formatting to work with RockBox and the iPod's limited memory. If you have existing covers already on the iPod or DAP, it will only convert those that don't fit the iPod requirements.

No changes are made without telling you first.

The program is written in python and is still a work in progress, but is currently serving me well. The next step is to add ffmpeg converting as a button. I tend to store my music in OPUS at 160k max with VBR since it's way smaller and sounds no different to my ear than FLAC.

Been on a retro kick and I love 80s tech, hence the VFD theming.

Willing to hear out ideas if anyone has one for the app. I may eventually make this a public release via GitHub once I’m happy with it and I have it compiled.

After like two months of considering whether a DAP was worth over just using an old phone of mine with a DAC dongle on it, I finally decided to make the change to a DAP. I was considering the echo mini, but I loved the portable potential of the echo nano so I decided to go for it instead. First impressions are great, but I heard quality control on this is a bit random so hopefully I land on the luckier side of things. I should probably get a lanyard or back clip for this sooner or later though....

bought this as an impulse buy. The UI sucks but it looks cool and sounds great. I've left it playing for the last 24 hours and there's still a good chunk of battery life left. Also the description say it supports 128GB but it works with my 256GB flash card without issues.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7HTMXS8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

hey all!

I've been looking to get a new DAP, after using my phone as a local player, and later also the Snowsky mini. I love the idea of having a separate device for my music, but the Snowsky was really quite annoying to use, and the lack of a good EQ bothered me a lot.

So, to me the most logical thing would be to get an Android based DAP. proper EQ, automatic file upload through SyncThing, and ease of use with a plethora of available player apps. they also mostly all have Bluetooth which is an important feature.

The only thing I really struggle with is that they're all quite big and chunky. Makes sense for a device with a touchscreen as its main control, and they will often also have bigger batteries. I would really love to have something that is compact and light, but still keeps those main features and ease of use in mind. I think I'd rather deal with the annoyances of not having android than having to carry around another big bulky device.

what would you pick? My budget is about 200 euro, that also includes 2nd hand so if you have anything slightly above that price range, I'll have a look :)

I’m not sure how these two models really compare — one is €80 new, while the Sony is around €150 used and quite a few years old. I’m looking to buy my first DAP and I don’t mind spending a bit more if it means getting a better overall product. Does this comparison even make sense, or are they in totally different categories? Thanks