Another Audio Upgrade

Z4monster said:
How does this integrate with the BMW system? Does it work just like a USB memory stick for searching tracks and selecting them? Very interested as already have all my CDs ripped to FLAC for my home system and would prefer to use it instead of MP3.

Incidentally do our head units manage FLAC natively or only MP3? Wondered if they would sit on a memory stick and still play?
Click to expand...

It's a standalone player, in the form factor of a Sony Walkman etc., with it's own screen and control interface/buttons hence your head unit will not integrate very well and you certainly can't control from your head unit. This applies for pretty much all DAPs although using your iphone/ipod as a DAP does integrate in varying forms. I also use FLACplayer on the iphone and stream via a bluetooth connection wired up to the CD Changer port and it works seamlessly.
I connect my Opus1 via a3.5mm aux cable and it sits in a universal mobile phone holder although it's illegal here in Holland to operate it while driving. Very happy with the sound quality.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/792354/thebit-opus-1-dap-from-south-korea
 
Thx Chris_D
Shame to lose the integration with the head unit but can understand the drive for better sounds. I will have to do more research as these sound great for music in general.
 
Well it was a bit of a leap of faith so thought I'd play it safe cost-wise with the DX80. I don't earn enough to punt on the Opus 1, fabulous piece of kit it must be though. I'll work my way up :evil:

As for the DX80 itself, fantastic. I love it. I even love the box it comes in. It looks and feels a quality item...and the sound it makes is just amazing.
Its transformed my view of my music collection and how to play it....so I'm now systematically ripping CDs to FLACs. The player can support up to 24bit so that is what I'm ripping too.

I downloaded a couple of those free DSD files as you suggested. I don't know anything about DSD tbh so went for the `DSD128' type. I'm not a `classical' fan as such but yeah, everything sounds absolutely gorgeous. Thats 3D music right there, for real.

Z4monster, yeah losing the head unit integration is a shame, a crying shame actually...but for me anyway its a price worth paying for the jump in sound quality. And its a big jump as well.
You can set playlists on the player of course and `Volume' still works on the steering wheel so I can live with that.
 
DraizetraiN said:
Well it was a bit of a leap of faith so thought I'd play it safe cost-wise with the DX80. I don't earn enough to punt on the Opus 1, fabulous piece of kit it must be though. I'll work my way up :evil:

As for the DX80 itself, fantastic. I love it. I even love the box it comes in. It looks and feels a quality item...and the sound it makes is just amazing.
Its transformed my view of my music collection and how to play it....so I'm now systematically ripping CDs to FLACs. The player can support up to 24bit so that is what I'm ripping too.

I downloaded a couple of those free DSD files as you suggested. I don't know anything about DSD tbh so went for the `DSD128' type. I'm not a `classical' fan as such but yeah, everything sounds absolutely gorgeous. Thats 3D music right there, for real.

Z4monster, yeah losing the head unit integration is a shame, a crying shame actually...but for me anyway its a price worth paying for the jump in sound quality. And its a big jump as well.
You can set playlists on the player of course and `Volume' still works on the steering wheel so I can live with that.
Click to expand...

Good news! And welcome to the world of hi-res audio!
May i suggest for your next foray..... A good quality headphone dac/amp and matched headphones....? Maybe even a secondary tube headphone amp.
Head-fi.org it's all there.
Slippery slope....
 
How are you finding the imaging with the 6.5" woofers playing in mono?

Interesting that it was suggested to run a 3 way front stage with only 5 channels across two amplifiers given that there's an 8 channel 1 amplifier option out there.
 
DraizetraiN said:
...so I'm now systematically ripping CDs to FLACs. The player can support up to 24bit so that is what I'm ripping too?
Click to expand...
I realise all this hi-res FLaC business is a bit new to you and props for getting into it but it may be worth getting clued up on what the possibilities and limitations are when ripping CD's etc.
Ripping a CD to 24bit FLAC will give you no discernible audible advantage over a 16bit FLAC file due to the fact that your source (CD) is only 16bit/44kHz to begin with. Sort of like trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, so to speak. All you will be doing is creating an overly large FLAC file which will take up poss double the space that a 16bit FLAC file will take up on ur memorycard.
Now ripping 24bit SACD's or DVD-Audio discs is a different kettle of fish and here's where ripping to 24bit FLAC can definitely be exploited!
Most of my 24bit FLAC collection is either ripped from 24bit original discs or downloaded 'vinyl rips'.
Playing a CD and a FLAC version of the CD in a side-by-side listening test should be interesting though and will give an indication of the 'sound signature' of the DAC in ur iBasso player. Same audio quality but will sound slightly different due to the signal path through each player's DAC/amp stage.
In the same vein, ripping to 32bit DSD is pointless too and I think would only be worthwhile if transferring from Bluray audio - although I haven't tried this yet
So in a nutshell, for ripping:
CD > 16bit FLAC file
SACD/DVD-A/BD-A > 24bit FLAC file

Happy listening!
 
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