DACs, docks and USB sticks - how to handle digital files?

[admin_exported]

Thinking about digital input.

PCs MACs and various streaming devices are all very well though the iPod / MP3 player concept is a convenient way of storing and using digital music files, however they dont have very good DACs when it comes to true hifi.

The Pure i20 dock is a great way of utilising digital music stored on an iPod / iPhone, it extracts the files before they hit the devices built in DAC and passes it through a half decent DAC then outputs through phonos giving true hifi with any decent set up.

However while good value the Pure "only" handles iPod / iPhone as an input standard, would it be great if you could connect and MP3 player or plug a USB stick into it in the way that you can some CD players, Yamaha CD-S300 / Marantz CD6003 to name but two and of course Cambridge Audio's DACMagic, all at three times the price of the Pure.

What other DAC products are out there offering a generic input such as USB?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[manicm]

Naim's DAC has a generic USB input (or 2) - connects iPods digitally, as well as USB sticks.

I need not mention cost etc.

 

[bluebrazil]

brilliant manicm, you forgot the chord indigo which has a built in dock

 

[Anonymous]

Guys, my point is that if you can have an iPod / iPhone dock with the associated apple licences, a decent DAC and various outputs for under £80 then why not something with only USB and perhaps SPDIF inputs?

 

[manicm]

bluebrazil:brilliant manicm, you forgot the chord indigo which has a built in dock

I would have also forgotten to mention that the Indigio costs around 8,000p compared to the 2000p nDAC. Cheap!

 

[manicm]

Childs1962:

Guys, my point is that if you can have an iPod / iPhone dock with the associated apple licences, a decent DAC and various outputs for under £80 then why not something with only USB and perhaps SPDIF inputs?

There might be some Peachtree products as well that will meet your needs.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Childs1962:Guys, my point is that if you can have an iPod / iPhone dock with the associated apple licences, a decent DAC and various outputs for under £80 then why not something with only USB and perhaps SPDIF inputs?

Well, because for a start it would need a display and a means of controlling it to access tracks, etc...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies, it seems that all DACs, Beresford, Fubar, Dacmagic require a PC etc to play the digital audio file, what I am looking for is a device that will take a USB stick and read digital files off it, it sems that the Yamaha CD-S300 CD player might do this though I dont need the CD player aspect of it, on the otherhand it is only £200 so not bad value.

 

[manicm]

Childs1962:

Thanks for the replies, it seems that all DACs, Beresford, Fubar, Dacmagic require a PC etc to play the digital audio file, what I am looking for is a device that will take a USB stick and read digital files off it, it sems that the Yamaha CD-S300 CD player might do this though I dont need the CD player aspect of it, on the otherhand it is only £200 so not bad value.

I think a few Marantz and Nad players may do this as well.