Separate CD player or DAC for FLAC playback on a USB flash drive

[trott3r]

Hello,

I wish to play cds that are ripped to FLAC format in my separates system.

They will have been placed on a flash drive and plugged into a DAC or a CD player.

The problem is i cannot find a player to do it that is not a big hulking onkyo AV amplifier.

I have heard that some Yamaha CD players had this capability but googling came up with

nothing.

So is there a current device that can do this?

Priced £100 up to £400 range.

Thanks for your time

Martin

 

[dannycanham]

You need some form of computer processing (not necessarily in the form of a traditional computer) to read and process a flac file so I doubt it is common. It does look like the yamaha cds700 does wma and mp3 and I've seen blu ray players do the same but not flac.

 

[dannycanham]

The NAD C565 BEE does WAV files via USB. Thats a bit more than the budget. Maybe try searching for WAV instead of FLAC there may be others.

 

[trott3r]

I have already ripped my CDs and Vinyl into FLAC format for my cowan portable audio device so i dont want to go through that labour intensive again.

Thanks for the NAD suggestion though i will keep an eye on NAD and Yamaha for the future to see if they add FLAC suppport.

Does anybody else have a suggestion?

Martin

 

[nads]

get a squeezebox touch. the Dacs in that are as good as the Dac Magic and it will do what you want and so much more.

 

[Cypher]

This machine will play flac from a usb stick.

 

[trott3r]

Thanks the squeeze box touch does look useful.

I did spot one problem though in the amazon reviews that it cant handle large file libraries -

it crashes.

Otherwise looks good although it would be nicer if it was standard hifi size for stacking

purposes.

Martin

 

[trott3r]

Putting cambridge audio sonata seems to come up with a variety of different products.

Do you have a model name i can search with as well?

thanks

Martin

 

[mitch65]

Putting cambridge audio sonata seems to come up with a variety of different products.

Do you have a model name i can search with as well?

thanks

Martin

NP30

 

[nads]

Thanks the squeeze box touch does look useful.

I did spot one problem though in the amazon reviews that it cant handle large file libraries -

it crashes.

Otherwise looks good although it would be nicer if it was standard hifi size for stacking

purposes.

Martin

define large?

 

[RockAddict]

*BUMP*

I found this thread and, given it is now 3 years old, wondered if there had been any new equipment that will play gapless FLAC & WAV files from a USB stick.

As with the OP, I'm looking for either a CD player OR a DAC that will play FLAC & WAV files from a USB flash drive.

Although my second system does this (the Marantz M-CR610), I am looking for something to add / integrate to my main system. The Yamaha CD-S300 does a decent job on MP3s but isn't FLAC or WAV compatible. Because I have a CD player, a DAC would be more than enough.

For info, I did call in at a branch of a well know hi-fi retailer earlier today, but it was obvious they didn't know much about the equipment they were selling - even recommending the same CD player I already have (despite me being clear FLAC & WAV support were wanted). They also recommended the Marantz CD6005 despite it not supporting FLAC. Further info requests were met with "I'll just print out the spec....". Yep, the very same spec I had already read on their website prior to dropping in. :clap: (I couldn't find an emoticon for sarcasm )

 

[RockAddict]

This may or may not be helpful to others... :shhh:

Since posting, I *may* have found a solution that doesn't involve streaming from a laptop etc.

It seems the Cocktail Audio X10 will do pretty much everything I am looking for. Apparently, the onboard amp & DAC aren't much to write home about but with a digital out (optical) the addition of a DAC between the X10 and my existing Arcam amp should sort that out. The Musical Fidelity V90 DAC is being considered. This set-up will probably make the current Yamaha CD-S300 surplus to requirements.

I'll update again when I've purchased and tried out the new set up.

Cocktail Audio X10: http://www.cocktailaudio.co.uk/overview.shtml

Musical Fidelity V90 DAC: http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-dac

 

[James7]

The Squeezebox Touch isn't in production any more but if you can find one that would be a good choice. I use mine in this way - I plug in 32 GB flash drives fully loaded with ALAC files, rather than FLAC, and it works extremely well, has no problem dealing with the large file libraries, and can be intuitively controlled from an iPad or similar. I tend to use the digital output but the internal DAC is high quality.. It also offers the extra functionality of internet radio, Spotify, etc, and although it only works with 24/96 files as standard you can download a free third party app to enable 24/192 playback.

 

[RockAddict]

Hi James - thanks for the suggestion. I did briefly consider the Squeezebox route but realised the Marantz M-CR610 would do pretty much the same - or at least what I was initially looking for (i.e. USB flash drives etc with gapless FLAC supported).

However, the prospect of a single drive of 1TB (optional 2TB version available for an extra £40) for ALL of my audio collection without needing to change USB flash drives won over in the end. It did cross my mind that the Cocktail won't store DVDs but there is nothing to stop me ripping the soundtracks from my DVDs to WAV or FLAC and, in any case, DVDs are, for me, a different experience compared to "audio only".

NB: In the UK from 1 June 2014, it is now entirely legal top rip / format shift DVDs & CDs so long as it is for personal use AND the person with the copy owns the CD / DVD is question. It remains illegal to share copies (even to friends and family). It also remains unlawful to break copyright protection mechanisms BUT there is recourse in cases where the "restrictive measure" by the copyright owner "unreasonably prevents" copying for personal use.