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Best portable digital music player?
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kt66 View Drop Down
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Points: 18 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kt66 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2013 at 1:09am
The best portable music player is currently the Hifiman HM901
followed by the AK120 and Ibasso DX100
All in my humble opinion of course! But this
is my specialist subject :-)
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discrete badger View Drop Down
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Points: 482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2013 at 10:15am
I am still using an iRiver HD140 (now with an 80Gb disk in it) which is 10 years old and long "obsolete".

I have kept an eye out for a more modern replacement but nothing has appeared which offers the same combination of high quality (because I use the optical out to drive a separate DAC and then the Voyager), easy interface (RockBox), ogg compatibility, high music capacity, and long battery life (40 hours).
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Ash View Drop Down
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Points: 4360 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2013 at 11:33am
This morning, as I was listening to the Solo ULDE and Voyager from my Sony portable player, I found myself wishing that Graham Slee himself would design and make an excellent portable player compatible with all major file formats and with a Bitzie "soundcard" and analogue output stage. I love the Bitzie but I can only use it with a computer. The Voyager is great but it is potentially limited by the soundcard of the portable device used...

Graham has been talking about a "Super Voyager" so what if this were to be an entire portable audio player (internal GSP-standard DAC) with in-built Voyager/Bitzie analogue output?? This would be the icing on the cake for digital audio, I feel.

Basically, take the Bitzie circuit design and add a media player interface on its upper fascia. The USB input would be used for recharging an internal battery and for data transfer onto the player. Just an idea.


Edited by Nuance_Ember - 07 Dec 2013 at 11:42am
We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
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hotmog View Drop Down
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hotmog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2014 at 2:21pm
For portable use outside the home, I use a Creative Zen/Voyager, accessing mainly WMA and some MP3 files. Inside the home for headphone use I am currently using an iRiver H140 accessing OGG format files, with the optical out going into a Fiio Taishan D03K DAC (superb quality for the money, mine was virtually brand new and cost under £20 delivered from eBay) which feeds into my Solo UL.

Unfortunately, without upgrading the HD, there is not enough room on the iRiver to accommodate all my music collection in lossless (FLAC) format. I also find the primitive UI on it more than a little frustrating at the best of times. I thought about getting an Android tablet and using that to stream lossless files from my PC via my home wireless network, which would replace the clunky UI of the iRiver. However I'm not quite sure how all that would work, plus I realised that I would also need a good quality USB/SPDIF converter if I was to get any improvement in audio quality, which potentially could rack up the price by another £hundred or more, even looking to the secondhand market.

However I have just come across the Fiio X5 - http://www.ea-audio.co.uk/fiio_x5.html, which is being released on Monday. It could represent the solution I am looking for, and I feel I may rapidly be becoming seduced....Big smile
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discrete badger View Drop Down
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Points: 482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2014 at 4:24pm
Hotmog, I take it you've upgraded to RockBox on your H140? Much better UI than the iRiver firmware and completely reversible if you want to go back to stock.

Also the 80Gb HDD upgrade (MK8007GAH), a direct replacement, is usually available on a well known auction site for about £25. I've upgraded both my H140s.


Edited by discrete badger - 05 Apr 2014 at 4:27pm
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hotmog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 10:49am

Many thanks for that, DB. I'd seen many references to Rockbox but never thought to install it. Now I have done so, and it is brilliant! Thumbs Up 

I will also get a replacement 80GB HD. I did consider a 128GB SSD, but they are about £95 and I doubt I would need that much capacity.

Do have a link to a DIY guide to replacing the HD on the H140? I seem to remember reading somewhere that you need a special type of screwdriver to open up the case.

EDIT: Have now found that info here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/649299/iriver-ihp-1x0-with-msata-ssd-drive-mod/15



Edited by hotmog - 06 Apr 2014 at 2:37pm
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discrete badger View Drop Down
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Points: 482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2014 at 3:28pm
The 120GB and above mSATA drives do require the PATA adaptor as noted in the link and a bit of squeezing to fit it all in the case, which is what put me off those sizes. The 80GB MK8007GAH doesn't; it simply connects directly in place of the 40GB drive.

Many recommend setting the hold switch to on before the process so you don't accidentally power up a drive half connected.

To open the case you need a torx T6 screwdriver; that is the only tool you need as all the 12 screws to be removed fit the same screwdriver. Mine came from a Rolson precision screwdriver set from Maplin. 4 screws on each end and two tiny grub screws on each side to remove enough of the case; then two screws holding the drive connector/rubber surround in place. All the screws except these grub screws are the same length so no need to keep careful track of which screw is which. The case is quite stable with the 8 end screws removed since the silver plastic top and bottom bands stay on easily by friction. This is worth noting for when you initially test with the new drive in. 

The battery will likely have stuck to the back of the case and will come away with it when you lift the back away. The battery wires running to the tiny molex plug on the hidden side of the PCB are not too delicate, but the internal mic wires attached to one of the side panels are quite delicate, something to watch if you value recording from the internal mic (personally I don't).

To get the drive out it's easiest to lift the far (non-connector) end slightly - it may have stuck slightly to the PCB under it - then pull away from the connector.

Reassembly is just the reverse of assembly - but do make sure the battery wires don't get trapped in the case. There is plenty of space for them at one side of the drive connector. 

I've always had to press the hardware reset after a drive change; then after powering on (not before, otherwise RockBox will try to boot from USB) you can connect up a USB cable and use a PC to partition and format as FAT32 and copy everything over. Don't forget the .rockbox folder which some copy tools miss. If you miss this you'll have no rockbox settings and codecs.

All in all a pretty straightforward process. I've done it about 6 times in total with no problems.

Apart from size, the other advantage of the 80GB drive is much lower access noise and better performance.

Battery replacement is trickier since unless you snip the wires and solder the new battery wires to them, you have to remove the PCB and then do battle with the tiny molex connector that joins the battery to it. The back of the 5v DC in socket fouls the space that you need to remove the plug horizontally so getting it out is tricky enough (out and up at the same time) but getting it in is even trickier. The only effective method I've found is to wedge the plug in at an angle then push it down and in at the same time. The unit is very well designed generally but this is an oversight.


Edited by discrete badger - 06 Apr 2014 at 3:57pm
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