DACs that accept USB sticks?

Loud & Clear

I've recently been thinking that loading a bunch of wav files onto a USB flash stick and playing the songs through my main stereo system would be nice. But, it seems that all of the DACs out there only have the smaller USB 'b' ports instead of the larger USB 'a' ports. Neither my CD player nor my integrated amplifier accept USB of any sort. Interestingly, my home theater receiver does accept USB sticks, even decoding hi-res 24bit/96khz files. So, what's a fella to do if he wants to stick a stick of songs into his primary stereo system? Surely I don't have to buy a computer to make this happen ... right?

Loud & Clear

DSkip wrote: »

A lot of BDP's do this now. It would likely be your cheapest route too.

Thanks. I tried playing a 24bit/96khz wav file through my sony bdp-s570 yesterday. It saw the folder but wouldn't play the file. I also tried it with an Oppo dv980h to no avail. Only had success with high resolution wav files using a Yamaha Aventage AVR. I'm hesitant to buy a BDP for this purpose without knowing for sure that it will play hi-res wav files via USB. A BDP would be cool because I could connect it to a small monitor and see the menus, folders/files for easy navigation of songs.

tonyb

You said your receiver accepts it, so why not plug it in there ?

A simpler easier solution.......squeezebox Touch.

Face

tonyb wrote: »

You said your receiver accepts it, so why not plug it in there ?

A simpler easier solution.......squeezebox Touch.

You realize they don't make them anymore: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LARRDA

tonyb

Of course I do Face.....anything wrong with hunting one up on the used market ?

sponger

According to the specs, the BDP-570 should play WAV files from the USB port.

But I have the S790 and I haven't been able to play files from a thumb drive either.

So, I've been using a 32GB stick plugged into the AVR, which works fine. But, that isn't very much space when using lossless files, so I've been thinking of alternatives.

The IPOD 6th Gen holds 160GB, and it seems like it would go great with a Teac Docking Station, which has Burr Brown DACs.

Then again, my AVR will accept an 80GB 5th Gen IPOD classic plugged directly into the USB port, so that would be a lot cheaper than a 6th gen ipod and Teac docking station combo. But, I'm not sure if the AVR's USB port completely bypasses any sound coloration from the cheesy ipod components. Naturally, a direct digital connection implies that the AVRs DACs will be used, but if so then why do so many people bother with docking stations? I understand that docking stations offer other conveniences, but still...

sponger

Actually, it turns out I was using the wrong USB port on my S790. The front USB port plays music files including WAV with no problems. In fact, I almost want to say it sounds better than using the USB port on my AVR, but I won't go so far as to really say that. I will say, however, that the "Dynamic Volume" goes overkill when using the USB port on the AVR. That is not the case when using the S790.

Also, using the USB port on the S790 allowed me to A/B test CDs versus MP3 files without having to switch inputs. So, it was a much quicker process to switch between the two.

Did a 320KB MP3 vs CD using "The Mark Has Been Made" from disc 2 of NIN's "The Fragile" album. At the ~2:00 point when the song kicks into full gear, there is clearly an audible difference between the two forms of media. The MP3 version is overbearing and scratchy while the CD version is noticeably softer and more natural sounding.

Whether there is an audible difference between WAV and CD is not something I've attempted to investigate using the S790 as of yet.