Playing 24/192 and DSD on iPad

[j20056]

What hardware and app are needed, if there is even a solution? Thinking Dragonfly equivalent for iPad, and the right app?

[Hecubus]

My current setup for both 24/192 and DSD is to use the Onkyo HF Player app. I use the Apple CCK and connect to a USB hub. I also have a 1.5 TB hard drive attached to the hub and mounted with iFile with symbolic links of my music folders directly into the Onkyo library location. I have a portable battery connected to the hub to power the entire setup and overcome the Apple error that shuts down the port if devices draw too much power. For the DAC/headphone amp, I am currently using a Geek Out 1000. The system isn't the most elegant but it still is portable and able to play all formats. Hope that helps.

[Ned Kelly]

My current setup for both 24/192 and DSD is to use the Onkyo HF Player app. I use the Apple CCK and connect to a USB hub. I also have a 1.5 TB hard drive attached to the hub and mounted with iFile with symbolic links of my music folders directly into the Onkyo library location. I have a portable battery connected to the hub to power the entire setup and overcome the Apple error that shuts down the port if devices draw too much power. For the DAC/headphone amp, I am currently using a Geek Out 1000. The system isn't the most elegant but it still is portable and able to play all formats. Hope that helps.

 

With all due respect, I can do all that with my Asus laptop and the Hugo, and it's all completely transportable. I wonder if we arent creating needless complexity simply because its a challenge to do so, as opposed to trying to solve an actual 'problem'. I'm all for transportable solutions, but I have my Oppo and a Mac Mini for anything beyond 24/96 anyway - how many of us actually need DSD quality from an iPad ?

[j20056]

I don't want to carry a MacBook everyday whereas my iPad is a permanent fixture in my daily commute. So with all due respect, I don't need someone to tell me what I should be doing as I know that well enough.

[Audio_ELF]

I've not done it myself ... but I understand if you use the Camera Connection Kit with either Chord Hugo or iFi iDSD Nano and then Onkyo HF player app you can play high res audio and DSD.

 

Eloise

[j20056]

Got the Onkyo HF working and loaded first 24/96 PCM in iPad.

Two follow up questions:

The app can actually play the files, which means it's using the ipad built in DAC, which I know little about except that it can't be that great. What sort of down sampling occurs at that stage?

Obviously my next step is a portable DAC (as small as possible as this is only a daily commute portable solution) so I need one that can work without external power and can do DSD via DoP. I believe there are a few out there, but wondering if there are tested and "certified" solutions that work with the Onkyo HF player via CCK?

[j20056]

Thanks Eloise. Our messages crossed.

[j20056]

I should have said under $500. The Hugo is $2,000 so no interest (already have a Mytek for home solution in that price range). The iFi nano is in the price range so I'll start there.

[jhwalker]

I should have said under $500. The Hugo is $2,000 so no interest (already have a Mytek for home solution in that price range). The iFi nano is in the price range so I'll start there.

 

I think there are a few others, but the one that immediately pops to mind is the Resonessence Herus. I am receiving an iDSD Nano today for just this purpose (i.e., travel DAC).

[bluesman]

it's using the ipad built in DAC, which I know little about except that it can't be that great.

That depends on your expectations. Mytek it ain't, but it's also not awful if not pushed beyond its limits (e.g. it'll maintain half a volt into 16 ohms with THD + noise <1% total; pushed beyond that, it sounds progressively less good). My iPhone sounds better through my NuForce iDo than using its internal DAC and amp, but not so much better that I want to drag an outboard device around with me.

 

I'm pretty sure it's the same DAC that's in my iPhone 4S (the best of the smartphones for audio in a comparison on engadget). And I think that the SQ of my 4S equals or exceeds many inexpensive outboard units both driving an amp and driving 'phones.

 

Here's a comparison from the engadget article of the frequency response and harmonic distortion of the 4S with a FIIO E17 as a reference. The FIIO's smoothed THD was only 25 db below signal while the 4S was 50 db down - this is a major difference.

[Hecubus]

Like I said above, the GO will support DoP and that is exactly how I do it. You can't really get a much smaller DAC that can play all formats but it won't support your no external power supply requirement. You'll have to go Herus or iFi nano. And I'm also like you in the fact that I actually sold my MacBook Pro because I wasn't using it as much as my iPad. Speaking of size, this setup also works on the iPhone. The Onkyo app is an iPhone app anyway. :-) The app has a decent EQ if you are wanting to correct your cans or a car setup.

[Celadus]

In case you're interested it's actually possible and easy to stream DSD natively using 8player app with a DoPE (DSD over PCM Ethernet) capable server like JRiver MC19 or maybe even the newer wireless streaming portable devices...

I've updated infos in my thread.

[j dub]

What hardware and app are needed, if there is even a solution? Thinking Dragonfly equivalent for iPad, and the right app?

 

I have Always wonted to use my Ipad 3 with retina display with a external dac for better sound quality. The apps that I decided to go with is the Onkyo HF player and the McIntosh Ap1 player. The Onkyo was chosen for it's DSD playback and

the Mcintosh for its better sound quality, and plus its beautiful to look at. With it's black face plate and those cool blue vu

meters people always stop and ask plenty of questions. After listening to some files from both player's they always won't

to know where they can buy one. The dac's that I use are the Meridian explorer, Audio engine D1 and the Ifi DSD nano.

The system is powered with a external powered supply going thru a powered hub. Its all tied together with audioquest usb

cables and monitored with Sennheiser hd 600's.

[Quaveda]

I have an iMac, starting to rip CDs to play through Amarra. I don't yet have an outboard DAC, so I have never heard any of the high res formats above what the iMac/Amarra can play. Some say (like on the Pono site) that 24/192 , or higher, is the point at which music really starts to sound like the artists intended. I haven't heard anything in this format, let alone DSD or DXD. Others say that they don't really notice much difference above 24/96, and that high sampling rates only extend the upper freq. range way beyond what you can hear.

 

Here's my newbie questions:

1)Would you say that it is pretty widely acknowledged that DSD or DXD sounds better than 24/196 - even if it is rendered over PCM?

 

2) I don't yet understand up/down sampling and DSD over PCM and how that effects sound quality - again haven't heard it. but seems like you would want to avoid re-sampling and transcoding as much as you can - true? or if its just bit-perfect , does it really matter?

 

3) where do people find DSD or DXD files - other than a few special labels's sites. ?

[Quaveda]

in try to find answers to the questions I posed above, I found this link very helpful - a brief history of SACD--DSD etc Ayre Acoustics Design Thoughts

[Boris75]

in try to find answers to the questions I posed above, I found this link very helpful - a brief history of SACD--DSD etc Ayre Acoustics Design Thoughts

 

I hope this won't trigger another DSD vs. PCM discussion...

[deanorthk]

I'll be using a cypher labs theorem 720 with an iphones 4S in 2 weeks , should work for reading everything with onky hd player. though the theorem is over your budget:(

[Quaveda]

I hope this won't trigger another DSD vs. PCM discussion...

 

I'm just trying to learn the jargon, acronyms, and concepts that are used in the forums to help guide me to the right choices - for my personal tastes and usage.

 

ComputerAudiophile is a great source, but also difficult for me to find consensus - on just about anything. Of course that can be good, but also frustrating at time.

[bmoura]

I'm just trying to learn the jargon, acronyms, and concepts that are used in the forums to help guide me to the right choices - for my personal tastes and usage.

 

ComputerAudiophile is a great source, but also difficult for me to find consensus - on just about anything. Of course that can be good, but also frustrating at time.

 

The most important view is your own. That's what makes listening to different albums and pieces of audio gear so interesting and fun!

 

And there are some free music downloads out there to help compare various formats and resolution levels. So the comparing can be quite affordable.

[kic]

My current setup for both 24/192 and DSD is to use the Onkyo HF Player app. I use the Apple CCK and connect to a USB hub. I also have a 1.5 TB hard drive attached to the hub and mounted with iFile with symbolic links of my music folders directly into the Onkyo library location. I have a portable battery connected to the hub to power the entire setup and overcome the Apple error that shuts down the port if devices draw too much power. For the DAC/headphone amp, I am currently using a Geek Out 1000. The system isn't the most elegant but it still is portable and able to play all formats. Hope that helps.

 

After having read this thread I installed the Onkyo HF Player on all my iPads and iPhones (iOS 8.1) und purchased the built-in HD function. Following all the instructions to copy DSD-files i added my DSD64-Files (.dsf) to the documents of the HF Player in iTunes but I could not sync these files (neither automatically nor manually) with the HD Library of the HF Player on the iPad ... no way ... when trying to open the HD Library the Onkyo HF Player is just closed ... Has anybody an idea, what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks for help

[Golden Ears]

My current setup for both 24/192 and DSD is to use the Onkyo HF Player app. I use the Apple CCK and connect to a USB hub. I also have a 1.5 TB hard drive attached to the hub and mounted with iFile with symbolic links of my music folders directly into the Onkyo library location. I have a portable battery connected to the hub to power the entire setup and overcome the Apple error that shuts down the port if devices draw too much power. For the DAC/headphone amp, I am currently using a Geek Out 1000. The system isn't the most elegant but it still is portable and able to play all formats. Hope that helps.

 

Which iPad and which iOS are you using? I would like to feed a Hegel HD 25 DAC using a powered Usb hub , camera connection kit, an iPad Air 2 once HF player and iOS 8.

[kic]

Which iPad and which iOS are you using? I would like to feed a Hegel HD 25 DAC using a powered Usb hub , camera connection kit, an iPad Air 2 once HF player and iOS 8.

 

The Onkyo HF Player is running on iOS 8.1 (on my iPad Mini 3 as well as on my iPhone 5s).

Which USB Hub do you use? ... can you charge the iPad Air 2 via CCK with this USB Hub?

[Golden Ears]

I have not bought a USB hub yet. So I would likely try to buy USB hub whatever Hecubus is using with success. Hecubus...what are you using?

[Golden Ears]

I have Always wonted to use my Ipad 3 with retina display with a external dac for better sound quality. The apps that I decided to go with is the Onkyo HF player and the McIntosh Ap1 player. The Onkyo was chosen for it's DSD playback and

the Mcintosh for its better sound quality, and plus its beautiful to look at. With it's black face plate and those cool blue vu

meters people always stop and ask plenty of questions. After listening to some files from both player's they always won't

to know where they can buy one. The dac's that I use are the Meridian explorer, Audio engine D1 and the Ifi DSD nano.

The system is powered with a external powered supply going thru a powered hub. Its all tied together with audioquest usb

cables and monitored with Sennheiser hd 600's.

 

I have an elaborate McIntosh car system (2) MC4000M 6 channel 1000 watt amps and (2) McIntosh MCC80 amps Mcinotsh Parametric EQ.. McIntosh 5 way electronic crossover - dash mounted meters.. the whole deal in a w/124 chassis 1994 E500 Mercedes which has great acoustics. I just put on quiet tires too. The Ipad runs the system and serves as NAV for the car- the touch screen with the McIntosh AP1 interface is much better than iTunes for the car.

 

So I was trying to do exactly what you have done using a Meridian Exploroer as a DAC but I failed to get the Onkyo HF player to work with my Phone. Nor could I get the Meridian Explorer to work with my Ipad and Apple camera connection kit.

 

Any chance you could do a quick youtube video showing your steps from start to finish? It would be greatly appreciated by more than just myself as a lot of others have failed too.

 

Being able to use the McIntosh AP1 is key for my car install. I intend to use a Hegel HD 2 as a USB/SPdif converter and a Hegel HD 25 in my car and as a transportable DAC so I can bring that to work and travel where ever I go.

 

I have heard the Chord Hugo, and Ressossence Herus, and the SQ is not a good as I my car is capable of reproducing (it is a remarkably good sounding car- particularly after parametric EQ with depth that seems limitless and soundstage width well beyond the confines of the physical car). The explorer DAC is not so much for the car- but more as a portable DAC for iPhone .... while having decent tone, the Explorer does not do depth and the physical venue as well as some other DACs but has the advantage over many small portables of having less grain and fewer frequency anomalies which cause listener fatigue.

 

If you don't feel like doing a Youtube video- could you PM me so I could give you my phone number. I am in Laguna Beach CA Pacific Daylight time.

[j dub]

Are you using a powered usb hub between the Ipad and the dac?