Using iFi for hi-res playback on tablet

[bluesman]

I don’t think that OTG will power the iFi adequately from the tablet.  To use the internal battery in the iFi, you have to turn it on before connecting it. And if you haven’t used it in a while, the battery may be dead. Plug it into a computer and let it charge fully before doing anything else. Then be sure you turn it on before connecting it to the tablet.  
 

If that doesn’t work, I’m out of ideas.

[bluesman]

23 hours ago, bobbmd said:

Isnt playing hires on a tablet an oxymoron?

A tablet is a mini system.  There’s internal memory or an SD card to store the files, a player app to transform them into an audio bitstream, a DAC and a headphone amp.  Until you get to the DAC, it’s no different from NAS and a PC, as long as the player software will recognize and process hi res files.  If you can bypass the internal DAC in favor of a good external unit, voilà!  Hi res from a tablet.

[bluesman]

1 hour ago, chichaz said:

Yup, that's my hope. The battery did seem to be dead so I'll try again. I have a USB C dongle with charging port I can also try. The charging port is meant to pass through to the tablet but still trying another OTG adapter couldn't hurt, right? 

Charge the iFi from a computer or a proper PS.  I also have a nano DSD, and the manual suggests (but does not clearly state) that you can connect it to a standard 5V USB charger. The LED should be blue while charging.

 

Once it’s fully charged, turn it on before connecting it to the tablet.  OTG was necessary on older models, but I don’t know if your tablet requires one.  The iFi manual says yes, but I think it was written well before your tablet came to market.