Primarily my Fiio X5 player with 2 128gb micro SD cards and paired with my AKG K550 headphones.
I will also listen to music on my laptop or phone when trying out a new artist or band before deciding if their music is worth buying.
Thanks for your post! I hadn't heard of the Fiio X5, and have now browsed reviews of it and some competing devices like the Pono Player. I don't (can't) frequent hifi stores. From the look of the shelves in local domestic consumer electronics stores, one would think that antiquated iPods is about all that is on offer. I'm encouraged to see that the Fiio X5 and the Pono (and I'm sure others) play both FLAC and ALAC. Good to see some non-Apple players in the HD portable music player market. When that technology eventually trickles down into more affordable domestic products, I'll leap then!
I would be interested to hear more about Qobuz. What styles of music is it offering that interested you in trialling it?
Qobuz's USP (though it's no longer unique) is the sound quality. It offers 320kbps and lossless streaming - at a price - and to my ears even the lossy version sounds better than Deezer or Spotify. The lossless streams sound excellent, but I find the system very buggy when I try to play them wirelessly via my Apple TV to my hi-fi. Some days it works, some days it doesn't, and there seems to be no obvious solution.
I rarely put either the radio or a CD on in my car.
It's one time when I can enjoy a bit of relative peace and quiet.
and I don't like that tune most young people in cars in the next lane at junctions always play.
The one that goes, "Boom-tish!,Boom-tish!Boom-tish!Boom-tish!Boom-tish!
Not forgetting the depressingly inevitable Broken beats thrown in as well.
Music solutions for all times of the day apart from the office hours. Nicely done!
Thanks. I forgot to mention i've got a small stereo in the kitchen i plug in via the AV in from the headphone socket on my phone so i can listen to music while I'm cooking, but I'm going to replace that with a bluetooth speaker at some point too,
Unfortunately I can't listen to music in the office unless it's really quiet, then I plug in a usb stick full of tunes and listen through windows media player on headphones.
Qobuz's USP (though it's no longer unique) is the sound quality. It offers 320kbps and lossless streaming - at a price - and to my ears even the lossy version sounds better than Deezer or Spotify. The lossless streams sound excellent, but I find the system very buggy when I try to play them wirelessly via my Apple TV to my hi-fi. Some days it works, some days it doesn't, and there seems to be no obvious solution.
Thanks for the info about Qobuz. Networking can be frustrating, I know! At one time I had all of my music files on a PC that was set up to be a server. Streaming via wifi worked pretty well for a time on laptops round the house. However, because I didn't set up the system myself, I didn't know how to trouble-shoot and maintain it. So when it eventually fell over, I left it alone. I do have an Apple TV somewhere in a drawer. Must dig it out. Though the current audio setup around our TV isn't great.
So you've moved with the times, then. I wish I had had the good taste as a kid to prefer vinyl over cassettes. I must have been a mobile person favouring convenience, even back then.
I prefer digital to LPs TBH.
I was happy when cassettes came out and the Walkman and could then listen to music on the move.
But I have always like the idea of putting as much music as I could do on as small a device as possible.
I now have a Fiio X1 (which isn't as small as I would like) but it reads 128gb micro sd cards, so I can have over 10,000 songs on it, plus carrying more sd cards if I wanted.
I now have a Fiio X1 (which isn't as small as I would like) but it reads 128gb micro sd cards, so I can have over 10,000 songs on it, plus carrying more sd cards if I wanted.
Ah, another Fiio user. And those 10,000 songs I imagine can be in lossless format. I was reading in a review (posted above) that the Fiio X5 has/had planned firmware upgrades to be able to run 2x 256GB cards. That's pretty damn cool amounts of data. Before learning of the Fiio range, I had thought that the iPod classic 160GB was about as large as one could go right now.
I can have over 10,000 songs on it, plus carrying more sd cards if I wanted.
P.S. I hadn't thought of that advantage behind a card-reading portable music player. As long as the cards were well-enough protected, one could carry a card for each genre.
Question for you Fiio users: Does the Fiio display cover artwork when playing a file, and would it detect the cover artwork included as metadata when one rips CDs and attaches cover art via iTunes?
Question for you Fiio users: Does the Fiio display cover artwork when playing a file, and would it detect the cover artwork included as metadata when one rips CDs and attaches cover art via iTunes?
Yes, the Fiio X5 shows embedded cover art when you play a song.
Another thing I should address is the UI which gets a lot of criticism but it is customisable and there is a community over at Head Fi who create some brilliant custom UIs and share them with other members.
Also, it is a player for the kind of person who listens to albums rather than individual tracks or playlists. That is not to say that you cannot create playlists but it is best for those who listen to albums they way the artist intended.
Finally, I believe it is best suited to headphones with a more neutral sound as they best bring out the detail in the music. This is why I use the AKG k550s which prompts a lot of "where is the bass" type questions. The bass is precisely where it should be, where the artists wanted it to be. The downside, of course, is that if you have some poorly mastered music, this combo will expose it.
I've looked at all the posts on here (including my own) and really we're just "playin' at it."
If we were seriously into music reproduction and vinyl seems to be far more popular amongst some. Have a trawl through some of these USA enthusiasts photos.
You'd need all day, as this is "part 13" and this has 41 pages.
I've looked at all the posts on here (including my own) and really we're just "playin' at it."
If we were seriously into music reproduction and vinyl seems to be far more popular amongst some. Have a trawl through some of these USA enthusiasts photos.
You'd need all day, as this is "part 13" and this has 41 pages.
Those are the people who spend a small fortune on their audio (visual too) equipment. Crazy money, really
Digressing.
I've been contributing to that board for several years and amongst those systems there are some which must have cost well into five figures. But then the Americans often don't do things by halves.
Another interesting thread, (now closed) is this one.
Nice Photographs of Women Who Collect Vinyl
Apart from the obvious, there are included many interesting photographs of well known actresses and singers. Like, Marilyn Monroe, Dusty Springfield, Ami Winehouse etc., It also includes many old photographs which are really a window into "social history."
For example the second photo in the thread showing women packing vinyl LPs into sleeves in a record factory. Probably in the sixties.
There's a similar thread depicting men, which likewise includes photos of many famous people.
The board which covers music, audio hardware and visual arts, has a huge following of serious enthusiasts, mostly in the USA.
As I type this there's over 1,100 people "on-line" and what time would this be in the USA? Middle of the night!
Those are the people who spend a small fortune on their audio (visual too) equipment. Crazy money, really
Not at all. I like the quality of reproduction.
In answer to the OP question. At home Turntable, Reel to Reel or CD depending on the mastering / original recording - and I mean listening - not just background music.
In the car - well it doesn't really matter - so it comes from my iPhone or streamed from the cloud.
Yes, the Fiio X5 shows embedded cover art when you play a song.
Another thing I should address is the UI which gets a lot of criticism but it is customisable and there is a community over at Head Fi who create some brilliant custom UIs and share them with other members.
Also, it is a player for the kind of person who listens to albums rather than individual tracks or playlists. That is not to say that you cannot create playlists but it is best for those who listen to albums they way the artist intended.
Finally, I believe it is best suited to headphones with a more neutral sound as they best bring out the detail in the music. This is why I use the AKG k550s which prompts a lot of "where is the bass" type questions. The bass is precisely where it should be, where the artists wanted it to be. The downside, of course, is that if you have some poorly mastered music, this combo will expose it.
Thanks for this informative post TheTruth1983. Fiio sounds like a great option. I watched an unboxing video on YouTube, and personally didn't mind the fairly chunky design. Good to know there are customisable UI options, and so there's a latitude in terms of being able to incorporate a good idea that comes along in the future. I suspect that when there's a portable high definition player that can take around 1TB of memory cards and was cheaper than say $700 USD including the card/s, I would be totally sold. I may have wait a little while, but I can bide my time listening to 16 bit ALAC. I think I'll download some Linn Studio Masters too in ALAC format. The Barb Jungr album I reckon would really suit a 24 bit playback.
I've looked at all the posts on here (including my own) and really we're just "playin' at it."
If we were seriously into music reproduction and vinyl seems to be far more popular amongst some. Have a trawl through some of these USA enthusiasts photos.
You'd need all day, as this is "part 13" and this has 41 pages.
Thanks for the link. That's a cool concept: I like how people can share photos along with text descriptions of their setup. Looks like people interact well which is good to see in an online community. And meanwhile, let the games continue here on DS! Play away . . .
Those are the people who spend a small fortune on their audio (visual too) equipment. Crazy money, really
Personally I don't mind at all talking to people at all price points in terms of recordings and playback equipment. I deliberately worded the OP to include all. If we're all spending the available money we have smarter, then that's worth a thread IMO.
In answer to the OP question. At home Turntable, Reel to Reel or CD depending on the mastering / original recording - and I mean listening - not just background music.
In the car - well it doesn't really matter - so it comes from my iPhone or streamed from the cloud.
A good distinction: listening actively versus passively. I too don't fuss as much in the car. The most elaborate system I use is a Marley bluetooth stereo speaker, that I can remove from the car and take in to work and back home. I'll either listen to ALAC via bluetooth from the iPad, 256 Kbps AAC from the iPhone, or plug the iPod Classic in to the back of the speaker and listen to ALAC. The background noise makes comparisons a bit pointless.
I've been contributing to that board for several years and amongst those systems there are some which must have cost well into five figures. But then the Americans often don't do things by halves.
Another interesting thread, (now closed) is this one.
Nice Photographs of Women Who Collect Vinyl
Apart from the obvious, there are included many interesting photographs of well known actresses and singers. Like, Marilyn Monroe, Dusty Springfield, Ami Winehouse etc., It also includes many old photographs which are really a window into "social history."
For example the second photo in the thread showing women packing vinyl LPs into sleeves in a record factory. Probably in the sixties.
There's a similar thread depicting men, which likewise includes photos of many famous people.
The board which covers music, audio hardware and visual arts, has a huge following of serious enthusiasts, mostly in the USA.
As I type this there's over 1,100 people "on-line" and what time would this be in the USA? Middle of the night!
For my iPhone .. Whenever there's an offer on with Spotify.. I create another account & spend £9.99 & get the 2 months free on top.. Done that 4 times now..
& when I'm at home.. It's tune in radio all the way .977 80s radio & the Atlantic 252 tribute stream thru a Gear4 AirPlay speaker!
If I could get a decent 3G signal all round this area I it would be tune in radio At home & out & about!
One day I'll be able to afford a home internet hifi & blast the neighbours with constant 80s & 90s
If I'm out and about then I take my iPod. If pottering about at home I listen to the radio or sometimes use my iPad. However I do have a turntable and when I have the opportunity to just sit and listen I prefer listening to vinyl, watching the record revolve and the needle move slowly inwards, mesmerised by it and the music. Ahh, bliss!
For my iPhone .. Whenever there's an offer on with Spotify.. I create another account & spend £9.99 & get the 2 months free on top.. Done that 4 times now..
That's cheeky! They obviously don't fuss with people's IP addresses. I wonder how many people do this? I guess there's a social side to Spotify, with people following each other's playlists, so you would lose your contacts when you re-register. That being said, I never really got the point of social listening. I remember when Spotify first launched there was a backlash on Facebook after too many auto-postings on newsfeeds.
Comments
Thanks for your post! I hadn't heard of the Fiio X5, and have now browsed reviews of it and some competing devices like the Pono Player. I don't (can't) frequent hifi stores. From the look of the shelves in local domestic consumer electronics stores, one would think that antiquated iPods is about all that is on offer. I'm encouraged to see that the Fiio X5 and the Pono (and I'm sure others) play both FLAC and ALAC. Good to see some non-Apple players in the HD portable music player market. When that technology eventually trickles down into more affordable domestic products, I'll leap then!
Qobuz's USP (though it's no longer unique) is the sound quality. It offers 320kbps and lossless streaming - at a price - and to my ears even the lossy version sounds better than Deezer or Spotify. The lossless streams sound excellent, but I find the system very buggy when I try to play them wirelessly via my Apple TV to my hi-fi. Some days it works, some days it doesn't, and there seems to be no obvious solution.
Not forgetting the depressingly inevitable Broken beats thrown in as well.
Thanks. I forgot to mention i've got a small stereo in the kitchen i plug in via the AV in from the headphone socket on my phone so i can listen to music while I'm cooking, but I'm going to replace that with a bluetooth speaker at some point too,
Unfortunately I can't listen to music in the office unless it's really quiet, then I plug in a usb stick full of tunes and listen through windows media player on headphones.
Welcome to DS. The music forums are pretty quiet from what I've seen, but well worthwhile.
Thanks for the info about Qobuz. Networking can be frustrating, I know! At one time I had all of my music files on a PC that was set up to be a server. Streaming via wifi worked pretty well for a time on laptops round the house. However, because I didn't set up the system myself, I didn't know how to trouble-shoot and maintain it. So when it eventually fell over, I left it alone. I do have an Apple TV somewhere in a drawer. Must dig it out. Though the current audio setup around our TV isn't great.
I prefer digital to LPs TBH.
I was happy when cassettes came out and the Walkman and could then listen to music on the move.
But I have always like the idea of putting as much music as I could do on as small a device as possible.
I now have a Fiio X1 (which isn't as small as I would like) but it reads 128gb micro sd cards, so I can have over 10,000 songs on it, plus carrying more sd cards if I wanted.
Ah, another Fiio user.
P.S. I hadn't thought of that advantage behind a card-reading portable music player. As long as the cards were well-enough protected, one could carry a card for each genre.
Yes, the Fiio X5 shows embedded cover art when you play a song.
Another thing I should address is the UI which gets a lot of criticism but it is customisable and there is a community over at Head Fi who create some brilliant custom UIs and share them with other members.
Also, it is a player for the kind of person who listens to albums rather than individual tracks or playlists. That is not to say that you cannot create playlists but it is best for those who listen to albums they way the artist intended.
Finally, I believe it is best suited to headphones with a more neutral sound as they best bring out the detail in the music. This is why I use the AKG k550s which prompts a lot of "where is the bass" type questions. The bass is precisely where it should be, where the artists wanted it to be. The downside, of course, is that if you have some poorly mastered music, this combo will expose it.
If we were seriously into music reproduction and vinyl seems to be far more popular amongst some. Have a trawl through some of these USA enthusiasts photos.
You'd need all day, as this is "part 13" and this has 41 pages.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/post-photos-of-your-systems-rooms-here-part-13.337310/
Those are the people who spend a small fortune on their audio (visual too) equipment. Crazy money, really
Digressing.
I've been contributing to that board for several years and amongst those systems there are some which must have cost well into five figures. But then the Americans often don't do things by halves.
Another interesting thread, (now closed) is this one.
Nice Photographs of Women Who Collect Vinyl
Apart from the obvious, there are included many interesting photographs of well known actresses and singers. Like, Marilyn Monroe, Dusty Springfield, Ami Winehouse etc., It also includes many old photographs which are really a window into "social history."
For example the second photo in the thread showing women packing vinyl LPs into sleeves in a record factory. Probably in the sixties.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/nice-photographs-of-women-who-collect-vinyl.336486/
There's a similar thread depicting men, which likewise includes photos of many famous people.
The board which covers music, audio hardware and visual arts, has a huge following of serious enthusiasts, mostly in the USA.
As I type this there's over 1,100 people "on-line" and what time would this be in the USA? Middle of the night!
Not at all. I like the quality of reproduction.
In answer to the OP question. At home Turntable, Reel to Reel or CD depending on the mastering / original recording - and I mean listening - not just background music.
In the car - well it doesn't really matter - so it comes from my iPhone or streamed from the cloud.
Thanks for this informative post TheTruth1983.
Thanks for the link. That's a cool concept: I like how people can share photos along with text descriptions of their setup. Looks like people interact well which is good to see in an online community.
Personally I don't mind at all talking to people at all price points in terms of recordings and playback equipment. I deliberately worded the OP to include all. If we're all spending the available money we have smarter, then that's worth a thread IMO.
A good distinction: listening actively versus passively. I too don't fuss as much in the car. The most elaborate system I use is a Marley bluetooth stereo speaker, that I can remove from the car and take in to work and back home. I'll either listen to ALAC via bluetooth from the iPad, 256 Kbps AAC from the iPhone, or plug the iPod Classic in to the back of the speaker and listen to ALAC. The background noise makes comparisons a bit pointless.
Haha nice. That's devotion!
& when I'm at home.. It's tune in radio all the way .977 80s radio & the Atlantic 252 tribute stream thru a Gear4 AirPlay speaker!
If I could get a decent 3G signal all round this area I it would be tune in radio At home & out & about!
One day I'll be able to afford a home internet hifi & blast the neighbours with constant 80s & 90s
That's cheeky! They obviously don't fuss with people's IP addresses. I wonder how many people do this? I guess there's a social side to Spotify, with people following each other's playlists, so you would lose your contacts when you re-register. That being said, I never really got the point of social listening. I remember when Spotify first launched there was a backlash on Facebook after too many auto-postings on newsfeeds.