Thebartman

Does anyone else listen to their stored music on the run using their Samsung android? I've heard so many opinions and read so many blogs that my head is starting to spin. Of course many of the positive reviews for players are based on UI/feature set and not so much on audio fidelity which is key for me. Let's face it...most reviewers don't have the reference gear or most importantly...the "audiophile ear" to discern the differences in sound. I'm teetering between Poweramp and Neutron but any constructive input is welcome. One more thought...has anyone tried using their android through an external DAC and what kind of results did you achieve? PS - I'm currently have a Galaxy S4 and had been using my Ipod touch for portable use. Thanks, Bartman

Hello digital audiophiles, I'm a newbie ready to take the next step in my evolution as an audio addict. I'm a veteran audio tweaker and PC builder but must confess I've yet to combine the two other than listening to music on my IPOD, PC, or android phone. I've always just accepted as fact that ripped or downloaded music would never equal the level of reproduction of the original source due to compression and playback methods. I know that there has been a revolution in digital since I first started burning CDs, syncing MP3, and IPOD files. I'm looking for as much advice as you pros are willing to give but would appreciate more of a pros/cons explanation so that I can feel like I'm making the choice that best suits my needs or budget constraints. Since at this moment I'm happy with my playback equipment I would like to concentrate primarily on ripping software, drives, and storage. I have a few large USB external storage drives, but I see that media servers like the Synology are becoming more affordable. I'm not looking to replace my old school CD playback system but I certainly want the flexibility benefits of having a virtual music "jukebox". I also need easy access to my music collection from any device and with almost no loss of audio quality unless I have the need to compress it onto a small device like the IPOD. I was considering using the external drives for archiving my collection (in case of fire or whatever) bit for bit and the same on my server if it doesn't use up a ridiculous amount of storage. Ok...the million dollar question...where do I start?