Hello everyone! This is my first post. Hope it's in the right forum. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies.
Is anyone taking hi fi 'on the road'? I'd like to discuss implementing a digital front end to a car stereo. In my case the DSP/DAC has a Toslink input, and outputs to Soundstream class A power amps (designed by Nelson Pass) and Morel Supremo speakers. That much of the system is up and running in the car, getting analogue signal from the head unit.
On the digital side, the plan is to use an iPhone to store and play files, connected to an Apple lightning to camera adapter (lightning to USB 2.0 type A) in order to access the music digitally from the phone, a Wireworld Starlink 7 USB A to B cable, a Peachtree Audio X1 to convert the data to the Toslink that my DSP/DAC accepts, and of course, a Toslink cable into the DSP/DAC. Haven't used this front end yet. The power supply for the X1 is the hang-up. It only draws 55 mAH, but the iPhone won't deliver it - the phone gives an error message about the device drawing too much power. One solution is to insert a USB hub between the iPhone and the X1 in order to 'fool' the phone into thinking its not exceeding its power iOS imposed power supplying limit. Although somewhat inelegant, this should work. Until the phone's battery runs out, or worse.
So can we talk about other, better ways to implement this. I'm not an EE, just a rabid, ageing audiophile, and the in's and out's of USB is a bit of a mystery to me. Would a power isolating USB 'Y' adapter/cable like this (câble adaptateur usb-b pour alimentation externe jack 5.5/2.1mm) and a power supply work here? I think so but this would seem to raise two issues: (1) making nice with the chip in the lightning connector so that the chip allows the data to flow and (2) providing clean power to the X1 converter. Or am I way off base with this?
Also, what alternative front ends would you suggest?
Fabulous article, full of wonderful, useful information! Thank you Chris! It took me some time to get my router to cooperate, but now that it is, your article has opened up multiple avenues for access to my library (just like you said it would). Wow! How cool to be able to listen to your private library from anywhere via wifi or cellular, and to listen in HD via wifi of or lte. I'm particularly excited about using this feature in my car. Having recently installed a digital processor (dsp), class "A" power amps and Morel Supremo speakers, I had been struggling with to find a way to deliver HD FLAC files from my iPhone to the toslink input on the dsp. I already had JRMC on the HTPC and Jremote on the phone, and with Apple's lightning to HDMI adapter, and an HDMI breakout box with optical out, so the info in the article provided an easy to follow 'how to' for opening up the home library to the car with the convenience of the familiar Jremote UI. I am loving it!