Better quality streamin :

[early]

This is possibly a stupid question but eh this streaming lark is all new to me.

I've been streaming through my tablet and using the headphone output to RCA's into my amp, and to be honest it all sounds a bit flat,now I'm not expecting it to equal CD or vinyl but I am underwhelmed.

The question is, is this down to the lossy format ( sony unlimited is 340? kbps acc) or is the output through the headpone jack to blame, and therefore would a better dac bring an improvement or are lossless files the only way to go?.

 

[sunbeamgls]

All of the above. Lossy compressed files are a compromise focused on saving storage, not on best sound quality. The headphome amp will be a compromise, as will the DAC within the tablet.

Use lossless files (FLAC, ALAC, WAV for example) and I would suggest a dedicated streamer (spend as little or as much as you like - there's lot of choice now) but the DAC in the streamer or as a separate component will be the most important part of the sound quality associated with streaming.

 

[barnacle bill]

When you say ''streaming through my tablet and using the headphone output to RCA's into my amp'' it sounds as though your plugging the Sony into the amp i.e not streaming?

Check Sony thingy to see if audio enhancer/eq/sound check is turned off.

If not streaming you could try Apple Airport Express, cheap and if set up mixed mode g/n and WPA-TKIP will give you no issues. It has an 3.5mm analog out and digital out.

 

[roob]

If your tablet does not have a digital out socket then you will not be able to use a external dac you will be stuck with what you are doing now which is pretty crap to be honest.

 

[vacdac]

If your tablet does not have a digital out socket then you will not be able to use a external dac you will be stuck with what you are doing now which is pretty crap to be honest.

Although not summat I've tried, as I have full fat streaming solutions in both main systems I understood there are docking solutions for some tablets that offer audio outputs + have heard the 'camera kit'(*C.K.) being discussed for i-pads/phones & thought these allowed digital out used with the C.K. I think some tablets may support USB dongle type converters too??

Yeah I've just done a search, here's a how too on how to do this fer a Google Nexus 7 Android tablet seems to be decently compatible with a good number of external USB DACs although you have to 'Flash' the tablet to achieve this>> .http://www.head-fi.org/t/627459/use-a-standard-usb-dac-with-a-nexus-7-step-by-step-guide.

Here's a generic guide for using USB DACs with any Android 4.0 tablets. >>> .http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=103447.0.

I'm sure there are guides for any whose needs are not covered here, for anyone prepared to run a coupla searches. :^

Anyhoo, heres the main search I ran>>> .http://www.amazon.com/websearch/ref=bit_bds-p12_serp_ff_us_display?ie=UTF8&tagbase=bds-p12&tag=bds-p12-serp-us-ff-20&tbrId=v1_abb-channel-12_7f2f86840cfe497382c19ac874d8addb_39_1006___ff_ds_&query=Using+a+tablet+with+a+USB+DAC%3F.

 

[early]

I missed these replies .

I may have the wrong terminology ............ but what I'm trying to do is use Sony's music unlimited / or Spotify via my Sony tablet into my amp , the idea being I can the get rid of my CD player and tuner to free up some space and experiment with new music , I'm not chasing the highest possible sound quality I'll be keeping my turntable as my number one source .

I was thinking ( maybe naively ) that I could go from the USB out into a DAC then into the amp .

I'm still playing with it using the headphone out via an adapter so I can use regular interconnects to my amp , after playing with the settings in Music unlimited it's sounding a bit better

but still doesn't quite cut the mustard .

Am I wrong to think it's just a case of plugging in a USB DAC ? .

Edit - Forgot to mention that as far as I'm aware the Sony will suport USB audio out , but the links are helpful in my learning curve .... thanks Chris .

 

[pugster]

i use an arcam rdac , netbook usb>dac>amp , theres a few dacs that have a usb in .

 

[barnacle bill]

The link below has a few USB Dacs available in price assending order.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N-XbKVWQRRg/T2gp-rJnOeI/AAAAAAAABWc/cVGGbVLNTNA/s1379/DAC%2520list.JPG