Archos G9 ICS & USB DAC

Is Archos G9 ICS still compliant with USB DAC?
http://update.archos.com/9/gen9/changes_firmware_archos_android_gen9it4.htm

"Version 3.2.77 - December 6th, 2011
Accessories: external USB audio cards (DAC) support has been added"

. Archos G9 & USB speaker Logitech
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=84&t=60183




. Archos G9 & USB DAC/amp FiiO E17
http://www.jbmm.fr/2012/01/utiliser-le-dac-fiio-e17-avec-son-archos/

About external USB DAC

A higher dimensions music!

Impressions of a guy upgrading his PC rig
from
PC > PC sound card Creative XFI Xtreme Music (i.e. not a stock PC card!) > headphone Audio-Technica ATH-AD700
to
PC > USB DAC/amp FiiO E17 > headphone Audio- Technica ATH-AD700:


"Anyway, I got on to a lot of forums and found HeadFi (Yes, say goodbye to your wallet!). Never fully understood the world of Dac's and Amp's I started my research!

I searched the forum's and felt there was a few people in the same position as me who were feeling unsure about an alternative to PC sound card's, so I decide to the plunge!

Yes I could have grabbed an Asus ST/STX or Creative Tit HD but I wanted to go a different direction, so I went with the Fiio E17.

Conclusion: Done the whole unboxing and setup that everyone has probably seen, plugged her in to the computer and ran it through her paces!

I listen to various music from Classical, Rock, Pop, electronic, using mainly FLAC files.

Sound quality compared to the Xtreme Music was overall a big improvement!

The sound was full and warm! I immediately felt like I was listening to (what I describe as) a high end Hifi system!

It's very reassuring as I come from a Creative product to something totally different as in the Fiio and be in awe about what I'm hearing.

The Fiio sounds like a professional athlete compared to say an amateur running a marathon, well paced full of energy and doing what it loves doing, where as the Creative was more like a weekend warrior!"
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/1800#post_8175638



About digital audio

A digital audio system is composed of:


. A storage module: Music is stored in file as a series of bits 0 & 1 with different encoding formats (MP3, WAV, FLAC…).
. A player: The player decodes the bits 0 & 1 to PCM digital audio signals.
. A DAC (Digital to Analog Converter): The DAC converts the PCM digital audio signals to the original analog audio signals.
. An amplifier: The amplifier amplifies the analog audio signals.
. A speaker: The speaker restitutes the music.

Like a PC or a Mac, an Android device is a digital audio system.



An Android device running on a kernel with a USB audio driver, like a PC or a Mac, can output the PCM digital audio stream to an external standard USB DAC & amplifier & headphone, much more efficient than the internal DAC & amplifier & speakerphone.



extracted from the official request to Google for enabling USB audio:
http://code.google.com/p/android/is...rs&colspec=ID Type Status Owner Summary Stars

"Here is an update for all audiophiles who are interested in this topic:
The Android 4.0.4 update fixed the USB DAC issue with the 101 G9. The USB DAC is now available, and audio playback goes to the external DAC when connected.

Please note the following restrictions:

(1) USB audio playback shows some glitches (for example, during network access, harddisk access, high CPU load). I even observed some pitching under CPU load. But it generally works, best performance is with local file access. As expected, audio quality via external DAC is a lot better than the internal headphone connector (which - to my ears - sounds remarkably bad, even my old Nokia phone sounds significantly better).

(2) The USB DAC works at the USB host connector only. It does not work at the 3G USB port - while a harddisk does work at the 3G port. This means that you can listen to the USB DAC only for as long as the battery is up. You need to disconnect the DAC while charging.

Alternatively, you need to get the 101 version with internal harddisk - as this is supposed to have a dedicated power supply connector."
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&p=393834

benoitb85 said:

I tried it yesterday, and it doesn't work for me with the E10.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

As far as I know, the FiiO E10 is USB bus-powered, like the Creative X-Fi USB.

"(3) Creative X-Fi USB:
This is USB bus powered, and does not work when directly connected to the tablet.
You need to connected via self-powered USB hub, then the USB link is established, and playback changes to the external DAC."
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&p=393834


"Why do some devices REQUIRE an external hub?
The maximum current the Nook [and likely the Archos G9] can supply is 100mA
If your usb device require more than 100mA , External hub is REQUIRED"
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1459892

cajl said:

i have no problem with the FiiO17 on the Archos gen9

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

So, you don’t have crackles and glitches as related by Earlgrey in the forum.archosfans.
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=85&p=393834

In the iPod/iPhone & USB audio world, some weird clicks and pops while listening to music are gone after an iPod/iPhone restore/reboot.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/542062/cypher-labs-impressions-thread/315#post_7452849

A method to remove "pops" and "clicks":
http://www.head-fi.org/t/592076/iba...ssions-apps-imgs-video-pg-1/4335#post_8294313

"OK listen up folks.......the pops and clicks on the [Android powered iBasso] DX100 has continuously bugged me and experimenting for the last couple of hours I have managed to totally eliminate them even on shutting down and switching the screen on!!!

This will only work for people who have installed the GO Launcher EX​, hurry up and install it!!!

On this launcher when you press the apps page, it has three menus on the top....ALL - RECENT - RUNNING.

Swipe to the RUNNING page on the right and you will see a list of running apps. All these apps are utilizing memory and battery which is better served for the music player especially playing 24/96 and 26/192 whose memory utilization is huge.

On each individual app, press and hold, and 4 options come up........press LOCK. This will lock up the app. indefinitely until you need the app. in which case you unlock it and use it normally. When you have locked the apps. up, even after reboot they are still locked - so not necessary to repeat this process.

Make doubly sure that apps. like google play is locked and anything related is a major culprit! Once you have locked all the apps besides the stock music player, the DX100 will be pop free!!!.

If you do hear a pop again, go to the Running page and you should see a new app. that has just opened itself.......LOCK it. After you have performed the above, look forward to enjoying a pop free musical experience!!!

The difference between locking and closing the app. is after you have closed the app. it will open itself again after a period of time and therefore the pops and clicks appearing again. The stock browser does not allow you to lock apps. hence, the necessity to install the GO Launcher EX

As a side note, once every app. is locked, the quality of the player seems to have improved as well with even better separation and soundstaging!

Have fun all and here's to no more clicks and pops"