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Topic: tablet for music (Read 3517 times) previous topic - next topic
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tablet for music

Some one probably has experience
I am interested in a (not so expensive) tablet for music playback. MB audio from many of today’s computers is quite adequate and there is no technical reason a tablet could not have the same quality DAC.
The tablet needs to have a line out or a headphone jack that works well as an output to feed a preamp, receiver, or active speakers.
The tablet must support a significant microSD card, say 64 GB minimum but preferably at least twice that.
I must to be able to add my own material from computer via USB or by putting the memory card into a card reader attached to a computer.
It must have a simple enough music interface to just select a few hours playback material, or set up a play list for same, that using it isn’t a big hassle.

This Amazon Fire HD8 for $50 would seem to fill the bill if the audio output is decent quality and the included software, or add-on, will operate nicely.
As the tablet will rarely or never be connected to the net, whatever that lockscreen ad-support is probably doesn’t matter.
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-HD-8-tablet/dp/B07TMJ1R3X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MSQIR0B9ZRMN&keywords=amazon+fire+hd+8+tablet&qid=1655098555&sprefix=Amazon+Fire+HD+8%2Caps%2C453&sr=8-1

Maybe something else is as good or better?

Re: tablet for music

Reply #1 –
Read more than a hundred times but no comments. Does that mean that no one has ever listened to anything from a tablet or that no one has tried to use one as I discussed and so won't say anything because they can't address everything? Tablet advertisements do claim value for watching movies (sometimes good soundtracks) and streaming music. Can anyone comment on those experiences?

I guess my concerns are more on whether or not I can operate as I want. I have loaded some audiobooks (mp3s of my own material) into the music folder of a smartphone that is no longer supported by the phone networks. The phone is Android. Playing the books is straightforward and of good quality, so there doesn't seem to be any basic problem. That phone doesn't have a memory card slot so storage is limited to much less than I want for this project.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #2 –
I have a Amazon Fire HD10 (got it at a sale price), & its fine for music,  Good battery life.
I just notice now & again the volume lowers by itself.
I would save money & go the With Ads option, because its a few seconds on startup.
I would also at some point install Google Play store on it (takes a few minutes), as the Amazon app store is crap.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #3 –
I recently purchased a refurbished Fire HD10 (2019) to use as a music player but then decided to pull out my old Fire 7 (2015, Fire OS 5, Android 5, 8GB) and give that a try first. I'm using in a noisy environment and connecting to powered speakers via Bluetooth so I can't share experience with a 3.5 jack and DAC. My goal was to play files from either a flash drive, external hard drive or internal SD but I also wanted to check out the Amazon music app.

I've had some issues but may be related to the age of the OS. The 2020 model (or my 2019 model) may have none of these.

Access to the internal SD via USB is limited. I remove the card now and modify via card reader.

The Amazon music app updated to a point that it needed a critical update that didn't exist and would not play without installing it. The only workaround I found was installing a slightly newer APK over the existing. The Amazon music app normalization only limits peaks. It does not raise low levels so one song may be quiet and the next loud. This didn't suit my needs.

So I loaded the foobar2000 app via APK. It couldn't read playlists I created with the desktop version and added to the SD (I find this easier than playlist creation in the foobar2000 app). It could not access an external flash drive via OTG (access denied). It could not apply ReplayGain.
I uninstalled the APK and installed Google Play (4 APKs) and installed foobar2000 from there. Playlists and ReplayGain working now but still no access to OTG (so no flash drive or external hard drive).

I play music about 10 hours per day. The battery life in this old tablet won't make it.
I'm only using a small SD right now for testing so files being played are opus and aac (m4a). This tablet supports SD up to 128GB.

Every now and then the music starts to fluctuate (sound, no sound, sound, no sound in equal intervals). Sometimes it will stop when the next track begins but other times I need to pause play for about 15 seconds. I haven't narrowed down the cause. There is occasional Bluetooth interference (I have experienced that on my phone connected to the same speakers).

So none of this may be helpful but you wanted a reply.
korth

Re: tablet for music

Reply #4 –
Thanks for the information.

From the replies I gather that audio playback is likely to be adequate, especially as I am not concerned about the sound production of the table but only on the tablet being able to provide a decent signal to separate amplification/speakers.

This mention of the included audio player failing is a complaint I read about elsewhere since my original posting here. Perhaps, since I would be buying the current production model it is a fixed problem. Then, if I never connect the tablet to the internet, no software update can sneak in to disable running programs.

I have also read that the Amazon OS can be replaced by a standard Android OS (i.e. like doing a clean install when moving to a newer version of Windows). I’m not oriented to such at the moment but it could be a work around for some problems as long as the hardware is ok.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #5 –
Quote from: AndyH-ha on
I have also read that the Amazon OS can be replaced by a standard Android OS (i.e. like doing a clean install when moving to a newer version of Windows). I’m not oriented to such at the moment but it could be a work around for some problems as long as the hardware is ok.

No need to replace the Amazon OS, just install Google Play store on it. So you have access to most Android OS apps.
Also make sure you get it at sale price,
Got my Amazon Fire HD10 at 90 euros 2 years back,  at that price, its a good tablet. not very fast, but plays music & I can watch films (VLC), Also I can play games from Google Play store.
The web browser Silk is not great, had to install firefox browser.
Also the resolution on fire HD 8 is low at 1280 x 800, if resolution matters to you.
 

Re: tablet for music

Reply #6 –
Why all these strange caveats? If you're looking for very specific hardware, it usually means you're doing something wrong. Get an iPad and don't worry about it.

If you're buying a device with the intention of modding it, you're buying the wrong device. iPad has Foobar and VLC, if you decide you can't live without them

Re: tablet for music

Reply #7 –
Quote from: NateHigs on
Get an iPad and don't worry about it.

If you're buying a device with the intention of modding it, you're buying the wrong device. iPad has Foobar and VLC, if you decide you can't live without them

Might be the cost of a new iPad?
If it is just for playing music.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #8 –
Quote from: NateHigs on
Why all these strange caveats? If you're looking for very specific hardware, it usually means you're doing something wrong. Get an iPad and don't worry about it.

If you're buying a device with the intention of modding it, you're buying the wrong device. iPad has Foobar and VLC, if you decide you can't live without them
OP asked for not so expensive and uSd card support. Kinda rules out iPad on both scores

Re: tablet for music

Reply #9 –
Quote from: antz on
Quote from: NateHigs on
Why all these strange caveats? If you're looking for very specific hardware, it usually means you're doing something wrong. Get an iPad and don't worry about it.

If you're buying a device with the intention of modding it, you're buying the wrong device. iPad has Foobar and VLC, if you decide you can't live without them
OP asked for not so expensive and uSd card support. Kinda rules out iPad on both scores

For what reason?! Buy a device with enough storage. a 64gb is not a lot. A brand new 256GB iPad is only $479. They'll be cheap as chips second hand, be better built, have longer support and will hold value much better than any comparable tablet.

This guy is going to end up with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet Mini S X452/B and be riddled with problems all for an SD card slot? No thank you.

Also, the iPad will support OTG storage, if you for some reason really need an SD card.

Anyone recommending an Android tablet is not your friend.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #10 –
To someone specifying it "needs to have a line out or a headphone jack"  and "must support a significant microSD card" and proposing a $50 device ...

... you propose some totally inadequate hardware at $479?

Re: tablet for music

Reply #11 –
Quote from: NateHigs on
A brand new 256GB iPad is only $479. They'll be cheap as chips second hand, be better built, have longer support  and will hold value much better than any comparable tablet.

?

Re: tablet for music

Reply #12 –
The only thing I can contribute is my experience with an Amazon Fire 7. The internal storage was small enough that I bought an SD card for a bit of "elbow room". However, the fit of the socket means that I need to insert the SD card with a piece of cardboard wedged in behind the blank side, just so it'll push against the contacts and the extra storage doesn't keep vanishing from the Fire's options.
Other people may have had better experiences, but it does make me question the build quality of such a remarkably affordable (and otherwise pretty good) piece of kit.

Re: tablet for music

Reply #13 –
Quote from: AndyH-ha on
The tablet needs to have a line out or a headphone jack that works well as an output to feed a preamp, receiver, or active speakers.
This Amazon Fire HD8 for $50 would seem to fill the bill if the audio output is decent quality and the included software, or add-on, will operate nicely.
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-HD-8-tablet/dp/B07TMJ1R3X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MSQIR0B9ZRMN&keywords=amazon+fire+hd+8+tablet&qid=1655098555&sprefix=Amazon+Fire+HD+8%2Caps%2C453&sr=8-1
Well, I have one of those and the headphones output sounds fine to me...though I rarely listen to music via headphones. Btw, you do know it has Bluetooth (5.0) right? You could wirelessly transmit to a receiver for feeding stereo/active speakers etc. Yes, I know its not lossless, but...
Loudspeaker manufacturer