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Topic: Best Software for Searching/Selecting Music Files + sending to external DAC (Read 9838 times) previous topic - next topic
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Best Software for Searching/Selecting Music Files + sending to external DAC

What I want is some program that will run on a cheap tablet (to be purchased) that will search and select CD quality music files stored on an external hard drive (files ripped to flac from physical CDs using Exact Audio Copy) and will send the selected files to the USB input of an external integrated amp containing a built-in DAC in order to play the files through my main tower speakers.

Re: Best Software for Searching/Selecting Music Files + sending to external DAC

Reply #1 –
I would recommend Raspberry Pi etc. music server which you can control from that cheap tablet without wires.

Re: Best Software for Searching/Selecting Music Files + sending to external DAC

Reply #2 –
Quote from: GCRhoads on
What I want is some program that will run on a cheap tablet (to be purchased) that will search and select CD quality music files stored on an external hard drive (files ripped to flac from physical CDs using Exact Audio Copy) and will send the selected files to the USB input of an external integrated amp containing a built-in DAC in order to play the files through my main tower speakers.

The tablet to be acquired should be running Android 5 or later.

Of course both the USB DAC and the USB flash drive need to share the USB port on the tablet, and you'll have te check out how USB hubs are supported by it.   Many tablets use uSD drives which leave the USB port free.  Some tablets have both USB and HDMI  ports and the HDMI port can be converted to USB.

Many tablets have very good DACs and running through analog is not an audible problem with them as long as you just want to do stereo.

In principle any reasonable class 1 or class 2 USB device via a OTG converter should work with the tablet. OTG converters are little plugs or cables that are Male (to suit the Android device's USB port - usually micro USB on one end) and  standard USB Type A on the other, to suit the USB input of the amp.

There is a Android version of Foobar2000 that should work, but even Google Play can be configured to work with external USB drives.


The external hard drive should be formatted FAT, as eFAT and NTFS drives will not read from many Android devices without add-on software.  There is free software on the web to format drives this way, and many USB flash drives come formatted this way.

In additional to Android tablets, Android TV boxes can use this way with the extra benefit of having standard USB ports.

Re: Best Software for Searching/Selecting Music Files + sending to external DAC

Reply #3 –
I have a RPi with an external drive plugged in running piCorePlayer which installs Logitech Media Server. There are various apps that can be used to control it.