Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Playing FLAC songs in a car? (Read 10095 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Other than ripping my FLAC collection to MP3 or some other format on an iPod, is there a device I can buy which will attach to my car stereo and let me play FLAC files natively?  I now ripped my whole CD collection lossless and I'd hate to go through the process of having a second lossy format as well.

I'm not adverse to buying a PC with a hard drive or something else for my car, but looking for the easiest and best way of doing it.

Robert

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #1 –
Quote from: valnar on
Other than ripping my FLAC collection to MP3 or some other format on an iPod, is there a device I can buy which will attach to my car stereo and let me play FLAC files natively?  I now ripped my whole CD collection lossless and I'd hate to go through the process of having a second lossy format as well.

I'm not adverse to buying a PC with a hard drive or something else for my car, but looking for the easiest and best way of doing it.

Robert


These are not being made but you can still find some used one around. They are called Iaudio X5 and not only do they play FLAC files, they have the best audio quality I have ever heard in a DAC.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #2 –
I didn't get an autonotification.  Glad I checked.  Thanks!  I'll keep an eye out for it.

Robert

Edit: Only the model X5?  How does it interface in my car?  Through an FM channel?  Any newer models do this?

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #3 –
Anything with rockbox and sufficient processing power?
E.g. h120 or h140.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: valnar on
Other than ripping my FLAC collection to MP3 or some other format on an iPod, is there a device I can buy which will attach to my car stereo and let me play FLAC files natively?


Other then buying a new player, you can always Rockbox:

http://www,rockbox.org

your iPod.

Charles

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #6 –
I'll look into getting a Rockbox approved portable player.  My problem is I have more music than that.  I'd love to have it all in my car at once.

Is there something (like a specially built PC) that can hold a regular desktop sized hard drive, sit in the trunk, and interface to my car stereo?  Portability is not important.

Thanks,
Robert

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: valnar on
Is there something (like a specially built PC) that can hold a regular desktop sized hard drive, sit in the trunk, and interface to my car stereo?  Portability is not important.


Kenwood Music Keg

Charles

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: valnar on
I'll look into getting a Rockbox approved portable player.  My problem is I have more music than that.  I'd love to have it all in my car at once.

Is there something (like a specially built PC) that can hold a regular desktop sized hard drive, sit in the trunk, and interface to my car stereo?  Portability is not important.

Thanks,
Robert

Sounds like you're going to need a full-blown computer with monitor to really have a good user interface for what you are talking about.

A Google search on "carputer" should give you a lot of ideas.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: valnar on
Is there something (like a specially built PC) that can hold a regular desktop sized hard drive, sit in the trunk, and interface to my car stereo?  Portability is not important.


This isn't a complete fit to your requirement, but the Alpine iDA-X001 allows you to attached an external hard disk via a USB port which you can put in the glove box, for example. It will support AAC, MP3 and Apple Lossless (apparently). I am installing one in my car to attach to my ipod. It has it's own 24-bit DAC so does not rely on the ipod DAC. Which is also (apparently) a good thing. In any event, it's got to be miles better than the damn FM tuner option I've put up with for too long now!


Alpine web page on iDA-X001

cheers, roobar...

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Roobar on
Quote from: valnar on


Is there something (like a specially built PC) that can hold a regular desktop sized hard drive, sit in the trunk, and interface to my car stereo?  Portability is not important.


This isn't a complete fit to your requirement, but the Alpine iDA-X001 allows you to attached an external hard disk via a USB port which you can put in the glove box, for example. It will support AAC, MP3 and Apple Lossless (apparently). I am installing one in my car to attach to my ipod. It has it's own 24-bit DAC so does not rely on the ipod DAC. Which is also (apparently) a good thing. In any event, it's got to be miles better than the damn FM tuner option I've put up with for too long now!


Alpine web page on iDA-X001

cheers, roobar...


I like that option.  I'm not married to the internal Toyota stereo anyway. 

Robert

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Roobar on
It has it's own 24-bit DAC so does not rely on the ipod DAC.

It seems like it is likely the case if you connect via USB, but not if you use the KCE-422i direct connection.  The direct connection will give you gapless playback if your iPod supports it while the USB connection probably won't if it's using the Alpine's DAC.

Playback of Apple Lossless will probably only be possible with an iPod using the direct connection and probably not possible via the USB connection (again, if it uses the Alpine's DAC).

Flac support appears to be out of the question.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #12 –
I'm not sure if Phatnoise went out of business (I sure hope not), but I was planning on getting one of their PhatBox units once I finally found a decent ride.

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #13 –
I <3 my iHP-140....  iRiver for the PMP win.  The DA in the original iRiver iHP series is somewhat lacking though.  Mainly it doesn't have enough bass (i have to have the user EQ on with Bass on 8 for it to sound "flat") and the layer3 decoding doesn't sound so hot (compared to in_mpeg, in_mad, or Lame decoding, for instance - including running into an Apogee MiniDAC so the iRiver DAC doesn't bias my listening).  But it is only 16bit FIR I guess.

I haven't seriously compared it to many other players.  Has anyone else?

but yeah, in the car, if you need to upgrade your headend anyways...  a USB capable player is the way to go.  if you find one that can play FLAC, please link it up.    just get one with a standard flat connector, so you can plug USB keys directly into it.  *very* handy for friends riding along, portability, and...  no moving parts to get damaged (in comparison with a HD).

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #14 –
jesseg: I have both an iHP-140 and an iAudio X5 and they both sound fine to me.  The only difference I can hear between the two is that the X5 has less hiss with my IEMs.  Are you running Rockbox or the original firmware on your iHP-140.

To the OP: Most cost effective solution I can think of is pick up a portable DAP that runs Rockbox (preferably one with a true line-out) and plug it into a head unit with a line-in on the front.  That's what I do and I'm very happy with it.
Nero AAC 1.5.1.0: -q0.45

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #15 –
Neather, I'm running iRiver Firmware v1.66 U...  i think mine originally came with v1.14 U
 

Playing FLAC songs in a car?

Reply #16 –
That's what I meant by original firmware.  I don't remember how the iRiver firmware sounded like (been over two years), but I know Rockbox uses libmad for MP3 decoding.  If you're unhappy with the MP3 decoding you could try that if you wanted.

Sorry for taking the thread off topic a bit.
Nero AAC 1.5.1.0: -q0.45