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Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier

74.134.10.44
Posted on February 23, 2024 at 08:04:18
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 Yeah, you guessed it! The new FiiO R9 is FiiO's "Flagship" all-in-one DAP/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier. I just bought it and it's phenomenal with eight DACs per channel and inputs for everything digital you can imagine. It even has a Bluetooth remote control as well as XLR balanced analog outputs in addition to two pairs of RCA analog outputs. There's no cooling fan to worry about and I plugged in a 4-TB USB hard drive in addition to a 1-TB micro-SD card and it reads everything. It reads all digital formats up through DSD512. This thing does just about everything digital you can possibly imagine. And the best part is that it's not that expensive. It sell for $1,499 on Amazon.

If you want to remove your personal computer from your audio system, the FiiO R9 is the perfect answer.

 

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RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 23, 2024 at 08:38:37
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Does it support Qobuz directly? I saw everything but that, not that I'm looking to buy one. What I like about my setup is that it is all independent modules/devices talking to each other. This concentrates it all in one box.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 23, 2024 at 10:10:24
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 I don't know what you mean by 'directly'. I used to subscribe to Qobuz and Tidal. I downloaded the apps onto my FiiO M15 and it streamed the music directly through WiFi. However, the R9 has WiFi in addition to a LAN port for a wired connection to the internet. I don't see why you couldn't download the Qobuz app onto the FiiO R9. I'm pretty sure the FiiO R9 will play anything you want to play including YouTube.

Happy Listening!

 

It is essentially an Android phone/OS with 6" display, posted on February 23, 2024 at 13:58:11
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 40382
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 in terms of available applications. Which is pretty much anything. Snapdragon 660 SOC chip is considered a "mobile platform".

Great for single system use. As for me, I'm attached to a shared solution feeding a range of audio/video endpoints around house/garage.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 23, 2024 at 18:07:18
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 That's what I mean. Is Qobuz already an app on the thing, or something you can download. I looked through the description and just didn't see it listed, but I did see Tidal.

For that money though you can buy a MacBook Air with an M2 chip, and a nice USB DAC, and it'll run circles around it. And then you can unplug the Mac and use it for other things too. In fact, at this moment I'm using my Macbook music server to reply, although this is an older one. It does sound like this FiiO will handle multi-channel that my setup won't, but I don't need that.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 23, 2024 at 19:26:28
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 Like all FiiO DAPs, the R9 has the 'Google Play Store' app installed. Therefore, you can download Qobuz, Tidal, or any other streaming website app you want.

I don't know anything about the MacBook Air because I'm not an Apple person. I'm an Android, PC person, and the FiiO R9 is my favorite digital player to date. I have no desire to connect a PC to my audio system.

Therefore, to each his own, or different strokes for different folks.

Happy listening!

 

Yep. NT, posted on February 24, 2024 at 06:49:55
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 .

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 25, 2024 at 05:55:37
Scholl
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 1371
Joined: March 8, 2001
 Who makes an HDMI to multichannel interface? MINIDSP looks great but doesn't support 192K. Probably not a real deal braker but I like BluRay.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 27, 2024 at 08:33:35
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
"For that money though you can buy a MacBook Air with an M2". TRUE!

Or.....

Or an entry model Mac Mini with M2 chip for only $499 (typical BestBuy, BH Photo, or Micro Center discounted price). Of course you'll need a good outboard DAC for it.

When not streaming Qobuz or Tidal our Mini drives our big screen TV for YouTube or Apple TV+ streaming. We watched a couple episodes of "Masters of the Air" last night, a great series on American WWII B-17 bomber pilots and their missions.









 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 28, 2024 at 09:37:23
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 I only say a MBA because you can pick it up and use it anywhere on its own. I was eyeing a mini myself as an upgrade to an older iMac, but ended up with an M1 MBA from my daughter with a cracked screen that I paired with a nice Dell 27" 4k monitor. I use it as my indoor cycling setup right now but when outdoor cycling season starts I'll swap it with the iMac. And lest you think the MBA was "free" I ended up having to buy my daughter an M2 MBA. Fixing the cracked screen just wasn't worth it.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 28, 2024 at 13:23:58
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 I'm wondering if you subscribe to YouTube. Every time I begin watching YouTube, they ask me to subscribe and the subscription price seems awfully expensive. Therefore, I just keep watching for free with ads continually interrupting the program.

I just connected the audio output from my HDTV to my FiiO R9 via Toslink optical, and it really sounds good through my Mini Maggie's. I also listen through a pair of Dynaudio XEO 20 Bluetooth speakers, but the Mini Maggie's sound a lot better.

Anyway, do you subscribe to YouTube or continue to watch it for free like I do with ads continually interrupting the program?

Thanks!
John Elison

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on February 29, 2024 at 08:14:11
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
No YouTube subscription here. I just deal with the Ads.

Also, I believe there are two YouTube offerings. Regular YouTube as we know it and YouTube TV. YouTube TV is a streaming service that gets you a bunch of channels like CableTV plus they give you a handful of network stations like your local ABC, NBC, CBS, etc., and unlimited DVR recording. My ex-Boss gets YouTube TV and he like it.



 

Zwift and a smart trainer ??, posted on February 29, 2024 at 08:56:16
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Ha! I think your daughter got the better end of that deal but what are Dads for? After retiring I had to return the company issued laptop so I bought a 13" MBA M2 about a year ago. It's my go to portable / travel laptop.

Just for grins I connected the MBA to a Dell curved screen LCD and launched Zwift software. I setup a Zwift account so I can explore and watch various bike rides but I don't have a smart trainer or a paid-for Zwift subscription. Zwift software is compatible with a variety of indoor bicycle smart trainers and they sell their own. I came close to buying one but never did as I wasn't sure if I would take full advantage of a $15/mo (or $150/yr) Zwift subscription.

Do you have a different setup for indoor training? My bike has been hanging in the garage for the winter.

MBA connected to Dell curved LCD + External Logitech Keyboard + External Mouse:


I don't have a smart trainer or Zwift subscription so I just lurk around and watch different rides.
Zwift software runs on PC/Mac/iPhone/iPad/AppleTV/Android devices but looks better on devices with decent graphics processing.
For example, it works on AppleTV but the graphics aren't quite as realistic. Shadows look real on MBA but are lacking on AppleTV.



 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 1, 2024 at 08:50:31
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 I replaced my cable package with YouTubeTV and while I like it, it is also expensive. And the thing that pisses me off is that it doesn't include the regular YT subscription so I get ads, except that I also run AdblockerPlus. There's been a cat and mouse game going on between YT and ABP. ABP will put in a new way to block the ads, YT will catch up, and then ABP will do something else. But it really sucks that YT will insert ads into a video at such random places. It appears there algorithm looks for a break, but what it considers a break in the action just isn't, especially when it is music.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 1, 2024 at 09:04:55
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003



Yep. I run Zwift with my Kickr Core smart trainer. The bike is my regular road bike, a Kuota Kredo from 2005. I have since added a keyboard and mouse to the setup and keep the laptop closed in the back. The speakers are my DIY Lance speakers with Fostex FF85WK drivers which sound surprisingly good.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 2, 2024 at 08:23:07
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
I can understand the Ads in YT but does YTTV also have Ads? I would imagine that it does just like regular CableTV? Yeah, I was pricing out various TV streaming services like YTTV, Fubo, Sling, hulu, etc. and none of them were cheap. I would still need ala carte internet access from my ISP at almost $100. Add the streaming service and there's a savings but it's not huge. Neighbor dropped the Cable company as ISP and went with T-Mobile. He says it works but its significantly slower than Cable. I'll have to check back and see if T-Mobile is getting the job done for him. I think its $50/month.


 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 2, 2024 at 08:34:46
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Nice setup!

I wouldn't mind getting a smart trainer but I might want one that is friction or roller drive. I'm not sure if they're any good.

The direct drive units from Zwift and Wahoo seem like the best way to go but will require me to remove the back wheel from my bike. Mine doesn't have a quick release and I'd have to mess with the chain and gears taking it off and putting it back on each season. Maybe not a big deal but seems like a hassle. The other alternative would be to find an inexpensive used bike to permanently mount to a direct drive trainer.



 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 2, 2024 at 08:39:58
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 I switched to FIOS from cable and have much faster speeds for less, and that's what prompted the switch to YTTV. It has ads from the channels being watched just like cable does. It only inserts its own in the breaks left over for the local provider. The one thing it does better than cable is I get 1080p on most stations, cable was 1080i. Can you see that difference? Nah. My TV is an old plasma though and it looks good. 4K TV? Not exactly a rousing success. They sell the TV and never mention the lack of content, and the fact that at normal viewing distance you can't discern it.

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 2, 2024 at 20:21:16
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2215
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
 I have the rear wheel and trainer perfectly aligned so I don't need to adjust the derailleur to swap. It takes about 15 seconds, no exaggeration.

Direct drive trainers are the way to go. The friction ones tend to slip when the riding gets hard. If you need a bike though to use one it'll get expensive really fast.

I put 100 miles on this week, the first time this year. It isn't the difficulty of it, it is the time spent on a mostly stationary bike seat that's the issue. After about an hour I've had enough but it'll take more than that on occasion to make up for the easy days during any given week. I did 26 miles today to accomplish this in an hour and a half. Not a blazing speed but also involved some climbing.

 

Fantastic, now sell me all your redundant junk for $100, posted on March 2, 2024 at 20:57:07
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 5238
Joined: June 23, 2009
 And I will pay for shipping

 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 3, 2024 at 06:29:57
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Thanks for the info.

I'm not sure what our CableTV resolution is but when I'm watching regular network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.) and switch to the antenna and over-the-air HDTV it looks sharper than CableTV.... not by much but it is sharper.

Some of our AppleTV+ series and movies are 4K and we do see the difference but it's not a necessity.


 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on March 3, 2024 at 06:33:15
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 48595
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 I'm at that stage where I'm still on the fence and just need to pull the trigger on a trainer. Getting any amount of riding in the winter even if down in the basement on a trainer has to beneficial vs sitting here on the computer!



 

RE: Hi-Rez "Flagship" Digital Music Player/Streamer/Preamp and Headphone Amplifier, posted on April 21, 2024 at 18:29:54
Leefer
Audiophile

Posts: 152
Location: southern ontario
Joined: January 14, 2003
 I have been using a program called "4k video downloader" to download YouTube videos I know I will play often. I play the files through JRiver 20 and thus never have to deal with the ads. YouTube videos play as 48k files while the downloaded files are at 44k. Some videos can be downloaded as 4k files, as long as the 4k source file is available.

 

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