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Recommendation for music player device?


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I know nothing of consumer electronics outside of PC. I have a hunch a device like this is already out there, but I have no idea that it exists. Just like how I didn't know selfie sticks were a thing until 3 weeks ago.

 

I am looking for a device that can sit on a bookshelf that can play music, either stored on itself or from a networked drive. It must also be able to browse Youtube. It must be able to output analog audio (by 3.5mm), since I'll be hooking it up to an amp and home theatre system. It should also be low-powered, I don't feel like putting my old laptop there and wasting 30W just to play the State Anthem of the Soviet Union.

Bonus points if I can control it from a Windows PC (by means of a thin client or something). I prefer to buy something used for cheap.

I am essentially looking for a giant ipod with wifi and proper typing interface. I've never used a touchscreen device of any sort, so I can't comment on whether my preference for physical keyboard (over a touchscreen keyboard) would be a major factor.

What do I get? A cheap, used Android tablet? A netbook PC?

 

I am 100% okay with a DIY solution, as long as it doesn't require extensive hardware modding.

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Lots of options, from an Android box that can cost from 40€ to 200€ or more, but Android audio stack is a bit crappy..

You can also get an old second hand ipod and install rockbox on it(not so sure about remove control), and there are more music players, from Fiio for example.

If you are ok with a DIY solution(more or less), you can use a RaspberryPi, and install openElec on it and use it a media player not just for music, and there is lots of enthusiast high quality DAC's that are plug and play into the Raspberry Pi header that can provide you with some nice 24bits/198Khz audio outpu.

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4 minutes ago, senso said:

If you are ok with a DIY solution(more or less), you can use a RaspberryPi, and install openElec on it and use it a media player not just for music, and there is lots of enthusiast high quality DAC's that are plug and play into the Raspberry Pi header that can provide you with some nice 24bits/198Khz audio outpu.

 

Someone else suggested this to me a while earlier - I have to rule out RPI solutions because I can't run it standalone without an additional keyboard and screen.

 

That, and RPis might actually be more expensive than used Android tablets in my market.

 

5 minutes ago, senso said:

You can also get an old second hand ipod and install rockbox on it(not so sure about remove control)

 

I was thinking basically an Android tablet with some kind of thin client. I have zero experience with Android anything, so I'm not sure how to go about even figuring out if this is possible.

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You could run it standalone, with a display(those low res ones with SPI interface, with like 320x240 resolution), and some buttons, but you would have to code a bit to make it all work..

If you are not an audio-nut, a used Android tablet will fit the bill nicelly, but if it is plugged in all day the battery will probably die and wont hold much of a charge.

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1 hour ago, senso said:

You could run it standalone, with a display(those low res ones with SPI interface, with like 320x240 resolution), and some buttons, but you would have to code a bit to make it all work..

 

I don't suppose I could go on Youtube and search for a thing "standalone", with no additional display and keyboard, which cost extra money.

 

1 hour ago, senso said:

If you are not an audio-nut, a used Android tablet will fit the bill nice

 

The problem is: I don't know what software solutions exist on Android that would allow for this use case to be feasible, nor do I know which tablets are "obsolete" enough that I can find them for super cheap.

 

In my eyes, all tablets are obsolete, since none of them can play even VCD.

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There is VLC for Android, and openElec(but not all of them can run it, because it replaces the stock Android imagem, its the old XBMC), and there are dozens of media players from Android, even the one that comes in the OS is good enough and can play playlists, and youtube is just a matter of using the app or going to the browser.

There are always no brand tablets that are rebranded "locally"/per country, try to avoid rockchip based tablets, slow as snails and they heat a bit, with some luck you can get a cheap one with a mediatek.

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I bought a cheap Lenovo tablet a few years back and it works great for what you've described. I plug it into my surround sound via a 3.5mm jack when it's in the house then use it on the go for watching films etc on the train. I dunno about apps that would allow you to control the tablet from a Windows PC, but I had an App that worked in reverse, meaning I used my Android phone as a remote control for my PC. A quick google search should confirm if an App exists for your needs.

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On 6/4/2016 at 7:09 PM, Max2016 said:

I bought a cheap Lenovo tablet a few years back and it works great for what you've described

 

Hmm, it seems the Lenovo Tab 2 A7 can be had in my area for $50 to $100. I'll keep that option in mind.

 

For now I have an old iPod nano 3rd gen (that I had laying around) sitting there and doing this task, since I am the ultimate cheapskate and don't even want to spend $50 on a tablet.

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