SB Touch...buh bye. Hello Android Media Box...


OK folks, here we go:

MINIX NEO X5 RK3066 Dual Core Cortex A9 TV Box

RK3066 Datasheet (PDF download)

Just got one of these $99 Android boxes from a US retailer yesterday. Prior to ordering, I had been researching the device a bit and it turns out it is fairly well supported on
Facebook and its own forum. Over the weekend, I scoured the forum and armed myself with
firmware updates, rooting instructions and a few other specific apps in anticipation of receiving it.

Anyhow, within a few hours of opening the box I had the device rooted, with the latest Jelly Bean firmware installed and my Google Play account details set. Basically at this point, I had just turned my 46" LED TV screen into an Android tablet that I was now controlling with my Android phone via the vendor's free remote client app. I installed a number of well known streaming apps and then plugged the unit into my trusty Sony EP9ES via the available TOSLINK port on the MINIX. To my surprise, it sounded very good! As good as I've heard streamed content to be through my SB Touch anyways.

Now it was time to try some of my lossless flac files. I haven't bought into the high rez game yet, however I do have a substantial collection of redbook audio ripped. I had heard that a beta version of XBMC had recently been released for Android, so I decided to install this app to access the audio files on my network drive as I could see that it (XBMC) supported my preferred format and gapless playback. Prior to proceeding, I wanted to check out one other thing. The MINIX device has (3) USB 2.0 ports, but I could not confirm that the device in fact supported USB Audio. For giggles, I pulled out my Valab DAC and plugged it into the USB port. The USB light lit up on the DAC, so I patched it into my GFP-750 and selected it as the source. I then launched the XBMC app, found my network drive and selected a flac file to play. I almost sh*t myself when I saw the USB light flicker on the Valab and then heard the sound that was coming through my speakers! Plug and play USB audio support - no drivers, no snap crackle pop, no dropouts. Wow. The sound was absolutely fantastic. What a great way to consolidate my favorite streaming apps and have my ripped collection just a click away as well. All controlled remotely from the comfort of my easy chair and viewed on my big screen TV. I AM Slothman!

In summary, this was all an exercise in music listening convenience for me and obviously NOT an audiophile quest. However, I do believe that devices such as these and the applications being developed are on the verge of further revolutionizing this hobby in a big way soon. After my initial experience with this (basic) media box, I can certainly see why Logitech decided to kick the SB Touch to the curb. I hope this thread may spark a little more discussion and interest in these Android media boxes/ mini PC's. I haven't seen much mentioned about them here or on computeraudiophile.
slothman
Awesome. The problem with Mac Minis and DIY servers is it is very hard to limit electrical noise. In my experience something bleeds somewhere. For instance, I read the Computer Audiophile guy is experimenting with using batteries for his server, as this eliminates any EMI generated by the power supply and totally avoids the issue of ground loops. Ground loops are awful and very hard to troubleshoot.

Android is not officially compatible with USB audio yet, but some manufacturers are implementing it. I know the Galaxy S3 works with some, but not all, for instance.

Ideally, one would like it to do video better, but honestly, I have a high-powered graphics card for gaming, and if you're an audiophile, you probably want the lowest voltage, lowest clock rate possible. I do not believe digital audio is affected by components unless there is a ground loop or other EMI bleed through. Once the PCM data gets to the DAC, there should be no difference whether that DAC is hooked up to a Mac, a PC, or any other device AS FAR AS DIGITAL INFORMATION IS CONCERNED. However, if the components are passing enough current, there is always a chance the analog portion of the DAC may pick up that current if not shielded properly, amplify it, and make that noise audible.

Ie., you just want well-shielded cables and components. No USB cable or optical cable will ever, ever change the sound itself (or imaging, the sweetness of the midrange, or whatever audiophile descriptive word you want). The type of computer doing the processing does not matter either. All the computer is doing is decoding and transporting digital information. Cables and computer parts will only allow or disallow analog electric noise. I will admit some may perceive this as changing the sound (it does, but only in the most literal sense - there's some noise.)

Oh also - I did look at the changelogs for XMBC (which I use) and they do now allow WASAPI output, bypassing the Windows mixer. So there should be no difference in the digital output of XMBC, Foobar or one of the pricey "audiophile" programs. I would like to see this tested though, I'm not sure how one would go about it. ie., grab the PCM stream on the USB or light-pipe and compare the outputs of the different software unless the software is doing something to it (like using a software EQ or what have you.) There should be no differences.
In summary, this was all an exercise in music listening convenience for me and obviously NOT an audiophile quest. However, I do believe that devices such as these and the applications being developed are on the verge of further revolutionizing this hobby in a big way soon. After my initial experience with this (basic) media box, I can certainly see why Logitech decided to kick the SB Touch to the curb.

Since you don't have hi-rez files, I'm not sure this device is better than a Sonos device for convenience, though it is less expensive. I don't think it was these niche devices that scared off Logitech, but rather devices like Sonos that already have a decent market share and that work better and more intuitively that Squeezebox ever thought about...
Daverz - according to the manual posted in the OP, I believe the device does support 24/96, however I believe the current firmware does not. They do appear to be working diligently to address issues. They are about to post a 2nd firmware release that I have seen within a week of owning the device. They have been focused on addressing video issues above all else. I will be happy to see the high resolution audio and video issues be resolved, however in its current configuration I am able to listen to 100 percent of my preferred streaming services and redbook content.

Cruz123 - I'm sure the Sonos does a lot of things exceptionally well, and I wouldn't challenge that fact without ever using the device myself. I do have the Squeezebox Touch and (personally) prefer the convenience and interface that the MINIX device provides me. Also enjoy the fact that there are ton of apps available on Google Market to further enhance its versatility. Loads of fun with this device at this price point. I'm sure there are more to come.
I started dabbling with xbmc media server (on Windows) and using my android tablet to control it. Looks promising early on. Not quite ready to dump my Squeezebox devices yet, though I am interested in forging ahead to perhaps at least try a device like the MINUX. I also created a complete FLAC copy of my music library, which is currently mostly WAV, to dabble with and see how WAV versus FLAC shakes out with XBMC.

Regarding a device like MINIX to run a replacement on, my main concern regarding sound quality using an external DAC would be RFI noise levels associated with any general purpose computing device like this in close proximity to the rest of my audio gear. I have found a little physical and electronic isolation between computers and audio gear goes a long way towards delivering excellent sound quality.
This is interesting and see if I can get one to compare to my SB Touch.

Mapman, since you already have a Squeezebox Mediaserver setup, you could use the SqueezePlayer app to turn the MINIX into a Squeezebox. Then you should be able to still use any Squeezebox controller like SqueezeCommander or Logitech's app.