[bbchem]

I have a question not only SP Tech related. I  bought a Trends USB-Dac which goes between your PC and your DAC and acts as a transport to play your PC music. It is great and am using with the Minis. Hear is my question, I have a small hard drive on my PC and was considering buying a  External hard drive to attach to the PC and the USB-Dac, does anyone know if there is a stand alone hard drive that I can bypass my PC and attach to the TRends dac and run off the stand alone hard drive so I don't have to tie up the PC??

Thanks, Bill

[IronLion]

Don't think this is possible, as the hard drive itself would have to have an operating system and be able to run programs that would allow you to stream your music.  In other words, it would have to be a small computer.  A NAS (Network Attached Server) may be able to fulfill this role, but that may be a more costly solution than you'd like, and even then, I tend to doubt it'd even be possible with a NAS. 

[ted_b]

The Discless circle or another computer forum would be a better place to get advise.

An NAS is a possibility but it's simply a headless pc with a hard drive (over-simplification).  Try a laptop and external USB drive.  Very portable...or a Wadia iPod digitial dock to your Trends DAC (assuming your Ipod version is compatible, and your Ipod music is lossless/high quality).

[JP78]

you cannot run a standard dac directly off a standard hdd...ted is exactly right...you need some way to select files, navigate them, access your data, etc.

either the hdd or the dac must have an operating system for controlling the files.

the ipod is a great suggestion for the fact that it contains its own operating system...as would be a number of portable hdd music players - in this case it is the hdd with the os. otherwise, i know there are quite a few preamps / dacs that are expandable to include an external hdd.

[ted_b]

The only issue with my  Wadia iTransport (ipod dock) recommendation is that it is not USB-based, but sp/dif-based.  The Trends USB DAC likely gets a lot of its sonics from the cleaner less-jitter-prone USB port.  Now i'm back to a cheap laptop or Macbook.

Regardless, make sure you send that DAC the best signal you can.   Those Minis will make quality music sing like few other speakers at any price.  The sound at RMAF (the first time i heard the Minis, but no stranger to SP Tech of course) was incredibly musical.

[Bill Baker]

Are you simply looking at an external hard drive to house your music? You can do this and not tie up your PC's hard drive with all the music. You would still need your PC but at least you wouldn't be eating up all that hard drive space on your PC.

As other have mentioned, you cannot simply hook up an EHD to your DAC. The PC has to be your 'source component'.

[bbchem]

  

Thanks, I guess It would be nice to have unit that holds music and connects via usb without having a computer neceessary. Kind of like an Ipod with a usb connection. I have an Ipod Nano and an Archos 605 both hold music but can't connect directly to the USB-DAC


Again, thanks

[ted_b]

Your conundrum is the fact that USB is a computer output, period.  What I think you are wanting is a computer that thinks its a music player, and doesn't require hand holding, etc.  It's quite understandable...and I'm sure we're missing the obvious, but so far the only easy answer I have is a laptop.

[J@ck]

You will need something like the Logitech SB3/Duet to do that - connect to a NAS HD without your computer on.

[ted_b]

You will need something like the Logitech SB3/Duet to do that - connect to a NAS HD without your computer on.

?  How.  Neither of those devices are USB.  We have oodles of solutions for sp/dif..not the issue.

[J@ck]

I meant to use the SB3/Duet instead of the Trend USB DAC.
You can use the SB3/Duet connnect to a NAS hard drive and output SPDIF or analog signal to the amp.