Advice needed on Clarion HU (DXZ785USB)

nishantgandhi · 17th March 2009, 14:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankmehta

...i'm responsible for quite a few of them.. HEHEHE!

And is that why you are absconding to Goa?

Technocrat · 17th March 2009, 15:08

Cool so we know whom to blame if the HU doesnt perform as per the now high expectations

No wonder the prices went up on Amazon by $10

frankmehta · 17th March 2009, 15:13

if the unit is good, the xxxx no of people who bought it are pooling in 10-10 rupees and getting me a Steg amplifier. DEAL?

nishantgandhi · 17th March 2009, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Cool so we know whom to blame if the HU doesnt perform as per the now high expectations

No wonder the prices went up on Amazon by $10

Economics. Pure demand and supply equation. In fact, it is now 'de-activated' on NewEgg.

Unless Frank is some kind of market maker/breaker and rigging the show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankmehta

if the unit is good, the xxxx no of people who bought it are pooling in 10-10 rupees and getting me a Steg amplifier. DEAL?

AFAIK, not more than 5 people on TBHP are buying this HU. What will Rs 50 fetch you FM?

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankmehta

you forgot other tech forums!!! the amount of dhindora i have beaten about this head unit! god bless me if its bad!

Aahh, no wonder its disappearing so fast! And I was thinking that I would be among the few crazy ones to get it!

frankmehta · 17th March 2009, 15:21

you forgot other tech forums!!! the amount of dhindora i have beaten about this head unit! god bless me if its bad!

Technocrat · 17th March 2009, 15:43

Quote:

And I was thinking that I would be among the few crazy ones to get it!

I am sure others who have ordered are thinking the same

All the best Frank

santosh.s · 17th March 2009, 15:54

Hehe... I have already lost $10, need to order before it goes out of stock!

Technocrat · 17th March 2009, 15:56

Btw Nishant has your HU arrived ?

DerAlte · 17th March 2009, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by santosh.s

... then it is also likely that processing is done only for select channels and not for others. That is my concern. ...

Santosh baba, simplify, simplify, life will be more beautiful!

After finishing all the jugglery with codec, DAC and source switching and all, there is a block just before the take-off point of the Pre-out - which actually does the signal processing (no matter what the source) to manipulate the final signal. This can be a block external to the controller (dedicated SP chip), or the DSP of the controller itself. What one specifies via front plate controls gets saved as the configuration used by this block.

gunbir · 17th March 2009, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAlte

One would have thought the "full speed" iPod link would be appearing in the same route. Doesn't it? "Full speed" doesn't make sense if iPod's codec is in the picture, whereby one is routing the analog signal from the iPod (there are pins for it in the iPod connector) to the HU.

Sir, If the iPod was being decoded in the HU, how do AAC lossless and WAV files play on the iPod when clearly the HU doesn't have AAC lossless or WAV support.

Even when you use the "USB direct" medium to play an iPod on such HUs, its possible to play ALAC and WAV off the iPod when clearly the HU doesn't supoprt them. So that rules out any decoding being done in the HU, right? If so then how does this so called "digital medium" work here? The iPod couldn't be streaming PCM into the HU's main DAC could it? If it would, then why would there be a marked difference in WAV on CD Vs WAV on iPod?

Quote:

Originally Posted by santosh.s

You are right! The manual says it can play WMA upto 320Kbps, and MP3/AAC upto 320Kbps-VBR. BTW, doesn't' WMA has something like VBR?

Yes, WMA does have VBR. I use the Q98 VBR setting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by santosh.s

Gunbir, are you sure that this HU plays alteast WAV files as a lossless option from both CD and USB/iPod? I am asking because it's manual doesn't say anything about WAV as such.

Yup. While some of the current Pioneers play WAVs off CD-R, most other HUs (barring some models from Kenwood and JVC) don't do WAV. I don't think this HU does WAVs from USB or CD-R. I suggested ripping your music to WAV, and then down-converting to FLAC / WMA / MP3 or whatever.

If you add WAVs from iTunes into your iPod, they will play on any ipod player, through any medium... external iPod interface or direct USB.

santosh.s · 17th March 2009, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunbir

Yup. While some of the current Pioneers play WAVs off CD-R, most other HUs (barring some models from Kenwood and JVC) don't do WAV. I don't think this HU does WAVs from USB or CD-R. I suggested ripping your music to WAV, and then down-converting to FLAC / WMA / MP3 or whatever.

If you add WAVs from iTunes into your iPod, they will play on any ipod player, through any medium... external iPod interface or direct USB.

Oh no! I thought this HU would give me at least one option to play lossless CD quality music from USB drive. I think there is no question of FLAC here, the best looks like 320Kbps-VBR with either AAC/WMA/MP3. Is this true even for the most "high-end" HUs, don't they have flexibility to play lossless from USB drives?

Do Pioneer/Kenwood/JVC that you mentioned support WAV through USB drive as well?

santosh.s · 17th March 2009, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Santosh baba, simplify, simplify, life will be more beautiful!

Yes, and if I could completely ignore it, then life would be nothing but bliss

Life was indeed beautiful when I had very very simplified assumptions- that this HU will have at least one lossless option though USB drive (minimum WAV), and that all the processing will be uniform regardless of source. But, the DAC thing triggered the unrest, raising many more doubts!

Quote:

After finishing all the jugglery with codec, DAC and source switching and all, there is a block just before the take-off point of the Pre-out - which actually does the signal processing (no matter what the source) to manipulate the final signal.

Instead of getting simplified, to me it looks like another set (or sets!) of ADCs and DACs now!

santosh.s · 18th March 2009, 00:49

While going through USB section of the manual, I came to know that this HU supports USB "Digital media streaming" using "Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)" from a supported media player! Can somebody put it in the right perspective for a layman- what exact capability does it provide me with? As somebody rightly said, the problem with standards is that there are too many to choose from! In any case, I am sure that "supported player" here is not an USB hard disk.

nishantgandhi · 18th March 2009, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Btw Nishant has your HU arrived ?

No. My friend is not yet confirmed his date of travel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by santosh.s

While going through USB section of the manual, I came to know that this HU supports USB "Digital media streaming" using "Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)" from a supported media player! Can somebody put it in the right perspective for a layman- what exact capability does it provide me with? As somebody rightly said, the problem with standards is that there are too many to choose from! In any case, I am sure that "supported player" here is not an USB hard disk.

AFAIK, the MTP protocol enables the HU to recognize any USB mass storage device. Thats why this HU does not have/need a separate iPod adapter. You can connect using the stock iPod USB cable and it shall play perfectly.

Btw, the current lowest price is $125 (DotBestShop - Clarion DXZ 785USB - radio / CD / MP3 player / USB flash player)

santosh.s · 18th March 2009, 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

Btw, the current lowest price is $125 (DotBestShop - Clarion DXZ 785USB - radio / CD / MP3 player / USB flash player)

That link doesn't mention anything about shipping cost, even when I tried to "add to cart". How much is it?

17th March 2009, 15:08	#62
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,765 Thanked: 2,705 Times	Cool so we know whom to blame if the HU doesnt perform as per the now high expectations No wonder the prices went up on Amazon by $10
	() Thanks

17th March 2009, 15:13	#63
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,029 Thanked: 3,668 Times View My Garage	if the unit is good, the xxxx no of people who bought it are pooling in 10-10 rupees and getting me a Steg amplifier. DEAL?
	() Thanks

17th March 2009, 15:21	#65
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,029 Thanked: 3,668 Times View My Garage	you forgot other tech forums!!! the amount of dhindora i have beaten about this head unit! god bless me if its bad!
	() Thanks

17th March 2009, 15:54	#67
santosh.s Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,157 Thanked: 206 Times View My Garage	Hehe... I have already lost $10, need to order before it goes out of stock!
	() Thanks

17th March 2009, 15:56	#68
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,765 Thanked: 2,705 Times	Btw Nishant has your HU arrived ?
	() Thanks

18th March 2009, 00:49	#73
santosh.s Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,157 Thanked: 206 Times View My Garage	While going through USB section of the manual, I came to know that this HU supports USB "Digital media streaming" using "Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)" from a supported media player! Can somebody put it in the right perspective for a layman- what exact capability does it provide me with? As somebody rightly said, the problem with standards is that there are too many to choose from! In any case, I am sure that "supported player" here is not an USB hard disk.
	() Thanks