Decent DAP with wireless audio streaming capability?

[Siberion]

Hi,

I'm looking for a new player since my trusty companion for the last 7 or so years is starting to show strong signs of deterioration. This post here is kind of a last resort desperation move, as I've already spent hours upon hours on the internet researching to little avail, but maybe somebody on here will know something that I missed.

The conclusion I've come to so far is that the Sansa Clip+ (perhaps with a battery pack for long journeys) is the ideal choice for my primary needs.

However, what I would really love in an mp3 player is the ability to stream from my computer over wireless network, so that I can listen to arbitrary audio (re)streamed via my desktop computer while being mobile in my apartment, e.g. while cleaning. Turning my speakers up enough to fill out the entire apartment is a no go.

I would prefer a streaming mp3 player in order to be able to use the same headphones for everything, rather than having a separate set of wireless headphones (plus I prefer a smaller overall number of devices), and I also haven't been able to find a pure wireless streaming device with the parameters I'm looking for.

I *almost* bought a Cowon D3 (figuring I would be able to install a streaming app on an Android system) until I read the reviews of its battery life -- from the sounds of it, with the wireless interface constantly active, I would be lucky to get enough runtime out of a full charge to do the dishes.

So my question is, does anybody know of a DAP with the following parameters:
- Streams audio via WLAN (bluetooth doesn't have the required range) either as a built-in feature, or by way of an Android system letting me install an appropriate app.
- Flash memory and SDHC card slot, internal memory irrelevant (replacing a broken card is cheaper than replacing broken player, modularity ftw).
- Battery that can sustain prolonged use of wifi (charging overnight is fine as long as it lasts the day).
- No preference between buttons/touchscreen, although given the choice I will take whatever gives me more battery life.
- Small size device much preferred, but one way another I don't have room for it in my pockets and it will end up in a pouch on my belt next to the leatherman.
- Decent but not necessarily superb audio quality. I don't have super high quality headphones, and although there are exceptions, most of the time I'm happy with 160 kbits in my mp3s.
- Interfaces to a computer as an external storage medium so that it can be used as a USB stick for random files in a pinch.
- Budget irrelevant, if it does all of these things without compromise I will think about any price tag, even if I have to save up for it for a while.
- Android-based system allowing me to install my own apps is a definite plus, as I am a programmer and tinkerer and would get a thrill out of the ability to write my own features for my player.
- Needs good expected longevity (including battery charge cycles, unless replacement batteries are readily available). No price is cheap enough for a device that lasts no longer than 1 month past warranty.

Thanks a lot for reading this far, and I'm looking forward to any replies

[Mo. FryDaddy]

I would recommend a used android phone, it will give you all the interfacing options one could want & it sounds relatively good. I had a Samsung Intercept with an extra battery so when listening to music I could just swap them on the go. (A little bulky, ~OK battery life but not fantastic, decent sound, relatively cheap).

Well a Samsung Galaxy player would fit the bill pretty well too, I'd have a look into those if I were you.

[The DarkSide]

Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0!!!

[IDvsEGO]

Originally Posted by Mo. FryDaddy

Well a Samsung Galaxy player would fit the bill pretty well too, I'd have a look into those if I were you.

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0!!!

I agree with these guys

[Siberion]

Thanks a lot for your replies!

I totally missed that one -- I guess I took it for a smartphone and moved on, assuming that smartphone audio quality would be cr*ptastic across the board (as per the thread on that topic somewhere on these boards).

With the Galaxy Player I do have some qualms about the size. 5" screen plus frame is not at all a small device, slim or not. I see there is a 3.6" version of it, but that only has about half the battery life But it otherwise has all the features I'm looking for to the tee.

I will definitely take this one into close consideration. I'll let you guys know about my experience with it if/when I get it. Thanks again for your input!

[IDvsEGO]

there is a 4.2 also I think. and 36 hours of battery is still longer than a lot of the payers on the market now. I had a Samsung Galaxy S I and now have an S III. Perfectly happy with the audio quality on both smartphones from the same line as this player..

[skip252]

Don't assume all smartphones have poor audio capabilities. Especially based on what some members here have said. There's a natural bias here that anything other than a dedicated DAP can't do well at audio. Nowadays most smartphones are at least decent playing both audio and video and quite a few are very good.

I'd check the real life testing being done at gsmarena for realistic evaluations of what they actually are putting out. Like DAPs were a few years ago some are better than others. That's improved the last generation or so. More people are using their phones instead of mp3 players and the makers don't want to lose sales due to poor media capabilities.

[The DarkSide]

I agree about the SGP 4.2 as another option. The sq is pretty darn good from what people have said,...

[Siberion]

Hmmm. Interesting but peculiar -- Samsung's website has the exact same battery life ratings in terms of durations for the 5.0 and 4.2 versions, even though the 5.0 has a 2.5Ah LiPo and the 4.2 has a 1.5Ah LiIon...

The 4.2 version is also more difficult to acquire here in Germany. German Amazon has a "Galaxy S Wifi 4.2" which appears to be the same as the Player 4.2, but I'm not 100% certain, yet.

Edit: Come to think of it, no point making a fuss... for an insubstantial 0.8" difference in size I'll opt for the bigger battery. Also, thanks for the reality check on smartphone audio quality. I don't own one (obviously?) and don't have a whole lot of access to comparing audio quality for myself, so I took the relevant thread as my best source of information.