1. No. Some intelligence/application has to exist somewhere to send the files to the DAC. It can be a computer or it can be a streaming box or the storage drive can be a NAS with a server app on it. Something has manage the task.

2. Good enough for what or whom?

As Kal has stated, you need a software application which will manage your music files.

JRiver & Foobar are just two of many such products that work great for interfacing your music from a computer to a DAC.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please

And don't sell and iPod short here. iTunes might have its problems, but Apple has really worked out mobile user interfaces better than just about anybody. So an iPod with AirPlay to an AirPlay compatible DAC would actually let you stream 64 GB of music wirelessly (160 GB with the Classic) right off that little box. Or you can attach an iPod to a Chord Hugo DAC via the Apple camera kit. Some other products that work that way are the ADL-X1. That would be a pretty terrific, portable playback setup that would be worthy of your main listening room, too.

What you are describing are NAS's (Network Area Servers) and CAPS (Computer Audiophile Pocket Servers).

Take a look here for some info.....

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/494-computer-audiophile-pocket-server-c-p-s-v3-topangas/

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

sf5512 wrote:

i would think that the storage type device I was describing nowadAYS might have the app in it..

Yes. As I said, if you bought a NAS for storage and it ran the music app, it would work. However, a NAS is just a specialized computer.

To do away with a computer entirely, you can upgrade to an Oppo 103/5 and get simple USB storage.

Why bother with a fancy DAC in a car? Noise levels are too high for it to be of any value. My car came with a 10G hard-drive, two SD card slots and other wired inputs. It ain't audiophile but it is as good as I need.