per analog side (2 at each board) roughly 90mA) the digital side (2 at each board) is only 10-15mA depending on Fs
A Berrystreamer with the DDDAC
I like to raise your attention to an excellent article from Dick how to make a streamer with the DDDAC , Hifiberry and Roon. It is written in dutch, but google translate can help of course
Link to article
I like to raise your attention to an excellent article from Dick how to make a streamer with the DDDAC , Hifiberry and Roon. It is written in dutch, but google translate can help of course
Link to article
Thanks for this! I am sure this is a good read, but I felt that Google Translate isn't really comfortable with Dicks writing style. In any case, I understood that Dick described how he used a Hifi-Berry to stream music data via a computer network to the I2S input of the DDDAC. It seems he also compared this setup to the WaveIO USB / I2S converter, which is conventionally used / sold with the DDDAC; and the Hifi-Berry sounded better to his ears.
This is not the first such report, and I keep wondering how / why the more recent boards result in better sound than the WaveIO. It seems to me the WaveIO I2S signal might have more jitter than more recent boards (such as the Hifi-Berry etc.). I'd like to try the Hifi-Berry option (or similar boards) -- but I can't. My family is hooked to Apple Music, which depends on iTunes, which in turn cannot stream bit perfect / high-resolution music via a computer network. Using different player software for different music files / streaming data is a PITA. I am therefore stuck with iTunes, which requires an USB audio interface for bit-perfect playback of high-resolution music.
So, would it be possible to use an I2S --> I2S reclocker to "improve" the I2S signal from the WaveIO? Or are there any other (better) USB --> I2S converter modules out there?
How about Amanero? Heard good things about that too. Anyone tried it? How does it compare with the WaveIO?
why not do as others do-and Dick suggests-use one i2s input on the DDDac new mainboard for your RPI /reclocker and switch between that and USB?
If you can explain this to an 8 year old, please do 🙂
Oh, and I still have the old (red) mainboard.
I really have to go through the USB audio interface.
You would need a new mainboard to do what I suggested. If you want to go that route I'm happy to help you. On the other hand, there are cheaper ways of implementing an i2s switch you could use with an old red board.
I'm no expert on these tho, but I'm sure someone else reading this thread could enlighten us!
David
I've been using the Twisted pear Otto board, to switch between a Wave-IO and as BBB with the Acko S03 reclocker. The Otto allows for simple switching beteen two I2S sources the BBB combo for critical listening and the Wave-IO for Media PC contents like Youtube and movies etc.. Might fit your bill.
The Otto sits between the BBB&Wave-IO before the DDDAC mainboard.
OTTO-II 2:1 Switching Module
Last edited:
I don't need a switch. I just want the cleanest possible I2S signal from a USB Audio interface. So far I found the Amanero (with Cronus and Rhea, expensive), Ians FIFO reclocker, and maybe the Kali reclocker (not sure if this would work without an RPi though). Other options to consider?
Related to all the recent posts, I have been exploring replacing my PC as an audio source with an Rpi/Kali combo. Here are my questions, please if someone can take the time to answer. Will be really helpful.
1. I will use Rpi/Kali combo and take the i2s signal straight from the Kali to the i2s input of our DAC. Will this work considering that I have the older red motherboard?
2. If yes, what should be the pin arrangement to draw a wire from Kali to DAC? I have the old board and the arrangement from left to right is Vdd Out, Data, BCK, LR, GND however what Dick's article says (referring to the new board is Vdd Out, Data, LRC, BCK, MCK). So what is the difference here?? Can the Red board pin arrangement still have a successful connection to the Kali clocker?
3. I read that Kali reclocker works only if the DAC works in a slave mode. Considering my setup where Rpi/Kali will provide the i2s signal to the i2s port of the dac, will the DAC work in a slave mode?
Thanks
Kartick
1. I will use Rpi/Kali combo and take the i2s signal straight from the Kali to the i2s input of our DAC. Will this work considering that I have the older red motherboard?
2. If yes, what should be the pin arrangement to draw a wire from Kali to DAC? I have the old board and the arrangement from left to right is Vdd Out, Data, BCK, LR, GND however what Dick's article says (referring to the new board is Vdd Out, Data, LRC, BCK, MCK). So what is the difference here?? Can the Red board pin arrangement still have a successful connection to the Kali clocker?
3. I read that Kali reclocker works only if the DAC works in a slave mode. Considering my setup where Rpi/Kali will provide the i2s signal to the i2s port of the dac, will the DAC work in a slave mode?
Thanks
Kartick
Hi kartick,
yes the dddac is a slave basically. The I2S signal controlls the DAC and yes, ANY I2S source can be used with 3,3 or 5 volt logic.
How good the source is, I cannot judge here of course...
In case of an external I2S connect only Data, BCK, LR and GND. The MCK and Vout has only to do with the WaveIO connections
yes the dddac is a slave basically. The I2S signal controlls the DAC and yes, ANY I2S source can be used with 3,3 or 5 volt logic.
How good the source is, I cannot judge here of course...
In case of an external I2S connect only Data, BCK, LR and GND. The MCK and Vout has only to do with the WaveIO connections
I was also somewhat puzzled by Dick's accolades, and the real reason behind those... It turns out that Roon has a "Roon Bridge for ARM" that uses a "Roon Advanced Audio Transport". Once properly recognised by Roon, the Raspberry PI with HiFiBerry DAC+ should appear in Roon software application as a "HiFiBerry DAC+ Roon ready bridge".
In other words, the Roon software and the Raspberry PI with HiFiBerry DAC+ are capable of avoiding the USB audio interface, and that's the catch by the look of it... Apparently, HiFiBerry DAC+ can "tap into" music file directly from ARM Cortex processor, while at the same time Roon passes music file NOT by using the USB audio protocol, but by using that Roon Advanced Audio Transport protocol. More on this protocol can be found here (for those who want to read, that is...) https://kb.roonlabs.com/RAAT
Nick
You have to try WaveIO with very clean power supply.
NOTE!!!!
There is another power supply that is critical to a proper WaveIO operation - and that one is located on a DDDAC motherboard - it is a voltage regulator used to supply I2S isolator chip located on WaveIO. Cleaning this particular power supply will drastically improve WaveIO sound even further.
Some people reported much better results when I2S is tapped-off before the I2S isolator chip. In this case, all external influences on WaveIO sound (that are really out of Lucian's control, but easily overlooked), are avoided.
WaveIO is a beautiful piece of electronics - it deserves a proper implementation - that's all.
Nick
Yes, well, actually, that's a old hat. Using the I2S output of the RPi (or similar singleboard computers) with an external DAC has been possible for a long time. There is nothing special with Roon with respect to this.
The I2S does not come out the Raspberry PI...
If you spend some time reading my explanation with an attempt to learn, and then you support it with some additional reading that I'm sure you are capable of, you may stop asking people to break it down for you like you are an 8-year-old.
Yes, the RPi does have an I2S output (GPIO pins 12 and 35, I think). Just google it. However, the clocks on the RPi are crap. That's why a reclocker is a good idea.
Oh, wow, please stop that. No personal quarrels please!
Hi, I like the waveio very much. I use a choke psu, and the sound is very good, but you make me curious as I read your post above.
What isolator chip on motherboard can be bypassed/avoided, and how do I do to get this right ?
Doede, if you read this, feel free to comment if it's worth trying.
The I2S does not come out the Raspberry PI...
It comes out of HiFiBerry DAC+ ...
If you read my initial post carefully, the things will become clearer.
Here's a link to a very good post on how to do decoupling properly. A goldmine really. Have a good read.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/4562-bypass-caps-digital-ic-decoupling.html
There are other documents/whitepapers/scholarly articles you could refer to... here's one: "WHAT IS PROPER DECOUPLING AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY?" Analog Devices
The "DDDAC 1794S Mainboard" circuit diagram shows IC1 to be the voltage source for the WaveIO isolator chip.
I will leave you to think about what could be done to improve the supply to that WaveIO isolator chip. The good thing is that you have a reference point to compare the modifications you attempt - just compare the result with WaveIO I2S output sourced directly from the XMOS chip (J2, J3, J4, J5)
Nick