Looks like a NUC board to me with an M2 NVMe SSD, a low noise power supply board and SATA3 HDD. I am not sure what the 3rd board does...
As Nick said - based on x86, not ARM. That makes upgrading kernel to the latest version to support new USB DACs MUCH easier. I cannot download their firmware to tell the exact kernel version but the GrimmAudio devs would definitely tell you what is supported and what their firmware upgrade plans are.
As of the build - we all see it's perfectly made, most PCBs custom, also costing 20x more than the iFi streamer 🙂 IIUC they take the 4 PCIe lanes from the M.2 M-key slot and feed it to their custom board. Probably they programmed their own PCI-e -> I2S controller into the FPGA (I cannot read the FPGA model from the image of the internals). That would be very professional, on the other hand it requires writing and maintaining their own audio driver (kernel module) - a minor hindrance for future kernel updates. But I would quess they build their linux firmware from scratch (using buildroot or so) which allows incorporating a custom driver in the upgraded kernel/firmware easily.
You are very welcome. It's a pleasure to learn and share how the computer audio really works internally.
Actually in Czech language Maslow sounds as "butter" so I don't know about it 🙂
Seriously, I understand that picking a ready-made commercial streamer is not a simple task. A streamer to use with a good UAC2 DAC is predominantly characterized by its software which most manufacturers abandon fast. Unless the device is very expensive to start with or the firmware upgrade is paid for (does any such exist?).
Seriously, I understand that picking a ready-made commercial streamer is not a simple task. A streamer to use with a good UAC2 DAC is predominantly characterized by its software which most manufacturers abandon fast. Unless the device is very expensive to start with or the firmware upgrade is paid for (does any such exist?).
I would look for iOS device - iPad or iPod Touch.
RME ADI-2-Pro is fully compliant with iOS devices so I see no trouble to connect it with one USB cable with iPad and play/stream.
I use my old iPad 2 with cheap DAC dongle (Meizu Hifi) via USB adapter for direct digital connection - I can play even 384 kHz/32b files without any problems if needed.
Martin
P.S.: See an old Benchmark App note about it:
iPad Streams High-Resolution Audio to Benchmark DAC1 - Benchmark Media Systems
I went through a similar nightmare when I was deciding on a streamer for my May DAC. Jeff Zhu, who designed this DAC, was quite proud of the USB driver he created, which will allow PCM rates of 1.536MHz... This speed was guaranteed to work, but only with Intel USB controllers. So, I decided not to bother with RPI's right there and then and I settled on NUC11.
However, I can see how RPI's and different kernels could be quite a challenge for younger DIY-ers. I remember the first computer I worked on, the PDP11/70, followed by Sinclair ZX81. These days... I am just too old to be tinkering around (plus, I learnt a lesson where too much thinking and the quest for the best DIY sound could amount to some serious money).
Re: Maslow's pyramid.... to simplify it; the purpose of life is depicted graphically on this pyramid. Sharing the knowledge sits right at the top. It is taught in Western Countries...
However, I can see how RPI's and different kernels could be quite a challenge for younger DIY-ers. I remember the first computer I worked on, the PDP11/70, followed by Sinclair ZX81. These days... I am just too old to be tinkering around (plus, I learnt a lesson where too much thinking and the quest for the best DIY sound could amount to some serious money).
Re: Maslow's pyramid.... to simplify it; the purpose of life is depicted graphically on this pyramid. Sharing the knowledge sits right at the top. It is taught in Western Countries...
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Somebody correct me if I'm wrong... I think that ADI DAC does not have a galvanically isolated USB XMOS section.... choosing a low-noise streamer may be wise...
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From battery powered iPad there is no ground loop problem when connected to the ADI-2-Pro.
Martin
Martin
Well... I was contemplating buying that DAC... but ended up buying something completely different.
BTW, this is an old technology for LCD backlight, now LEDs are used mainly.
Martin
One of my priorities was No Cables, but yes that would be a very efficient setup!
I could just try it for kicks, I have an old iPad mini gathering dust.
As to isolating the ADI-2, I have one of these:
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Isolator
... which currently serves my AP SYS2722, but I could give it a try when I get the streamer installed.
Jan
PWM at 700Hz, non-existent at 0 and 100% brightness. Want to use an iPad for high-end audio?
Knock yourself out...
Which probably goes a long way to explain the price. Guido says he had one or two guys working on it for 2 years.
This is real design, not kludging a couple of app notes and eval boards together!
If only I had that much dough laying around ...
Jan
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If I may ask, what did you end up buying?
One thing that pulled me over was SY's measurements with the ADI-2 paired with my autoranger ;-)
Beat the APx555.
Jan
I use a Intel NUC computer for that, with a very tuned windows and JRiver software. The computer has a screen that doubles as a (web)tv and keyboard and mouse, but can also be steared from an RDP connection from any computer in my house (i have a lot as I'm a nerd and ICT system engineer as profession). Music is stored on an external drive and backed up on my NAS (in an other part of my house). I also have an old very cheap Hama streamer, that i only use to listen to DAB and webradio. Both are connected to my old Cambridge DACMagic DAC (that soon will be replaced by something better), the NUC over USB, the Hama over lightpipe.
A raspberry PI or an other mini computer that is cheaper than the NUC could do the job also, but i could get this NUC cheap from my brother who needed to make costs for tax deduction reasons with his company. But a computer-based system is way more flexible than those dedicated streamers that will be outdated in few years because technology moved on. A computer can be updated, those devices mostly not. Just make sure it's silent and have a good PSU for it that does not create noise on the audio side.
A raspberry PI or an other mini computer that is cheaper than the NUC could do the job also, but i could get this NUC cheap from my brother who needed to make costs for tax deduction reasons with his company. But a computer-based system is way more flexible than those dedicated streamers that will be outdated in few years because technology moved on. A computer can be updated, those devices mostly not. Just make sure it's silent and have a good PSU for it that does not create noise on the audio side.