👍 I am so glad I didn’t end up collecting tons of LPs, CDs, Downloads and associated hardware. Just surfed the waves of rapidly evolving technology. Everything is now OTA with little or no IT needed, yet heaps of quality music experience 😊
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Well, if for some reason Martians invade the Earth and shut down the Internet, I'll fire up my generator and play LPs.
While you guys will be trying to file bug reports with IT.
BTW, what's with IT? Don't you know how a TCP/IP stack works? Don't you know how to program a Linux machine? Seriously.
While you guys will be trying to file bug reports with IT.
BTW, what's with IT? Don't you know how a TCP/IP stack works? Don't you know how to program a Linux machine? Seriously.
Nothing against IT or the underlying mechanism but for a general consumer product these need to be abstracted and simplified to make it easier to setup and use. It is like driving a car without having to figure out how the engine works. For the technical minded, go ahead and indulge in the complexities of the operation. I do take a lot pleasure in TCP/IP stacks and Linux programming in C and those demons[sic] but I don’t think I need to educate my wife on these before she can setup or use the WiiM. The WiiM Home App makes it breeze to operate a fairly complex device by just about any one who can understand logic reasoning …
Yes, but this is DIYAudio.
Just as we go nuts on the analog side, so we go nuts on the digital side. So to complain that you have to deal with the IT side of the house... I mean, come on, let's start talking Raspberries and what kind of ribbon tweeter we should listen to...
Eh?
Yes, the WiiM Home app works great for set ups.... except I'm learning some of their idiosyncracies using the PC Tidal program...
But for Android based devices... yes, it's a very easy to use product.
Anyways, the one I bought from AliExpress will not be here for four more days... in the mean time Amazon has it back for 275. I could use more of them since I think I'm not gonna yield the one in my home office and I returned the Mini as it doesn't support USB output... Have you been tracking the price? Do they drop on sale at Amazon often?
Just as we go nuts on the analog side, so we go nuts on the digital side. So to complain that you have to deal with the IT side of the house... I mean, come on, let's start talking Raspberries and what kind of ribbon tweeter we should listen to...
Eh?
Yes, the WiiM Home app works great for set ups.... except I'm learning some of their idiosyncracies using the PC Tidal program...
But for Android based devices... yes, it's a very easy to use product.
Anyways, the one I bought from AliExpress will not be here for four more days... in the mean time Amazon has it back for 275. I could use more of them since I think I'm not gonna yield the one in my home office and I returned the Mini as it doesn't support USB output... Have you been tracking the price? Do they drop on sale at Amazon often?
That’s alright with technicalities, always some good fun to debate at times🙂
For the diyAudio side I am just curious if wired Ethernet sounds any better. Look forward to your experience…
Not been tracking prices but as a wifi bridge looks only 10% utilisation of the Ultra. The rest like idle investment $$$
will have to wait for something leaner and cheaper to come along ..
For the diyAudio side I am just curious if wired Ethernet sounds any better. Look forward to your experience…
Not been tracking prices but as a wifi bridge looks only 10% utilisation of the Ultra. The rest like idle investment $$$
will have to wait for something leaner and cheaper to come along ..
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Yes, I know, it does seems like I'm only using 5% of the unit.. .except the one that I'm gonna set up in the HT will be wired and I will be using its DAC.
I'm seen some stuff that claims to be a bridge between WiFi/Ethernet and USB.... but they are Chinese things on eBay so I don't know if I trust those things. And the WiiM Home configuration is pretty easy. So, I'm almost paying not for the hardware but for the ease of the software.
I'll let you know, hopefully it'll be here by the weekend.
Just remember..... void*** phandle(void*); Do that at your next peer review and watch 99% of the crew have no clue what it does.... the other 1% are on our side. ;-)
I'm seen some stuff that claims to be a bridge between WiFi/Ethernet and USB.... but they are Chinese things on eBay so I don't know if I trust those things. And the WiiM Home configuration is pretty easy. So, I'm almost paying not for the hardware but for the ease of the software.
I'll let you know, hopefully it'll be here by the weekend.
Just remember..... void*** phandle(void*); Do that at your next peer review and watch 99% of the crew have no clue what it does.... the other 1% are on our side. ;-)
Oh, the other thing interesting you can do for us here is to get the Ultra connected to your LP12 phono cartridge output? So you digitise phono like what Linn does with Urika II, any good so you can ditch your $700 Pearl 3 hardware and take on something like the Klimax?😉
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Why not compare on your main system - bypass the external Topping DAC that also uses the same ESS chip as the Ultra internal DAC? Is your Amp SE or BAL type input?
The Topping right now is on a shelf.
The main system has the Burson Swing with Burson V7 op amps. That's an SE DAC.
Right now the small office system has the Nitsch Pietus Maximus DAC which is also SE. It has the Schiit Multibit/Unison USB DAC.
I got both SE and balanced preamps/amps.
I got to think what to do with comparisons.... I was in the middle of doing opamp comparisons in a P3 when I went and updated my turntable.
The main system has the Burson Swing with Burson V7 op amps. That's an SE DAC.
Right now the small office system has the Nitsch Pietus Maximus DAC which is also SE. It has the Schiit Multibit/Unison USB DAC.
I got both SE and balanced preamps/amps.
I got to think what to do with comparisons.... I was in the middle of doing opamp comparisons in a P3 when I went and updated my turntable.
Ok, with SE gear then all nicely compatible with the Ultra line out. Burson Swing also the same 9038Q2M chip as the Ultra. All good to go then when you are ready🙂
Also note, the internal DAC of the Ultra has direct access to the I2S lines from the A98 module. For external DACs, conversion onto USB so in theory the internal DAC has an advantage in SQ to start with…
Also note, the internal DAC of the Ultra has direct access to the I2S lines from the A98 module. For external DACs, conversion onto USB so in theory the internal DAC has an advantage in SQ to start with…
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Hi,
Ok, the app is good but what about a Rpi, a good soft like Mood or else and a good reclocker with proper clock à la iancanada for the same price.... about SQ ?
I whish someone had both for a sound benchmark.
As I read it on some reviews the sound of the internal DAC is okay but nothing really good, but let say for the 300 bucks it is good enough.
Technically, howw good is the preamp, the internal clock, the noise isolation since you use it at a streamer only as the front end of a better DAC ?
As far I understand, not really usefull but the easyness of use and you need all the tralala : isolator, reclocker, and good clock after it for a better sound... so you're back again on the start line: not in one box solution. So WTF but the price and the HT friendly HDMI ?!
Ok, the app is good but what about a Rpi, a good soft like Mood or else and a good reclocker with proper clock à la iancanada for the same price.... about SQ ?
I whish someone had both for a sound benchmark.
As I read it on some reviews the sound of the internal DAC is okay but nothing really good, but let say for the 300 bucks it is good enough.
Technically, howw good is the preamp, the internal clock, the noise isolation since you use it at a streamer only as the front end of a better DAC ?
As far I understand, not really usefull but the easyness of use and you need all the tralala : isolator, reclocker, and good clock after it for a better sound... so you're back again on the start line: not in one box solution. So WTF but the price and the HT friendly HDMI ?!
The price goes up down, from a low of 240 to a high of 400. At Amazon it drops from 325 to 275. I got my first one for 275. Got the 2nd one from AlieExpress for 245 but I guess it takes a week to deliver.
I don't know how the internal DAC sounds. I plan to install the 2nd one in the home theater where I run an 8 channel preamp... so this will be to drive the R/L front speakers. That's a good system in there but the plan is to allow my wife to wireless connect her phone ( or one of our tablets ) for mostly background music ( den and kitchen are one large room ).
In the past I've run Raspberries for audio... 2 and 3 but I settled down to Android Tablets and later Chromebooks running external DACs over USB-OTG because I run Tidal HiFi. Having the option to run external DACs is fundamental to my use case. Having multiple boxes is actually more fun and gives me a lot of freedom. My issue was not having a bit perfect connection and not interested at all about Bluetooth.
The Raspberries are very interesting indeed, but right now they proved too be one too many projects for audio, I run them as NAS front end, backup Apache server, and other applications (great for writing and testing code). I got five of them... of more.... I don't know. I got a box from work when they were shutting down the Raspberry lab.
The connection from Android and Chromebook over WiFi is bit perfect. I've tried the PC connection and it's bit perfect as well. Next I will try the direct ethernet connection, but I think it will also be such.
It is easy to run. If you connect from the PC I recommend you run a static IP address and not enable any of the network options such as Wi-Fi Roaming, Preferred DNS server. I have noted that Tidal will lose (timeout) the connection to Tidal Connect but when I toggle the "Preferred DNS server" option over WiiM Home then the Tidal Connect connection reappears in the Tidal Screen. I guess that forces some kind of a query that the PC discovers and restores the connection. If the remote Tidal Connect is playing while this happens, it keeps playing music as if nothing had happened.
For 300 bucks it's a good deal to get bit perfect.
I suppose I could try the HDMI eARC when I put it in the HT.
I don't know how the internal DAC sounds. I plan to install the 2nd one in the home theater where I run an 8 channel preamp... so this will be to drive the R/L front speakers. That's a good system in there but the plan is to allow my wife to wireless connect her phone ( or one of our tablets ) for mostly background music ( den and kitchen are one large room ).
In the past I've run Raspberries for audio... 2 and 3 but I settled down to Android Tablets and later Chromebooks running external DACs over USB-OTG because I run Tidal HiFi. Having the option to run external DACs is fundamental to my use case. Having multiple boxes is actually more fun and gives me a lot of freedom. My issue was not having a bit perfect connection and not interested at all about Bluetooth.
The Raspberries are very interesting indeed, but right now they proved too be one too many projects for audio, I run them as NAS front end, backup Apache server, and other applications (great for writing and testing code). I got five of them... of more.... I don't know. I got a box from work when they were shutting down the Raspberry lab.
The connection from Android and Chromebook over WiFi is bit perfect. I've tried the PC connection and it's bit perfect as well. Next I will try the direct ethernet connection, but I think it will also be such.
It is easy to run. If you connect from the PC I recommend you run a static IP address and not enable any of the network options such as Wi-Fi Roaming, Preferred DNS server. I have noted that Tidal will lose (timeout) the connection to Tidal Connect but when I toggle the "Preferred DNS server" option over WiiM Home then the Tidal Connect connection reappears in the Tidal Screen. I guess that forces some kind of a query that the PC discovers and restores the connection. If the remote Tidal Connect is playing while this happens, it keeps playing music as if nothing had happened.
For 300 bucks it's a good deal to get bit perfect.
I suppose I could try the HDMI eARC when I put it in the HT.
All those DACs should sound about the same if one only goes by such criteria but for those of us that can hear differences it makes it more difficult to decide.
Rick
Rick
As a rule of thumb I don't give ASR much credence.... they are useful in that they will ensure that pieces won't catch on fire but to sit down and listen? No, they don't do that.
This hobby is supposed to be fun. I use scopes and instruments at work. Ultimately at home it's my ears.
It's ultimately a matter of having fun and not burning down the house.
I sure hope those AliExpress comes through, because I was this close to buying it from Amazon for only 30 bucks more... and now it's no longer on sale. Seems like the sales come and go.... For a lousy 30 bucks I would have it right now.
This hobby is supposed to be fun. I use scopes and instruments at work. Ultimately at home it's my ears.
- If I can hear the difference it's all that matters.
- If I think I can hear the difference it's all that matters.
It's ultimately a matter of having fun and not burning down the house.
I sure hope those AliExpress comes through, because I was this close to buying it from Amazon for only 30 bucks more... and now it's no longer on sale. Seems like the sales come and go.... For a lousy 30 bucks I would have it right now.
Yeah, I agree. I go there to see the ballpark quality of the latest devices and what's new in general.
But I also look very closely at the internal photos/ build quality.
Digital audio is 99% power supply, noise isolation/segregation and low phase noise clocking... a whopping 1% is everything else.
I also believe that a persistent aim for the lowest possible THD could lead to an unpleasant sound that may appear okay at first, but cause fatigue after a while. With this in mind, a long listening session, while doing something for work that involves focus, could reveal that fatigue "quality" quite easily.
But I also look very closely at the internal photos/ build quality.
Digital audio is 99% power supply, noise isolation/segregation and low phase noise clocking... a whopping 1% is everything else.
I also believe that a persistent aim for the lowest possible THD could lead to an unpleasant sound that may appear okay at first, but cause fatigue after a while. With this in mind, a long listening session, while doing something for work that involves focus, could reveal that fatigue "quality" quite easily.
It is obvious it can be heard. At least for the people having the habit to listen to a lot of different devices, and so knowing empiracally the SQ between two devices relative to the rest of their hifi and tastes. For te others, they will buy a good number as we did in the 70/80s with amps.... (and that never was a good indicator of good sound).