Hi!
Why did you not build everything into one stack? You can stack ReveiverPiPro II + FIFOPI Q7 + DAC hat + MonitorPiPro + I/V board.
I do not understand why you separated them.
I am also using the Teradak filter board.
I am mostly using it as a GPIO extension due to the use of a RPi and Amanero USB on the station pi pro. In this configuration the HDMI port of the RPi is not accessible. The Teradak lifts the RPi up a board.
I removed four capacitors at the teradak board so it could fit the StationPi pro.
Bought here:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtAAFzG
I don’t want stuff on the streamer stack to interfere with other inputs going straight into the DAC only stack. No RPi on DAC stack. Ie turntable or other S/PIDIF into DAC.
Going old school. Component system of analogue and digital components. Plus I wanted to learn how i2S works.
I built the DAC as a replacement for a Cambridge DACMagic200M. To see if I could beat it. And if I need to I can plug the streamer into another DAC.
Completely blows it out of the water. It’s now a doorstop if my stacks go up in flames 🔥 from turning them up too loud. It just kicks - probably would blow out a match if I had bigger speakers.
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I have both and have tried both. I don’t really hear a difference although maybe it can be measured. Apparently something different with USB and gigabit ether on the 4.
@fusion360guy
Perhaps you can tell me if I am using JRiver to play my music files from my Windows 10 base OS, connected straight from back of PC using a USB cable to my GrandPre DAC, if I would still need this RasberryPi? My thoughts were waiting until Ian releases the ReceiverPi DDC to use as with USB/Coaxial cables to the input side of the ReceiverPi DCC?
Perhaps you can tell me if I am using JRiver to play my music files from my Windows 10 base OS, connected straight from back of PC using a USB cable to my GrandPre DAC, if I would still need this RasberryPi? My thoughts were waiting until Ian releases the ReceiverPi DDC to use as with USB/Coaxial cables to the input side of the ReceiverPi DCC?
This is what I used to go ´PiLess’ under ReceiverPiPro to mount directly to PurePi II to reach the spring power pins.
Attachments
I see. I am thinking of building a DAC replacing my Denafrips Ares 12th with Ian's components. But to exclude any wires between DAC and Streamer I am planning to make an All In One stack.
Do you think it is worth to build a DDC with Ian Canada boards and send the I2S via HDMI to the Denafrips DAC? Would it be any better than purely use Denafrips Spdif input directly fed by a media player/CD transport?
Would be nice and much simplier if I could sell Denafrips and do everything with Ian stack.
I was wanting to build a DAC that would allow me to use the GrandPre only for it's preamp. I am not saying that it doesn't sound good, just thought that the latest tech with Ian's components could make the SQ better. How much better I really don't know? I have heard good things about the ProtoDAC but also good things about Ian's DACs. I figured for around $60 for the ProtoDAC I could change between a couple to see what sounds the best to me. I just wanted bare minimum components that would allow me to use either USB Type-B male connector and also coaxial cable. USB for my music files playing from JRiver, and the coaxial cable coming from my cd player to the DAC hat setup that would allow me to bypass the DAC built into my cd player. Eventually I will try and purchase a decent Transport. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
This is my conclusion as well after years of testing this and just listening for me shows how critical a pre amp is in the audio chain
Hi, sorry, was very busy this week.
Thanks to @miklau for answering most of the questions. I'll just add that I don't see much reason to add this Teradak on top of ShieldPi or the cooling copper plate, but the Teradak might fit between those boards where ShieldPi doesn't. The biggest difference is that Teradak has capacitors on the top side of PCB, so it's not obstructing anything below it.
The minimum height / spacers for this board is 11mm. Happy listening @VMRKarnati
Well as always, it strongly depends on the rest of your chain. When someone states it makes a difference, then it probably does. But general "consensus" means nothing, you have to try and decide for yourself, if you can perceive the difference (and most importantly like it).
My experience is the same as those youtuber's, specifically I can perceive with RPi 3b v1.2 much better stereo separation (roughly 20%) and blacker background/better SNR (~10%). Personally, I would rank the importance of RPi model below power, audio protocol / OS and vibration control.. I don't know what you're using, but there are far greater gains with protocol like Diretta/Jplay or OS like Gentoo with the right kernel and tweaking (like closing unused outputs). Careful vibration control (also for PSU's) is topic on its own, but nothing less than critical as well.
I am not sure. See if denafrips uses same hdmi pins as Ian. I think it’s possible to do everything on one stack of you want. Either way you have the i2S wires in the stack (ie gpio pins are big wires) or going between components (hdmi wires).
If you send to denafrips DAC you are getting the sound of that DAC if you are sending analogue signal out of the denafrips. If you use Ian stack with DAC and analogue board out you are getting a different sound right? There are so many possibilities with Ian’s gear or other gear in how to connect things. I had decided I wanted an Ian DAC based on others assessments of it being a great system so I went down the path of first building a streamer transport into my CDM200M and then just building a dedicated DAC because I liked the sound. And now it’s even better with the custom DAC. No going back.
Check out @Gabster 2000 videos. He reviews both the protodac and Ian’s DACs I believe. And has some streamer and DAC build videos.
I have also noticed that the driver is important. For instance with Moode Denafrips R2R and Audiophonics 9038 drivers reverse DSD/PCM channels. Also in combination with Roon applying any kind of EQ/Convolution (including volume leveling) also messes up/reverses phase or channel mapping (opposed to non EQ - so A/B is simple). I think there is some way to go to clarify HW and software i2s formats.
Moreover there are at least 2 published PS Audio formats. Ian clarified in the documentation the one that the HDMI Pro uses. Do not know how feasible would have been but I feel HDMI Pro should have also allowed i2s format change rather than depending on this feature on the DAC side.
Moreover there are at least 2 published PS Audio formats. Ian clarified in the documentation the one that the HDMI Pro uses. Do not know how feasible would have been but I feel HDMI Pro should have also allowed i2s format change rather than depending on this feature on the DAC side.