PC Source, Raspberry Pi based dac, audio lag?

[ikek]

Hello,


I am considering converting a pair of passive speakers to active speakers with built in DAC and AMP. Their use will be standalone PC speakers (2.0 or 2.1) with a PC as source. Whether connected with USB/ SPDIF optical or via network.


Is this a) possible, running raspberry pi as the brains for a dac daughterboard and a diy amp board of some kind when used with a PC as source? and b) if so would it incur a noticable lag if the source is playing a video (e.g. a youtube clip) by running it through "another computer"?


Google wasnt my friend on this one.

 

[stokessd]

I've done what you are proposing using airport expresses feeding an external dac. I then can use airplay to send the music over to the speakers. That works for me with no noticeable lag when watching videos and such. I don't do it often and maybe the mac and the airport protocol is compensating for the lag somehow, I'm not sure. but the end result is I can do exactly what you are trying to do and it seems to work well.

I've used moode with a rPi as a streaming client and it seems to work exactly the same using shareport to emulate the airplay protocol. I've only ever streamed via network (never a direct connection the rPi).

hope that helps,
Sheldon

 

[ikek]

Thank you for your reply.


I was wondering whether my concerns were merely academic or if it could be a practical concern.



Using a rPi based brains with dac daughterboard would make the "new" speakers much more versatile and it would be fun doing something different.



With regards