Last days I dealt with Moode, Runeaudio and Volumio.
I used Ruenaudio for quite a while, but the older version didnt allow me to select HW volume control for the hifiberry dac+, was slow, unresponsive. So I updated to a new Raspberry 3, which needed a different Runeaudio, which required changes in hte config files (there is no drop down menu anymore...)
I tried Volumio, but that was a disaster. Maybe me, but I also think about my wife and find it hard to explain that on a PC you can access it with volumio.local, on another device only with the IP addres...
So I went for moode, and this works well since a couple days.
I used Ruenaudio for quite a while, but the older version didnt allow me to select HW volume control for the hifiberry dac+, was slow, unresponsive. So I updated to a new Raspberry 3, which needed a different Runeaudio, which required changes in hte config files (there is no drop down menu anymore...)
I tried Volumio, but that was a disaster. Maybe me, but I also think about my wife and find it hard to explain that on a PC you can access it with volumio.local, on another device only with the IP addres...
So I went for moode, and this works well since a couple days.
I want the best sound possible and tested different software packages for Pi. IMHO with pi3/dac+ pro and pi3/digi + pro/i2s/Buffalo DAC Moode is delivering the best sound quality and i don't need any media server, the best ui (great Logitech control app) and overall comfort has piCorePlayer, Volumio is easiest to setup.
Moode has had support for LMS/squeezebox for quite a few versions now, so you have the best of both worlds.
Being easy to setup to give a lesser quality product isn't a selling point, imo
Another option is to install Raspbian Stretch with MPD and any other package you may need (in my case: brutefir, snapcast, mosquitto and kodi). Also install all firmware and overlays as required for the added hardware to work. To control MPD you can just install an MPD client, like MPDroid on Android.
I use the following mpd configuration: mpd.conf
I am not sure if it is correct, but I configured everything to use 48k because 48000 / 19.2 (the oscillator freq on rpi) = 2500. The first thing I do is resampling everything to 48k. You may want to use 96k or 192k, depending on what closely matches the most of your source material.
Everything else is just inspired by Volumio while omitting some unnecessary settings. No need for a low latency / preemptive / realtime kernel if not recording and only listening.
I am not sure if it is correct, but I configured everything to use 48k because 48000 / 19.2 (the oscillator freq on rpi) = 2500. The first thing I do is resampling everything to 48k. You may want to use 96k or 192k, depending on what closely matches the most of your source material.
Everything else is just inspired by Volumio while omitting some unnecessary settings. No need for a low latency / preemptive / realtime kernel if not recording and only listening.
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Hi All,
I am about to build a player with a Raspberry 3 + LuckIt Asynchronous USB-to-I2S interface and I have been recommended to use Volumio.
I am looking for the best possible sound while being ultra easy to use (I currently own a Sqeezebox Touch).
This new player will be used to play music from my Synology NAS, Internet Radio and Spotify.
Is Volumio still the best choice?
I am about to build a player with a Raspberry 3 + LuckIt Asynchronous USB-to-I2S interface and I have been recommended to use Volumio.
I am looking for the best possible sound while being ultra easy to use (I currently own a Sqeezebox Touch).
This new player will be used to play music from my Synology NAS, Internet Radio and Spotify.
Is Volumio still the best choice?
Hi All,
I am about to build a player with a Raspberry 3 + LuckIt Asynchronous USB-to-I2S interface and I have been recommended to use Volumio.
I am looking for the best possible sound while being ultra easy to use (I currently own a Sqeezebox Touch).
This new player will be used to play music from my Synology NAS, Internet Radio and Spotify.
Is Volumio still the best choice?
Volumio is easier to install, and it has the Spotify plug-in available. Moode has a Squeezelite Renderer, and better sound imo.
Hi All,
I am about to build a player with a Raspberry 3 + LuckIt Asynchronous USB-to-I2S interface and I have been recommended to use Volumio.
I am looking for the best possible sound while being ultra easy to use (I currently own a Sqeezebox Touch).
This new player will be used to play music from my Synology NAS, Internet Radio and Spotify.
Is Volumio still the best choice?
Volumio was never the best choice...
Moode can be (a bit) difficult to install if you find following instructions explicitly a problem. If you're good with that, in an hour you should be up and running.
Moode handles spotify as well as squeezelite
On another note, I can't see a reason for using the LuckIt for audio out when there are awesome i2S DACs available that plug straight into the Pi and work great - like the IQ Audio Pi-DAC Pro, for example (Pi-DAC Pro I2S audiophile sound card for Raspberry Pi)
The whole ethos behind something like Moode or Volumio is to push digital audio out, not bring it in.
You stream your digital music files via the Pi and out into some analogue audio hardware. With this unit, you still need to find a DAC to talk to, don't you?
If your intent is to take audio from a device, via USB, into the Pi and Moode/Volumio, it seems like a bass-ackwards way of doing it... can you tell us more?
That Dial seems a tad expensive for what it is... you need a bucketload of extra parts to make it work.
The IQ Audio is much higher spec’d and is cheaper, overall
Volumio was never the best choice...
Moode handles spotify as well as squeezelite
Is there a plugin for Spotify, or, how is it enabled if not?
Volumio was never the best choice...
Moode can be (a bit) difficult to install if you find following instructions explicitly a problem. If you're good with that, in an hour you should be up and running.
Moode handles spotify as well as squeezelite
On another note, I can't see a reason for using the LuckIt for audio out when there are awesome i2S DACs available that plug straight into the Pi and work great - like the IQ Audio Pi-DAC Pro, for example (Pi-DAC Pro I2S audiophile sound card for Raspberry Pi)
The whole ethos behind something like Moode or Volumio is to push digital audio out, not bring it in.
You stream your digital music files via the Pi and out into some analogue audio hardware. With this unit, you still need to find a DAC to talk to, don't you?
If your intent is to take audio from a device, via USB, into the Pi and Moode/Volumio, it seems like a bass-ackwards way of doing it... can you tell us more?
The idea is to replace my Squeezebox Touch by this new player and connect it to a Chord Qute Ex DAC via coax and then to my amp.
The music sources will be via ethernet my Synology NAS, Internet Radios and Spotify
There's no plugin, you have to install Raspotify yourself, and be careful: Moode Audio Player for Raspberry Pi
Alternatively, if you have an Apple device, use Airplay.
Some of you might know that I contributed this or that to Moode.
Am I biased !?!?
IMO Moode has the advantage being bleeding edge ( the Debian edge ) .
And Tim responds very quickly to new requests.
He's introducing new features all the time.
IMO Moode is the best of the bunch -- if we talk RPI!
A big step back is IMO the lack of custom kernels in 4.0.
The others are not doing any better though.
However. There are also advantages with Volumio.
Volumio is better structured (git).
You'll have a simple image install.
It also supports more boards.
And offers an APP as remote. (never tried it myself though)
What they all have in common:
All the numerous features are compromising efficiency, which can have an impact on sound quality, especially on low steam devices like a RPI.
That IMO really old fashioned WEB browser UI is all but a sales argument
for any of them to me. I just need an app on Android or iOS as remote.
MPD as main engine wouldn't be my first choice either. Been there, ran it -- 10 years ago.
BTW: No to forget. You can also add DietPi to the list.
Bottom line.
It's all about your priorities. You'll find pros and cons for any of them.
"Currently" I personally wouldn't run any of them.
If you just look for a headless streaming engine I'd go for PiCorePlayer with its audio kernel and the LogitechmediaServer (seperate server) environment.
It's installed in 10 minutes and runs 100% from RAM - NO SD-card writes during operation.
The PcP folks still maintain a low latency audio kernel and keep drivers bleeding edge, very similar to what I've been contributing to Moode.
...or you just install a basic ArchLinux on SD card and install squeezelite on top of it. That's what I do. (My ArchLinux is not that basic though. )
If you manage to install a new Moode 4.0 via script. You might manage that too.
Just my two cents.
Enjoy.
Am I biased !?!?
IMO Moode has the advantage being bleeding edge ( the Debian edge
) . And Tim responds very quickly to new requests.
He's introducing new features all the time.
IMO Moode is the best of the bunch -- if we talk RPI!
A big step back is IMO the lack of custom kernels in 4.0.
The others are not doing any better though.
However. There are also advantages with Volumio.
Volumio is better structured (git).
You'll have a simple image install.
It also supports more boards.
And offers an APP as remote. (never tried it myself though)
What they all have in common:
All the numerous features are compromising efficiency, which can have an impact on sound quality, especially on low steam devices like a RPI.
That IMO really old fashioned WEB browser UI is all but a sales argument
for any of them to me. I just need an app on Android or iOS as remote.
MPD as main engine wouldn't be my first choice either. Been there, ran it -- 10 years ago.
BTW: No to forget. You can also add DietPi to the list.
Bottom line.
It's all about your priorities. You'll find pros and cons for any of them.
"Currently" I personally wouldn't run any of them.
If you just look for a headless streaming engine I'd go for PiCorePlayer with its audio kernel and the LogitechmediaServer (seperate server) environment.
It's installed in 10 minutes and runs 100% from RAM - NO SD-card writes during operation.
The PcP folks still maintain a low latency audio kernel and keep drivers bleeding edge, very similar to what I've been contributing to Moode.
...or you just install a basic ArchLinux on SD card and install squeezelite on top of it. That's what I do. (My ArchLinux is not that basic though.
)If you manage to install a new Moode 4.0 via script. You might manage that too.
Just my two cents.
Enjoy.
I'm sorry for being biased There is another DIY open source option - Peppy player
This is just stand-alone app which you can install from github. It works on
any Linux distribution and doesn't need its own image. It can work
with mpd, mplayer and vlc as the backend audio player. It relies on their
default behavior so no bleeding edges, drivers
Peppy supports web radio, audio files from local/mounted hard drives,
free audiobooks playback from different web sites. Also you can configure
player either as a streaming client or server.
It was originally developed for small LCDs/touchscreens with resolution
320x240, 480x320 but can work with any resolution. It supports all types of
user input: mouse, keyboard, rotary encoders, remote control, touchscreen.
Right now I'm finishing voice assistant which will allow navigation using
voice commands. It doesn't need any additional computer or mobile device to
control the player. But if you are very addicted to the mobile devices the
player supports web UI as well.
What Peppy doesn't have - no support for any commercial/semi-commercial
radio services (Spotify, Pandora etc). This is not priority at the moment as
there are so many good free stations in the Internet. No OS or player tuning -
only default ALSA audio output.
Peppy is really for DIY persons as it doesn't supply its own disk image. But
this is what we are here for, right?
There is another DIY open source option - Peppy playerThis is just stand-alone app which you can install from github. It works on
any Linux distribution and doesn't need its own image. It can work
with mpd, mplayer and vlc as the backend audio player. It relies on their
default behavior so no bleeding edges, drivers
Peppy supports web radio, audio files from local/mounted hard drives,
free audiobooks playback from different web sites. Also you can configure
player either as a streaming client or server.
It was originally developed for small LCDs/touchscreens with resolution
320x240, 480x320 but can work with any resolution. It supports all types of
user input: mouse, keyboard, rotary encoders, remote control, touchscreen.
Right now I'm finishing voice assistant which will allow navigation using
voice commands. It doesn't need any additional computer or mobile device to
control the player. But if you are very addicted to the mobile devices the
player supports web UI as well.
What Peppy doesn't have - no support for any commercial/semi-commercial
radio services (Spotify, Pandora etc). This is not priority at the moment as
there are so many good free stations in the Internet. No OS or player tuning -
only default ALSA audio output.
Peppy is really for DIY persons as it doesn't supply its own disk image. But
this is what we are here for, right?
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