at the moment i'm using an OPPO BDP-93 as my main source but all this new fangled Raspberry Pi thing has got me intrigued so i have a few questions.
are the codecs embedded on the PI, DAC or software via OS?
can the software such as volumio be configured to just play via local storage and start up in the main music folder?
using an I2S add on DAC card how good is the sound quality going to be compared to my OPPO 93?
can i use a tablet as a web interface to control the player?
my plan is to have a one box headphone solution with a high quality headphone amp (RJM Audio Sapphire) as the main amp and the PI+DAC as the source. the music storage will be via Micro SD card with a slot on the front of the unit and all files will be Flac.
Thanks
are the codecs embedded on the PI, DAC or software via OS?
can the software such as volumio be configured to just play via local storage and start up in the main music folder?
using an I2S add on DAC card how good is the sound quality going to be compared to my OPPO 93?
can i use a tablet as a web interface to control the player?
my plan is to have a one box headphone solution with a high quality headphone amp (RJM Audio Sapphire) as the main amp and the PI+DAC as the source. the music storage will be via Micro SD card with a slot on the front of the unit and all files will be Flac.
Thanks
I have used an Android tablet running X-windows and connecting to an R-Pi, controlling my player. But it was a little clunky. It will not be like using your iPhone, since you are trying to control a desktop interface with a tablet. But it's definitely doable.
Think of the R-Pi as a little computer, without audio input or output (because the built in output is lame). This may help you to understand what you will need to set up and add on in order to get a working system.
Think of the R-Pi as a little computer, without audio input or output (because the built in output is lame). This may help you to understand what you will need to set up and add on in order to get a working system.
slow and clunky is fine, i'm the type of person that is still using a Nokia 'slide' type mobile and if it were not for the fact i have to have a mobile phone on me at all times when i'm out and about i would not have one.
in the past i have tried messing with XBMC etc.etc and found it fairly good but not good for watching films using ISO and a desktop, that lasted about 3 days before the OPPO was plugged back in.
in the past i have tried messing with XBMC etc.etc and found it fairly good but not good for watching films using ISO and a desktop, that lasted about 3 days before the OPPO was plugged back in.
Pi2 running internal sound will be horrible.
USB or I2S DAC will be much better.
Of the I2S DACs I have the HIFIBerry DAC on an original Pi B. The newer models from HIFIBerry, IQAudio etc have better specs and seem well reviewed.
I have an original Pi plus the HifiBerry DAC. That sounds good enough to my 50 years old ears.
I run Runeaudio at the moment. I control it via the built in web UI (on PC, phone/tablet) or via MPDroid (on Android phone).
Have also tried XBMC/Kodi for audio only controlling it through the Android apps XBMC remote control and Yatse. Last I looked Yatse was good, XBMCRC was buggy! Can also use various built-in or plug-in web UIs with Kodi too.
Have also used XBMC to pull upnp/DLNA audio files across my network through the Pi for playing, both MP3 and FLAC.
Running XBMC, the UI was slow, though that should have improved with the extra storage and processing power of the Pi2.
J.
USB or I2S DAC will be much better.
Of the I2S DACs I have the HIFIBerry DAC on an original Pi B. The newer models from HIFIBerry, IQAudio etc have better specs and seem well reviewed.
I have an original Pi plus the HifiBerry DAC. That sounds good enough to my 50 years old ears.
I run Runeaudio at the moment. I control it via the built in web UI (on PC, phone/tablet) or via MPDroid (on Android phone).
Have also tried XBMC/Kodi for audio only controlling it through the Android apps XBMC remote control and Yatse. Last I looked Yatse was good, XBMCRC was buggy! Can also use various built-in or plug-in web UIs with Kodi too.
Have also used XBMC to pull upnp/DLNA audio files across my network through the Pi for playing, both MP3 and FLAC.
Running XBMC, the UI was slow, though that should have improved with the extra storage and processing power of the Pi2.
J.
i ordered a Pi2 and a DAC+ from Iqaudio so it should be fun. its about a decade since i have been anywhere near linux. will be fun for over the winter months 
the OPPO-BDP93 is a fantastic blu-ray player but as a cd player it's not that good and i dont like the fact i have to have the tv on to play flac/mp3 files.
the OPPO-BDP93 is a fantastic blu-ray player but as a cd player it's not that good and i dont like the fact i have to have the tv on to play flac/mp3 files.
The Pi has an onboard sound solution. The drivers are in the OS (Debian) and its variants (such as Volumio, Rune and Moode). For all other playback solutions the drivers need to be coded into MPD/ALSA. Most are already.
Yes. Local and network storage are supported, and you can create and save playlists. If you have a very large collection scrolling may become very slow. Local display is a tougher ask. All designed to be remote controlled. All use the same basic control system called MPD - Music Player Daemon - and all these versions by developers give you better control over the daemon itself.
Sound quality of Pi with DAC is no different from the DAC with something else. Essentially transparent. Some people have problems with harsh upper registers (too bright) but this is fixed with a quality supply. I use an Apple USB charger or a linear supply for best results. With a cheap supply I can confirm the same problem of excessive bright output. Maybe the Pi has minimal filtering.
That is one of the intended usage scenarios. Any device with a browser can be used, it is a web interface that is accessed with a local LAN IP or network location (such as //runeaudio).
I've been looking at this as well, but am undecided between my old Buffalo24 and a brand new PCM1794A attempt. I used it over USB so far and like the results. The beauty of it is that after a listening session you can shutdown the Pi, change the SD-card, and boot into OSMC for a media center experience (and a pretty good one I must say). Since the Pi boots in about 10 seconds, it is no more cumbersome than clicking on icons on the desktop.
You need no Linux experience to use Pi as sound solution. There are some hoops involved in burning the images to the SD cards, but after that it is Plug and Play. Network storage is a slightly more roundabout, but works once you get the hang of it (mostly it's about Windows permissions).
power is going to be via LM7805 powered by rectified 300va 12v (i have it for my headphone amp) so should be good enough quality.
i do have some computer experience as i gained a Bsc in networking with Cisco certs etc.etc but it was about a decade ago so my noggin has forgot almost everything.. lol
i might look into MPD for giggles as i have an idea for the GUI. i built web pages a while back in the day so i guess i can have a go. it might jog the memory but i doubt it.. lol
thing is like all apps these days everyone is bundling as much as they can into them. personally i just want a audio file player nothing more nothing less, no radio, dvd/br, tv etc.etc. i already have a full media centre. hhhmmm i wonder if one of the people that are developing moOde or such would do a stripped down lite version. basically browse, play and volume.
i do have some computer experience as i gained a Bsc in networking with Cisco certs etc.etc but it was about a decade ago so my noggin has forgot almost everything.. lol
i might look into MPD for giggles as i have an idea for the GUI. i built web pages a while back in the day so i guess i can have a go. it might jog the memory but i doubt it.. lol
thing is like all apps these days everyone is bundling as much as they can into them. personally i just want a audio file player nothing more nothing less, no radio, dvd/br, tv etc.etc. i already have a full media centre. hhhmmm i wonder if one of the people that are developing moOde or such would do a stripped down lite version. basically browse, play and volume.
This is all not true. I2S Output on the Pi is very poor. Raspberry Pi has many problems on the power supply side. Its not about filtering, there are many groundloop problems and the regulators on the Pi are of very poor quality. The Pi is not meant to be a high quality sound machine and if you want to change that you need to fully isolate the i2s signal and reclock it with hiqh quality clocks.
The I2S signal on the Pi has nothing to do with high quality, look at osci pictures of it.
I tested many Dacs on the Pi and they all sound very flat and lack details.
High quality power supply does not change anything. Still very limited soundstage and too much jitter.
The Apple USB charger is of very poor quality, not recomended for sound. But even a toroid transformer with adm7150 or tps7a4700 regulators improves the sound only a little bit on the Pi.
Do not expect high quality. Its better than many cheap players, but still no match compared to high quality equipment.
The LM7805 is a very low quality regulator. You shoud replace it for something designed for sound. Ask Ales here if he still has some of his 3pin pcbs, so you can replace the lm7805 :
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/263618-tps7a4700-low-noise-ldo-regulator-pcb-8.html
His design is very nice and you can replace the lm with something high quality. 300va for a dac is overkill, a dac does not need more than 2va, perhaps 3va.
i looked at the spider regulator board but its a min of 10 as the seller has none left :-(
yes i know the 300va is overkill but i have it powering my headphone amp so why not use the power rails from it is my theory
sound is in the ear of the listener so until i hear the PI2&DAC+ i wont know if i like it.
TBH its a case of getting it up and running then deciding if its worth the effort of adding better regulation/supply and other things. at the moment its only costing £70 to build so no great hardship and i get the fun of a project for a while
yes i know the 300va is overkill but i have it powering my headphone amp so why not use the power rails from it is my theory
sound is in the ear of the listener so until i hear the PI2&DAC+ i wont know if i like it.
TBH its a case of getting it up and running then deciding if its worth the effort of adding better regulation/supply and other things. at the moment its only costing £70 to build so no great hardship and i get the fun of a project for a while
The PI2 makes a great streaming client. Under certain conditions.
The power supply and regulation is not the most stable. That's correct.
However. You can do something about it.
Just hook up a good supply and play around with buffering onboard voltages.
I just attached a couple of Oscons to the 5V and 3.3V lines.
Then you need a well tweaked image to squeeze most out of it.
Have a look at the MamboBerry DAC. That DAC is externally powered and
also feeds the PI. This will make more then a decent client.
Beside that my PI2 installation (HW and SW - my own setup ) wasn't beaten
by any other computer based setup. That includes PCs running e.g. Daphile.
Bottom line. The PI2 IMO got high potenital.
But. You need to do something to squeeze most out of that device.
If you run a USB DAC on the PI2 count at least a AQ Jitterbug in.
And. I wouldn't recommend to use it as server or doing DSP work. Just plain streaming.
And. Don't run WLAN on it.
Enjoy.
The power supply and regulation is not the most stable. That's correct.
However. You can do something about it.
Just hook up a good supply and play around with buffering onboard voltages.
I just attached a couple of Oscons to the 5V and 3.3V lines.
Then you need a well tweaked image to squeeze most out of it.
Have a look at the MamboBerry DAC. That DAC is externally powered and
also feeds the PI. This will make more then a decent client.
Beside that my PI2 installation (HW and SW - my own setup ) wasn't beaten
by any other computer based setup. That includes PCs running e.g. Daphile.
Bottom line. The PI2 IMO got high potenital.
But. You need to do something to squeeze most out of that device.
If you run a USB DAC on the PI2 count at least a AQ Jitterbug in.
And. I wouldn't recommend to use it as server or doing DSP work. Just plain streaming.
And. Don't run WLAN on it.
Enjoy.
that mamboberry dac looks interesting pity its only 7vac input which means another trafo in my supply box.
i'm trying to keep things as simple as possible for umbilical between supply and player. the supply has a Troidy 4x12 300va transformer (asked them to custom build it for me) so i'm trying to keep things using it instead of adding more supply's.
i'm trying to keep things as simple as possible for umbilical between supply and player. the supply has a Troidy 4x12 300va transformer (asked them to custom build it for me) so i'm trying to keep things using it instead of adding more supply's.
Yes, i mesured it and for me wlan was by far less noisy than onboard lan. The onboard lan creates MUCH noise.
Hi Soundcheck,
What transformer would you suggest for ext power to Mamboberry? I'm not an electronics guy so if you have a Digikey (or other) link it would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Tim
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.