Hello,
I would like to know how Dacs that are not necessarily designed to go with Raspberry, like the ones from Arcam, Teac and Nad (in the 250 to 500 range price), compares with Dacs made for Raspberry like Hifi Berry, Audiophonics etc..
Another question. Is it true that USB Dacs doesnt go well with Raspberry card ?
Thanks a lot !
I would like to know how Dacs that are not necessarily designed to go with Raspberry, like the ones from Arcam, Teac and Nad (in the 250 to 500 range price), compares with Dacs made for Raspberry like Hifi Berry, Audiophonics etc..
Another question. Is it true that USB Dacs doesnt go well with Raspberry card ?
Thanks a lot !
question 2 and 3.
2) I see a lot of pics and projects from diy projetcs using RP card with Hifiberry Dac or a project of a RP card with a Hifiberry amp. My question is, can we use both the Hifiberry AND the Hifiberry amp on the same project ?
3) Reclocker question. If I understood correctly.. a Reclocker like the ALLO KALI Reclocker would improve the quality of the Rasp DiY project ?
2) I see a lot of pics and projects from diy projetcs using RP card with Hifiberry Dac or a project of a RP card with a Hifiberry amp. My question is, can we use both the Hifiberry AND the Hifiberry amp on the same project ?
3) Reclocker question. If I understood correctly.. a Reclocker like the ALLO KALI Reclocker would improve the quality of the Rasp DiY project ?
If you want to know about "a vs b" , you should compare it yourself.
Comparing a 30$ DAC and a $500 DAC should deliver expected results.
IMO most HAT Dacs in base configuration must be considered MidiFi class DACs.
Applying this or that tweak can change this situation.
One tweak would be the Kali reclocker. But that's already adding 75$ to the bill.
Add some rather good power supplies for DAC, Kali and Pi, you can add another 150$ to the bill.
RPI USB. Yes there are better USB port implementations. BUT. With a little tweaking
you can get around this issue too.
Bottom line. This discussion can go on forever and we wouldn't end up with a common conclusion.
Good luck.
Comparing a 30$ DAC and a $500 DAC should deliver expected results.
IMO most HAT Dacs in base configuration must be considered MidiFi class DACs.
Applying this or that tweak can change this situation.
One tweak would be the Kali reclocker. But that's already adding 75$ to the bill.
Add some rather good power supplies for DAC, Kali and Pi, you can add another 150$ to the bill.
RPI USB. Yes there are better USB port implementations. BUT. With a little tweaking
you can get around this issue too.
Bottom line. This discussion can go on forever and we wouldn't end up with a common conclusion.
Good luck.
Not easily, if at all.
And there are better DACs and amps for the Pi than Hifiberry. The amp, in particular, isn't a great bit of kit - look at the IQ Audio DigiAMP+, it's a much better device.
Hifiberry is having real issues with drivers and hardware compatibility with the new RPi's - wifi being affected, is one major failing.
And zero interest from Hifiberry in fixing their Amp driver to make it more amenable to apps.
Hello Soundcheck. Thanks for your help and imput.
I had to ask this question because I was seeing so much of good comments about Hat Dacs, that I thought they would compete with the Dacs I have commented above. I guess I was naive (and still). But assembling and "doing" my own sound machine still very tempting.
What would be a power supply for Kali, RP and DAC, please ?
Vielen Danke and Happy Holidays.
I had to ask this question because I was seeing so much of good comments about Hat Dacs, that I thought they would compete with the Dacs I have commented above. I guess I was naive (and still). But assembling and "doing" my own sound machine still very tempting.
What would be a power supply for Kali, RP and DAC, please ?
Vielen Danke and Happy Holidays.
Hello Zootalaws,
Thanks for the good suggestion. There is a guy on Youtube from Netherlands who makes interesting reviews. He really liked the Audiophonics Sabre Hat Dac. Your suggestion is appreciated, I will take a look at the IQ dac right now. Then there is the Mambo Dac too, that seem to be interesting. So I have the 3 had dacs to study about it now..
Thanks a lot and Happy Holidays.
Thanks for the good suggestion. There is a guy on Youtube from Netherlands who makes interesting reviews. He really liked the Audiophonics Sabre Hat Dac. Your suggestion is appreciated, I will take a look at the IQ dac right now. Then there is the Mambo Dac too, that seem to be interesting. So I have the 3 had dacs to study about it now..
Thanks a lot and Happy Holidays.
You could try a couple of inexpensive USB DACs on the Raspberry Pi and see for yourself. Boutique DACs (to me this means $500 and up) are a waste of money (in my opinion).
You can find a couple of good, small, inexpensive USB DACs that are 'plug and play' on the Pi at HiFiMeDIY:
HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC ES9023 96kHz/24bit
HiFime Sabre 9018 USB DAC
This is a much more user friendly solution than any 'HAT' type interface.
Another possibility is a USB to I2S or USB to SPDIF format dongle. Then you can connect the output to whatever DAC you want.
You can find a couple of good, small, inexpensive USB DACs that are 'plug and play' on the Pi at HiFiMeDIY:
HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC ES9023 96kHz/24bit
HiFime Sabre 9018 USB DAC
This is a much more user friendly solution than any 'HAT' type interface.
Another possibility is a USB to I2S or USB to SPDIF format dongle. Then you can connect the output to whatever DAC you want.
I got rid of my USB DACs after tinkering around with that crappy USB interface for years.
There are not that many DACs out there which wouldn't respond to USB tuning measures.
Even highly regarded DACs like the Chord Mojo benefit from USB tweaks. ( You can go much higher and still find many USB DACS that have similar issues.)
And all these USB tweaks are even more important on the PI.
All kind of USB gadgets I bought ( iPurifier2, Jitterbug etc.) - to achieve acceptable USB audio performance - are sitting idle nowadays. I don't need all that with my I2S HATs.
The PI I2S performance - with the Kali in place - IMO easily competes with the best USB-I2S interfaces out there.
As I said. I still use iFi iPower supplies. What really matters is the buffering, filtering and regulation onboard. I consider the iPower good enough for that purpose.
I've also been playing around with LiFePO4 + inmates MRAVCLA TPS7A4700 based regs.
I ended up for now using the iPower and using the TPS7A4700 as DAC LDO. ( Yep - no linear supplies - I've been also trying two of them)
Usually the overall result will (slightly) benefit from using separate supplies for each of the stacked boards.
There are not that many DACs out there which wouldn't respond to USB tuning measures.
Even highly regarded DACs like the Chord Mojo benefit from USB tweaks. ( You can go much higher and still find many USB DACS that have similar issues.)
And all these USB tweaks are even more important on the PI.
All kind of USB gadgets I bought ( iPurifier2, Jitterbug etc.) - to achieve acceptable USB audio performance - are sitting idle nowadays. I don't need all that with my I2S HATs.
The PI I2S performance - with the Kali in place - IMO easily competes with the best USB-I2S interfaces out there.
As I said. I still use iFi iPower supplies. What really matters is the buffering, filtering and regulation onboard. I consider the iPower good enough for that purpose.
I've also been playing around with LiFePO4 + inmates MRAVCLA TPS7A4700 based regs.
I ended up for now using the iPower and using the TPS7A4700 as DAC LDO. ( Yep - no linear supplies - I've been also trying two of them)
Usually the overall result will (slightly) benefit from using separate supplies for each of the stacked boards.
Hi Soundcheck,
Thank you for your valuable information. Im literally writing down and noting a lot of info I have been reading from you and few of your friends here. It is a lot of info. Few weeks ago, I thought that having my Raspberry board with a HF Dac and I would be able to have a good "Sound". Then I read about reclockers, then linear power among other stuff, without mention all the more abstract configuration on the programming/settings side.
Thanks once again.
Thank you for your valuable information. Im literally writing down and noting a lot of info I have been reading from you and few of your friends here. It is a lot of info. Few weeks ago, I thought that having my Raspberry board with a HF Dac and I would be able to have a good "Sound". Then I read about reclockers, then linear power among other stuff, without mention all the more abstract configuration on the programming/settings side.
Thanks once again.
I don't believe a word of what those people have to say (but then, I'm an electrical engineer). If you can't measure it (and RPI based DACS constantly measure just as good or better when benchmarked against very expensive stand alone one DACS), then IT'S NOT THERE...
"Audiophiles" claiming to hear a difference with a 2000 USD 1.5meter power cable are just sad f....rauds. The same people most probably won't notice the difference between coat hangers and expensive speaker cables...
"Audiophiles" claiming to hear a difference with a 2000 USD 1.5meter power cable are just sad f....rauds. The same people most probably won't notice the difference between coat hangers and expensive speaker cables...
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Show me where the stereo accessory salesman touched you, snowflake.
While you're at it, show me the results from your presence, speed and soundstage meters!
(j/k... I'm definitely a user of good-quality copper house flex over Monster and other charlatans )
I wonder when the big audio mags are going to do a proper, scientific blind test of speaker cable and interconnects and power cable?
Looking at who is paying the advertising bill, I suspect - never.
While you're at it, show me the results from your presence, speed and soundstage meters!
(j/k... I'm definitely a user of good-quality copper house flex over Monster and other charlatans
)I wonder when the big audio mags are going to do a proper, scientific blind test of speaker cable and interconnects and power cable?
Looking at who is paying the advertising bill, I suspect - never.
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Everything you want (including the values that quantify presence, speed and soundstage - essentially effects generated by the player's precise output control, btw.) can be found here
(the Hifiberry uses the same DAC as the IQAudIO, and will, therefore sound very much the same): Archimago's Musings: MEASUREMENTS: Raspberry Pi 3 & HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro (Audio Streaming)
Yeah, in the "audiophyle" quackery business one can find online a 7000 USD power cable that, guaranteed, won't be any better than your 10 USD computer power cable. Think about it: there are 30-300 meters of 20 cent/meter cable between the distribution transformer outside and the power outlet inside. They claim the're able to make a difference with the last 1.5 meters
. "The total number of correct answers was 73 out of 149, which amounts to 49% accuracy. That is no more accurate than flipping a coin, and therefore, no statistically significant detection of power cable differences.":
Welcome Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
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Given the multiple design ****-ups made by Hifiberry, I'm not sure that's true. That company will never get another cent off me.
Could you please name them? I have only used the IQAudioDAC+, and it seems to be a standard, by the book implementation of the BurrBrown PCM5122 DAC. It really sounds very good with the squeezelite player installed (24/192). My system is a fullrange horn + a tube amp, probably around 98dBm, and I can barely hear some noise with my ear against the speaker. The noise doesn't change with disconnecting the RPI player cables, it really is noiseless from all practical points of view.
I know that the Hifiberry DAC+ 's extra clocks will interfere with wlan (therefore you're forced to used only specific channels), but that shouldn't change the sound at all.
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