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Introducing the Hermes-Amanero

I have several projects underway at the moment. The simplest is adding a sub to my existing system. Crossover, volume, and delay handled upstream by plugins to pure music.

1. The Mac OS allows the creation of a virtual interface made of separate interfaces. Currently an Amanero and the built in mini digital output. However the Mac doesn't seem to recognize two Amanero boards at the same time. Thoughts?

2. I also notice that there is a 4 channel version of the firmware available for the Amanero. That may be the best solution for 4 channel audio. Has anyone tried it?
 
Apparently you give up the ability to pass DSD but I only listen to PCM so no worries there. The second PCM data appears on the DSDOE line. Is this the signal that normally passes unisolated through the Hermes to the Cronus to switch between PCM and DSD, or is this signal just ignored not even passion through the Hermes? If it is the flag to switch modes would I pull it up or down to permanently select PCM? My thought would be to feed a teleporter substituting the DSDO (new PCM data) for the standard Data line. The sub would then have its own isolated I2S but without the benefit of reclocking unless there would be a way to add a second cronus?

The perhaps less risky way would be to simply use a second Amanero and combine the two interfaces as an aggregate in AudioMidi on the MAC. Unfortunately a second Amanero isn't recognized. Has anyone changed the name and ID of an Amanero and been able for multiple interfaces to be recognized?
 
Hermes Outputs

What are the output header pin labels for the Hermes board? I don't want reclocking, just the Amanero and isolation. So I have an Amanero and a Hermes board. The Amanero outputs are labeled but Hermes isn't. I guess most people use the Cronus board with this package for reclocking and therefore use Cronus's outputs.


For my DAC all I need is the Bit clock, LR clock, data, and GND along with isolated 3.3V and GND. Which pins are these on the Heremes output? Thanks in advance, for any help.
 
What are the output header pin labels for the Hermes board? I don't want reclocking, just the Amanero and isolation. So I have an Amanero and a Hermes board. The Amanero outputs are labeled but Hermes isn't. I guess most people use the Cronus board with this package for reclocking and therefore use Cronus's outputs.


For my DAC all I need is the Bit clock, LR clock, data, and GND along with isolated 3.3V and GND. Which pins are these on the Heremes output? Thanks in advance, for any help.

Hermes-BBB/hermes-bbb-schematic.pdf at master * twistedpearaudio/Hermes-BBB * GitHub

Output connector pinout of Hermes BBB and Hermes Amanero is the same.

Regards

Antonio
 
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Hi,
I'm trying Amanero new firmware 'SLAVE_1081/2006be10' that should fix noise problem with Linux when up-sample PCM to DSD512.
But I get lots of noise, also on DSD256 and also when no music playing.
But if I shift to only play 44k all is stable.
Have anyone successful use SLAVE_1081/2006be10 with DSD256/DSD512 in linux with Amanero/Cronus?
Just want to verify that firmware is stable and that I might have some other issues.

PS: If someone like to try, when flash Configuration bits "replace the PID 071a with PID 0a23 on the editbox on top of the Amenaro Configtool window. I got "audio device not recognized" otherwise.


thanks Micke
 
Clocks...

Hi,
I'm trying Amanero new firmware 'SLAVE_1081/2006be10' that should fix noise problem with Linux when up-sample PCM to DSD512.
But I get lots of noise, also on DSD256 and also when no music playing.
But if I shift to only play 44k all is stable.
Have anyone successful use SLAVE_1081/2006be10 with DSD256/DSD512 in linux with Amanero/Cronus?
Just want to verify that firmware is stable and that I might have some other issues.

PS: If someone like to try, when flash Configuration bits "replace the PID 071a with PID 0a23 on the editbox on top of the Amenaro Configtool window. I got "audio device not recognized" otherwise.


thanks Micke

What clocks are you using? If you are using the 45.1584 MHz clock, you may need to use 90.3168 MHz clock to support DSD 512 with the Cronus. Russ can confirm, but I think you might need faster clocks for DSD 512, especially if running the Day synchronously...
Can anyone confirm?
 
Hi,
I'm trying Amanero new firmware 'SLAVE_1081/2006be10' that should fix noise problem with Linux when up-sample PCM to DSD512.
But I get lots of noise, also on DSD256 and also when no music playing.
But if I shift to only play 44k all is stable.
Have anyone successful use SLAVE_1081/2006be10 with DSD256/DSD512 in linux with Amanero/Cronus?
Just want to verify that firmware is stable and that I might have some other issues.

PS: If someone like to try, when flash Configuration bits "replace the PID 071a with PID 0a23 on the editbox on top of the Amenaro Configtool window. I got "audio device not recognized" otherwise.


thanks Micke


Same problem here with Slave_for_1081 and 2006be10: lot of noises (tipical of unsynchronized clocks) when playing any kind of DSD and PCM over 192khz; Audio device not found when writing configuration bits. So it seems these 2 problems are related. Obviously i followed amanero and Russ directions closely, but no luck.
Did someone find a solution?

N.B. I also find that replacing 071a with 0a23 seems to permit configuration bits flashing, but the playback doesn't change: no DSD, no <192khz PCM. The same can be obtained if you erase Audio device address completely, so i think in both ways that's not a correctly accomplished flash...
More, in linux aplay says about my Amanero with 2006be10 firmware that it doesn't support DSD - that is quite strange, because using 2006be10 it should... What's wrong? Incomplete fw flash?
 
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Luca,
my problem was that I had somehow manage to set SW2 positions 5 - 8, e.g DPLL to lowest value. When I changed to highest most insensitive mode, (0b1111) I could play DSD256 with Slave_for_1081 and 2006be10 without any problem with noise. Been stable since then. I have not tried to gradually decrease DPLL until I can't keep a good lock again, to see what the lowest value might be. Must try that.

regards Micke
 
I've had the Hermes/Amanero/B3SE working in Sync mode but have now switched back to the standard firmware. Its been a while since I messed with the DAC, I thought I reconfigured it correctly but oddly when I play 44.4k tracks it's fine but with 96k it plays slow, as if the clock on the Cronus isn't switching. I am probably forgetting something, this is what I did:

1) Replaced the B3SE Pro sync firmware with stock async
2) Removed the master clock connection from Cronus to B3
3) Put the VDD_XO Trident back in

I have both clocks populated (45 and 49) on the Cronus. I'm rather stumped with the problem.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you
 
Just to add a few items.

When playing 96k source the Amanero reports 96k through it's F0, F1 and F2 lines. That's when playing the track through Audirvana 3.5 on a Mac running Catalina. If I use Apple Music for some reason it seems to down sample to 44k.

I am now wondering if the issue is software / OS related.
 
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I want to experiment with powering the Amanero with it's own 5V supply not from the USB bus. I have a Analog devices USB isolator eval board EVAL-ADuM4160EBZ . It isolates the data lines and also allows you to experiment with powering both the upstream and downsteam sides with external power supplies or from the bus as well, or any combo of both. Since this will isolate the signal prior to reaching the Amanero and then it's isolated again through the Hermes, does anyone see an issue with this?
 
After ditching the Hermes/BBB in favour of a (what I hoped would be) a simpler solution, I have swapped them for a Amanero/Hermes combination.
I flashed the Amanero with 2006be11, and Slave for CPLD_1081. I set the config bits as per page 1 successfully and Windows recognised the Amanero, as did Foobar.
However, after plugging everything in, I get no lock. Any troubleshooting pointers? I'm fairly confident that the Amanero is OK as I was able to flash it. The Cronus worked fine with the Hermes/BBB, so maybe a problem with the new Hermes board?
 
I posted over in the Cronus but this may be more relevant here.

I have the Cronus mounted with 45/49 clocks.
With CPLD=`Slave_for_1080` and CPU=`firmware_1096c` (and updated config bits) I don't get a lock and foobar is stuck.

If I revert back to` CPLD_for_1080` then I get a lock and music plays fine. I'm assuming in this case Cronus isn't doing anything?
What could be the issue?

I'm not getting a lock with any CPLD or firmware. Disconnecting the Amanaero from the board, I have tried CPLD=`Slave_for_1080` and CPU=`firmware_1096c, changed the config bits - all exactly as described on page 1. When I try to play something through Foobar, it gets stuck (I have tried both ASIO drivers).
I'm now thinking the problem is with the Amanero, but have no idea how to fix it.
 
At Pin 6 (MCLK), I get just over 0.8V when everything is connected and attempting to play music, which is half what it should be (according to Domenico). The LEDs on my Tridents etc, dim slightly when I start to play the track, presumably indicating something is happening, but still no lock.

Any ideas, anyone? I'm a bit stumped at this point.
 
Is there any real benefit to the Cronus, if I only need one clock from source to DAC?

The digital setup will be PC -> Opus. Would I gain anything with PC -> Amenero -> Hermes -> Cronus -> Opus, vs PC -> Amenero -> Hermes -> Opus? It looks like a useless extra step, for that configuration.

I already have a working, but unused, Cronus and Opus, so the cost wouldn't be any different (BBB setup has been replaced w/ a Pi, Kali reclocker, and Curryman DAC).
 
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Is there any real benefit to the Cronus, if I only need one clock from source to DAC?

IF you only need one clock, AND the one you have is the correct frequency for the signal, then Cronus doesn't help.
The digital setup will be PC -> Opus. Would I gain anything with PC -> Amenero -> Hermes -> Cronus -> Opus, vs PC -> Amenero -> Hermes -> Opus? It looks like a useless extra step, for that configuration.
[IMO] PC -> DAC is from 'the bad old days' - that setup has been long surpassed. There are benefits to isolating the I2S signal (Hermes) and there are benefits to clocking the synchronous signal without splitting cycles (Cronus). These two methods have driven widespread improvements to the quality of rendering in digital audio. It remains for you to decide which technologies you 'need'. Why not test with your intended output stage and headphones, etc. and let the ears decide? :)