Best Source for DirectStream/PWD

Audio Components DACs
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Pulling the trigger on the pink faun a/v streamer with 12TB of storage and the MCH i2S card. Bit of a roll of the dice, but I’m pretty confident my number will come up. Should be able to report in a few weeks.

302

Hello all,

just wanted to report a test I did to connect my DirectStream to a Raspberry Pi (Model 2 B) through I2S hdmi output module from Audio-GD, all connected by a custom made connector.

It works flawlessly for both PCM and DSD!

I compared to my SOtM sms-100 : no difference at all.

Except that the Pi boots faster and is cheaper ;o)

Details :

The release I used is PiCorePlayer, the connector is a stripped 40 pins cable and connector, from which I pulled the cables I needed and soldered them on the back of the Audio-GD I2S output module.

wiring: pin 1 goes to 3.3V power, pin 12 goes to Bit Clock (BCK), pin 34 goes to Master CLock (MCK), pin 35 goes to Frame Clock (WCK), pin 39 goes to ground and pin 40 goes to DATA.

Settings in PiCorePlayer : select standard I2S output and add -D into “Various input”

Cheers,

Charles

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This is very interesting. Thanks for posting. Would it be valuable to share the source code?

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sure, although I have nothing to do with the code !

You can find information on PiCorePlayer release here: https://sites.google.com/site/picoreplayer/home (and files)

The only configuration I had to do was select the I2S Standard output and set “-D” in “Various input” option field. And save the config ;o)

305

Picoreplayer is just another squeezelite version.

Associated with a LMS server (like Daphile) and ios Ipeng app, it’s terrific. With the new Ickstream plugin http://blog.ickstream.com/, you can now use many streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal on the same interface.
I dream for a squeezelite compatibility for the bridge since a long time. It’s open source and all the ecosystem is already here. SOTM, ANTIPODE AUDIO and SONORE already use it with great success. Call Triode developer and come on Guys happy-132_gif

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alberge said Picoreplayer is just another squeezelite version.

Associated with a LMS server (like Daphile) and ios Ipeng app, it’s terrific. With the new Ickstream plugin http://blog.ickstream.com/, you can now use many streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal on the same interface.
I dream for a squeezelite compatibility for the bridge since a long time. It’s open source and all the ecosystem is already here. SOTM, ANTIPODE AUDIO and SONORE already use it with great success. Call Triode developer and come on Guys


I use the standard and free app Logitech squeezebox remote, what’ a the advantage if Ipeng?

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It’s more modern and intuitive with many more options (too much ?)

But for me the first strengthts are:

  • you can customs shortcuts, like the very useful “new” music

  • your iOS become a squeezebox if you enter your server IP

308

This is very interesting. I wondered what some of the commercial servers were using for software.

309

Antipode are really well regarded servers. They choosed squeezelite over MPD. Orange Squeeze seems to be a very good Android interface.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/04/squeezelite-brings-spotify-better-sound-to-antipodes-dsdx/

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took a picture of the board, connected to the pi through cut-out 40 pins ribbon. Relevant cables are soldered below the board, to the protruding pins of the original white connector.

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Linvincible said took a picture of the board, connected to the pi through cut-out 40 pins ribbon. Relevant cables are soldered below the board, to the protruding pins of the original white connector.

Nice, clean work :) Thank you for sharing, now I finally have reason to try it

Would you have any chance to compare SQ to the Bridge or Aries? Do you have any special PSU for the PI?

Hifiberry Digi I own was inferior to the bridge, though it was connected via spdif or toslink, no the i2s…

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maniac said

Nice, clean work :) Thank you for sharing, now I finally have reason to try it

Would you have any chance to compare SQ to the Bridge or Aries? Do you have any special PSU for the PI?

Hifiberry Digi I own was inferior to the bridge, though it was connected via spdif or toslink, no the i2s…


Thanks :)

I have a small linear power supply for the pi and a bigger one for the SOtM so they were all on linear power supplies.

I only have an SOtM sms-100 to compare to. I had both running in synchronized mode (feature from LMS) and could switch the input from USB (SOtM) to I2S (Pi) from the DS remote.

Couldn’t tell the difference. I think this verifies the input agnosticity of the DS!

Since the jitter is supposed not to be good from the Pi especially on 44.1 multiples, we have to thank Ted for his ultra efficient jitter reduction tech!

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thanks @linvicible :) I just sent out email to GD-Audio team asking for quote for two i2s hdmi output modules .

I guess the Linear PS you have to power RPI is helping with the SQ too. I will start with iPad power adapter and then maybe will search for some clean LPS within reasonable price range… :)

Are you having the original RPI, or the new RPI2 ?

314

Hi All in PS Audio land

I’m in Australia so I don’t have easy access to all the lovely toys you folks in the USA have.

I’m currently running my CA from 3Tb Passport USB drive ->Asus laptop/Win7/JRiver20/ ->Paul Pang Audio Red II USB cable -> DSD.

I don’t stream audio over the internet because internet where I live is 700Kb/sec. I only playback in stereo and don’t have a TV or projector so I’m pretty basic. I listen to Vinyl, RB(via PWT) and now CA.

I’ve reported elsewhere here of continuous “clicking and popping” noises whenever I use the CA. I’ve tried changing buffer size(>to maximum) in the USB driver, in JR and optimising the Win7 OS for audio playback without any improvement.

Therefore I’m considering purchasing a dedicated streamer device and have come down to possibly 2 products;

Auralic Aries (AUD 2200.00) or possibly

Pink Faun Streamer (~2000-3000 landed, depending on configuration)

I discounted the Antipodes products because of cost / >AUD 5K

I’ve seen some discussion of the AA but not anything about PF but I’m looking at that based on positive comments for PF products in these forums. Does anyone have any experience with the PF Streamer / SQ?

I look forward to your comments. I’ll probably be in the cave trying to eliminate pops and clicks or just listening to RB and vinyl

Regards Frank

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Linvincible said
maniac said

Nice, clean work :) Thank you for sharing, now I finally have reason to try it

Would you have any chance to compare SQ to the Bridge or Aries? Do you have any special PSU for the PI?

Hifiberry Digi I own was inferior to the bridge, though it was connected via spdif or toslink, no the i2s…

Thanks :)

I have a small linear power supply for the pi and a bigger one for the SOtM so they were all on linear power supplies.

I only have an SOtM sms-100 to compare to. I had both running in synchronized mode (feature from LMS) and could switch the input from USB (SOtM) to I2S (Pi) from the DS remote.

Couldn’t tell the difference. I think this verifies the input agnosticity of the DS!

Since the jitter is supposed not to be good from the Pi especially on 44.1 multiples, we have to thank Ted for his ultra efficient jitter reduction tech!

I just bought a Raspberry Pi 2 (8gb SD card) on Friday, after seeing that it allows control of the 40 GPIO pins and costs about $55 in Oz. Another $25 for some power (not sure whether linear or not) and a clear case. I have delusions of having 32 running in parallels, for a $1500 computer with 128 cores of compute power…

I’ve got some old Mac Mini’s laying around, but I hoped there might be an audio application in there somewhere. Say, in case, I never did anything at all about the parallel computer…

Thanks for posting all this - I’ve got a rule about “no new projects” right now (and bought the Pi 2 anyway…);

you’ve given a springboard and a known point to which I can reach when I get the Pi 2 underway.

Cheers !

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frank7036 said

Auralic Aries (AUD 2200.00) or possibly

Pink Faun Streamer (~2000-3000 landed, depending on configuration)

Regards Frank


I own a Pink Faun AV streamer and I can highly recommend it. I never heard anything comes close. Not even their own A Streamer.

Regards, Wijnand

317

Hi Wijnand,

thank you for the reply. Can you elaborate why the AV streamer is better than their audio streamer?

i have no use for AV but if there is a noticeable improvement without too much price increase I might consider it. I also noticed that a couple of weeks back that Edorr said he was also purchasing the a/v streamer.

cheers. Frank

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The Aries works very well and was a big improvement over my Mac Mini over USB. I’ve never heard the Pink Faun unit so cannot compare the two. The PSA Bridge 2 should be out in the not too distant future and also sounds very good.

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stevem2 said The Aries works very well and was a big improvement over my Mac Mini over USB. I've never heard the Pink Faun unit so cannot compare the two. The PSA Bridge 2 should be out in the not too distant future and also sounds very good.
How does the Aries compare to Bridge 2? I realize Bridge 2 is still being worked on.
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I am holding off on doing any comparison’s until Bridge 2 is optimized for sound quality (that includes optimizing the DS firmware; we are using a modified version of Pike’s Peak but that has not been optimized either as it keeps changing). So far we are still focusing on functionality. For what it’s worth, one beta tester recently sold his Aries. If you have a Bridge 1 there should be a significant trade-in allowance which should make B2 significantly less than the Aries. On the other hand, the Aries does things B2 will not, including double rate DSD and being able to play off of an attached USB drive with no computer (other than the Aries) running.