AudioNervosa
Systemic Development => Digital Audio Devices => Topic started by: djdube525 on September 12, 2016, 10:42:51 AM
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Was wondering if anyone (HAL) has built a Raspberry PI using one of the bolt on DAC modules as a music server and/or player...
Was wondering if people tended to store music locally on the microSD card or pointed the PI to a network storage and ran that way... thoughts?
Any experience with various DAC modules?
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Dave,
Mike (mfsoa) has built one and uses it as replacement for Squeezebox. I know he posted something about it but I cannot seem to find it.
I found the Mike's post on Audiocircle (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=140786.msg1500865#msg1500865)
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I built one running a Linux player and my DIY USB AK4490 DAC with good results. I just attached a USB drive with my library for replay. Worked fine for headphones. I tried Moode and it worked, but had to do some manual inputs to get the DAC working.
For the multichannel crossover and HiRez DAC I need a PC running Windows.
Did not try the other DAC's.
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Hifiberry looks interesting
https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/
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Hifiberry looks interesting
https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/
Yeah... that was one of the two I was looking at...
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Dave,
Mike (mfsoa) has built one and uses it as replacement for Squeezebox. I know he posted something about it but I cannot seem to find it.
I found the Mike's post on Audiocircle (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=140786.msg1500865#msg1500865)
Thanks Deepak... that's quite helpful!
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I built one running a Linux player and my DIY USB AK4490 DAC with good results. I just attached a USB drive with my library for replay. Worked fine for headphones. I tried Moode and it worked, but had to do some manual inputs to get the DAC working.
For the multichannel crossover and HiRez DAC I need a PC running Windows.
Did not try the other DAC's.
I was thinking of potentially repurposing a 100GB SSD I have laying around, but then got to thinking... it's amazing what you can find in a micro sd card... 200GB for around $80... granted, an external drive would get you much more capacity, but a micro sd card would be a little bit "cleaner"...
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Yes, they are getting bigger all the time. I just got a 2TB OCZ SSD for my MS-3 for under $400 as a refurb. That will hold all my library for awhile.
The HiFiBerry DAC+ with the TI PCM5122 DAC looks interesting if you can access the digital filters. There are two types that are not linear phase. These are similar to the AK4490 DAC filters I used in my DIY USB DAC.
I already have large SSD's, so was easier to use them than to get larger micro's. The one microSD slot drive has the OS as well to run the machine. You should be able to reclaim the space after it boots and loads the OS if it is allowed.
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Hifiberry looks interesting
https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/
Yeah... that was one of the two I was looking at...
Mods?
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/285811-hifiberry-dac-pro-hw-mods-anybody.html
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My Pis have been mating like bunnies - I now have 3 going into my Marantz SA8005. My tunes are on an external USB drive going into a PC - no NAS. Mostly Redbook, some HiRez, no DSD (barely). I already had Ethernet going to the system so I added a 5-way switch near the rack to feed the Pis.
1) Rasp Pi II, with Hifiberry Digi+: This guy runs Moode Audio. I don't really neeeed this one, but I really like the Moode interface and how it is so sweet to select among the various pre-programmed (100? 200?) radio stations. At this time I only use it for internet radio. It's the only way I can get the fantastic Czech classical station, which broadcasts in better-than-cd quality (16/48) to my main rig. There are many stations broadcasting at 320K, and even the ones at 128 are very listenable. If I get around to it I'll map Moode to the USB drive so I can get to all my music to it. Or, I can just pop my backup USB drive into it and have a cute lil' MPD-based server. Moode can resample, so I usually bump everything to 192K, cuz why not? I use the optical out on this guy. Using a 2.5A CanaKit switching pwr supply.
2) R Pi III, with no other board, so USB out only. No wireless used. I currently have the demo of HQPlayer on this guy. I recently upgraded my PC as part of this nefarious plan, so I have no problem doing any of HQPlayer's advanced filtering/upsampling/DSD conversion. I'll probably use this one to upsample everything to 2X DSD. The HQPlayer interface is pretty primitive so this setup is for the really serious listening. Sounds great. Using a Jerome linear pwr supply I used to use w/ my Touch. [edit - using this as an HQPlayer NAA device]
3) R Pi III. w/ Digi+. No wireless used.: This guy runs PiCorePlayer, an excellent program that turns your Pi into a Squeezebox. This Pi is now integrated with the 4-5 other Squeezeboxen around the house, so it fits perfectly into the ecosystem my wife is used to. PiCorePlayer allows for an unholy range of filtering options. Linear or minimum phase? Bah humbug - You can pick, from 0 to 50 , exactly how much linear or minimum phase behavior you want. Many many more "behind the scenes" options, which made me realize that we don't listen to the sound of a dac as much as listen to the filtering choice the designer made (oversimplification but good food for thought...). I find Tidal works well through this Pi so when I re-do my subscription I'll use this Pi for Tidal. Got a nice beefy metal case for this one (seen on Hifiberry site). Using a 2.5A CanaKit switching pwr supply.
Now, I know you are all saying Mike Mike Mike why don't you just buy a microRendu, which will do the Squeezebox, DLNA and HQPlayer thing with one box? Well, its $700 for a teeny-weeny computer but is supposed to outperform the Pis handily. Oh well, maybe someday. I think I can turn some of these Pis into DLNA devices, so I could plumb JRiver to them too.
And you are also saying Mike, why don't you just use Roon to control HQPlayer? Well, that's $500. See a theme? Going for bang and fun for the buck lately.
That's the setup for now. I will gladly help anyone with any questions, although I am no expert (I just know how to use Google)
Its important to say that I DO NOT KNOW LINUX!! NONE of the above setups have required any Linux knowledge. You just need to know how to download, unzip, and copy the pre-made Linux image files onto a micro SD card.
Fun. New music. Win.
-Mike
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My Pis have been mating like bunnies - I now have 3 going into my Marantz SA8005.
Never thought of feeding a CD player inputs... so it's acting as your DAC... right?
2) R Pi III, with no other board, so USB out only.
So this goes to the marantz via USB... does PI 1 & 3 also do that? Why have the HiFiBerry then? Or are you using it for optical out?
And you are also saying Mike, why don't you just use Roon to control HQPlayer? Well, that's $500. See a theme? Going for bang and fun for the buck lately.
I was wondering where the $500 came into play, but I figured out that's the lifetime membership fee. I hear ya.
Can you run multiple "apps" concurrently on a PI as opposed to each being dedicated appliance?
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The Marantz is a CD/SACD disk spinner that also has digital optical, spfif coax, and USB inputs, so it is my DAC as well.
One Pi USB, one Pi optical, one Pi coax.
AFAIK the Pi runs one program at a time. To load a program you pop in the micro SD card, attach Ethermet and plug it in. If you have two cards, one say with PiCorePlayer and one with Moode, you can change the program running on the Pi in less than a minute.
-Mike
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Another DAC HAT for Pi:
http://www.collybia.com/
Well regarded:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/295880-mamboberry-ls-my-new-pi-hat.html
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Ran across this article today. Looks like a lot of info on setting up RPi system.
http://www.hifizine.com/2016/06/pidisk-inexpensive-raspberry-pi-music-server/
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Ran across this article today. Looks like a lot of info on setting up RPi system.
http://www.hifizine.com/2016/06/pidisk-inexpensive-raspberry-pi-music-server/
This article may be intimidating to some (like me) who don't know Linux. From the very start he has you doing all kinda Linux-programmy stuff which I'm sure is as simple to those familiar with it as it is intimidating to those who aren't. So take the good bits from the article, of which there are many, but don't get bogged by the programming.
I just want to stress that the three programs I have on my three Pis did not require one speck of Linux programming to install, configure and use.
-Mike
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Finally got a USB DAC (yay) so I'm shopping for Pi parts.
Does RPi 3B have a slot for SD card, or does it require a USB>MicroSD card reader to be able to use SD memory card, like this:
(https://www.hifiberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/goobay-sd.jpg)
Thanks!
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Why yes, it does have a slot. twhs
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Rich,
PI 3 has SD card a slot. You will need the USB to SD adapter to initially write the image but once you have it written you take the SD card and plug it into PI3.
You will also need some image writer. I use Rufus.
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Finally got a USB DAC (yay) so I'm shopping for Pi parts.
(https://www.hifiberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/goobay-sd.jpg)
Thanks!
Hey Rich... did you get one of the PI daughter board DACs (pHAT), or is it a standalone USB DAC?
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Dave, it's a standalone USB DAC, auralic vega.
D, thanks!
What about power supply for the RPi? Is the official RPi wart good enough or upgrade matters? Pi has switching regulators onboard anyway, so I don't want to go crazy.
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Rich,
I have not tried different power supplies but I have one of the 5v Jerome linear supply that I currently use with Squeezebox classic that I plan to use with RPi once I get RPi setup as replacement SB, especially show how to use ipeng or squeezecommander to the kids, since they are the primary users of the SB right now in living room.
I believe Mike has tried different power supplies and his preference is to use the linear.
Which USB dac did you end up with?
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I thought a few folks were using the iFi Audio 5V Linear Power Supply
Link to Product on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Audio-iPower-Adapter-International-Travel/dp/B01GNNXP0Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486120057&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=5v+ifi-audio+linear+power+supply)
Edit:
Link to product on iFi Audio (http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/accessory-ipower/)
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Deepak, the DAC is Auralic Vega. Only had it one day, but so far wowza!
Dave, that iPower looks awesome, thanks, I'll get that.
How big should be the microSD card? 8, 16 or 32GB?
All these Pi distros like Moode, Volumio, Rune, etc they all have the OS built in, right?
Thanks!
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I have been using 16gb cards.
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Thanks D
The iFi iPower has a barrel connector that won't plug into Pi. So I guess you would solder a jack to the GPIO power input pins. Folks on diyaudio said the Pi PS is not as important as a HAT PS, where the DAC and analog lives. One guy said the iPower only has 5.0v which causes the low voltage warning signal on screen during Pi bootup. The official Pi wart is 5.25v on microUSB plug. I think I'll get that for now.
Thanks for all the great advice guys!
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I got CanaKit Pi3B with PS and heatsinks, SD card, SD reader, Case, for $71. :D Hard to believe. :thumb:
I ordered everything from Amazon with free same day delivery. Never tried same day before. Do you think it will really arrive today? Out here with the cows and horses? Obviously I need to get out more. :roll:
Better get my shotgun
(http://www.techworm.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/349-drone-shooting.jpg)
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Rich,
You can get barrel adapter to micro usb adapter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019CXCHNS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
or
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G6EBGWO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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D beat me to it...I use a barrel adapter from my Jerome to one of my Pis. Can't say I've done much comparative listening - gets in the way of enjoying music no?
Seriously considering the new Wyred4Sound 4-channel linear power supply. I'd power my 3 Pis with 3 of the 4 channels, and my Wyred Recovery with the other. Or my network switch...
Funny aside... - I gave Tommy O' (Digital Amp Company) the idea to build EXACTLY what the wyred power supply is months before I ever heard of it, as a great product for DAC...
Here is the text message from 16Sep (I think I tipped one or two down prior...): "OK here's your next project. Linear power supply. 1,2,3,4 etc. outputs. However many the client wants. Each channels variable by the user with the voltage displayed on the screen. Custom istall any connector. Size of transformer increases with number of outputs. Make it like 3 to 18 volts" I swear Wyred intercepted this text message and stole my idea!! It's weird how I saw the exact Wyred product in my head. Guess that means I gotta buy.
-Mike
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Rich,
Did you say what software you'll run on the Pi?
-Mike
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It would be great if there were cheaper linear supply. The other one to look at is the HDPlex one