[gimmeheadroom]

Are any of you using USB 3.0 ports with the DI-20?

I know the difference between 2.0 and 3.0, 3.1 and gen 1 and 2 should only be speed but there are many reports of USB 3.0 not working with some devices that for some reason need USB 2.0. I thought everything was supposed to compatible but somehow it's not.. hence the question.

I'm looking at two fanless lenovos to drive the DI-20 and maybe the R-8 MK2 directly. One of them has a USB 2.0 port but not a great CPU. The other one has only USB 3.1 gen 2 ports.

 

[Jandu]

Are any of you using USB 3.0 ports with the DI-20?
?.....

Both works on a RPi4b feeding DI20 or R8

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks, I just sent the question to Kingwa since we have been emailing back and forth. He is a wonderful man who makes wonderful gear! We are so fortunate to have such a person who is an audiophile and engineering genius. And I found him very openminded also

 

[FredA]

Thanks, I just sent the question to Kingwa since we have been emailing back and forth. He is a wonderful man who makes wonderful gear! We are so fortunate to have such a person who is an audiophile and engineering genius. And I found him very openminded also

Kingwa is really nice and honest. You can always count on him for help. And of course he is a genius.

 

[sajunky]

I'm looking at two fanless lenovos to drive the DI-20 and maybe the R-8 MK2 directly. One of them has a USB 2.0 port but not a great CPU. The other one has only USB 3.1 gen 2 ports.

USB 3.x ports are more noisy. What you need great CPU for? The old Core 2 Duo CPU is sufficient for audio player, even with some EQ addons that require CPU power. Regarding new entry level CPU's, I would double check. One for a presence of 2.0 port (which is better for audio), a second concern is because on some Intel Atom CPUs (recently renamed to Celeron) are simplified USB bridges.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

USB 3.x ports are more noisy. What you need great CPU for? The old Core 2 Duo CPU is sufficient for audio player, even with some EQ addons that require CPU power. Regarding new entry level CPU's, I would double check. One for a presence of 2.0 port (which is better for audio), a second concern is because on some Intel Atom CPUs (recently renamed to Celeron) are simplified USB bridges.

As far as the 3.X ports being noisy, does the DI-20 mitigate that completely, partially, or not at all? I was expecting the DI-20 to make USB noise a non-issue. This new Windows box I'm hoping to find will sit on the rack. It will do away with the contentious 5M USB cable

I'm not sure I need a great CPU just for audio. To be honest I have no idea what kind of clocks are good enough for running Tidal or Deezer desktop apps etc.

But I thought also to use this fanless box for watching youtube since I don't have any TV or Android box.

I realize I could get a cheap RPI and set it up to stream flac off my LAN but I want foobar to play my SACD rips, access to the desktop apps of the streaming services I have and a way to watch youtube all in one box. So Windows with some amount of power is probably the best single box solution.

 

[sajunky]

I'm not sure I need a great CPU just for audio. To be honest I have no idea what kind of clocks are good enough for running Tidal or Deezer desktop apps etc.

But I thought also to use this fanless box for watching youtube since I don't have any TV or Android box.

I realize I could get a cheap RPI and set it up to stream flac off my LAN but I want foobar to play my SACD rips, access to the desktop apps of the streaming services I have and a way to watch youtube all in one box. So Windows with some amount of power is probably the best single box solution.

Not a CPU power (again). For a video player you need the latest CPU or a modern graphics card (nVidia GT1030 or later). Anything that has a hardware-based codec for H.265 and VP9 and a relevant HDMI output specification for your TV resolution. Remember that software based decoder is not good, even with the strongest CPU. Take it under consideration if you want to play movies on PC.

Intel was late incorporating hardware codecs in their CPU's, they tried software implementation, it didn't work. It is why you need the latest CPU or the modern graphics accelerator.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Not a CPU power (again). For a video player you need the latest CPU or a modern graphics card (nVidia GT1030 or later). Anything that has a hardware-based codec for H.265 and VP9 and a relevant HDMI output specification for your TV resolution. Remember that software based decoder is not good, even with the strongest CPU. Take it under consideration if you want to play movies on PC.

Thanks. Here are links to the two fanless boxes I can get here. I'll use display port rather than HDMI since I've got a disc player already running HDMI into the monitor. It's not 4K as I hardly watch anything but tech videos on youtube. Not much of a video guy.

This one uses AMD Athlon Silver 3050e
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/deskto...ano-series/ThinkCentre-M75n-IoT/p/WMD00000408

This one
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/deskto...s/ThinkCentre-M90n-IoT/p/thinkcentre-m90n-iot
is sold here with Intel Core i3-8145U instead of the CPU listed on the site.

 

[Jandu]

Thanks. Here are links to the two fanless boxes I can get here. I'll use displ.....

[/QUOTE]

If you are using it only for the purposes intended, a RPi4B would cost you less than half and be able to provide you all of the functions that you want with less power consumption, less cost and most of all a better sound. That's including a nice and clean power supply to go with the RPi4b.

The only thing that it does not do is using Foobar, but you have other software which can do the same function for server music/SACD files from your LAN/NAS.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

If you are using it only for the purposes intended, a RPi4B would cost you less than half and be able to provide you all of the functions that you want with less power consumption, less cost and most of all a better sound. That's including a nice and clean power supply to go with the RPi4b.

I don't know of a way to use Tidal or Deezer desktop apps except on Windows. Are you saying a PC -> DI-20 > R8MK2 is not going to sound as good as RPI > R8MK2?

The only thing that it does not do is using Foobar, but you have other software which can do the same function for server music/SACD files from your LAN/NAS.

I don't know of any options for playing SACD ISO or DSD from Linux. I had mixed results trying to use mplayer and VLC. Do you have some suggestions for apps?

 

[sajunky]

Thanks. Here are links to the two fanless boxes I can get here. I'll use display port rather than HDMI since I've got a disc player already running HDMI into the monitor. It's not 4K as I hardly watch anything but tech videos on youtube. Not much of a video guy.

This one uses AMD Athlon Silver 3050e
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/deskto...ano-series/ThinkCentre-M75n-IoT/p/WMD00000408

This one
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/deskto...s/ThinkCentre-M90n-IoT/p/thinkcentre-m90n-iot
is sold here with Intel Core i3-8145U instead of the CPU listed on the site.

I don't know about AMD implementation. There is USB 2.0 port, but I am not aware of any user feedback. As for displaying movies, AMD keep silent on that, I would have to search for. PM if you want.

A second one has no USB 2.0 port. On the other side it is fully adequate for playing movies, even up to 4K (except HDMI is limited to Full HD, but you will be using DisplayPort, which is fine). From the Wikichip page:
- Direct 3D 12 (on Windows 10)
- HEVC (H.265) profile Main, Main 10, Level 5.1, max resolution 4K
- VP9 profile 0, 2, max resolution 4K
- H.264, VC1 ...

Good choice for movies. HD Graphics 620 is the first Intel implementation offering full set of hardware codecs.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I don't know about AMD implementation. There is USB 2.0 port, but I am not aware of any user feedback. As for displaying movies, AMD keep silent on that, I would have to search for. PM if you want.

A second one has no USB 2.0 port. On the other side it is fully adequate for playing movies, even up to 4K (except HDMI is limited to Full HD, but you will be using DisplayPort, which is fine). From the Wikichip page:
- Direct 3D 12 (on Windows 10)
- HEVC (H.265) profile Main, Main 10, Level 5.1, max resolution 4K
- VP9 profile 0, 2, max resolution 4K
- H.264, VC1 ...

Good choice for movies. HD Graphics 620 is the first Intel implementation offering full set of hardware codecs.

Notebook check says the cheaper one uses onboard Radeon RX Vega 3 graphics. I guess it should be fine since video is not a priority.

 

[Jandu]

I don't know of a way to use Tidal or Deezer desktop apps except on Windows. Are you saying a PC -> DI-20 > R8MK2 is not going to sound as good as RPI > R8MK2?


I don't know of any options for playing SACD ISO or DSD from Linux. I had mixed results trying to use mplayer and VLC. Do you have some suggestions for apps?

Just to clarify, for the same amount of money spent on PC, a RPi set up would result in better sound quality. I am just trying to say, the PC links that you have provided, you can get better sound quality with a RPi set up. I am not saying that PC is not as good as RPi.

For the same money under $1000 limit, PC - DI20 - R8 is not going to sound as good as RPi - DI20 - R8.

Tidal can be set up in MoOde(moodeaudio.org) which can be used to play flac and DSF files.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks, I may eventually try the PI but Windows is more convenient for the things I want to do. Also, I need a box close to the R8 that can flash firmware.

I'm not sure why the PI should sound better but I have no info either way.

 

[falcon70]

Just to clarify, for the same amount of money spent on PC, a RPi set up would result in better sound quality. I am just trying to say, the PC links that you have provided, you can get better sound quality with a RPi set up. I am not saying that PC is not as good as RPi.

For the same money under $1000 limit, PC - DI20 - R8 is not going to sound as good as RPi - DI20 - R8.

Tidal can be set up in MoOde(moodeaudio.org) which can be used to play flac and DSF files.

My recommendation is the RPI based Mano Ultra streamer produced by Magna Hifi.
It has Fully re clocked I2S output, costs about 1000 USD.
https://magnahifi.com/mano-ultra-music-streamer-high-res/