fliz
100+ Head-Fier
This is precisely why going the DIY route w/ a RPi5 is preferable to using a PC.
A high quality linear power supply for a RPi5 is much easier to build and far less costly than a PS for an ATX motherboard.
Audiophile PC vs Streamer
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This is precisely why going the DIY route w/ a RPi5 is preferable to using a PC.
A high quality linear power supply for a RPi5 is much easier to build and far less costly than a PS for an ATX motherboard.
You should do bridge RPi5 to a RPi streamer using diretta protocol if you really want to maximize this approach. Skip PC altogether in this scenario
fliz
100+ Head-Fier
I'm not sure I follow. A single RPi5 running LibreELEC (a JeOS that runs Kodi) is sufficient by itself, w/o any need for a PC. What is the purpose of running a second Pi?
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To avoid using a PC using diretta protocol (Windows PC can also be configured to be a diretta host, but IMHO, an RPi5 with LPS is a better diretta host). Your RPi5 (with GentooPlayer) will be the diretta host while your other RPi streamer is the diretta target (could be Holo Audio Red, Mano Ultra MK 3.5 with Farad LPS, etc.) At least you can A/B LibreELEC vs diretta through GentooPlayer OS
I just built another hi-end gaming rig featuring Intel's Core 9 Ultra, Gigabyte Aorus Z890 Xtreme MB, 64gig of RAM, 4 NVMe drives, 1 SSD. No "audiophile" tweaks, special power supplies or cables. Windows 11 Pro (223H2). Zero noise - electrical, fan, or pump sounds.
All setup in its blue theme lighting....
Anyway, I run my NAS off this setup for streaming music when out and about. Can also stream to my car via Android phone using Plexamp. In fact, I have Plex Server installed on the NAS. Gear attached to PC via Supra Excalibur USB cable to Denafrips Hermes DDC. DCC to Denafrips Pontus 15th via Supra HDMI cable (I2S), and also DDC to Teac VRDS 701 CD Player via optical cable. This allows me to use the Teac as a pre-amp for my Audioengine HD6 actives speakers and S8 Sub.
The Pontus 15th feeds into Denafrips Artemis Headphone amp via XLR cables. This older photo shows the Pontus 12th-1, which has been replaced by my Pontus 15th....
No audiophile power supplies, specialized internal cables, or audiophile tweaks done to PC to make it "audiophile Complient". No exotic cooling or higher set FAN RPM to keep cooling at bay, and as such this system is just as quiet as my previous build using the same case/case fans. The system is ultra quiet. Even gaming it doesn't get loud unless a ton of action is on screen where the GPU fans need to ramp up. Outside of gaming - church mice quiet, which is perfect for my "desktop audiophile system"
All setup in its blue theme lighting....
Anyway, I run my NAS off this setup for streaming music when out and about. Can also stream to my car via Android phone using Plexamp. In fact, I have Plex Server installed on the NAS. Gear attached to PC via Supra Excalibur USB cable to Denafrips Hermes DDC. DCC to Denafrips Pontus 15th via Supra HDMI cable (I2S), and also DDC to Teac VRDS 701 CD Player via optical cable. This allows me to use the Teac as a pre-amp for my Audioengine HD6 actives speakers and S8 Sub.
The Pontus 15th feeds into Denafrips Artemis Headphone amp via XLR cables. This older photo shows the Pontus 12th-1, which has been replaced by my Pontus 15th....
No audiophile power supplies, specialized internal cables, or audiophile tweaks done to PC to make it "audiophile Complient". No exotic cooling or higher set FAN RPM to keep cooling at bay, and as such this system is just as quiet as my previous build using the same case/case fans. The system is ultra quiet. Even gaming it doesn't get loud unless a ton of action is on screen where the GPU fans need to ramp up. Outside of gaming - church mice quiet, which is perfect for my "desktop audiophile system"
briantrinh86
500+ Head-Fier
Your pc is ready for Hqplayer. Should try itlI just built another hi-end gaming rig featuring Intel's Core 9 Ultra, Gigabyte Aorus Z890 Xtreme MB, 64gig of RAM, 4 NVMe drives, 1 SSD. No "audiophile" tweaks, special power supplies or cables. Windows 11 Pro (223H2). Zero noise - electrical, fan, or pump sounds.
All setup in its blue theme lighting....
Anyway, I run my NAS off this setup for streaming music when out and about. Can also stream to my car via Android phone using Plexamp. In fact, I have Plex Server installed on the NAS. Gear attached to PC via Supra Excalibur USB cable to Denafrips Hermes DDC. DCC to Denafrips Pontus 15th via Supra HDMI cable (I2S), and also DDC to Teac VRDS 701 CD Player via optical cable. This allows me to use the Teac as a pre-amp for my Audioengine HD6 actives speakers and S8 Sub.
The Pontus 15th feeds into Denafrips Artemis Headphone amp via XLR cables. This older photo shows the Pontus 12th-1, which has been replaced by my Pontus 15th....
No audiophile power supplies, specialized internal cables, or audiophile tweaks done to PC to make it "audiophile Complient". No exotic cooling or higher set FAN RPM to keep cooling at bay, and as such this system is just as quiet as my previous build using the same case/case fans. The system is ultra quiet. Even gaming it doesn't get loud unless a ton of action is on screen where the GPU fans need to ramp up. Outside of gaming - church mice quiet, which is perfect for my "desktop audiophile system"
!
It's a streaming protocol that is supposed to be better than NAA, uPnP and Roon RAAT https://www.diretta.link/
Some DDC/streamers support the diretta protocol
alexaldente
New Head-Fier
Is diretta easy to setup? I've been seeing talk about it but it doesn't seem very popular and a bit confusing. Is it worth the trouble to look at investing time into it? How much of a sound quality improvment have you encountered with it?
Diretta is still one of the newest protocols out there, but it's no different than configuring settings on your streamer (diretta Target and gentooplayer OS) and PC (if using it as the diretta host) /and or a RPi5 streamer (also running gentooplayer OS). It's actually easier to setup than JPlay Femto on a dual PC setup. Also you skip router altogether in diretta configuration, making the sound even better
The way diretta works is the FF:
Router -> audiophile switch -> Network Acoustics Muon pro streaming system -> Diretta Host (Rpi5 streamer) -> Network Acoustics Muon pro streaming system -> Diretta Target (Mano Ultra MK3.5 or TOTL Afterdark diretta Target gear) -> USB output -> USB decrapification (LHY UIP + 10 MHz clocks) -> (optional DDC like Laiv uDDC for example and slaved to the 10MHz clock as the LHY UIP) -> i2s to your best DAC
This chain above is very hard to beat
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Andrew_WOT
Headphoneus Supremus
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Surprised that people have to go to that extent when standard gaming PC with properly galvanically isolated USB DAC works just as fine without any noise whatsoever, guess tinkering and imagining improvement is part of the hobby, same as exotic cables and other voodoo gadgets. 
Surprised that people have to go to that extent when standard gaming PC with properly galvanically isolated USB DAC works just as fine without any noise whatsoever, guess tinkering and imagining improvement is part of the hobby, same as exotic cables and other voodoo gadgets.
You never know what you're missing if you never tried it
JotaroKujo
Head-Fier
I've used both Streamers and a variety of "Audiophile" PC's [different MB's, RAM, CPU, etc] I ended up with a RaspberryPi as my server with a custom OS named Opal with only one program on top of the kernel serving and the server...35MB and other Raspberrypi's serving as clients at about 40MB. I've had two updates in the past 5 years and zero downtime.
The sound in a single word would be magical or perhaps hypnotizing or maybe addictive. I've had high-end streamers in house such as Lumin U2 and even Luxman's own NT-07, they sound great but nothing keeps my ears glued to music like Opal.
The sound in a single word would be magical or perhaps hypnotizing or maybe addictive. I've had high-end streamers in house such as Lumin U2 and even Luxman's own NT-07, they sound great but nothing keeps my ears glued to music like Opal.
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I tried the Aurender and sold it as I found it too complicated using WiFi to use as my digital source. I now use an iBasso DAP that has optical out via the 3.5 mm jack that is sent via a TOSLINK fiber optic cable to my Chord Hugo Upscaler that then feeds the DAVE DAC via dual BNC.
It looks like the upscaler has three options for digital input including optical in via TOSLINK, BNC IN, and USB IN. I decided to go with optical to reduce EMF and problems known with USB.
I want to stay with optical in as it has worked well for me in the past. My DAP battery died, so I am looking for another inexpensive digital source like another DAP, iPad (not a laptop computer) etc that I can store my FLAC music files and have simple software to allow albums and artists to be searched and then sent to the Upscaler. A simple user interface, a slot for a micro SD card and optical TOSLINK digital output is what I am after.
Is there a DAP under $1000 that still offers 3.5 mm TOSLINK optical out with an easy responsive software user interface and touch screen? I have searched all over and most DAPS no longer have optical out via TOSLINK and only coax.
It looks like the upscaler has three options for digital input including optical in via TOSLINK, BNC IN, and USB IN. I decided to go with optical to reduce EMF and problems known with USB.
I want to stay with optical in as it has worked well for me in the past. My DAP battery died, so I am looking for another inexpensive digital source like another DAP, iPad (not a laptop computer) etc that I can store my FLAC music files and have simple software to allow albums and artists to be searched and then sent to the Upscaler. A simple user interface, a slot for a micro SD card and optical TOSLINK digital output is what I am after.
Is there a DAP under $1000 that still offers 3.5 mm TOSLINK optical out with an easy responsive software user interface and touch screen? I have searched all over and most DAPS no longer have optical out via TOSLINK and only coax.
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