Audiophile PC vs Streamer

[fliz]

custom OS named Opal

link? I want to learn more about this OS.

Side note: a linear power supply for your RPi can make a massive difference in a high end system.

 

[JotaroKujo]

link? I want to learn more about this OS.

Side note: a linear power supply for your RPi can make a massive difference in a high end system.

I already have every possible tweak and upgrade in place thanks.

Not only do I use a linear power supply I use super caps and other upgraded links in the chain see below
Furutech outlet--->custom powercord--->linear power-->common noise filter-->supper caps-->RPi via GPIO pins to bypass internal switching supply from its power connector.

I've been using the GPIO pins for power since the RPI3 was launched...many years.

Link to Opal....well its custom and developed by someone who goes by Dynobot. I got a hold of it when he was first working on it and kept in touch via email. As far as I know, he's not going to release it yet to the public. Here is a link to the last known mention of it on the net....a post by WuBai on 4/1/22
https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/...ction-to-tiny-core-linux/#findComment-1192394

I have to admit, I'm kinda OCD when it comes to audio. Since the audio signal passes through my router I even opted for a DD-WRT router so I could go in and tweak its OS. My internet is via fibre optic, and my router also uses an upgraded linear power supply and the same set up as my RPI and everything else...Furutech outlet, custom cord, filters etc...just for the router.

Here is a tip for you and others....by default your OS uses your router as a DNS. If your router is not already set to use a faster more stable DNS like Cloudflare or Google then you might be getting lost packets and slow response. You can and should change your server to use a better DNS. And/or your router to use a better DNS.

Thanks

 

[theveterans]

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.

A used SP2000 DAP for less than 800 that I currently use (mine bought new back in 2019 and still working well) has optical out. It also has UPnP, Roon and Spotify Connect

 

[sygnus21]

Your pc is ready for Hqplayer. Should try itl
!

Thanks. Yeah, I can upsample in JRiver Media Center but I don't so no interest in HQPlayer. That's me.

 

[fliz]

Since the audio signal passes through my router

I just play media that's on a SSD that's directly plugged into my RPi5.

Furutech outlet--->custom powercord--->linear power-->common noise filter-->supper caps-->RPi via GPIO pins to bypass internal switching supply from its power connector.

I'm in a similar boat although I made slightly different choices:

I'm curious about a couple things though

1) what do you mean by "common noise filter"? Do you mean a common mode choke? If so, that's typically on the AC side of the LPS and not on the DC side
2) are the supercapactors before or after the regulator? In my case I've got a 47kuf input cap feeding the reg and a 4700uf output cap after the reg. I spoke w/ the designer of the reg (Brian from Belleson) and those were his recommendations and insisted that higher values would offer no benefit.

I've been meaning to call Brian again, because I'm curious what his thoughts are on ac filtering before the transformer. Common mode chokes, and emi filter caps across the rails are commonplace, but I'm not sure if they'd offer any benefit when using a reg like the Belleson SPHP.

3) I'm curious what you mean by "bypassing the internal switching supply" All raspberry pis (including the 5) use a number of different voltages to supply the different parts of the board. 5v for the HDMI, 3.3v for the BMC and LAN ICs, 2.5v for it's DAC, and 1.8v for the BMC ram and LAN. There's a PMIC (power management integrated circuit) that manages all of these needs (the Dialog DA9091). Going in through the GPIO doesn't bypass the PMIC, but it does bypass a fuse. The need for voltage regulators (and caps) on the Pi to take the 5v input and convert it to the various voltages the Pi components need is unavoidable.

 

[jjb3]

I have an Eversolo DMP A8 and at times use instead my laptop running audirvana through fidelizer pro. The laptop is clearer and more detailed than the Eversolo. So I think a properly setup laptop competes with a dedicated streamer.

 

[theveterans]

I have an Eversolo DMP A8 and at times use instead my laptop running audirvana through fidelizer pro. The laptop is clearer and more detailed than the Eversolo. So I think a properly setup laptop competes with a dedicated streamer.

That’s good to know. I was considering the Eversolo as an upgrade/replacement to my SP2000 which IMHO still trounces a Laptop with Fidelizer and Audirvana extreme. It retains the cleanliness and details of the laptop but now include meat to the bones and hauntingly holographic staging that the laptop can’t quite match

My batteries are being used quite a lot but it’s just amazing sounding as a streamer

3/11 update:

I'll revisit the iPad 2022 (10th gen) as a potential audiophile streamer when I receive my Network Acoustics Eno2 streaming system. Currently, the WiFi is doing a very good job delivering pretty good imaging, staging and tonal balance to my Yggy. I'm expecting more dynamics and precision with the Eno2 in the chain and all radios are turned off in the iPad

 

[fliz]

I've been meaning to call Brian again, because I'm curious what his thoughts are on ac filtering before the transformer. Common mode chokes, and emi filter caps across the rails are commonplace, but I'm not sure if they'd offer any benefit when using a reg like the Belleson SPHP.

I talked to Brian

TLDR: "It wouldn't hurt"

 

[orbilius]

I have found PCs to be too high maintenance to be a reliable music server and dedicated streamers have never quite hit the mark for me on price/performance/usability.

I tried hosting Roon on Unraid and it worked until it didn't. I tried an Eversolo streamer and it just didn't fit my use case.

I bought a cheap mini PC off Amazon with low specs: Intel N95, 16GB, 512 OS SSD and added a 4TB internal SSD and eventually more external storage via USB. Running Roon Rock this thing has been incredibly solid and has outperformed expectations. It can run 1-2 EQ filters and upsample to DSD 512 without much of a lag. It has been nice to have a separate and capable appliance that just works. I bet Roon's lower end server would function much the same way.

I have been using three RPI endpoints around the house running RoPieeeXL for years and they are flawlessly stable.

Here's a vote for several single function devices.

That said, I did buy my first R2R DAC and will be experimenting running HQPlayer on a separate machine with more horsepower which complicates things. If it isn't reliable I can alway just drop back to what works.

 

[sygnus21]

I have found PCs to be too high maintenance to be a reliable music server and dedicated streamers have never quite hit the mark for me on price/performance/usability.

I guess that depends on one's perspective. As one who's been running a Plex NAS server for the last 5 years, I disagree. I also happen to be a PC builder.

So yeah, perspectives.

That said, I did buy my first R2R DAC and will be experimenting running HQPlayer on a separate machine with more horsepower which complicates things. If it isn't reliable I can alway just drop back to what works.

What "R2R DAC"?

Anyway, I find it odd you complain about reliability and complications yet introduce all those other elements into an unknown environment.

 

[orbilius]

I guess that depends on one's perspective. As one who's been running a Plex NAS server for the last 5 years, I disagree. I also happen to be a PC builder.

So yeah, perspectives.


What "R2R DAC"?

Anyway, I find it odd you complain about reliability and complications yet introduce all those other elements into an unknown environment.

Happy to answer your questions as a fellow PC builder of several decades. I love to build and tweak computers, but have found that single function devices have been much more reliable for me over the long term.

Plex is wonderful, and I run a server in my home that gives my family access to a huge catalog of movies and me an International cycling race coverage that I download.

Which R2R DAC: Bought a Cyan 2. I can run it reliably off my mini PC with Roon upsampling in PCM or DSD, but I want to tinker. Thats where I am going to use my daily driver 2019 Mac Pro to run HQPlayer and play with settings, but with a reliable fallback to the core system of the Mini PC.

I am curious. What do you use and what would you suggest in my situation?

Thanks in advance,

 

[sygnus21]

Happy to answer your questions as a fellow PC builder of several decades.

Which R2R DAC: Bought a Cyan 2. I can run it reliably off my mini PC with Roon upsampling in PCM or DSD, but I want to tinker. Thats where I am going to use my daily driver 2019 Mac Pro to run HQPlayer and play with settings, but with a reliable fallback to the core system of the Mini PC.

When I say I build, I speak of > recent. And I've only been doing it consistently since 1998

I am curious. What do you use and what would you suggest in my situation?

I don't know you so I would just say use what makes you comfortable. That's what I'm doing

 

[orbilius]

Cool. You do you!

 

[sygnus21]

Cool. You do you!

Per your response, and re-reading your question, I'm not sure I understood your question, and thus my answer, so I put it this way - this >my gear.

I also thought I'd mentioned dBpoweramp (paid, the one I use) and EAC (Exact Audio Copy - freeware) in stating you didn't have to input all the data you claimed when doing rips. That either either of the rippers posted does that automatically by gathering the album info from the net and embedding (tagging) it into the file so any media player reading the file will display it properly - artist, album, tracks, times, album art. No need for manual inputs unless you have specific needs outside the normal info channels an album displays.

The key is the ripper has to connect to the net to gather the info. If you're not connecting to the net, yeah, it's manual input then.

Good luck.

 

[orbilius]

Man - those a gorgeous builds with great photography. Nice work. Also, lovely Denafrips/TEAC setup.

My PC builds of late have been more for utility than for style and performance - I am envious. I have been enjoying my deeply discounted Mac Pro 2019 with 16c/32threads, 96GB ram, and several graphics cards (1 AMD, 1 Nvidia). I use the AMD in Mac OS and the Nvidia in Windows for LLM stuff, but I think it would be great for HQPlayer offloaded to CUDA.

Got the Cyan 2 in yesterday and have been testing it streaming to the RopieeXL endpoint - it can do DSD 512 at 1.7X with EQ which surprised me (Roon Upsampling). That's enough for me as I don't think I want to try for 1024 with the Cyan 2. Need to work on HQPlayer on the Mac Pro which is a bit daunting, but there are good guides out there. Interested if I can perceive a difference from Roon.