DDC - Digital USB interfaces - Xmos or Amanero Combo384 based - Raspberry Pi - HifiBerry DAC+ Pro - reviews, comparison, modifications and USB-Audio in general

[abartels]

 

 I have no idea, I'm also new to Pi.

Btw, there isn't a picoreplayer version available that works with the new Pi3, so I have to park my project until it's available

That pico os looks like a very good option.

But why stoping such an interesting project?! Any RPi linux distro with a player like mpd should be more than enough for initial sound tests. And there are many 'audio' distros out there .. volumio, runeaudio, moode, archphile, etc. They are all much 'fatter' but you do get various goodies like lowlatency/realtime kernels, UI goodies, remotes, etc.

 
All those distributions don't support Pi3 yet, so just have to wait,,,,,

 

[Caper]

I am waiting on 2 usb/spdif converters, shipped from China.
One Gustard U12 and then this one : http://www.ebay.com/itm/261932067307?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
I am hoping for better sound quality, using USB from my PC to my amp/dac.
 
Today I ripped a couple of tracks with dbpoweramp as wave files and played  them with Jriver using wasapi.
Playing same cd from a 10-15 year old (pioneer) dvd player connected through digital coax and made an a/b comparison.
The result was surprising, the old dvd player spanked the computer really bad 

So much crispier and full of details, the bass was also a bit tighter.
 
Is this because of a bad usb input on my amp/dac?
Can I hope for same result as the pio when my converters arrive?
 
Done what I can to optimize the computer and also connected a Jitterbug on the pc usb port.
Also connected a Aqvox usb psu to my dac to get cleaner signals to my dac.
 
Pretty dissapointed the old dvd player was so much better than the pc.

 

[Jerryfan]

I am waiting on 2 usb/spdif converters, shipped from China.
One Gustard U12 and then this one : http://www.ebay.com/itm/261932067307?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I am hoping for better sound quality, using USB from my PC to my amp/dac.

Today I ripped a couple of tracks with dbpoweramp as wave files and played  them with Jriver using wasapi.
Playing same cd from a 10-15 year old (pioneer) dvd player connected through digital coax and made an a/b comparison.
The result was surprising, the old dvd player spanked the computer really bad 
So much crispier and full of details, the bass was also a bit tighter.

Is this because of a bad usb input on my amp/dac?
Can I hope for same result as the pio when my converters arrive?

Done what I can to optimize the computer and also connected a Jitterbug on the pc usb port.
Also connected a Aqvox usb psu to my dac to get cleaner signals to my dac.

Pretty dissapointed the old dvd player was so much better than the pc.

I'm looking forward to your findings.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Perhaps somebody here can help me out. have a MX-U8, but it must be on an older driver 2.19.0.0 from 2014. I e-mailed Shenzhenaudio and of course they sent me links in Mandarin to a new driver. It was nice of them, but I don't read Mandarin. Does anybody have a direct link to the driver they can provide me? I'm running Windows 10. Thanks.

 

[Muziqboy]

Check your pm!

 

[Jerryfan]

Has anyone heard the MX-U8 ultimate? Compared to the breeze? I'm looking to upgrade my Yulong U18

 

[Muziqboy]

I was using the older MX-U8 which I upgraded the clocks to Crystek's and was very amazed at the detail retrieval it does until a local head-fier let me use the DXIO-PRO3A.
It uses the NDK clocks and what I heard was a much more better detail retrieval compared to the MX-U8 so I ended up buying it and that's what I'm using in my system now.

 

[abartels]

  I am waiting on 2 usb/spdif converters, shipped from China.
One Gustard U12 and then this one : http://www.ebay.com/itm/261932067307?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
I am hoping for better sound quality, using USB from my PC to my amp/dac.
 
Today I ripped a couple of tracks with dbpoweramp as wave files and played  them with Jriver using wasapi.
Playing same cd from a 10-15 year old (pioneer) dvd player connected through digital coax and made an a/b comparison.
The result was surprising, the old dvd player spanked the computer really bad 

So much crispier and full of details, the bass was also a bit tighter.
 
Is this because of a bad usb input on my amp/dac?
Can I hope for same result as the pio when my converters arrive?
 
Done what I can to optimize the computer and also connected a Jitterbug on the pc usb port.
Also connected a Aqvox usb psu to my dac to get cleaner signals to my dac.
 
Pretty dissapointed the old dvd player was so much better than the pc.

 
Yes it is, external DDC will surprise you 

 

[prot]

All those distributions don't support Pi3 yet, so just have to wait,,,,,

Not ootb yet but the digging seems simple enough
http://www.runeaudio.com/forum/the-raspberry-pi-3-t3256-10.html#p12032

And btw, why not just using a default rpi distro (e.g.rasbian) for testin? IIUC the berry dacs should work. And if not it should be ppssible to use the archfile script/config http://archphile.org/howto/i2s-dacs-and-the-raspberry-pi/

P.S. I'll prolly buy a rpi and maybe support you with the software side a bit if needed. But right now your dutch neighboirs are keeping me extremely busy

 

[abartels]

 

All those distributions don't support Pi3 yet, so just have to wait,,,,,

Not ootb yet but the digging seems simple enough
http://www.runeaudio.com/forum/the-raspberry-pi-3-t3256-10.html#p12032

And btw, why not just using a default rpi distro (e.g.rasbian) for testin? IIUC the berry dacs should work. And if not it should be ppssible to use the archfile script/config http://archphile.org/howto/i2s-dacs-and-the-raspberry-pi/

P.S. I'll prolly buy a rpi and maybe support you with the software side a bit if needed. But right now your dutch neighboirs are keeping me extremely busy

 
Hi Prot,
 
Bought an RPI2b today, will receive it tomorrow and start project. RPI3 can follow later on,,,
 
This evening I will investigate to power the DAC+Pro's Analog AND Digital externally. At first I will be using 3.3V for Digital circuit INCLUDING clocks, will seperate them later (need to order an extra psu)
 
But, thank you anyway for suggesting to help me, much appreciated!
 
 
Keep up the fun

 
Alex 

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I am waiting on 2 usb/spdif converters, shipped from China.
One Gustard U12 and then this one : http://www.ebay.com/itm/261932067307?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
I am hoping for better sound quality, using USB from my PC to my amp/dac.
 
Today I ripped a couple of tracks with dbpoweramp as wave files and played  them with Jriver using wasapi.
Playing same cd from a 10-15 year old (pioneer) dvd player connected through digital coax and made an a/b comparison.
The result was surprising, the old dvd player spanked the computer really bad 

So much crispier and full of details, the bass was also a bit tighter.
 
Is this because of a bad usb input on my amp/dac?
Can I hope for same result as the pio when my converters arrive?
 
Done what I can to optimize the computer and also connected a Jitterbug on the pc usb port.
Also connected a Aqvox usb psu to my dac to get cleaner signals to my dac.
 
Pretty dissapointed the old dvd player was so much better than the pc.

That seems very odd, I suspect you have simply been using the DVD player for a long time and your hearing brain is acclimated to the sound signature. I went right from $1000 plus CD players to using a 8 year old Dell desktop straight into a Schiit Gungnir with a regular old USB cable I took from a printer. It sounded fine, never heard any difference I could note. I put a MX-U8 into the mix about a year back and connect to my M51 via AES and still I'm not sure if there was any change or not. I really think you should get a friend to help you do some blind listening testing after you have used the computer for at least a solid week, take the DVD player right out of your chain. People really forget how the brain works and refuse to consider that a highly probable and simple explanation such as brain burn-in should always be eliminated first with real testing.

 

[abartels]

 

  I am waiting on 2 usb/spdif converters, shipped from China.
One Gustard U12 and then this one : http://www.ebay.com/itm/261932067307?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
I am hoping for better sound quality, using USB from my PC to my amp/dac.
 
Today I ripped a couple of tracks with dbpoweramp as wave files and played  them with Jriver using wasapi.
Playing same cd from a 10-15 year old (pioneer) dvd player connected through digital coax and made an a/b comparison.
The result was surprising, the old dvd player spanked the computer really bad 

So much crispier and full of details, the bass was also a bit tighter.
 
Is this because of a bad usb input on my amp/dac?
Can I hope for same result as the pio when my converters arrive?
 
Done what I can to optimize the computer and also connected a Jitterbug on the pc usb port.
Also connected a Aqvox usb psu to my dac to get cleaner signals to my dac.
 
Pretty dissapointed the old dvd player was so much better than the pc.

That seems very odd, I suspect you have simply been using the DVD player for a long time and your hearing brain is acclimated to the sound signature. I went right from $1000 plus CD players to using a 8 year old Dell desktop straight into a Schiit Gungnir with a regular old USB cable I took from a printer. It sounded fine, never heard any difference I could note. I put a MX-U8 into the mix about a year back and connect to my M51 via AES and still I'm not sure if there was any change or not. I really think you should get a friend to help you do some blind listening testing after you have used the computer for at least a solid week, take the DVD player right out of your chain. People really forget how the brain works and refuse to consider that a highly probable and simple explanation such as brain burn-in should always be eliminated first with real testing.

 
I think the first question we should ask is:
 
What kind of USB-Amp/Dac are you using? Maybe it has an awfully implemented USB-interface, that could explain very easily why the old DVD player's spdif output performed better than the USB interface.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
I think the first question we should ask is:
 
What kind of USB-Amp/Dac are you using? Maybe it has an awfully implemented USB-interface, that could explain very easily why the old DVD player's spdif output performed better than the USB interface.

I thought of that, but what could be worse than the cheap Dell USB ports on my computer? If they were/are (I'm still using it now) capable of passing perfectly good USB data what are the odds any DAC/amp is going to perform worse? I guess it is possible.

 

[abartels]

 

   
I think the first question we should ask is:
 
What kind of USB-Amp/Dac are you using? Maybe it has an awfully implemented USB-interface, that could explain very easily why the old DVD player's spdif output performed better than the USB interface.

I thought of that, but what could be worse than the cheap Dell USB ports on my computer? If they were/are (I'm still using it now) capable of passing perfectly good USB data what are the odds any DAC/amp is going to perform worse? I guess it is possible.

 
Hi Sonic Defender,
 
You probably are missing the point.
 
Caper probably has a Digital AMP, an amplifier with built-in DAC. He can connect thru SPDIF, OR he can connect thru USB.
The quality of the SPDIF interface PROBABLY exceeds the quality if THE AMPS's usb interface.
 
That is why we have this kind of thread, just because we want to connect to a pc with usb, and want to have the highest sound quality possible.
So, we are using a digital interface, which replaces the devices built-in digital interface.
 
So, if he says his spdif, connected to an old dvd player, sounds much better, then we must conclude that:
 
1- the Amps USB interface is horrible, and yes, they were horrible in the past
2- his pc has lots of troubles delivering a good usb signal.
 
I opt for number ONE.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
Hi Sonic Defender,
 
 
 
So, if he says his spdif, connected to an old dvd player, sounds much better, then we must conclude that:
 
1- the Amps USB interface is horrible, and yes, they were horrible in the past
2- his pc has lots of troubles delivering a good usb signal.
 
I opt for number ONE.

Those options are yours are plausible, maybe even likely, but we really don't have enough information so both of us are speculating, which is fine, that's part of the fun. I still say that my suggestion while speculation is equally plausible and I do have direct first hand experience so at least I'm not just putting out an opinion without some experience to base it on. Please note I'm not saying you don't, I just mean we all know sometimes people post really differing opinions and when pushed you find out they haven't themselves heard the device in question firsthand.