Holo Audio Red Streamer

[Dandoudou]

Im not entirely sure what you're meaning.

Connecting ethernet didn't alter noise output if that's what you mean

I'll try to explain.
When the Red (or any other streamer) plays local files (whatever the OS), the CPU load of the Rpi is higher than when it is used as an endpoint for another player on the server. In this case, the device has more computational tasks to execute. Its power consumption and the irregularities of this consumption are greater, so it spreads more noise.

Even if it is only used as a renderer on an endpoint for another player on a server on the LAN, the streamer does not sound the same with the OSs that I quoted. Because some of them are either lighter than others (NAA, PicorePlayer…) or require from the endpoint to execute fewer tasks.
As a Diretta Target, for instance, even the rendering is processed on the server.

In my experience, the Red, as a streamer, sounds differently with all these OSs, just like any other streamer.
Some of them sound better. And all of them sound better than Red OS. The Red does not run hot with none of them. It's maximum warm.
As a Diretta Target, and with GentooPlayer, the streamer has very little tasks to execute. When the Red runs this OS, its temperature is only slightly above the temperature of the room.

Few people on this thread use the Red like a DDC, , like I do, without an OS and without the Rpi.
But I'm sure that there are more users who compared Red OS to other distributions, so it will be interesting if they could report their impressions.

 

[Stouthart]

I am waiting for new stock to arrive in the Netherlands, so cannot comment from actual usage. But...I have a Ferrum Hypsos in front of my miniDSP SHD, thus can measure power consumption. I do not run the standard Volumio image, but a highly tweaked DietPi OS with Squeezelite and MPD. From personal experience I know that local file playback actually uses less CPU cycles and power, at least in my setup. Not having network traffic may play an important role here. And yes, different OS's do have an impact on sound, until you minimize and tweak the hell out of them. Then there is hardly a difference any more. That is also why I would never buy a "closed-box" streamer; I must have terminal access

 

[GoldenSound]

I'll try to explain.
When the Red (or any other streamer) plays local files (whatever the OS), the CPU load of the Rpi is higher than when it is used as an endpoint for another player on the server. In this case, the device has more computational tasks to execute. Its power consumption and the irregularities of this consumption are greater

Higher power consumption does not always translate to more noise. It depends on many factors, and additionally, may not matter at all if the upstream device (in this case the RED digital section) is sufficiently isolated or has sufficient filtering to remove that noise regardless. Which the RED does.

so it spreads more noise.

The RED as a unit does not have higher noise output when the Pi is active

Even if it is only used as a renderer on an endpoint for another player on a server on the LAN, the streamer does not sound the same with the OSs that I quoted. Because some of them are either lighter than others (NAA, PicorePlayer…) or require from the endpoint to execute fewer tasks.

Expectation bias can have a significant influence on what we perceive.
Even if the goal is to reduce noise produced by the device feeding the RED USB input to the maximum possible degree regardless of effect on the output, the answer would be to just use the pi as a streamer, as almost any full size PC or server is going to be a noisier device than a pi CM4.
Though as stated, the filtering on the RED is so effective that unless you are literally connecting it to a deliberately terrible source to attempt to force a changed result, there won't be a change

 

[Dandoudou]

I am waiting for new stock to arrive in the Netherlands, so cannot comment from actual usage. But...I have a Ferrum Hypsos in front of my miniDSP SHD, thus can measure power consumption. I do not run the standard Volumio image, but a highly tweaked DietPi OS with Squeezelite and MPD. From personal experience I know that local file playback actually uses less CPU cycles and power, at least in my setup. Not having network traffic may play an important role here. And yes, different OS's do have an impact on sound, until you minimize and tweak the hell out of them. Then there is hardly a difference any more. That is also why I would never buy a "closed-box" streamer; I must have terminal access

Sure, it is possible to tweak some OSs, to play local files with MOC… But when you'll get your Red, you'll see what RED OS is about.

 

[Stouthart]

Sure, it is possible to tweak some OSs, to play local files with MOC… But when you'll get your Red, you'll see what RED OS is about.

Not sure what you are trying to say. I have already seen and used the Red, just don't own one myself yet. Would be (posively) surprised if RED OS does sound better than my custom Linux setup (or GentooPlayer with RT kernel, for that matter).

 

[Dandoudou]

Not sure what you are trying to say. I have already seen and used the Red, just don't own one myself yet. Would be (posively) surprised if RED OS does sound better than my custom Linux setup (or GentooPlayer with RT kernel, for that matter).

You probably customed your Linux, and you configured GentooPlayer to consume as little power as possible, not to cook an egg on the streamer.

 

[Stouthart]

You probably customed your Linux, and you configure GentooPlayer to consume as little power as possible, not to cook an egg on the streamer.

Incorrect assumption

 

[chrisc2615]

Is there an iPad app to manage a USB hard drive connected to a Holo Red?

 

[GoldenSound]

Is there an iPad app to manage a USB hard drive connected to a Holo Red?

RED does not support USB drives. At least not stock.

You may be able to get it working if you use something like Volumio instead of RED OS, but you'll then lose the ability to output to a DAC via USB as there is only one USB port.
The RED isn't intended to be used as a server, it's intended as an endpoint or DDC

 

[Patu]

Good conversation. I've only used Red as streamer and tested i2s vs USB outputs. I've also tested numerous different USB-cables between the Red and Spring 3 (I have the best USB-module in my Spring 3, same as used in May) and I have to report that the choice of USB cable matters. Even with the best USB-module on Spring 3, which should be fully isolated. Currently I have four different USB-cables at home (Atlas Element SC, Supra USB, Ricable Magnus USB and Intona Premium) and they all sound different. It's smaller differences between the other three but Intona just takes a huge leap ahead in sound quality. Better clarity, timing and dynamics. This is the reason why comparing USB to I2S should be made with as similar cables as possible, though it's impossible to have identical cables when comparing two different transfer methods.

I have to also report that in HQP use, the Red optimized NAA-image sounds slightly better than the Red OS. Not sure why this is but I had them both on different memory cards so I could do quick comparison between the two. NAA-image had slightly better clarity. NAA-image should use the least amount of resources in HQP-use (this was told to me by HQP developer Jussi Laako). Since I only use the Red with HQP, it's a no-brainer to install the dedicated image on Red.

 

[doitttt]

holo red
fantastic sound best with jitter by usb dcc
but i want
last included in the sound, then it was replaced
with what i have now is much better with jitter
I have gustard a26 and holo red
found out with 10mhz clock mutec ref 10 couldn't get any further into the sound
but found out lan and nas were not me
then I bought Eversolo DMP-A6 900 dollars
The Eversolo DMP-A6 is better than a streamer that costs more than 4000 dollars
in Eversolo DMP-A6 put in m2 2280 sdd nvme 2tb in
copy files onto it
output coax from Eversolo DMP-A6 to gustard a26
how does it sound
Fantastic bass, midrange is very detailed, the treble is no overshot, very soft in sound
bonus I hear micro detail and things I haven't heard before

 

[chrisc2615]

RED does not support USB drives. At least not stock.

You may be able to get it working if you use something like Volumio instead of RED OS, but you'll then lose the ability to output to a DAC via USB as there is only one USB port.
The RED isn't intended to be used as a server, it's intended as an endpoint or DDC

This confuses me more than ever!
There are 2 USB ports on the rear - USB in and USB out
I thought a DDC was a Digital to Digital Converter
In any case, the two outputs used would be AES and SPDIF

I suppose I don't really understahd what an Endpoint is meant to do. The dealer told me that the device could play music off a hard drive

I'm used to a LUMIN D1 which will stream and also play music off a HDD. I must say that listening to Tidal, the HOLO produces a much better sound with amazing clarity

 

[chrisc2615]

I think the Red is a good streamer. Still I am using it as DDC only, as this sounds even better here. The difference to me is not subtle.
Now instead I use... no streamer at all. I play files from a standalone player without network, feeding into the Red.
Of course I realize that I have to give up some convenience and I fully understand that 97% of us, for that reason, rather prefer to stream with the network.
It is the beauty of the Red that it can do both capably.

What do you use as a standalone player and is it connected to the USB port?
One reader said that USB input is not supported, which my dealer says is not correct
I'm intending to use the AES output

 

[Stouthart]

The manual shows how to enable the USB ports…disabled by default on CM4 modules

 

[chrisc2615]

The manual shows how to enable the USB ports…disabled by default on CM4 modules

Thank you
I see "USB redirector" so assume this is it
Is it possible to manage the incoming data, or it this from a computer only (using a program like JRiver)?