[kumar402]

Holy crap getting the RED setup was a major PITA! This thread is REQUIRED reading! I wish I had stumbled on this weeks ago. I was hoping to have a DDC that would take USB in from my Linux server running MPD, and seamlessly transition to streaming Qobuz from its native app. All out through I2S to my Spring 3 KTE. I have learned that is not quite what you get with the RED. You must power cycle the unit and its response depends on the presence or absence of a USB input. Very frustrating to manage and not at all what I had hoped for. This was certainly not depicted in the original hype generated before this thing became available.

It's still not clear on any useful source of information or retailer how this unit actually functions. I agree with some others who stated this thing should have been two separate devices. I suppose you could buy an SU-6 if you were not looking for a combined device, but I do not see the purpose of this being combined when the user experience of changing states is so unintuitive and frustrating. I adore the Holo products I've had over the years, but this one needs more development time and perhaps a completely different approach.

The real question is, when will Qobuz actually catch up and not force me to use Airplay to stream to these embedded devices running open source software? I am fed up with them and about to ditch Qobuz. There is no point paying for Qobuz only to be limited to streaming 16/44 because of Airplay. Relevant to this thread, is there any point to streaming to the RED if all you get is 16/44? It really does not seem so.

I haven’t used Qobuz native app but have used it via Roon and Audirvana and they work via RAAT and UPnP respectively. May be using a player like these will help ? Or are you taking about streaming from mobile ? But yes, I do wish they come up with something like Spotify and Tidal connect. However Tidal connect is not free in Pi based OS and requires membership fee like in Volumio for eg. Haven’t tried with other Pi OS

 

[GoldenSound]

Holy crap getting the RED setup was a major PITA! This thread is REQUIRED reading! I wish I had stumbled on this weeks ago. I was hoping to have a DDC that would take USB in from my Linux server running MPD, and seamlessly transition to streaming Qobuz from its native app. All out through I2S to my Spring 3 KTE. I have learned that is not quite what you get with the RED. You must power cycle the unit and its response depends on the presence or absence of a USB input. Very frustrating to manage and not at all what I had hoped for. This was certainly not depicted in the original hype generated before this thing became available.

It's still not clear on any useful source of information or retailer how this unit actually functions. I agree with some others who stated this thing should have been two separate devices. I suppose you could buy an SU-6 if you were not looking for a combined device, but I do not see the purpose of this being combined when the user experience of changing states is so unintuitive and frustrating. I adore the Holo products I've had over the years, but this one needs more development time and perhaps a completely different approach.

The real question is, when will Qobuz actually catch up and not force me to use Airplay to stream to these embedded devices running open source software? I am fed up with them and about to ditch Qobuz. There is no point paying for Qobuz only to be limited to streaming 16/44 because of Airplay. Relevant to this thread, is there any point to streaming to the RED if all you get is 16/44? It really does not seem so.

They definitely should be more clear on the product page that you need to power cycle the unit to switch between DDC mode and streamer mode, but having it be two separate devices would be rather pointless. Having both in one even if you need to power cycle is still better than having to buy two products

 

[Greg121986]

Solutions for streaming Qobuz
a) Mconnect
b) Roon
c) Audirvana
All these don't involve lossy airplay and can be controlled from your mobile device

I was going to try installing Roon in a container on my server, but then they released an update that required always-on internet connectivity. Even when playing local music. I have not had any interest since.

I will try Mconnect. I really hate the UPnP experience. I used to use bubbleupnp back when I had Android devices, but I hated that experience.

*Edit* MConnect is working well and thankfully isn't too clunky to use. Bless you, @FooFighter ! The RED is clearly running MPD (like every other streamer) and uses upmpdcli which was not something I have tracked before. Apparently that enables UPNP where MPD does its usual work to play the audio file and isn't actually setup with a music database. Very interesting. I assume others are doing the same.

 

[FooFighter]

I was going to try installing Roon in a container on my server, but then they released an update that required always-on internet connectivity. Even when playing local music. I have not had any interest since.

I will try Mconnect. I really hate the UPnP experience. I used to use bubbleupnp back when I had Android devices, but I hated that experience.

User experience is best in Roon unfortunately imho, might be that you also need an Internet connection for Audirvana Studio too.
There's an older Audirvana version which they are not officially supporting anymore though which could be purchased for a one time fee just like Mconnect.
Very last option is to hook your IPad to USB-in of Red and use Red as DDC only but have the user friendly native apps like Qobuz

 

[kumar402]

Roon too has older version running which doesn’t need internet for local files. Although we need once a month for Roon core to connect to internet.
But we are talking about desktop playback, When are we without internet in this era?

 

[drummerdimitri]

I'm torn between this unit and the Mercury V2 streamer. What are the pros and cons of each to make the purchasing decision easier?

 

[OneEyedHito]

I'm torn between this unit and the Mercury V2 streamer. What are the pros and cons of each to make the purchasing decision easier?

Search this thread for mercury. It’s been discussed somewhat.

 

[drummerdimitri]

Search this thread for mercury. It’s been discussed somewhat.

I did but there wasn't enough content to make an informed decision.

 

[ericx85]

My red arrived early today. Fiddling with it and it seems pretty simple but when I try to do DSD on HQPlayer, it defaults to pcm. Does it only work DSD when used as a streamer? Seems DDC mode only has wasapi

 

[GoldenSound]

My red arrived early today. Fiddling with it and it seems pretty simple but when I try to do DSD on HQPlayer, it defaults to pcm. Does it only work DSD when used as a streamer? Seems DDC mode only has wasapi

More info is needed.

- Are you using USB out or one of the synchronous outputs?
- What is your HQP config (full screenshot)
- What DAC are you connecting to?

 

[ericx85]

Right now I'm using HDMI i2s, I tried connecting the red through its usb in and using its usb out to the dac together to see if I'd like it more or if it worked better but wasn't getting anything from it that way. Just the HDMI works as far as PCM goes.

Dac im currently using is an SMSL D400EX

 

[GoldenSound]

Right now I'm using HDMI i2s, I tried connecting the red through its usb in and using its usb out to the dac together to see if I'd like it more or if it worked better but wasn't getting anything from it that way. Just the HDMI works as far as PCM goes.

Dac im currently using is an SMSL D400EX

You need to use ASIO instead of WASAPI to do DSD.
WASAPI can only do DSD DoP, not native DSD

Latest holo drivers can be found on the Kitsune site or a direct link is here: https://www.kitsunehifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/HoloAudio-v5.30.0_2022-2-9.zip
Also once done, worth checking the '48k DSD' box, as the Holo devices can indeed do 48k DSD rates

 

[ericx85]

Just got it working with i2s, the drivers helped(read that they werent needed earlier) and flipping a switch under the red did the trick. Thanks Goldy. Still can't use both USB in/out together but Im guessing thats a limitation of the Red so sticking with i2s

 

[GoldenSound]

Just got it working with i2s, the drivers helped(read that they werent needed earlier) and flipping a switch under the red did the trick. Thanks Goldy. Still can't use both USB in/out together but Im guessing thats a limitation of the Red so sticking with i2s

Drivers aren't needed, to be honest they're not needed for any DAC nowadays, they were a problem back before windows had an included UAC2.0 USB Audio Driver but it does now so no need for manufacturers own drivers.

BUT, because native DSD requires ASIO, you need an ASIO driver. For just PCM, you don't need drivers for any DAC pretty much.

As to USB in/out, it can do that. Go to http://red.local/ and change the 'USB Redirector' setting to your USB DAC (make sure it's connected first of course) and then hit save

 

[lsantista]

responding mainly to @mr_derrick and @Greg121986 :

Finally it seems we will see someone comparing the Red to the all too popular Rendu... it will be great to have a starting point! bearing in mind of course specially the Optical Rendu can in theory have so many variables affecting the final result. But still it's great someone will be doing it, Ive 3 streamers already but almost got the Red just for this comparisson.

To greg and many others noting how unfortunate that the Red wont stream AND ddc to I2S at the same time.. we sonore users have long been limited to just USB. want to use I2S? (or well, spdif, but who really??) then buy a second small black box for $500 for the DDC part (called ultradigital), and btw note that it will only work woth a Rendu.. BTW, the original version needed yet a separate PSU, now V2 uses the USB power (more practical, but is it good, really, at this level of commitment, to rely on this source of power?).

So well, why not a second Red in the chain? one for streaming, another to use the I2S to your DAC if you so wish? Im guessing it would work fine and cost the same or less than a Rendu + ultradigital. (full disclaimer, I have the original ultradigital sitting here without use for months as Ive made the decision to use 1024dsd with USB)