[nlowran]

The rgb is the most underrated sound quality improvement

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

The rgb is the most underrated sound quality improvement

 

[qsk78]

This is more or less a volumio pi in a ifi case so I can see if you want your stuff to all look the same this may be appealing. If not just build a pi load it with volumio/squeeze box+lms/moode and save a few hundo

It's clear about functionality. How about sound quality?
There are streamers on the market which cost thousands of USD, how about them? Waste of money since the Pi can beat them all either?

 

[Taz777]

Don't see any mention of Qobuz integration. Did I miss that?

There’s no real integration to anything as far as I can see given my limited time with the Stream so far. By integration I mean connecting your TIDAL or Qobuz accounts from within the Stream UI (I.e. Volumio). It presents a number of technologies that you can cast to using your source device (e.g. phone). So, for example, for TIDAL you simply cast to it using the TIDAL Connect feature in the TIDAL app on your phone or desktop.

Apparently Chromecast should be available soon. I don’t use Qobuz any more but if it can cast using Chromecast then that feature should be available soon.

There’s also an iFi app for the Stream that should be out soon. It’ll be interesting to see if that provides more features than the Volumio web UI.

 

[Taz777]

It's clear about functionality. How about sound quality?
There are streamers on the market which cost thousands of USD, how about them? Waste of money since the Pi can beat them all either?

There’s no DAC so there’s no analogue sound quality as such. It just presents digital audio to your external DAC. So, in theory, the sound quality is based on your DAC’s analogue conversion. As long as you can use bit-perfect casting from your music source then it shouldn’t sound any different to any other music streaming transport. The key here is the ability to cast to the Stream at the original bit-depth and sample rate, and for the Stream to present that data stream unaltered to your external DAC.

 

[iFi audio]

There’s no DAC so there’s no analogue sound quality as such. It just presents digital audio to your external DAC. So, in theory, the sound quality is based on your DAC’s analogue conversion.

In theory, yes. In practice however there's a difference between digital transports

 

[qsk78]

In theory, yes. In practice however there's a difference between digital transports

This is the point!

 

[Taz777]

@iFi audio Could you help out with these please?

1. I have thousands of my CD-quality and Hi-Res files on a micro-SD card with a USB adapter plugged into the Zen Stream. I can browse and play them using the web UI. Is there a way that the Zen Stream can 'present' this local library to a remote phone app? I'd like to be able to control the music from a standard iOS app of some sort but need the Stream to expose the local library that it holds. The main reason for this is to be able to use my M3U playlists from another remote app as the Stream web UI doesn't support M3U playlists.

2. Is there a way for the Zen Stream to go into sleep mode when it is inactive? The power drawn is 6W when idle which is a lot these days, and is a waste of power and the Stream becomes very warm. Worse still, the Stream keeps the USB output active so my Topping D90 DAC always stays on, wasting even more power. It would be good to have a real standby or sleep mode.

Some general feedback:

- TIDAL Connect is working well for me, as is playing TIDAL via the mConnect Player iOS app through the Zen Stream. The Android TIDAL app also works well using TIDAL Connect.

- I'm able to play music on my iPhone via the Neutron Music Player iOS app through the Zen Stream and it follows the sample rate of the original file correctly (if that option is set in the Neutron Music Player app).

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

@iFi audio Could you help out with these please?

1. I have thousands of my CD-quality and Hi-Res files on a micro-SD card with a USB adapter plugged into the Zen Stream. I can browse and play them using the web UI. Is there a way that the Zen Stream can 'present' this local library to a remote phone app? I'd like to be able to control the music from a standard iOS app of some sort but need the Stream to expose the local library that it holds. The main reason for this is to be able to use my M3U playlists from another remote app as the Stream web UI doesn't support M3U playlists.

2. Is there a way for the Zen Stream to go into sleep mode when it is inactive? The power drawn is 6W when idle which is a lot these days, and is a waste of power and the Stream becomes very warm. Worse still, the Stream keeps the USB output active so my Topping D90 DAC always stays on, wasting even more power. It would be good to have a real standby or sleep mode.

Some general feedback:

- TIDAL Connect is working well for me, as is playing TIDAL via the mConnect Player iOS app through the Zen Stream. The Android TIDAL app also works well using TIDAL Connect.

- I'm able to play music on my iPhone via the Neutron Music Player iOS app through the Zen Stream and it follows the sample rate of the original file correctly (if that option is set in the Neutron Music Player app).

Please don't take this as me being a wise guy, it is not intended that way.

It seems like you are in a similar situation that I was in a year ago. I was always looking for the best and easiest way to do allot of the things your asking about. An app for this an app for that, music here, subscriptions there, and several devices that I would switch this for that and here or there.

Volumio, Moode, Foobar, Wires here wires there. I was a mess! Then Audirvana shed some light on how to solve the issue and I was so happy I paid for the full version and still use it today. But I also tried Roon, but the 30 days for me I just couldn't wrap my head around how to get it to work for my needs, so I emailed Roon and begged for another 30 days (I actually ended my trial early out of frustration), and they graciously gave me another 30 days.

To get to the point, I figured out what I was doing wrong and now I understand what it does perfectly, I am all in on Roon, it does everything I need it to do, and more!

Yes it's another subscription, but for me, and I'm speaking only for me with the intent of helping someone else. Right now it's the endgame for all the things your speaking of.

Now back on track...lol

Cheers!!

 

[Taz777]

My original post got mucked up so here is a screenshot.

Totally agree! The Stream has the potential to be a really great streaming transport. I'm hoping that the forthcoming iFi app for the Stream will provide better capabilities to maximise the use of the hardware.

 

[Taz777]

Can I use a Zen DAC from the USB outputs and the Coaxial to another DAC at the same time ? I may have use for such a thing

It seems like the Zen Stream only allows one of the digital outputs to be active at a time. In the General Playback Options you can select the USB output or the digital coaxial (S/PDIF) output. My Topping D90 DACis connected to the USB output so here's what I see:

Hope that helps!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

It seems like the Zen Stream only allows one of the digital outputs to be active at a time. In the General Playback Options you can select the USB output or the digital coaxial (S/PDIF) output. My Topping D90 DACis connected to the USB output so here's what I see:

Hope that helps!

Actually you can but it's cheating?

Using Roon! I have done it today for a test, in Roon it's seen as two different "zones" so it will pump music or of both ports at three same time, which would mean it's Nott a hardware restriction correct??

 

[Taz777]

Actually you can but it's cheating?

Using Roon! I have done it today for a test, in Roon it's seen as two different "zones" so it will pump music or of both ports at three same time, which would mean it's Nott a hardware restriction correct??

interestingly, I've just tried an experiment to see if I can make the USB port go inactive by selecting S/PDIF - this was to get my DAC to go into sleep mode. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, even if S/PDIF is selected the USB port remains 'hot' (live so the DAC sees some kind of signal on it, maybe silence but a digital signal nevertheless). The Bluesound Node 2i that I had a couple of years ago also had this 'problem' of never going into sleep mode.

Anyway, back to what you've tried, are you able to play simultaneously from both USB and coax? I don't have Roon so I cannot try this out.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

interestingly, I've just tried an experiment to see if I can make the USB port go inactive by selecting S/PDIF - this was to get my DAC to go into sleep mode. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, even if S/PDIF is selected the USB port remains 'hot' (live so the DAC sees some kind of signal on it, maybe silence but a digital signal nevertheless). The Bluesound Node 2i that I had a couple of years ago also had this 'problem' of never going into sleep mode.

Anyway, back to what you've tried, are you able to play simultaneously from both USB and coax? I don't have Roon so I cannot try this out.

Yes I had the same song playing out of both!

 

[windplr]

It has Chromecast, Airplay, Roon and DLNA, doesn't that cover the usual methods of using Qobuz with a streamer. What form of Qobuz integration do you have in mind?

Volumio has updated native Qobuz support in the last 6 months or so. Works fairly seamlessly without any add-ons. That is what I would like to have.