[Sphere 57]

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.

If iFi's future app is a version of Volumio, maybe it will have native Qobuz.
In the meantime, I think mconnect Player (Lite version is free) gives pretty slick Qobuz access. There's bubbleupnp too, a bit basic in presentation, but excellent support and reliability.

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

If iFi's future app is a version of Volumio, maybe it will have native Qobuz.
In the meantime, I think mconnect Player (Lite version is free) gives pretty slick Qobuz access. There's bubbleupnp too, a bit basic in presentation, but excellent support and reliability.

This future app is going to be for portable devices only? Or will it be accessible like I think volumio was thru a browser based application?

Only asking for clarity, personally I myself will have very few uses for it being a Roon user but I think it's an important point to keep in mind.

I spent most of yesterday and today using the steam in all kinds of different scenarios, and I have to say that what it can do and is supposed to do right now it does very very well! In fact even Amazon HD which isn't really HD thru Airplay sounded very good!

Nothing that I tried failed to perform or do what it was supposed to do! I will have a longer post on the next few days after I organize things a bit better!

 

[rudy49]

i am very interested in the Zen Stream to replace my Oppo 103 as a streamer. my concern is that i can use a stable app. that does not loose the connection repeatedly like the Oppo Media Player app. or the Mconnect app. that i use. most of the time these apps. cannot find the Oppo. and than they crash and i have to re-boot the Oppo. another problem streaming through the Oppo is that the music skips sometimes. i may just go ahead and buy the new Bluesound Node which seems to have a stable app. and a very easy user interface. the Ifi app. as promised however could sway me. in his review Cheap Audio Man gave the Zen a negative review, essentially calling the Zen Stream a Pi. he however forgot to mention that it is more and employs sophisticated proprietary noise cancelling technology developed by Ifi along with Femeto clocks. not sure if Bluesounds design addresses this. awaiting a hands on review with Hans

 

[Claude]

I checked the online documentation, but could not find information on which DACs are supported (or which are not supported) at the USB output of the Zen Streamer.

My DAC is a T+A DAC8 DSD. I tested Volumio installed on Raspberry Pi4 with this DAC (connection via USB 2.0), it worked only partially: PCM output was possible up to 24/352, but DSD files (DSD64 and 128) were output as 24/352 PCM as well (or 32/352, the DAC display only shows the sample rate of the incoming signal).

The T+A DAC8 DSD has two seperate circuits for PCM and DSD signal, so only the PCM part was in use when fed from the Volumio player. With PC playback, the DAC circuit is switched automatically between PCM and DSD.

How would this DAC work with the Zen Streamer?

Thanks

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

i am very interested in the Zen Stream to replace my Oppo 103 as a streamer. my concern is that i can use a stable app. that does not loose the connection repeatedly like the Oppo Media Player app. or the Mconnect app. that i use. most of the time these apps. cannot find the Oppo. and than they crash and i have to re-boot the Oppo. another problem streaming through the Oppo is that the music skips sometimes. i may just go ahead and buy the new Bluesound Node which seems to have a stable app. and a very easy user interface. the Ifi app. as promised however could sway me. in his review Cheap Audio Man gave the Zen a negative review, essentially calling the Zen Stream a Pi. he however forgot to mention that it is more and employs sophisticated proprietary noise cancelling technology developed by Ifi along with Femeto clocks. not sure if Bluesounds design addresses this. awaiting a hands on review with Hans

I think CAM made several mistakes in his setup of the device, therefore for the first time I'm ruling one of his reviews out for this product! He even mentions in it something about having to use a travel router or something to get a wired connection, not quoting paraphrasing. I have had zero issues with my setup of this product, the caveat is I set the Zen up first using a wired connection, then enabled the Wifi in the "Volumio" type interface from my mac browser. It has worked flawlessly ever since.

I am a roon user and would probably never use the iFi app for anything much even when it comes out except for functionality. I do however on occasion stream from my phone with apps for the different music services, I have screenshots from all the Streaming services I have if anyone would like to see them I'll post them later.

I will also load the only DSD file I have on USB later today And see how it functions off the current app for you guys.

Last thing, CAM is right in a sense, it is a Pi! A very well built Pi with, power enhancements, Signal filtration, And a very nice "digione" type hat, oh and yea an iFi power supply to run it, So ya "build a Pi" like he said... Ok Randy go ahead buld it send it to me stand behind it with a warranty....

I'm ranting,,,lol Sorry, but you get it right??

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I checked the online documentation, but could not find information on which DACs are supported (or which are not supported) at the USB output of the Zen Streamer.

My DAC is a T+A DAC8 DSD. I tested Volumio installed on Raspberry Pi4 with this DAC (connection via USB 2.0), it worked only partially: PCM output was possible up to 24/352, but DSD files (DSD64 and 128) were output as 24/352 PCM as well (or 32/352, the DAC display only shows the sample rate of the incoming signal).

The T+A DAC8 DSD has two seperate circuits for PCM and DSD signal, so only the PCM part was in use when fed from the Volumio player. With PC playback, the DAC circuit is switched automatically between PCM and DSD.

How would this DAC work with the Zen Streamer?

Thanks

I honestly can't answer that as not only have I never seen your dac, but have no clue as to how the DSD versus OCM works inside it, I can tell you this much, I think too many are concentrating on the "volumio" style aspect of this streamer instead of seeing it as an End point kind of thing, (Like Roon)

Once I hooked it up initially I have not had to open the browser that controls the unit, I simply use the apps for the streaming services I use.

Now later today I will get into a DSD file as It can connect an external hard drive/USB drive to the 2nd port on the back, so possible have comment on that later!

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I checked the online documentation, but could not find information on which DACs are supported (or which are not supported) at the USB output of the Zen Streamer.

My DAC is a T+A DAC8 DSD. I tested Volumio installed on Raspberry Pi4 with this DAC (connection via USB 2.0), it worked only partially: PCM output was possible up to 24/352, but DSD files (DSD64 and 128) were output as 24/352 PCM as well (or 32/352, the DAC display only shows the sample rate of the incoming signal).

The T+A DAC8 DSD has two seperate circuits for PCM and DSD signal, so only the PCM part was in use when fed from the Volumio player. With PC playback, the DAC circuit is switched automatically between PCM and DSD.

How would this DAC work with the Zen Streamer?

Thanks

Just took this screenshot from a USB thumb drive Connected to the Zen stream...

Don't know how much this helps but hope it does!

This is obviously from the iFi browser app on my mac...

 

[Crow123]

Does anyone have a view on sq vs other streamers or hats? Really interested but also interested in upcoming mercury streamer

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

Does anyone have a view on sq vs other streamers or hats? Really interested but also interested in upcoming mercury streamer

Very briefly, I have only had it for two days and have been trying quite a few different things for people asking questions, but I will give you a very early impression...

First I have three different pi's, straight pi/pi w/digione and Nirvana power supply/ and a Pi2AES.

The Zen Stream is good, very good in the SQ department. I would say at first thought the USB out is just a bit and I Mean a bit Better than the Pi's, to me it seems to have a slightly cleaner sound, possibly a bit more high end detail, and soundstage is just a bit better, take that as very subjective as I have not sat down intently to be more specific.

Now here's what I found out late last night/today, The Spdif out is good! Very good!!
In fact the only thing that's even close is the Pi2AES, and for some reason (grain of salt here) the BNC on the AES edges itt out ever so slightly

I have allot more listening to do, I to wish we had more info on the Mercury, but it seems like it's been a bit of a wait hasn't it? Or is it me?

Hope this helps...

 

[Crow123]

Thanks so much for your view. Are you then saying that the spdif out is superior to the USB out in terms of sq?

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I’d be interested to know if anyone has tried the Zen Stream with a Bifrost 2. I wonder if the Unison USB input or the COAX input would be superior when fed by the Zen.

 

[rudy49]

is the Zen Stream's digital output as good or better than the Bluesound Node. is thier in house app. as good as the Bluesound app?

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

I’d be interested to know if anyone has tried the Zen Stream with a Bifrost 2. I wonder if the Unison USB input or the COAX input would be superior when fed by the Zen

Yes, that was how I hooked itt up first, but I thought I commented that anything you feed the BF2 sounds great lol

 

[Mr BubbaHyde]

is the Zen Stream's digital output as good or better than the Bluesound Node. is thier in house app. as good as the Bluesound app?

Haven't tried either, so I cannot comment however iFi currently does not have an app, and if I remember I thought iFi said those was an open source designed. That may or may not lead to great things

 

[Researcher]

How about USB noise measurements? I could not find any technical measurement