Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

Oct 14, 2024 at 11:14 PM Post #168,046 of 182,156
I need to figure out what the optimal volume output setting is on the WiiM
If you are using the WiiM for volume control, you are using its digital signal processing. Except with higher-end digital gear. I leave my volume control to the analog side. Low-cost digital gadgets don't have the algorithms or compute power to do high-quality DSP.
 
Oct 14, 2024 at 11:32 PM Post #168,047 of 182,156
So, if Schiit ever made a streamer … what would it have to support / include?
Make it simple. Unison USB out only, as all Schiit DACs made now have excellent Unison inputs, Ethernet in. It may also need WiFi for market fit reasons, but if not needed, leave it out. RPi guts, MicroSD slot so that us maniacs can use any OS of our choice (for instance, I'd use Ropieee). As for the default OS, it's tough. As I said, I like Ropieee -- no fuss for my use cases -- but if it needed to support services like Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, the options are kind of ugly (no names named to avoid irate devs). Or you could roll our your own slimmed down OS, but getting licenced libraries for streaming sources that would work with that would be nontrivial.

When RPis were out of stock, I needed a streamer in a hurry for a new system (I had distractedly sold a spare DIY Pi-based streamer I had in the gear closet), so I got a iFi Zen Stream. It's been the least reliable streamer in my long run of streamers, much glitchier than my various self-assembled Pis and micro PC streamers. Recently got a Pi 5, Flirc case, SMPS, and USB galvanic isolator for a total way less than the Zen Stream, and I had it all running with Ropieee in 15 minutes including physical assembly time.

Update: Local sources: Roon RAAT, UPnP/DLNA, Airplay 2. NAA (IMHO) is only interesting for DSD direct DACs (which Schiit does not offer).
 
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Oct 14, 2024 at 11:42 PM Post #168,048 of 182,156
Anyone else here using an Archetype?
One of my setups uses two side-by-side (surge protector, streamer, DAC, pre, couple of headphone amps). Assembly is easy.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 12:17 AM Post #168,049 of 182,156
Yes, I think health arguments and recommendations should be relegated to the politics bucket (as in, no thanks), as one man's confident assertions are another's pseudoscience imo. (Edit: chose this one to mention this specifically bc it's not one of the contentious ones).

That said... since Schiit isn't going to make the toaster (correct me if this is the big announcement, Jason!), does anyone have a toaster recommendation? Serious question: don't care if it's 2 or 4 piece, looking for consistency and ability to handle wide bread. **My wife has been complaining about our p.o.s. toaster....**
.... ** a different discussion were the toaster NOS? .... 🤔 😋 🍞 ....
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 1:44 AM Post #168,051 of 182,156
Two things I've noticed in listening with the Tyr: individual vocalists are well resolved. Not spatially of course, as I am listening in mono, but when multiple people are singing, I can more readably differentiate their voices.

The other is that percussion and plucked strings sound ominously real.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 3:01 AM Post #168,052 of 182,156
Native support for Apple Music isn't possible, since Apple doesn't provide the APIs for that.
But the streamer could act as an AirPlay 2 target. Would that be a valid alternative?

Regarding lossless, AirPlay 2 and the LDAC codec for Bluetooth are sonically close to as good as lossless. I have pretty darn good hearing, and I am struggling to hear an appreciable difference. They're not perfect, but come close. I've heard much bigger degradations from some supposedly great audio player and signal processing softwares.
I feel like those two could be a good enough alternative to true bit-perfect lossless streaming for those streaming services that can't be supported natively, like Apple Music. At least for casual listening, no?
AirPlay 2 isn’t a good option for those-like me—who don’t want to push musical content from my phone. I’m okay with the phone being the remote, but I want to be able to use my phone as, well, a phone. Sound quality is also an issue given caps on airplay (that I probably can’t hear, but wish I could) and, more cogently, Airplay’s seeming inability to stay connected consistently in the times I’ve used it.

Both Eversolo and Hi-Fi Rose do support Apple-music natively, as apps on the Android OS they use and, in the case of Eversolo, an Android OS hack that allows them to by-pass bitrate limits inherent to the OS.

But both of those feel like something that could vanish at anytime.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 3:30 AM Post #168,053 of 182,156
Somehow I knew you would join in.🤣
Chat GPT gave me this, and I made a small edit for flow :relaxed:

A young woman from Canada’s shore,
Crafted wood with sound to the fore,
She'd shape and she'd plane,
While music would reign,
Building wonders that none could ignore!
 
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Oct 15, 2024 at 3:49 AM Post #168,054 of 182,156
If you are using the WiiM for volume control, you are using its digital signal processing. Except with higher-end digital gear. I leave my volume control to the analog side. Low-cost digital gadgets don't have the algorithms or compute power to do high-quality DSP.
I think the Wiim does volume in 32bit, so there shouldn't be a loss in quality if correctly implemented.
As always a) I could be wrong and b) YMMV :relaxed:

* I'm getting one (Pro Plus) to play with as it was 25% off over the weekend
** I tend to go with analog volume too, using that nice relay attenuator in the Freya+
 
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Oct 15, 2024 at 5:31 AM Post #168,055 of 182,156
I watched this very enjoyable program this past weekend. I didn't understand a word of the lyrics, but the music was transcendent. Highly recommended for Snarky Puppy fans.

https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-1-snarky-puppy-the-family-we-make-tannx1/

I just saw Snarky Puppy two weekends ago at SFJAZZ! Please excuse the poor quality photo.

20241005_203059.jpg
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 5:42 AM Post #168,056 of 182,156
Two things I've noticed in listening with the Tyr: individual vocalists are well resolved. Not spatially of course, as I am listening in mono, but when multiple people are singing, I can more readably differentiate their voices.

The other is that percussion and plucked strings sound ominously real.
When I upgraded from Vidar 1 to Tyr, it made an improvement in every aspect of the sound. The most surprising was that it even improved playing at low volume, probably from its tight control of the woofers.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 8:16 AM Post #168,057 of 182,156
Sorry, but I want a streamer that does NOT require me to have a cell phone in my hand. When I listen to music, the LAST thing that I desire is for that stupid phone to be at my side. Turn it off!

When I upgrade a phone, the old one becomes the hand-me-down for uses like these. Remove the sim card (if it wasn't moved to the new phone) and delete a bunch of apps.

Then again, the phones I'm replacing aren't worth much as trade-ins. Nothing I could buy for $5 would give me the same functionality.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 8:19 AM Post #168,058 of 182,156
Yes, I think health arguments and recommendations should be relegated to the politics bucket (as in, no thanks), as one man's confident assertions are another's pseudoscience imo. (Edit: chose this one to mention this specifically bc it's not one of the contentious ones).

That said... since Schiit isn't going to make the toaster (correct me if this is the big announcement, Jason!), does anyone have a toaster recommendation? Serious question: don't care if it's 2 or 4 piece, looking for consistency and ability to handle wide bread. My wife has been complaining about our p.o.s. toaster....
You may want to consider the Breville brand ...
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 9:32 AM Post #168,059 of 182,156
Congrats to Elon Musk and SpaceX...they just landed the first catch booster...awesome video!
@Jason Stoddard I am sure watched this one!!
giphy (12).gif

Quite the engineering accomplishment...! Fun to watch too...! But, as an avid science fiction reader since my youth (and no, I did not personally know H.G. Wells), I'd hoped we'd be further along with technology by now. With no flying saucers yet, the Space X launches still disappoint just a bit...! 😟
3822b52cd689a711914dc8878a69e1f8.gif
 
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Oct 15, 2024 at 9:37 AM Post #168,060 of 182,156
Well there’s world peace, goodwill towards all people, and climate well being that seem to be falling short of forecast.. But who’s keeping track anyways.
 

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