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WORKING: Audio-gd Async USB to Squeezebox Touch (up to 192k / 24b). TEAC UD-H01 and other TE8802L - based DACs may work, too.
Jun 25, 2012 at 3:13 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 27
ursdiego

ursdiego

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Hi there fellows.
 
Good news for audio-gd DAC or DI - users with a Squeezebox Touch! They can now be connected over Asynchronous USB.
 
It might work for other TE8802L - Based DACs, too. In particular for instance, TEAC UD-H01. Here is a list of some of them:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/609062/te8802-asynchronous-dacs-on-linux-and-squeezebox-touch-supported-with-triodes-app-for-the-sbt
 
PLEASE REPORT ON THIS FORUM, IF IT WORKS:
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?93310-Async-USB-Dac-Experiments-testers-wanted/
 
Now comes the most important part. Say thank you to Triode. He is british and worked on that many hours, even during the GB against Italy - game yesterday evening! Even the numerous tryouts and log file creations, that I did to assist Triode, took me hours, so developping must have been a big work.
 
Do it here:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?93310-Async-USB-Dac-Experiments-testers-wanted/

This current version is still in Development Stage. I am able to play up to 24 bit / 192 khz - files with it, and they sound great. But nobody can guarantee, that this will work for all users and any setups!

All the modifications in this guide are at your own risk. They are not supported by any vendor, nor by myslef, nor by the developper Triode, nor by anybody else. They are in particular not supported by Logitech, audio-gd or Tenor (gfec). Any damage will be on your own risk! If you go further in this guide, you accept this condition!

However... For me, I can tell you, that it works. I have a Squeezebox Touch and a audio-gd DI-DSP with external power supply DI-PSU. This is then connected to a Audio-gd Reference 9 DAC over I2S.SBT has never sounded better before! In my opinion, it sounds much better than connected over SPDIF (even with all software modifications, TT3.0, linear power supply, etc.).
 
It should work at least with all audio-gd DACs that have a TE8802L - based - USB-input (or that are upgraded with a TE8802L - module)
 
Here is the guide:
 
Prerequisites:
- I recommend, you use a DAC, that is externally powered, NOT USB-powered. The DAC may work over USB power, but I can not tell for sure. If your DAC has no separate power input, this usb - linear power - interface may help, and it will by the way enhance your sound quality: http://www.aqvox.de/usb-power_en.html ).
- Everything on the SBT and on the Logitech Media Server is updated to the latest versions and runs with default settings. - Logitech Media Server must run on an external computer (or NAT), and Squeezebox Touch must be connected with this external server via Network. Wired ethernet LAN is best, if possible. Provide a robust connection, in particular if streaming bit-hungry high-res files.
 
Now:
- connect the TE8802 - based - DAC to the Squeezebox Touch (SBT) over a good USB cable.
- Access the configuration screen of the Logitech Media Server over a web browser.
- Go to the plugins - tab and add http://triodeapplets.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/usbtestrepo.xml as additional repository.
- Go to the SBT, go to the applet installer (in settings, extended settings)
- Uncheck the tab that limits the choice to recommended apps
- Choose "Enhanced Digital Output" and install it. It will reboot, download a Kernel and reboot again.
- Play a song, it will not sound, but this is to make sure, your SBT is connected to the server
- Go again to the applet instller and install "Kernel Updater". SBT will reboot.
- Go to Kernel Updater (in settings, extended settings). Install Kernel #11. Wait until SBT reboots completely.
- Disconnect the power connection of the SBT and disconnect power from the DAC. Wait 10 seconds.
- Power on DAC and wait 10 seconds
- Power on the SBT and wait until it boots
- Go to the Audio-Settings and choose Digital Output. Choose your DAC!
- Listen to the music

"Audiophile" recommendations: Choose "Screen disabled" screensaver while playing. If you attach a volume regulated preamp to your DAC, consider setting the SBT to 100% volume lock. Additional mods to the SBT, like TT3.0, will most probably not work with default settings. They may work, but you will have to manually adjust priority settings, you find lots of discussions about that on the http://forums.slimdevices.com . However, these settings may make the SBT not respond anymore. This can usually be resolved with a factory reset, but again, there is no guarantee.

To revert everything back to the original stage and factory defaults:
- Power on the SBT
- Hold down the little reset button on the back of the SBT just above the DC power plug for 10 seconds. This does the factory reset of the settings, but NOT of the installed Kernel !
- Let the SBT boot up to "Factory Settings".
- Go to the Software Updating Menu (in settings, extended settings)
- Force to "update" the Logitech Firmware
- Let the SBT boot up completely.
- Do another factory reset
 
Enjoy!
 
Jun 25, 2012 at 11:43 AM Post #2 of 27
Does it sound better than from PC usb?
 
Jun 25, 2012 at 4:02 PM Post #4 of 27
Quote:
ursdiego said:
 Additional mods to the SBT, like TT3.0, will most probably not work with default settings. They may work, but you will have to manually adjust priority settings, you find lots of discussions about that on the http://forums.slimdevices.com . However, these settings may make the SBT not respond anymore. This can usually be resolved with a factory reset, but again, there is no guarantee.
 
Click to expand...

 
Hi
 
So you are saying that you shouldn't use TT3.0 together at the same time as using the triode USB out mod?
 
Jun 25, 2012 at 4:24 PM Post #5 of 27
I tried it once with a previous version of EDO, and when using USB, it did not work. However, anybody may try it... this is probably the thins to do:
http://touchtoomuch.wordpress.com/
however, with async USB, you eliminate already a whole bunch of the SBT shortcomings, as clocking is done by the DAC instead of the SBT. So I don't expect TT3.0 to do much of a difference, once SBT async USB is implemented definitively.
 
 
Jul 4, 2012 at 3:38 AM Post #7 of 27
Meh, I hoped it would work out of the box with Linux. I guess I'll have to wait longer before getting a te8802 device. At least some people are working on it, that's good news.
 
 All the modifications in this guide are at your own risk. They are not supported by any vendor, nor by myslef, nor by the developper Triode, nor by anybody else. They are in particular not supported by Logitech, audio-gd or Tenor (gfec). Any damage will be on your own risk! If you go further in this guide, you accept this condition!
Click to expand...

 
This disclaimer is interesting. Did you know this thread was linked from audio-gd's website?
 
Jul 4, 2012 at 4:09 AM Post #8 of 27
Quote:
kimlaroux said:
...
This disclaimer is interesting. Did you know this thread was linked from audio-gd's website?
Click to expand...

 
Yes I have seen it. In fact, Triode and myself wrote to audio-gd to tell him about the good news of the workaround, working on the Linux-based Squeezebox Touch. It was in fact audio-gd who asked me to post a "howto".
 
Triode and myself are hoping, that audio-gd would help to get Tenor/GFEC (vendors of the TE8802L) to move a bit faster with regards to Linux. We wrote GFEC too, Triode did it more than once, and sent them all his findings (in particular about quite a couple of bugs in the Tenor firmware). They did not reply to Tenor at all... No idea why they are not more keen to working with somebody who actually helps to get Linux and their chip working together. This should of course be a business interest of them...
 
With regards to the disclaimer: Well, its a workaround developed by a private person, called Tenor (his forum name). He does it to help others (he does not own a Tenor device himself). Everyone is free to try it for himself, but if anything goes wrong, it is clear that Tenor cannot be made responsible for that. He is neither paid for it, nor does he have the time and infrastructure to test everything on every possible setup (as said, he does not even own a TE8802-DAC!). So its at everyone's own risk.
 
For me, it keeps working. And indeed, it sounds much much better than before, when my audio-gd Reference 9 - dac was connected by spdif to the touch! I use it now in the following setup:
Squeeezebox Touch --> USB --> Digital Interface DI-DSP with DI-PSU --> I2S --> Reference 9
 
I am still not able to play 192k files, however I only own a couple of them and listen to them downsampled to 96k for the time being, and they sound great already like this. Kingwa from audio-gd and myself are figuring out, where the issue is (lots of testing, soldering...)
 
Jul 4, 2012 at 9:56 AM Post #9 of 27
can you please try to compare:
sdpif out if the Squeezebox upsampled to 96khz via DI-DSP
and
usb out of Squeezebox upsampled to 96 khz via DI-DSP?
 
Jul 5, 2012 at 9:46 AM Post #10 of 27
If anyone gets the TT3 mod and EDO working together please let me know. Though you say most of the issues are resolved using EDO.
 
I played around last night and the SBT just ended up with a black screen.
Thanks!!
 
Jul 5, 2012 at 10:43 AM Post #11 of 27
Quote:
kr0gg said:
can you please try to compare:
sdpif out if the Squeezebox upsampled to 96khz via DI-DSP
and
usb out of Squeezebox upsampled to 96 khz via DI-DSP?
Click to expand...


I have done the comparison. In my oppinion:
- SBT @ 44.1/48/96/192 khz  --> spdif --> DI-DSP with PSU -->  upsapled to 96khz --> I2S to Reference 9 DAC: In particular bass is much stronger than through direct connection to the DAC. I liked it at first, however, over time, I started realizing, that sound was a bit denaturalised. Nice flawour but somehow artifical. Not worse, but not necessarily better than direct connection over spdif to the Reference 9 DAC. However, the SBT-typical syllabance was still there (in fact I started thinking that it was a flaw of the records...). TT3.0 did not help a lot, difficult to be sure, very subtile. Linear power supply with TeddyReg did help noticably.
 
- SBT with EDO @ 44.1/48/96/192 khz --> USB --> DI-DSP with PSU -->  upsapled to 96khz --> I2S to Reference 9 DAC: Best sound I ever experienced over the SBT. Sillabance is resolved! Bass is less punchy, but more precise. Everything is more detailled, sound stage, definition of voices and instuments, sound got much more involving. In fact, I have until now NEVER enjoyed classical choir recordings over any digital support, and rarely over vinyl records (however, there the bottleneck was often the rather old recordings I own). I now listened to the 9th symphony of Beethoven and the 4th movement (Ode to Joy / Hymne an die Freude, at 96khz from QOBUZ) - and it made me cry. I have in fact very rarely experienced that "Canned" music can transport emotions so autentically. In particular, classical choir is in my experience very difficult, as it gets mixed up usually by technology, to a porridge that is just not enjoyable to me. It got enjoyable. Voices got distinguisable, clear, natural. Async USB with EDO has its share in this. Of course, the rest of the chain must follow. The better definition and the less aggressive, more natural treble do good to any music style of course. So far for my personnal experience. No TT3.0, no modifications, only disabled display during playback and server sided flac decoding. Ethernet connection. More exactly: Server on core i7-PC with Win7 --> Ethernet cat.6 cable -->  WiFi-Router --> IEEE 802.11n @ 150 Mbit/s nominal --> reversed WiFi-Router --> Ethernet cat. 6 cable with partly manually removed shielding --> SBT.
 
By the way: I have not even connected the linear power supply to the SBT yet.
 
Jul 5, 2012 at 10:52 AM Post #12 of 27
TE8802L works now on certain Linux distributions, as it seems. See here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/609062/te8802-asynchronous-dacs-on-linux-and-squeezebox-touch-supported-with-triodes-app-for-the-sbt/15#post_8505725
 
 
Aug 6, 2012 at 7:23 AM Post #15 of 27
Quote:
bourneperfect said:
How do I add http://triodeapplets.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/usbtestrepo.xml as 'additional repository' under the plugins tab?? There seems to be no option for adding anything. All in all  am still trying to get my SBT-->Audio gd SA-1 working via USB. Help!
 
-Daniel
Click to expand...

at the right bottom logitech icon , click it, you should see "open web control", click it, then your brower should include the 
the page you can select all your songs. at the right bottom angle, there is SET UP, click it and it will pop up  another page where 
you are ready to put above link at the plugin tab.  C/P at the bottom location. 
 
 
hope it can help.
 
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