[ZeroGroundOne]

I'm completely new here, so be gentle...

I was thinking about using a Raspberry Pi 4 as a music streamer and connect it to a Zen dac via usb. Then connect the zen dac to the zen can as an amplifier.

Would this be possible? I'm really new to Amps and dacs in generel, so i'm not sure if it's just plug and play or more advanced.

My thought is that i don't need a Pi add-on dac since the Zen Dac is the Dac, but i don't know if USB connection changes how it works.

 

[tesarpa]

Correct.

 

[surfgeorge]

While this will work, the sound quality will be quite bad.
The RPi USB has a lot of noise on it which will pollute the supply voltage in the DAC.
Allo is making excellent HATs for the RPi, I am using the Digione to feed my Chord 2Qute in the stereo setup.

But you can do one thing, set up the RPi without hat and test it. Compare it with a laptop USB out (use the laptop on battery without external screens, Macbook works well in my setups) A laptop output is not very good, but compare it to the RPi and if you can hear a difference upgrade the RPi with a HAT.

 

[ZeroGroundOne]

While this will work, the sound quality will be quite bad.
The RPi USB has a lot of noise on it which will pollute the supply voltage in the DAC.
Allo is making excellent HATs for the RPi, I am using the Digione to feed my Chord 2Qute in the stereo setup.

But you can do one thing, set up the RPi without hat and test it. Compare it with a laptop USB out (use the laptop on battery without external screens, Macbook works well in my setups) A laptop output is not very good, but compare it to the RPi and if you can hear a difference upgrade the RPi with a HAT.

Thank you! This is very useful to know actually! I understand that the Zen Dac 2 comes out later this month, What-Hifi has a showcase next week. So hopefully, it'll have more inputs.

As far as i know, the USB noise problems is not nearly as bad on RPI 4, but i prefer not to use usb anyway. Might just buy a cheap HAT and then take it from there

 

[surfgeorge]

Thank you! This is very useful to know actually! I understand that the Zen Dac 2 comes out later this month, What-Hifi has a showcase next week. So hopefully, it'll have more inputs.

As far as i know, the USB noise problems is not nearly as bad on RPI 4, but i prefer not to use usb anyway. Might just buy a cheap HAT and then take it from there

I read too that the RPi 4 is better because it uses separate ICs for Ethernet and USB.
It still creates a lot of noise which is transferred to USB out and will pollute the DAC's power line.
Best would be to isolate the two. If the Zen DAC has optical out it might be the cheapest way to get a cheap HAT with Toslink out.
That way you can also save money for a clean power supply for the RPi.

Check Hans Beekhuizen on YT. A bit over the top IMO but generally good advice.

PS: for SW I am very happy with the Squeezebox SW with Logitech Media Server (LMS) and iPeng App (iPhone) for remote control

 

[cycchar]

I read too that the RPi 4 is better because it uses separate ICs for Ethernet and USB.
It still creates a lot of noise which is transferred to USB out and will pollute the DAC's power line.
Best would be to isolate the two. If the Zen DAC has optical out it might be the cheapest way to get a cheap HAT with Toslink out.
That way you can also save money for a clean power supply for the RPi.

Check Hans Beekhuizen on YT. A bit over the top IMO but generally good advice.

PS: for SW I am very happy with the Squeezebox SW with Logitech Media Server (LMS) and iPeng App (iPhone) for remote control

Is this separate ICs for Ethernet and USB a feature only in RPi 4 or also in RPi 3b?

I have a RPi 3b and intend to use it as a NAA which transports digital signal from HQP in PC via intranet to DAC via usb. Not sure if 4 will be better.

I can't use any Toslink or RCA HAT as I'm using HQP to upsample PCM into DSD. My DAC is Audio GD r8 (NOS mode). Is there any hat with I2S out??

 

[surfgeorge]

Is this separate ICs for Ethernet and USB a feature only in RPi 4 or also in RPi 3b?

I have a RPi 3b and intend to use it as a NAA which transports digital signal from HQP in PC via intranet to DAC via usb. Not sure if 4 will be better.

I can't use any Toslink or RCA HAT as I'm using HQP to upsample PCM into DSD. My DAC is Audio GD r8 (NOS mode). Is there any hat with I2S out??

I can only repeat what I read about RPi 3 vs 4 that the 4 has cleaner USB out. I‘d still strongly recommend a HAT with clean digital output. I remember seeing HATs with i2S too. Google should help

 

[cycchar]

I can only repeat what I read about RPi 3 vs 4 that the 4 has cleaner USB out. I‘d still strongly recommend a HAT with clean digital output. I remember seeing HATs with i2S too. Google should help

Thanks! Can I further ask, when you say "cleaner" do you mean less jitter or general noise?

It's not easy to find a i2s "output" HAT for RPi. All I've found so far are for RCA outputs with i2s digital inputs such as this one:
https://au.element14.com/hifiberry/...-293946777986|&CMP=KNC-GAU-GEN-SMART-SHOPPING

I'd appreciate if you can share some links you've come cross for i2S output HAT.

Thanks.

 

[tesarpa]

Check pi2design.com

 

[treydufrene]

I've been out of the game for a while but back when I was into it, the best I could find was HifiBerry. https://www.hifiberry.com/dacs/
Just trying to add to your pool of options, there appear to be lots now!

 

[kumar402]

HAT is best option if you want clean digital signal out of Pi. Allo Digione signature or Signature USB or Pi2AES but if you are starting out then just get Pi4 and don’t worry about it. The enjoyment and pleasure of not being tied down by cords is far bigger then dirty USB

 

[mindhead1]

I have a couple of Pi4 streamers. One has a Hifiberry Digi+ Pro HAT and I stream optical and coax out to separate DACs. Sounds great. My other Pi streamer is USB out to a Zen DAC and it sounds great. I have run the USB into the DACs where optical and coax are used. I can’t hear any difference. All setups sound great. Long story short USB out from a Pi 4 is fine.

I do have an iPower for the Zen DAC.

 

[bibbs]

on Pi USB is only dirty if you use a dirty PS. IIR the Pi 3b has wifi built in which is separate from the USB/Cat. simply dont use the Cat connection which should clean up the USB. TBH when i mucked about with the Pi3b and HAT a few years ago it was superb for the money. another thing i done was to use the Micro SD card as the OS/music storage as i dont do paid music such as Tidal etc.etc. the Pi was feeding a Sapphire DIY headphone amp.