Raspberry Pi 2 - Listening impressions

[tboooe]

Are you going to use the built in WiFi or are you using it wired? I've been really struggling with the built in WiFi on the Pi 3.

I am going to use ethernet cable. I want to disable wifi and bluetooth.

 

With a pi2 B not a p3 but that should not matter.

 

Yes I power them that way, sounds pretty good really. Bryston is doing something similar. Moode is versatile, what are you planing on doing?

I plan to use the Pi3 and Digi+ as a renderer for Minimserver. Right now I have a tweaked out PC running Jplay as the renderer. I am hopeful the Pi3 combo sounds at least as good.

 

Do you have the commands to disable the onboard WiFi? Or a link? Thanks in advance!

I need this too!

[TommyBoy]

>I need this too!

then follow #75 link :-)

[tboooe]

Got it...for those who also want to disable wifi and bluetooth:

Edit "/etc/modprobe.d/disable_rpi3_wifi_bt.conf" and remove the # in front of the wifi and bluetooth entries.

 

CODE: SELECT ALL

##wifi

#blacklist brcmfmac

#blacklist brcmutil

##bt

#blacklist btbcm

#blacklist hci_uart

t

[mwb]

If you're using piCorePlayer, disabling built in WiFi is a little different. Posting it here in case someone else comes along looking for it.

 

tc@Pi2DigiPlus:~$ sudo sh

root@Pi2DigiPlus:/home/tc# id

uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root)

root@Pi2DigiPlus:/home/tc# mount /mnt/mmcblk0p1

root@Pi2DigiPlus:/home/tc# vi /mnt/mmcblk0p1/cmdline.txt

 

 

Add "blacklist=brcmfmac" to the big long string of cmdline options, then reboot.

[master]

What's the difference between a streamer and a renderer? I'm not doubting you that there is a difference, I honestly never knew there was a difference.

 

All semantics... most devices will (eventually/hopefully) be a single box solution.

 

I'm limiting to networked audio (wired/wireless), but typically it has 3 components...

 

1. Library - The source that contains the media (typically PC, NAS, HDD, etc.). Usually they are servers (Aurender) or streamers (Auralic). Streamers will also do wireless streaming using the likes of UPnP, DLNA, etc.

2. Control Point - The remote that accesses the library (typically smartphone, tablet, etc.), most devices/mini computers run headless (without monitor) so either they need to be plugged into a TV (Roku, Chromecast Video), or they need to be accessed by another device on the same network (smartphones, tablets, etc.).

3. Renderer - The devices that plays the content (typically DAC, AVR, powered speakers, etc.). Basically anything that receives the data.

 

The Pi can be used both as the server/streamer (install MinimServer, Moode and its good to go) or as a Renderer (install piCorePlayer). Or you can install an add-on board to the Pi (HiFiBerry) and make it a DAC or give it optical output with Digi+. With Pi 3 and its inbuilt WiFi its even easier to use the Pi as a renderer (easy previously too with a WiFi dongle).

 

In my setup I've always used both my Pis as server/streamer (running MinimServer for audio, Kodi for video). The Chromecast Audio functions as the renderer in my case and is plugged into a DAC.

[[email protected]]

Out of curiosity I bought a Raspberry Pi2 and have it running USB out to Dac using Volumio software, Flac files are all on a NAS. The sound quality to my ears sounds incredibly good. I've run it both as the standalone PC, and also as UPnP renderer with files being fed from a laptop running JRiver. Sounds identical either way to me, both extremely good.

 

Anyone else have similar findings with a Pi 2, or could my ears just be playing tricks on me?

 

I am running RP2, connected to ELE D02 USB dac, playing with moode, output of flac files to my diy t-amp clone and sounds very good, to me I can not tell the difference with my sony CD player.

 

here is youtube (before I switched DAC)

[tboooe]

My experience with the Pi3 and Digi+ has been a bit different. At least for me, the Pi3 sounded more warm and syrupy in my system. The sound reminded me of some tube gear I've heard in the past where the highs were rounded off and the mids were emphasized a bit too much. Dont get me wrong, the sound is still very good, especially for the price but in comparison to my much more expensive PC with various hw and sw tweaks, the Pi3 did not match up well. I am playing around with some power tweaks and a prototype output hat that I am hoping will improve the sound.

[clipper]

My experience with the Pi3 and Digi+ has been a bit different. At least for me, the Pi3 sounded more warm and syrupy in my system. The sound reminded me of some tube gear I've heard in the past where the highs were rounded off and the mids were emphasized a bit too much. Dont get me wrong, the sound is still very good, especially for the price but in comparison to my much more expensive PC with various hw and sw tweaks, the Pi3 did not match up well. I am playing around with some power tweaks and a prototype output hat that I am hoping will improve the sound.

 

Tboooe, I just noticed that you have a Mutec 3 USB device.

 

I was thinking this whole time that you couldn’t do USB because of your DAC.

 

But now I see that you can (by virtue of having the converter)…

 

Given that, here’s my 2 cents: the Pi/Digi + combo is nice, especially given its incredibly low cost, but the microRendu is in another league altogether.

 

I use the microRendu with a USB converter because my DAC's USB input isn't as good as some of its other inputs.

 

The microRendu sounds amazing, and is easily the best sound I’ve ever had (by far). I used to do the 2 computer, AO, JPLAY, PPA card thing, and while it was very good, this (with the microRendu) is clearly much better (to me). More musical, less digital sounding, better soundstage, etc.

[tboooe]

 

Given that, here’s my 2 cents: the Pi/Digi + combo is nice, especially given its incredibly low cost, but the microRendu is in another league altogether.

 

I use the microRendu with a USB converter because my DAC's USB input isn't as good as some of its other inputs.

 

The microRendu sounds amazing, and is easily the best sound I’ve ever had (by far). I used to do the 2 computer, AO, JPLAY, PPA card thing, and while it was very good, this (with the microRendu) is clearly much better (to me). More musical, less digital sounding, better soundstage, etc.

 

I was actually thinking about the uRendu last night as I was planning on comparing a Pi3 and Digi against an UP Board with a similar SPDIF output hat. I will need to throw the uRendu into serious consideration. However, for much less money I could us the UP Board with Jplay, AO, and Fidelizer. The question is if the uRendu sound better?? I wonder if I can get a trial???

 

BTW, I am going to give HQP a shot tonight. Is that what you are using as well to output to the uRendu?

[clipper]

I was actually thinking about the uRendu last night as I was planning on comparing a Pi3 and Digi against an UP Board with a similar SPDIF output hat. I will need to throw the uRendu into serious consideration. However, for much less money I could us the UP Board with Jplay, AO, and Fidelizer. The question is if the uRendu sound better?? I wonder if I can get a trial???

 

BTW, I am going to give HQP a shot tonight. Is that what you are using as well to output to the uRendu?

 

If I lived out in SoCal (like I used to), I would let you borrow it for sure!

 

I don't have any experience with the UP Board, but I did try WS2012, AO, JPLAY and Fidelizer on a number of audio PCs in a 2-PC config (everything from a full-fledged desktop machine with a PPA USB card to small Intel NUCs). I was outputting USB (not S/PDIF like your hat would do), but I was going out to a good USB converter. Again, the sound was very good, but nothing near like what I'm getting with the rendu.

 

Good luck with HQPlayer! Would love to know how it sounds with your gear.

 

I am doing the Roon/HQPlayer thing with the microRendu. But I have tried the other modes (LMS/Squeezelite, since I am an old squeezebox and Transporter guy, and MPD/DLNA mode using MinimServer and BubbleUPnPServer) and they sound great too.

[Max2Play]

Hi guys,

I read your posts on the music server multiroom possibilities of the Raspberry Pi with excitement and thought I would mention our project here, since it pretty much has a hundred percent crossover with your expectations and needs. Max2Play is a community project. We have been working on a perfect solution for multiroom audio applications with the Pi since our first collaboration with SqueezePlug.

Our current images offer a preinstalled instance of Squeezelite, a one-click installer of the Squeezebox Server (7.9 nightly), a simple but detailed web interface for easy configuration, one-click implementation of all HiFiBerry and IQaudIO sound cards, easy implementation of Jivelite as a graphic interface for touchscreens or monitors and many more extensions. The latter two require a premium license which is our way of keeping the project going, but the basic options and all images are free. (Downloadpage)

We would love it if an audiophile community like you guys could give us some feedback on our software since audio applications have been the main focus of our images from the start. Also, if you have any questions or comments already, I would appreciate it, as well. I hope I do not break any informal board rules by posting here, just thought our work might interest you.

 

Best Regards

Heiner from Max2Play

[Elf_Lord_ZC5]

Well, I am having much enjoyment listening to a RPi 2 with Iqaudio Pi - Dac + playing FLAC files from a USB external powered HDD, as well as a RPi Zero, with an Asus Xonar U3, USB audio device. Audio quality is very good, not the best I have heard, but more than good enough to be thoroughly enjoyed. Using Volumio or Moode , have yet to try Rune Audio ...