Pink Faun 2.16

[Pink Faun]

44 minutes ago, ddetaey said:

The streamer 2.16 measures 45 cm (large/width)  x 41,5 W (depth) x 15 cm (high) 

approx weight I would guess around 15-20 kg. It sure is heavy.

Dirk

 

It's actually 35kg 😉 

[Pink Faun]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 1:52 PM, matthias said:

 

Please, can you share some info about Scion?

Scion was mentioned in the comments section of the review.

Thanks

 

Matt

Hi Matt, we're working hard to release the Scion asap. Some details of the Scion:

- Roon endpoint

- Flexible digital output for I2S / a list of compatible DAC's will be shown on the website when the Scion is available 

- SPDIF out

- USB out (PCM & DSD)

- Full Super capacitor power supply

 

[Pink Faun]

Visiting the Lisbon Audio show 2019, Ultimate Audio is demonstrating the streamer 2.16x in DUAL configuration (ROON/HQPlayer) with a fantastic high end system. Sound is amazing, getting a lot of nice feedback. 

 

The 2.16x DUAL is not extremely good sounding, the numbers of the DUAL setup are extreme too:

- 6 power transformers in total

- the PSU of both machines have a combined buffer capacity of 1.6 million uF in total

- 6 Ultra low noise Pink Faun OCXO clocks

- Average processor load renderer (HQPlayer non over- or up-sampling) 0.02%

 

 

[matthias]

30 minutes ago, Pink Faun said:

Hi Matt, we're working hard to release the Scion asap. Some details of the Scion:

- Roon endpoint

- Flexible digital output for I2S / a list of compatible DAC's will be shown on the website when the Scion is available 

- SPDIF out

- USB out (PCM & DSD)

- Full Super capacitor power supply

 

 

Thanks,

what about people like me who do not go with Roon?

What about UPnP?

 

Matt

[Pink Faun]

5 minutes ago, matthias said:

 

Thanks,

what about people like me who do not go with Roon?

What about UPnP?

 

Matt

For now we start with ROON only, the software is dedicated written for the Scion. The Scion has an auto update function and is configurable through the web interface. More options and new development can easily rolled out.

 

If you don't want to go with ROON you can swap the SD card and use for example DietPi. Note that this DietPi and others are not officially supported by Pink Faun. 

[lpost]

On 12/18/2018 at 1:49 PM, Miska said:

 

It should be visible by default, in default configuration there's

<upnp interface="auto">
  ...

Which makes it hook into all available physical interfaces.

 

 

@Miska

Jussi, I thought I would try uPNP via HQPe as well.  When I start HQPe, it reports uPNP is enabled for all interfaces, only the last is connected.  However, all the uPNP control points I try on iOS or MacOS or Android...none of them see the server.  Simple network, no vlans, no firewalls internally.  Is this still functioning in v4.90?  Are there dependencies?

 

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Enable UPnP Renderer functionality for interface: auto

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp30s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp42s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp46s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: property updated; volume: 0.90

[Miska]

Just now, lpost said:

Jussi, I thought I would try uPNP via HQPe as well.  When I start HQPe, it reports uPNP is enabled for all interfaces, only the last is connected.  However, all the uPNP control points I try on iOS or MacOS or Android...none of them see the server.  Simple network, no vlans, no firewalls internally.  Is this still functioning in v4.90?

 

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Enable UPnP Renderer functionality for interface: auto

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp30s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp42s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: Adding interface 'enp46s0' for UPnP Renderer

Mar 06 12:10:50 pinkfaun hqplayerd[6669]: property updated; volume: 0.90

 

Yes,  I'm using it all the time... The Linux running on your PF server is not having any firewall rules (for example shown by "iptables -L")?

 

And just in case, does it happen to run those interfaces in bridged mode? For example if you check output of "ifconfig" or "ip address" does it show the IP being on the particular interface? For bridged interfaces you could instead put name of the bridge device in the config instead of auto.

 

Another thing to check is if the Rygel XML templates are in place (typically /usr/share/rygel/xml).

 

Those are the few things that come to my mind now.

[lpost]

Thanks,

 

iptables -L shows all policies are 'accept' so no blocking.  Not running bridged, just a single active interface that is normally accessible on the network.  The other two interfaces built-in to the motherboard are not physically connected.  Both ipv4 and ipv6 are up and normal.  Rygel templates are there too.

 

Could Rygel be out of date and need an update?  I found that rygel wasn't running...started it, restarted hqpe, no change using mconnect control on iOS, no device found.

 

This is current AudioLinux build for Pink Faun - appears to be the same as others AL builds just optimized for AMD proc.

 

2: enp46s0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group default qlen 1000

    link/ether 00:1e:0b:bc:f2:b6 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

    inet 192.168.1.32/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global dynamic enp46s0

       valid_lft 48065sec preferred_lft 48065sec

    inet6 2600:8801:d800:e88:21e:bff:febc:f2b6/64 scope global dynamic mngtmpaddr noprefixroute

       valid_lft 86094sec preferred_lft 86094sec

    inet6 fe80::21e:bff:febc:f2b6/64 scope link

       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

 

[root@pinkfaun audiolinux]# cd /usr/share/rygel/xml/

[root@pinkfaun xml]# ls

AVTransport2.xml       ContentDirectory-NoTrack.xml  MediaRenderer2.xml RenderingControl2.xml  X_MS_MediaReceiverRegistrar1.xml

BasicManagement2.xml   ContentDirectory.xml     MediaServer3.xml RuihServer2.xml

ConnectionManager.xml  EnergyManagement.xml     RemoteUIServerService.xml UIList.xml

[root@pinkfaun xml]#

[lpost]

I enabled rygel so it would startup, rebooted server, and saw the HQPe device show up on mconnect player for a moment and then disappeared.

 

Checked that both rygel and hqpe are still running.  Roon plays normally to hqpe.  Something is blocking rygel or upnp on the server or the client software isn't very good.  I'll try to find others...

 

Moments later hqpe showed up in the list.  I'll try it for a while before looking for a better control point.  

 

Thanks for adding uPNP support!  Well, that was short lived.  Rebooted again to see if it would continue working and now is not discoverable on network despite other upnp renders showing up.

[lpost]

MConnect (all versions) for iOS appear to be garbage.  Other uPNP control points find HQPe without issue but they don't offer streaming from Spotify and others.  

 

Anyone found a decent, working iOS control point?

[Miska]

I haven't got problems with mConnect Player, been working fine on both iOS and Android. I've been using it quite a lot to play Tidal.

 

On Android BubbleUPnP is also good choice.

 

Discovery problems usually indicate some challenges with multicast traffic. Maybe some of the packets get lost on WiFi or something? Since it is UDP there's no guaranteed delivery.

 

[Miska]

3 hours ago, lpost said:

Could Rygel be out of date and need an update?  I found that rygel wasn't running...started it, restarted hqpe, no change using mconnect control on iOS, no device found.

 

HQPlayer uses Rygel as a library, so it doesn't have to be running and it shouldn't be running at the same time.

 

It is also possible to run Rygel external to HQPlayer through it's MPRIS plugin, if one wants to also use the Media Server functionality of Rygel simultaneously on the same machine. But since MPRIS is DBUS Session Bus interface, it doesn't work without lot of hacking as a system service. I used to use tool called TLM to do that (one piece of software I was working on in the past to run automated custom user sessions).

 

Your XML templates seem to be in place as they should.

 

[lpost]

Are you running the version of mconnect that includes Spotify?  It appears they created a number of versions, some with differing functionality.

 

I've got all the clients now seeing HQPe, and can stream Tidal and Quboz, but I'm looking to add Spotify.

 

I've got BubbleuPNP running on a Windows machine on the network, enabled OpenHome to be able to try other apps but they too only include Tidal and Qobuz.  I use Roon mostly for local files and Tidal, only looking to add Spotify for more casual listening and their playlists.

 

Thanks, I've stopped/disabled rygel.

[Miska]

8 hours ago, lpost said:

Are you running the version of mconnect that includes Spotify?  It appears they created a number of versions, some with differing functionality.

 

I have not seen such. But some versions are restricted to their (Convers Digital) streaming products.

 

These should work:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mconnect-player/id503760460

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mconnect-player-hd/id826333314

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.conversdigitalpaid

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.conversdigitalhd

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp

 

The "HD" version is for tablets and the other one is for phones. For BubbleUPnP there's the separate license item in Play store.

 

8 hours ago, lpost said:

I've got all the clients now seeing HQPe, and can stream Tidal and Quboz, but I'm looking to add Spotify.

 

The way I'm playing Spotify is to stream through Google Chromecast Audio, from it's Toslink output into optical input and point HQPlayer Embedded to take input from optical interface.

 

This should also work through optical or coaxial output of Bluesound Node 2i.

 

Most flexible input device is RME ADI-2 Pro. With it, automatic input rate switching works with kernel 4.19 or one with my driver patch.

 

RME HDSPe AIO card also works, but it has some rate limitations on digital inputs due to driver bugs, but for Spotify it is fine. I haven't got time to fix the driver yet...

 

[lpost]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I've read that the mconnect control is the only conversdigital app that allows Spotify, and it requires a connection to a piece of their hardware.

 

I'll look into an optical input for server.

[Miska]

Cheapest option is miniDSP USBStreamer, preconfigured in HQPE default configuration. But it doesn't support automatic rate switching and one needs to keep eye on it, because if the sender side drops transmission, it falls back to internal clock instead of received Toslink clock which causes clicks'n'pops when data starts flowing again, if not switched back to external Toslink clock.

 

But since Spotify is fixed 44.1k lack of automatic rate switching is less of a problem. However, Chromecast Audio resets it's digital output when starting, so the USBStreamer's clock source setting may need to be updated after playback has started in case it momentarily lost sync due to CCA's transmit gap.

 

P.S. There are multiple firmware choices for the USBStreamer, it needs to be flashed with the stereo Toslink firmware for correct operation in this case.

[lpost]

Is it possible/reasonable to add Chromecast emulation to HQPe?  or accept output from an emulator?

 

https://github.com/vbaicu/mMusicCast

[Miska]

20 hours ago, lpost said:

Is it possible/reasonable to add Chromecast emulation to HQPe?  or accept output from an emulator?

 

https://github.com/vbaicu/mMusicCast

 

Uhh, JavaScript, NPM... Horrendous bloat. No way...

 

C/C++ goes as long as it is cross-platform and cross-architecturec (Linux/macOS/Windows, x86/ARM) and is not rights-minefield.

 

[lpost]

Fair enough.  I've postponed multiple system deployments or upgrades over the years until the vendor has moved from Java.  I get it though I'm not a software guy, went the networking and security route 30 years ago.

[lpost]

Despite my minor rant that I can't easily (without additional hw and/or trouble) play Spotify through the PF, I'm still exceedingly happy with it and its performance, depth, image, toe-tapping good time!

 

I've settled on underclocked RAM, Extreme1, ramroot, HQPe NOS.  Runs cool (35C idle up to 45C when working hard), sounds great.

 

Oh, I turned off PSP - https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/security  I don't need the value it brings for this use case and the CPU temps are lower because of it.  No SQ change.

[flkin]

How does one underclock the RAM in the PF?

 

My average CPU core temp reported in AL menu runs around 58-65C playing 44.1 files. 

 

At this time my optimal settings are: AL2.0 running Ramroot, Extreme 1, no upsampling/convolution in Roon. 

 

PSP off and video card removed. No major sound changes for this last two steps unlike the above. One thing about turning off PSP, I'm finding that the core loading on the cores are less even than with PSP on. So I'm not sure if I want to keep it off. Still testing for now 

[lpost]

OC Tweaker menu, DRAM timing configuration, change DRAM frequency.

 

Disable AM4 Advanced Boot Training while you're there too.  Record what the settings are and new values so you can revert if needed.  MB will reset itself if you choose something not supported but that's tough to do when underclocking.

 

I underclocked to resolve a stability issue with my system.  If you're stable, no real benefit, though I did drop temps a couple of C.  My menu reported CPU temp is 58C right now, but 'sensors' report 37C.  I don't believe the menu.  On my system it's not correct.

[lpost]

Regarding inputting Spotify into Roon to take advantage of HQPe/convolution.  I've got this working great using a Windows machine on my network running Spotify and Stream What You Hear (it's been years since I used this open source software).  SWYH publishes a web stream of whatever is playing on the Windows PC.  With Spotify up it can be controlled by any other device running Spotify on the network.  Setup a 'Radio Station' in Roon using the published URL from SWYH, and it's working just great.  

 

Of course, it's only as good as Spotify but with room correction, it's much better.

[flkin]

For those that want to use ramroot in their PinkFaun ( or other machine that run AudioLinux 2.0), there is a hidden function to automatically save the ram image of Roon back into the storage without having to do it manually in the menu. This is important for keeping changes made in Roon up to date.

 

Its set up like this:

 

In AL menu, select console then

su

password

systemctl enable ramsave.timer

or

systemctl disable ramsave.timer

menu (to return to headless mode)

save (so after reboot it still works)

 

The period of auto saving can be changed:

 

Edit as root the file /etc/systemd/system/ramsave.timer using File Editor Root

The content is

[Unit]

Description=Runs ramsave periodically

[Timer]

# Time to wait after booting before we run first time

OnBootSec=30min

# Time between running each consecutive time

OnUnitActiveSec=30min

Unit=ramsave.service

[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

 

You can change from 30min to any value you want. The default is 30min 

 

[Miska]

18 hours ago, lpost said:

Regarding inputting Spotify into Roon to take advantage of HQPe/convolution.  I've got this working great using a Windows machine on my network running Spotify and Stream What You Hear (it's been years since I used this open source software).  SWYH publishes a web stream of whatever is playing on the Windows PC.  With Spotify up it can be controlled by any other device running Spotify on the network.  Setup a 'Radio Station' in Roon using the published URL from SWYH, and it's working just great.  

 

You probably don't need to route it through Roon, you could also add the URL straight to HQPlayer...