Shootout at the Linux Corral: AudioLinux vs Euphony

[Peter Avgeris]

After some time involved in Euphony setup, I am here to write my own impressions.

 

For all my storage requirements I am using a NAS. Homemade machine with Supermicro server board, 12x 8Tb WD REd HDDs & 128 Gbytes or ECC Registered RAM. I have been using WS2019/AO3/JPlay for quite some time now.

I have made a vast improvement in sound quality 2 weeks ago, by lifting my server PC from the router/switch interface and plugging it directly on my NAS second NIC. This was one of the most dramatic upgrades I have ever had, by bridging the two NICs on the NAS. This is a new upgrade on FreeNAS 11.3.

 

So I have evaluated using one and two PCs with Euphony, all with identical motherboards. I am really so curious of the fact that some guys here do not experience anything that much big from going to a dual PC setup with Euphony. Guys, the improvement is really really big to the point of forgetting anything alternative.

 

My last adventure is playing with Euphony server and stylus control software on the server (control) pc, with StylusEP and Roon bridge on the audio (endpoint) pc. I am using the Pink Faun I2s bridge and after many comparisons I can say that this is really a game changer, for me digital audio reproduction is a no-go thing without this I2s bridge, even for playing DSD by converting to PCM I2s. Sound comes out unprocessed with stunning immediacy and clarity. USB interface is not for audio, even if you plug out-of-this-world USB cards with insane P/Ss and clocks. You will always miss that kind of magic. In the end, you should not forget that I'm an analog, vinyl & tubes guy...

 

Best sound was achieved with Stylus control software on PC1 and StylusEP on PC2.

 

Second best sound was achieved with Roon control software on PC1 and Roon bridge on PC2. Controlling Roon onto anything else than Roon bridge was intolerable to my ears.

 

Practically, for me it is the first time I am experiencing very good sound out of my Roon license. The only penalty of using Roon is the requirement for a huge local hard disc, in excess of 100 Gbytes, while with Stylus control software the requirements go down to less than 8Gbytes for my 100.000+ albums library. But then again, for maximum sound quality, you need to stick to Stylus.

 

Hope that my findings could be helpful to you.

 

[Peter Avgeris]

Davide256,

 

My server and player are built with the same configuration, all identical except RAM. Supermicro board, Intel Xeon CPU, 12Gb ECC ram for the server and 6Gb ECC ram for the player. They are connected directly without network switch (bridged NICs). The NAS is a Supermicro 10 core 20 threads Intel Xeon CPU with 128Gb Reg ECC RAM, also connected in series with my server PC (no router, no switch). I don't stream through Tidal Qobuz but only play locally. So the machines are in series, NAS > Server PC > Audio PC > DAC >

 

I need to use Roon due to the exceptional handling of mu big library. Stylus is better in all aspects that relate to sound quality, no need to lose any more time on this topic. But Roon suffers from poor sound quality compared even to JRiver. Now, with this dual PC configuration through Euphony platform, Roon core on PC1 and Roon Bridge on PC2, it is the very first time I'm experiencing really good sound. OK, not exactly up to Stylus interface, but very tolerable. I am not using HQplayer because I never liked this program. HQP is basically a DSD interface. I don't use a DSD DAC but a genuine R2R for both PCM & DSD files. You may laugh here: TDA1540! This has given me the most natural, holographic presentation so far.

 

I am open to evaluate additional DACs but one thing I am not willing to leave from: Pink Faun I2s bridge. With this card I can finally get digital music that is not only tolerable but very pleasant to my ears. I have tried so many USB to I2s devices, can't tolerate anything. Don't forget that I'm an analog guy and manufacturer of exotic audio components with tubes. I cannot compare of course the vinyl reproduction through exceptional gear to anything digital but after so many years, this is the *FIRST* time I am experiencing really good sound.

 

I have been asking myself many times, how is it possible to buy so expensive digital streamers and listen through USB interfaces with tons of additional processing and why not give a try to this unique and exceptional component, the Pink Faun I2s bridge! You will end up with a minimum of 3 chips less.

 

With this card, the dual PC configuration flies to another league. With a single PC configuration without Pink Faun but with a USB adapter, I could not tolerate the end result, so you've just got something here to try.

 

[Peter Avgeris]

12 hours ago, Downtheline said:

I'd love to hear more about your builds. Are you using fanless cases? How do you power the player and the I2s card?

Hello!

Thanks for your message.

I have visited more than 100 audio systems, the majority of which are in excess of 100k of value. None of them (And I need to underline in bold) was tolerable to my ears in their digital domain. You know, we, the analog guys, we are searching tor connection to the inner meaning of music, musical talent, musical expression, thrill and excitement. I don't think that it would be wise to name some of the digital gear that I have come across with because they are businesses that make their living out of it, they hire people to work and earn their livings as well. I am a pro in the field and it is not to my mentality and attitude to write flames. I strongly prefer to compete in the real arena and not through the keyboard. But on the other hand, to my taste and feeling, nothing in the commercial arena of digital audio reproduction comes close to what we, the vinyl guys, are addicted to. Nothing.

 

The best digital gear that I have listened to, is strictly DIY. Some friends have made very good sounding digital gear, without necessarily spending a fortune. Not of course up to the level of top analog machines, but this is another story. We love music, not the hardware. As soon as something is reproduced nicely, then let's go listen. Right? So I will start writing about my journey here, as a hobby only. I am not involved professionally into digital streaming nor will I intend to do so.

 

I have not yet finished my streamers but my findings are quite clear I think. First of all, you do not need to buy exotic motherboards and extreme OCXOs, neither spend a fortune in hardware. You can find gems in the second hand market that cost almost nothing. I have also verified that when you feel obsessed with super clocks, extreme cards, etc, and you constantly buy and buy new things, in my opinion this can be considered as a point of dissatisfaction with what you currently have. You won't make things better this way.

 

I have evaluated more than 10 CPUs, another 10 motherboards, several RAM chips, etc. During my journey I had the chance of evaluating several USB converters. Power supplies (switching of course), cables, etc. None of them succeeded in persuading me that it can really connect me to the musical event in a way that this is the thing I was searching for, as the end of my digital adventure. I don't know if you get my meaning. This has nothing to do with comparison issues. Of course differences exist, there is always a winner and a loser in this procedure. I try to judge this part or accessory not in relative terms, if it is better or worse, but try to evaluate if it really makes a sparkling difference in connecting me to the musical event. Not in relative manner but in absolute terms.

 

Of all things I have lived with in my digital life, no other gear besides one (and only one) has ever blended all those musical elements together and served me a digital stream that is not only tolerable but lovely! I don't care if it does not sound like exotic vinyl systems, I don't care if it will never sound like vinyl because I don't care of A-B comparisons. I just want to listen to music at least in pleasant and joyful way, if not enthusiastic (if possible). And I have too many albums to enjoy in the next years. So, this accessory is my Pink Faun I2s bridge interface, through which you get I2s stream directly to your DAC input. Personally I can't live without this, so my whole setup is designed and built around this thing.

 

Besides this card, there are of course Linear power supplies, network switches, etc. A lot of stuff. I am not currently using linear power supply, I know what this thing does. I am not in a hurry, I will build it pretty soon. I will be using a fanless case because it is so nice to be calm around. I will write again about my findngs regarding processors, motherboards, RAM chips etc. Stay tuned for more.

[Peter Avgeris]

5 hours ago, Holzohr said:

 

 

@Peter Avgeris No need to use the HQPlayer.. just use the HQPlayer 'path' on Roon for StylusEP. A very nice tweak from the Euphony team.

 

About USB interfaces. I was testing Euphony the very first time with a Gigabyte H110N board and an Intel Core i7-7700T one year ago and yes I was that 'blown away' that I purchased a licence. And that even by listening through the native USB ports. (I had the Windows Server 2019 core running on that system before and AO, Fidelizer, Jplay...). 

However I thought it is a good idea to have a more powerful system (due to HQPlayer) and bought an i7-8700 cpu and an ASRock Z390M-itx/ac board. And the irritations began... The Euphony sound through the native mainboard USB ports didn't blow me away anymore. A Matrix Element H card made the things better but the problem is (imho) Euphony or AL gives realtime priority to the native USB ports by default. Well I went back to Windows Server 2019 (HQPlayer, JPlay, Roon Bridge) again for this Intel/ASRock system and used Euphony (Stylus, Roon Core, StylusEP) on a NUC7I7DNKE in Akasa case for a couple of months.

 

Yesterday my NUC8I7BEH arrived (interestingly enough it gives me a 'Summus' option in the settings. For enabling the 'exclusive features' you have to contact the support.). Well, running Stylus or the Roon Core on the NUC8I7BEH and StylusEP on the NUC7I7DNKE now but for sure I will try the NUC8I7BEH as stand-alone device, too. I like to play/test and like to have the possibilities to play around though it gives me a 'headache' now and then. I was still wondering why the Gigabyte H110N/Intel i7-7700T system gave me such a great sound with Euphony (and even more wondering why I have sold that system!). Though the Gigabyte board doesn't have these DAC-UP USB ports that Jussi (HQPlayer) likes so much. After reading a couple of days ago that Emile from Taiko Audio had a preference for the Intel Core i7-7700K I was confused even more. It seems I already had a very nice sounding system without to know about the possible hardware reasons for.

 

Sorry for my English.

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

The NUC overkill: NUC8I7BEH and NUC7I7DNKE (below).

 

@Holzohr

I can understand your frustration with all this unwanted adventure and failed experiments.

I have used very old MoBos with CPUs and got  sound that the newer CPUs simply didn't. I will write more about this.

 

[Peter Avgeris]

1 hour ago, ted_b said:

Peter,

Thanks for the informative posts, and welcome to AS.  Two things:

1) has Pink Faun ever said why their I2S bridge doesn't support DSD (nor higher rate PCM than 192k)?  My Singxer SU-1 does not have these techincal limitations (although not commenting on SQ of course)

2) although I understand why you dubbed HQplayer a DSD product, I have used it to also (in addition to upsampling DSD to DSD512) upsample PCM to 352/384k+ and found it to be wonderfully musical, with very good PCM filtering/dithering options.

 

Sorry for keeping this a bit OT.  PM me if you'd rather.

1. Go to
https://www.cmedia.com.tw/products/PCI_PCIe_AUDIO/CM8888

The chip does not support DSD streams. Studio mastering is not made in DSD domain but only in PCM.

 

2. It has never happened so far (for me always) to experience anything PCM upsampled and be tolerable to my ears. Either software upsampling or hardware upsampling. Not one exception. Two months ago I had listened to the very good Holo Audio Spring 2 DAC. It was so damn good in NOS mode. Switched to OS and good music was gone. No more than 5 seconds of testing.

 

You may laugh here, of my crazy findings, but OK, you can always give a try.

The best non-discrete DAC I have ever listened to, and by a great margin, was the first Philips TDA1540 in dual chip configuration, as these are mono DAC chips. It blew away TDA1541 in seconds, with all else being equal of course. 14 bits vs 20 or 24 of modern chips. In musical terms everything was clearly & undeniably better. This little thing together with Pink Faun is a miracle. It outperforms 99% of all other USB/DAC/R2R combinations experienced.

 

Pink Faun adapter has one very serious disadvantage. I have tried more than 6 motherboards, modern ones, that all failed to perform under Euphony Linux. Only two of them play fine with Pink Faun. Both these two are very old models with CPUs of ~10 years of age. While Pink Faun works fantastic under windows, it does not work under Linux in most Intel configurations. I do not know why does this happen. Nobody does. Maybe the CM8888 chip is related to specific CPU instructions that are not properly executed in various MoBo/CPU combos in Linux kernels. If interested I can let you know of the proper combinations of CPU and MoBo.

 

I am not interested in trying more USB adapters. All sound more or less the same. With Pink Faun attached preferably on a PCIe lane that talks directly to the CPU, you can drive directly a R2R ladder DAC with 32bit right justified I2s stream bypassing all this stuff of chips that generate this intolerable digital signature. DSD plays fantastically in Euphony through this card, by converting DSD stream to PCM.

 

Another alternative solution that was also very interesting was to take the DSD stream through a USB2I2S bridge like JLsounds, not feeding a DAC but a pair of step up transformers. This was an idea that came into my mind some years ago. So, I winded a pair of transformers at 40x step up ratio and the result was indeed very interesting. DACless digital to analog conversion. This is also very good idea but need to try it with more focus and attention to detail.