ALLO USBridge Signature

[SkylineEXS]

Help,

Just got USBridge signature with Shanti PS and I am trying to run Volumio on it with the recommended version from the allo website.

volumio-2.699-2020-02-05-pi.img

When I try and change my audio output device, all that shows is HDMI and Audio Jack.  No USB device is found.  I am hooked up to a SMSL M400 dac that works fine with a laptop running Volumio off of a usb stick.

 

Am I doing something wrong or is the Allo not a good match with the SMSL?

 

[Audio_Allo]

8 hours ago, SkylineEXS said:

Help,

Just got USBridge signature with Shanti PS and I am trying to run Volumio on it with the recommended version from the allo website.

volumio-2.699-2020-02-05-pi.img

When I try and change my audio output device, all that shows is HDMI and Audio Jack.  No USB device is found.  I am hooked up to a SMSL M400 dac that works fine with a laptop running Volumio off of a usb stick.

 

Am I doing something wrong or is the Allo not a good match with the SMSL?

 

Can you please login to volumio through ssh and share below command results (With SMSL M400 dac connected)

 

aplay -l   (Lower case of L)

lsusb

lsusb -t

[SkylineEXS]

Sent you the info through PM

[pkdick]

Hello,

 

I just replaced my CM3 module in my USBBridge with a CM4L and a CM4 to CM3 adapter and then I installed the MOODE software: it seems that my I2S Katana DAC is no more recognized as indicated in the enclosed screenshot.

 

Would someone give me a piece of advice to work out this situation ? Allo Katana uses 2, 3, 12, 19 and 21 GPIOs which are handled by the CM4 module, so I assume that there is no GPIO concerns...

 

Best regards,

[Zauurx]

You try another distribution ?
With the CM3 you were already using Volumio with Katana ?

[suzywong]

Surely this question should be directed to the MoOde forum?

[pkdick]

Hello,

 

With respect to my USBbridge and my Katana Dac, I tried my CM4 with it's adapter with Moode but also Volumio without success (Alsa not recognizing katana).

[pkdick]

Just for information, everything is ok with my CM3 module. I bought 2 adapters an got the same Alsa error. I also tried a CM4 IO Base A board without success: it seems that my concern is linked to my  Katana Dac...

[Zauurx]

And what does dmesg say ? Have you tried "dmesg | grep -i katana" ?
And do you have "dtoverlay=allo-katana-dac-audio" in the /boot/config.txt file ?

https://volumio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Katana-Tech-Manual.pdf

 

Et si cela ne fonctionne pas, je veux bien récupérer la CM4 et l'adaptateur (moyennant quelques euros) pour tester sur la mienne, avec dac en USB ? 😉

[pkdick]

My UsBBridge equipped with its CM3 Lite module works quite well with my I2S Katana DAC whatever the software I use (Moode. Volumio, Picoreplayer ...). Once I install my CM4 module none of the software I indicated seems to recognize the DAC.

On the other side I got messages from people using either a USB DAC or a different I2S DAC that they were facing such an issue like mine. I hope that someone (maybe from Allo) could have a piece of advice.

[Zauurx]

And what does dmesg say ? Have you tried "dmesg | grep -i katana" ?

 

No way ?

[Audio_Allo]

16 hours ago, pkdick said:

My UsBBridge equipped with its CM3 Lite module works quite well with my I2S Katana DAC whatever the software I use (Moode. Volumio, Picoreplayer ...). Once I install my CM4 module none of the software I indicated seems to recognize the DAC.

On the other side I got messages from people using either a USB DAC or a different I2S DAC that they were facing such an issue like mine. I hope that someone (maybe from Allo) could have a piece of advice.

We will check and update you.

[pkdick]

Hello,

 

Here is what I get with dmesg:

 

 allo-katana-codec 1-0030: Failed to read Chip or wrong Chip id: 0

 

 

[chipvn]

My modified CM4 USBridge Signature worked well with 2 USB DACs I have without issue: Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and Holo Spring 3 L2.

 

It works very well as either HQPlayer NAA or Roon Bridge at DSD512 and Realtime Kernel. I'm even running this at fix CPU speed of 800MHz to have much cooler CPU temperature.

[Zauurx]

16 hours ago, pkdick said:

Hello,

 

Here is what I get with dmesg:

 

 allo-katana-codec 1-0030: Failed to read Chip or wrong Chip id: 0

 

 

Does this solve the problem ?

https://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?110256-Picoreplayer-Katana

Quote

Step 1: on KATANA place J30 jumper (close the circuit)
Step 2: on Micro Controller board, place jumper on J26 (position 2 & 3)

 

If not, @Matt Curry had not succeeded :

 

[Audio_Allo]

On 3/15/2022 at 5:37 PM, Audio_Allo said:

We will check and update you.

Can you please edit /boot/config.txt as below and then check and confirm.

 

dtparam=i2c_arm=on,i2c_arm_baudrate=400000

 

 

 

[pkdick]

Hello,

 

I am going abroad fo the weekend: I will do the test this Monday. 

 

Thank you for your support.

[Gil2012]

Hi Everyone,

 

I installed Volumio V3 (virtuoso) in Allo USB signature and run usb out to IFI Zen DAC V2, this dac supports up to 384khz, but volumio limiting to 96khz, details from system probe

• Audio info
• Hw audio configured: iFi (by AMR) USB Audio
• Mixer type: None
• Number of channels: 2
• Supported sample rate: 44100 48000 88200 96000

Even the signal path from Roon says the 192khz file is converted to 96khz

The room setup says the IFI dac supports up to 96khz

image507×503 47.1 KB

 

Whether there is limitation in hardware, because there is no audio passthrough setting in volumio.

 

Thanks a lot, for the support

[pl_svn]

since you are using Roon... just install RoPieee on the USBridge Sig and forget about it 😉

[KenMoreira]

I can play DSD From it if my pc is the player (audirvana / hqpayer) through pi, but if i use GMRENDER via my phone or tablet.  no such luck

DSD = No 
PCM = Good

[KenMoreira]

help with 
apt-get update

Type 'Reading' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/your-repo-name.list
 

[KenMoreira]

How do you use a thumb drive via WiFi usb ports as a log storage with usbridge and diet pi? 

[Ronald Vergeer]

I am trying to squeeze most out of combination with the Allo Usbridge Signature, Digione signature and Shanti power supply. I have upgrade the fuse to a Synergistic Research Orange and use a Audioquest Hurricane powercord. Between the Allo and the rest of the network a placed a media convertor to use fiber. I am running MoOde. My dac has no usb input so Spdif is used.

 

I recently compared it to a dCS network bridge (more detailed but very dull in my set) and Lumin U1mini (modified) with sbooster power supply (more body, less space). In both cases i preferred the Allo. 

 

Trying to get it even beter performance I am looking into upgrading to CM4. Will this sound better and does it run with stock MoOde? 

 

Also can using Emmc bring some improvements?

 

I am curious about your experiences.

[suzywong]

OK, so this is one that has surprised me. I run a full fat USBridgeSig/Digi1SIg/Shanti/MoodeAudio, pulling flac files from a Synology NAS over the Cat5E wired LAN to my Naim DAC and thence to an active Naim system.

 

For some time on the Naim forum there has been discussion of the effects of putting a Cisco 2960C Ethernet switch between one's network and streamer. Now as the 2960 is discontinued "old tech", you can pick up a s/h refurbished one from the "infamous" auction site for a modest cost, which I duly did.

 

I accept that it's early days of A-B testing in my system, but there may just be something in this. It does sound rather good!

[chipvn]

On 1/7/2022 at 8:45 AM, chipvn said:

.......

With the modified USBridge Sig to use CM4 (4GB), I managed to run DSD256 with -RT-Min-Nograph-EPU100 kernel, Profile 2 and RAM mode 9.

......

 

It's been quite a while since the last time I update the performance of the modified USBridge Signature CM4.

For the past almost 3 months since I upgrade my HQPlayer Server computer, I have been using the USBridge as NAA with the above RT kernel to stream DSD512 to my Holo Spring 3 DAC without any hiccup. The CPU still can be kept running at max 800MHz.

 

Of course, the CM4 running on USBridge Signature via the CM4 to CM3 adaptor could not help it operating as the true streamer designed with the CM4 (like the pi2design mercury streamer or the Holo Red):

• The 1GB Ethernet interface on the CM4 could not be used.
• The USBridge Signature will still use its ASIX Ethernet to USB chip to share the same USB hub (using TI USB hub chip) with the Clean USB output port to the DAC. This TI USB hub then communicate to the CM4 via its USB2 interface. Therefore, total Ethernet + USB bandwidth for the modified USBridge Signature is still limited to around 300MB/s. They are controlled by a small clock on the board.

 

 

 

However, we have faster processor and RAM on the CM4.

 

All in all, the modified USBridge Sig with CM4 is more than capable to do DSD512 with real time kernel while still have all the clean and low noise advantages of the Original USBridge Signature.

 

I have not tried if the shared USB2 bandwidth for Ethernet + USB is sufficient for DSD1024 yet cause my passive cooling HQPlayer Server is not capable to upsampling to DSD1024.

Might be, I'll try DSD1024 with Roon and Roon Bridge sometimes later.