ALLO USBridge Signature

[biosailor]

6 minutes ago, allo.com said:

Hi Biosailor

 

  Tim is very responsive you should ask in the Moode forums.

Will do that!

[biosailor]

Just listening to moOde via my Raspi 4/Shanti. Very much like the sound! It sounds a bit softer than Roon via Ropieee XL and has a bit more flesh, a bit meatier. All the more I‘d love to implement moOde on my USBridge Sig!

 

[purehifi192]

On 10/16/2019 at 8:57 AM, allo.com said:

We have a special  ALU case that allows a Digione Sig output (BNC RCA) and DC barrel to "clean side" of Digione

 

Can you share if the barrel supplying clean side power is 5.5/2.5 or 5.5/2.1?

[nbpf]

With 1TB micro SD cards starting to become available at (hopefully soon) affordable prices, would it make sense to store one's music library on the SD card? This would make data transfer across the LAN at replay time unnecessary and allow one to shut down a number of services on the USBridge Sig. What do you think?  

[Koomy]

1 hour ago, nbpf said:

With 1TB micro SD cards starting to become available at (hopefully soon) affordable prices, would it make sense to store one's music library on the SD card? This would make data transfer across the LAN at replay time unnecessary and allow one to shut down a number of services on the USBridge Sig. What do you think?  

I've been wondering about this possibility too.

I tried on the original USBridge (eMMC), but could not get it to work.

(Currently I have my music library on a directly attached USB stick)

[biosailor]

Thanks to the moode community, I got the right hint for getting the USBridge Sig to work with moOde: apparently the USBridge has two USB ports that can be either used for connecting a USB SSD. I wrongly thought those two would only be for WiFi dongles. Once the SSD was connected, setup of the USBridge was easy (I learnt a lot yesterday).

Now this is where listening impressions become interesting. Last night, I listened to moOde via my Raspi 4. I very much liked the sound of moOde: smooth, natural, pleasant, and a bit meatier than I was used to Roon via USBridge Sig running Ropieee. 
 

So after getting the right hint from the moOde community, I eagerly set it up, imported my library, and once finished, I started to listen. Immediately, I noticed a difference: the USBridge Sig sounded too lean, a bit aggressive, and too bright. Gone was the natural, pleasant and well rounded sound of last night’s session with the Raspi 4. 

 

Of course, I immediately switched the system back to the Raspi 4, and there it was again, this smooth natural sound I so much liked.

 

Now I have to do a bit more listening to decide what I like better: moOde via Raspi 4 or Roon via the USBridge Sig that sounded great in my previous sessions.

[allo.com]

6 hours ago, purehifi192 said:

 

Can you share if the barrel supplying clean side power is 5.5/2.5 or 5.5/2.1?

5.5/2.1

[allo.com]

49 minutes ago, biosailor said:

Thanks to the moode community, I got the right hint for getting the USBridge Sig to work with moOde: apparently the USBridge has two USB ports that can be either used for connecting a USB SSD. I wrongly thought those two would only be for WiFi dongles. Once the SSD was connected, setup of the USBridge was easy (I learnt a lot yesterday).

Now this is where listening impressions become interesting. Last night, I listened to moOde via my Raspi 4. I very much liked the sound of moOde: smooth, natural, pleasant, and a bit meatier than I was used to Roon via USBridge Sig running Ropieee. 
 

So after getting the right hint from the moOde community, I eagerly set it up, imported my library, and once finished, I started to listen. Immediately, I noticed a difference: the USBridge Sig sounded too lean, a bit aggressive, and too bright. Gone was the natural, pleasant and well rounded sound of last night’s session with the Raspi 4. 

 

Of course, I immediately switched the system back to the Raspi 4, and there it was again, this smooth natural sound I so much liked.

 

Now I have to do a bit more listening to decide what I like better: moOde via Raspi 4 or Roon via the USBridge Sig that sounded great in my previous sessions.

Hi Biosailor

 

  we do not recommend connecting a SSD to USbridge Sig direct . You should use a hub between them .

[matthias]

3 hours ago, biosailor said:

Thanks to the moode community, I got the right hint for getting the USBridge Sig to work with moOde: apparently the USBridge has two USB ports that can be either used for connecting a USB SSD. I wrongly thought those two would only be for WiFi dongles. Once the SSD was connected, setup of the USBridge was easy (I learnt a lot yesterday).

Now this is where listening impressions become interesting. Last night, I listened to moOde via my Raspi 4. I very much liked the sound of moOde: smooth, natural, pleasant, and a bit meatier than I was used to Roon via USBridge Sig running Ropieee. 
 

So after getting the right hint from the moOde community, I eagerly set it up, imported my library, and once finished, I started to listen. Immediately, I noticed a difference: the USBridge Sig sounded too lean, a bit aggressive, and too bright. Gone was the natural, pleasant and well rounded sound of last night’s session with the Raspi 4. 

 

Of course, I immediately switched the system back to the Raspi 4, and there it was again, this smooth natural sound I so much liked.

 

Now I have to do a bit more listening to decide what I like better: moOde via Raspi 4 or Roon via the USBridge Sig that sounded great in my previous sessions.

 

Can you try to connect the USB SSD to your Mac?

I do not think that you get maximum SQ with connection to RPi4 or USBridge Sig.

Use Roon or Audirvana for management of your library and Moode as UPnP renderer only.

 

Matt

[biosailor]

1 hour ago, matthias said:

 

Can you try to connect the USB SSD to your Mac?

I do not think that you get maximum SQ with connection to RPi4 or USBridge Sig.

Use Roon or Audirvana for management of your library and Moode as UPnP renderer only.

 

Matt

I am working on it. Need to get more infos from the Moode community. But I'll get there!

[biosailor]

Finally managed to set up a remote library on my Mac (see attached file). I had to make adjustments in the 'File Sharing' menu on my Mac.

 

Now, on to having Roon streaming to Moode. But only tomorrow. Now I need to listen to some good music!

[antonellocaroli]

@allo.com

 

do you know if with 64bit systems (so kernels compiled with ARCH64), the driver has problems?

[biosailor]

Just streaming from my library on my Mac Mini to moOde. Amazing how much better the sound is when compared to an SSD drive attached directly to the USBridge Sig. 

 

Bravo, Allo, the USBridge Sig is GREAT!

[nbpf]

6 hours ago, allo.com said:

Hi Biosailor

 

  we do not recommend connecting a SSD to USbridge Sig direct . You should use a hub between them .

Why not? I have a 1TB Samsung T5 connected to the RPi3 that hosts my DigiOne Signature and streaming from the T5 (via MinimServer running on that RPi3)  sounds at least as good as streaming from another LAN server also running MinimServer. What's the problem with the USBridge Sig?  

[allo.com]

No problem as such.

 

  But from an engineering point of view , your SSD is a load. In fact at a minimum of 3W (rather low) your SSD will introduce noise in the USB hub. Not only on the DATA lines (rx tx) but also on the power lines (if you feed it from USB)

 

  Now on Digi Sig , there is a separation of power and Gnd (galvanic isolation), so its better (less influence)

 

  Usbridge Sig (USB side) is NOT the same. No galvanic separation . Use a noisy device on USB ports and it WILL bleed

[nbpf]

2 minutes ago, biosailor said:

Just streaming from my library on my Mac Mini to moOde. Amazing how much better the sound is when compared to an SSD drive attached directly to the USBridge Sig. 

That's quite bizarre and does not speak for the USBridge Sig, in my view. I thought that the major goal of the USBridge Sig was to decouple its dedicated USB audio output from the other USB ports. If attaching an USB SSD drive has such a detrimental impact on the sound quality of the USB audio output, that this goal has not been achieved. Am I missing something? 

[allo.com]

Yes you are.

 

  Unlike i2s(ie Digione /Digione Sig) , there is no galvanic isolation (that works reliably ) on USB

 

If you want the best of USBridge Sig , feed Ethernet (worst case USB stick) and feed your DAC from USB "clean"

 

 "Everything matters"

[allo.com]

36 minutes ago, biosailor said:

Just streaming from my library on my Mac Mini to moOde. Amazing how much better the sound is when compared to an SSD drive attached directly to the USBridge Sig. 

 

Bravo, Allo, the USBridge Sig is GREAT!

 Yeap from a technical point of view . your SSD has DC/DC convertors (3.3V to 1.8 digital logic). Our USBridge has NO switching elements . Zero.

 

 We did filter the USB (wifi/BT) ..but once you have noise you can only mitigate..not cure.

 

Clear ?

[biosailor]

43 minutes ago, allo.com said:

 Yeap from a technical point of view . your SSD has DC/DC convertors (3.3V to 1.8 digital logic). Our USBridge has NO switching elements . Zero.

 

 We did filter the USB (wifi/BT) ..but once you have noise you can only mitigate..not cure.

 

Clear ?

Sort of clear 😊

[allo.com]

Ok let me try again.

 

  How do you change 3.3V to 1.8V ?  2 ways

 

 

1. Drop linearly and burn the difference as heat . No noise (but heat)

2. Have a small switch (like your lights) and sw off/on 1 million times a second until 3.3 is changed to 1.8 only (switching regulators)

 

   Did you know that  bulb lights burn when you switch on/off? What happens , is that an electric arc happens for nano seconds = small lightning arc . This arc is full of EMI . = noise and wild voltage variations and the stress can burn the light filament . Do you want that in audio ?

 

Sparks on your audio ?

 

  I am simplifying . but its an accurate image.

 

 Is it more clear now ? Usbridge has zero switching elements , your SSD does.

[Aprobin]

On 10/23/2019 at 3:46 PM, allo.com said:

Yeap at that time we had a second diode on the Digione. We removed after since it served no real purpose .

 

  If you wire the input to output (short) you can power from both RPI or "Dirty Side"

I've shorted across the diode on the Digione Signature middle board and everything is working fine now with the USBridge powered directly via it’s USB-C connector. Thank you.

[allo.com]

Welcome and enjoy the music.

 

 Trios los Panchos. Highly recommended 

 

 Any track , but I have a special connection to Besa me mucho and Sin it

 

 

[nbpf]

6 minutes ago, allo.com said:

No problem as such.

 

  But from an engineering point of view , your SSD is a load. In fact at a minimum of 3W (rather low) your SSD will introduce noise in the USB hub. Not only on the DATA lines (rx tx) but also on the power lines (if you feed it from USB)

 

  Now on Digi Sig , there is a separation of power and Gnd, so its better

 

  Usbridge Sig (USB side) is same. No separation . Use a noisy device on USB ports and it WILL bleed

But then what is the point of having additional USB ports in the USBridge Sig if connecting USB devices to these ports has a detrimental effect on the dedicated USB audio output?

[allo.com]

WIFI / BT/ USB key with music

 

 No Switching regulators (unlike SSD)

[matthias]

1 hour ago, allo.com said:

No problem as such.

But from an engineering point of view , your SSD is a load. In fact at a minimum of 3W (rather low) your SSD will introduce noise in the USB hub. Not only on the DATA lines (rx tx) but also on the power lines (if you feed it from USB)

Now on Digi Sig , there is a separation of power and Gnd (galvanic isolation), so its better (less influence)

Usbridge Sig (USB side) is NOT the same. No galvanic separation . Use a noisy device on USB ports and it WILL bleed

 

With the same logic the use of a WiFi dongle will also not be recommended?

It is a noisy device as well.

Thanks

 

Matt