How is the Pi 4?

[citysoundman]

Hi all, first time posting here. I'm considering a Pi4 as a music server, primarily for hi res FLAC and DSD playback from my large locally stored library (max would be 192K & DSD 256, but most common is 96K & DSD 64). I want to use a USB SSD for file access. I'll also use a USB DAC/headphone amp like the Topping EX5. But since the Pi has one USB controller I'm concerned about performance problems, having both devices on USB. I believe this was mentioned as a caution earlier in this thread, but I'd like to ask if anyone here might have a similar setup and can comment from experience. I appreciate any feedback!

[LondonDan]

Anyone been using raspberry pi 4b as a music server using Ethernet connection to network switch for the streamer to find through upnp, if you connect Ian Canada  fifopi will it reclock the signal before going out by Ethernet?

-SSD with music files
-raspberry pi 4 with LMS
-fifopi hat clock (Ian Canada)
-ethernet out (or WiFi out) from R.pi

will the Ian Canada fifopi clocks do their magic or must it be connected to transportpi or another s/pdif output to work?

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/dac-and-interfaces-for-raspberry-pi/ian-canada-fifopi-q3-ultimate-fifo-reclocker-module-pcm-32bit-768khz-dsd1024-dop-p-14758.html

 

[LondonDan]

I took the plunge to try the pi out as a server 1st.

 

pi 4b 8gb connected to Samsung pro ssd via usb3.

 

initially set up over Wi-Fi with squeezlite turned off and the recommended LMS tweaks. Comparison vs MacBook air M1 chip running LMS as the server integration and UPNP To connect streamer to the files which is pretty decent as a server starting point. I steam that off battery through an audiophile network switch and then into Hegel h590.

 

pi server over Wi-Fi with apple 30w power supply - sound is poorer than tha MacBook, sounds a bit like compressed music

 

pi server connected directly to network switch (ediscreation silent switch) still with apple power supply. - sound is improved I would say on a par to MacBook M1 running LMS

 

final step has been Farad super 3 power supply with a Mundorf silver and gold DC cable soldered direct to the GPIO connections on the raspberry pi. Ethernet to deLock isolator then on to network switch.

 

Sound is great, really pleased with it, needs some time to burn in so can’t fully say the increase above the other steps but I can say for certain it’s noticeable.

 

fun and pleasing project! 

[seeteeyou]

FYI - Apple 140W USB-C Power Adapter turned out to be a fantastic choice for Raspberry Pi 4B

 

https://www.stsd99.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=20480#p20480

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLYU3AM/A/140w-usb-c-power-adapter

 

We don't even need to add any caps at all, while Apple is even better than the already excellent ELECOM ACDC-PD1165BK with caps

 

https://www.my-hiend.com/vbb/showthread.php?13157-piCorePlayer6-1-0-Xenomai-44-1-48KHz雙機入門簡易安裝教學&p=244358#post244358

 

Of course we'll still need a decent USB-C cable.

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:20 PM, seeteeyou said:

FYI - Apple 140W USB-C Power Adapter turned out to be a fantastic choice for Raspberry Pi 4B

 

https://www.stsd99.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=20480#p20480

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLYU3AM/A/140w-usb-c-power-adapter

 

We don't even need to add any caps at all, while Apple is even better than the already excellent ELECOM ACDC-PD1165BK with caps

 

https://www.my-hiend.com/vbb/showthread.php?13157-piCorePlayer6-1-0-Xenomai-44-1-48KHz雙機入門簡易安裝教學&p=244358#post244358

 

Of course we'll still need a decent USB-C cable.

 

 

Interesting to see how many components are required to make one of these. 

[bodiebill]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:20 PM, seeteeyou said:

FYI - Apple 140W USB-C Power Adapter turned out to be a fantastic choice for Raspberry Pi 4B

 

https://www.stsd99.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=20480#p20480

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLYU3AM/A/140w-usb-c-power-adapter

 

We don't even need to add any caps at all, while Apple is even better than the already excellent ELECOM ACDC-PD1165BK with caps

 

https://www.my-hiend.com/vbb/showthread.php?13157-piCorePlayer6-1-0-Xenomai-44-1-48KHz雙機入門簡易安裝教學&p=244358#post244358

 

Of course we'll still need a decent USB-C cable.

 

I could not find what this "WITRN Weijian PDT001" in the first weblink is that is used in conjunction with the Apple 140W?

 

And I see that the 140W caters for several voltages (5V, 9V, 15V, 20V and more). How are these selected?

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

24 minutes ago, bodiebill said:

And I see that the 140W caters for several voltages (5V, 9V, 15V, 20V and more). How are these selected?

 

Selection is automatic. There is a voltage detector chip in there.  

[bodiebill]

2 minutes ago, hopkins said:

 

Selection is automatic. There is a voltage detector chip in there.  

 

Thanks! Hope it is safe :-)

 

For SQ I guess the 'fast' Apple cable is not needed?

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

I would be cautious to claim SQ benefits of these power supplies over similarly priced linear supplies. These GaN PS are efficient, and certainly quieter than the usual cheap SMPS. 

[bodiebill]

7 hours ago, hopkins said:

I would be cautious to claim SQ benefits of these power supplies over similarly priced linear supplies. These GaN PS are efficient, and certainly quieter than the usual cheap SMPS. 

 

Sure, cautious with untested claims as always! :-)

 

It seems the GaN PS is still underdocumented in the audio context. The question whether it is less noisy and therefore allows for better SQ has been asked but not clearly answered or tested as far as I can see.

 

So we can wait for the test results (measurements as well as subjective) or be early adapters and try for ourselves...

[LondonDan]

@seeteeyou I have been going through the long thread you made many contributions towards, bravo!! well done for all your investigations and efforts as well as others on the thread.

 

https://www.my-hiend.com/vbb/showthread.php?5404-走向超值而極緻的-HI-FI電腦訊源（連載）/page602

 

When you talk about the voltage from the input (5v) being converted to 3.3v for the USB port, the Pi is using a voltage regulator correct? 

 

Did you ever discover that when you connect 3.3v LPS to the GIPO pins it would bypass the voltage regulator of the Pi, essectiveling giving cleaner power to the USB port? (image from your post) I am so curious and your guidance would be valuable.

 

What I am curious about is that my NVME drive (Samsung 980 pro) connected via Plugable NVMe to USB adapter would "sound" or perform better with cleaner 3.3v or is there another voltage converter / regulator in the Pluagable NVMe adapter that would mean even if you get the USB port "better" power that the converter would still convert the power again to counteract the potential improvement?

 

Currently I connect 5v power with to the GPIO pins 2 and 6 using a custom silver gold cable running from Farad super 3. Is there optimisation to be gained from connecting another LPS for 3.3v to pins 1 and 9 on the GPIO?

 

My own Pi is running picoreplayer with LMS. The player is not active as the Pi is just working as an file storage using routing files over ethernet to my amplifier streamer (Hegel h590) - the images are a few posts ago on this thread.

 

 

 

[LondonDan]

On a separate point for those interested I have been experimenting with ethernet cables and a few network isolators for the Pi.

 

Pi seems responsive to network isolation and even though its going directly into my audio only network switch via ethernet cable it benefits from one. The DeLock is a good budget friendly option and worth a try but what I would call several steps of improvement over the DeLock is the Pink Faun Isolator. I have tried one at both ends of the ethernet cable at the same time and just one on the Pi end also just one at the network switch end. Having 2 isolators connected seemed to make no difference at all (to the Pink Faun isolator at least) but installing just one has been a great improvement for me. Maybe because each of the twisted pairs has its own isolator I don't know but I am very happy with them, I am using 3 now, 1 on the Pi, one on the cable from router to audio network switch and the final one into the streamer / Amp. I think my favourite part is you don't need a pig tail short cable after the Isolator which I am sure is an advantage in having less connecters to pass through.

 

https://www.pinkfaun.com/shop/home/46-lan-isolator.html\

 

https://www.delock.com/produkt/62619/merkmale.html

 

After running some other tests (and not wanting to open a can of worms and I appreciate this thread is for Pi not cables) I now run ALL of my audio ethernet in 10/100 base which is just 2 twisted pairs not 4 twisted pairs and this seems to be gathering momentum with some cable producers too. Network Acoustics latest premium Muon isolator and ethernet cable is only 2 twisted pairs (4 core which is the same as their more well knows Eno Isolator) as is a very premium Crystal cable 

 

https://www.networkacoustics.com/shop/muon-ethernet-filter/

https://www.crystalcable.com/products/crystal-cables/cable-types/digital-cables/monet-2/

 

Just some food for thought with any experimenters out there.