Pi 2 Design Mercury Streamer

[Superdad]

50 minutes ago, sch8mid said:

I miss as well a statement why there is no DSD at all with I2S and no custom overlay and drivers for Mercury.

No need for such a statement as DSD (over DoP) comes out the Mercury’s I2S output just fine—as I proved with photos—into my original Holo Spring L3.

Your issue, as documented by you and discussed at length elsewhere, is with your Spring 3 (or the May) and its PLL. I recall that @Miska suggested you turn off the PLL.

 

You issue

50 minutes ago, sch8mid said:

tested by proven betatesters instead of well known storytellers.

You repeatedly make this snarky dig, which I know is directed at me since you called me out by name on other forums, even going to length of making some insult in an EtherREGEN thread.  How about knocking that off!  I and others have gone to some lengths to assist you. If you are unhappy with the Mercury then I am sure you can sell the fine device to someone else.  
If it does not suit you with the particular DAC you own and the software you choose to run then simply move on. Life is too short. And it not as if the Mercury cost a fortune.

 

P.S.: On the other forum (ASR) you repeatedly refer to me as a “Fairytale Betatester.”  I was never a beta tester for Mercury. I bought my unit (a beta test unit) from reviewer @bobfa. Gladly paid him the same price he paid for it ($500 for the 4GB model) and it has worked flawlessly with every operating system and every player software I have tried on it. 

[sch8mid]

News out of the House of Brothers Grimm. 
Like always without facts , proves and without any interest.

 

 

 

 

 

[PoMarantz]

8 hours ago, sch8mid said:

Sorry , asking for a friend .

1. Is it too much to beg Michael Kelly , before announcing , building and selling a new Pi2aes and Mercury II to write a MANUAL for Mercury I  first?

I think , a lot of buyers  had a finished product in mind , and not a playground for experienced Linuxcracks only , who write their own code for installing a simple NVME.

 I miss as well a statement why there is no DSD at all with I2S and no custom overlay and drivers for Mercury.

I like my Mercury , and given  the price I would pay without hesitating some $ more for a finished product with a good manual ,  tested by proven betatesters instead of well known storytellers.

Besides:

Here in Europe it is strictly impossible to sell a device without a manual in the native language of the buyer.

Best

as

 

Well....I am a Mac Guy and I knew I was in a little over my head going in...(I just did not know HOW MUCH! LOL!)

I take into account that (to date), Michael has only made 100 of these things...So...I can give a lot of room for the amount of time that he can spend with it and customers, etc.  For "me" it was a lot of work just to get a card going, Volumio running and get it streaming. That was a time consuming challenge for me....I knew it would be...and I felt accomplished to be able to do just that!...so I soldiered on....and bought an NVMe...but  I really had no idea that I had to be a PC-Mac "mating" expert and a Linux coder to get the NVMe working with volumio.....I am about half way there after about 30 hours of my time....🙂😄🙃 which I can say that I find hysterical. (I am not a person who is built to be doing coding of any kind....so I understand it will take me 10-20 times longer than the average person...or....I may never figure it out....disappointing)...but I am trying my best with my limited ability...and I take responsibility that I know nothing about PCs...but nowhere in the product offering does it even say..."If you plan on mounting an NVMe in the unit for storage, you will have to be able to code in LInux."

THAT would have been helpful!!!!!! 😝

I came into this as a music enthusiast with no experience in Raspberry Pi World...my folly ....I suppose! LOL!

 

 

 

 

[sch8mid]

Yes , and I swear we are not alone and need solutions.

 

Dont even try to believe in one of Superdads false statements .

He was not even able to prove that a Mercury with Volumio out of the box plays DSD over I2S and instead showed a screenshot of a Picoreplayer , LMS , Roonendpoint combo .

Always the same.

A historical track record of misinformation , reported  not only over @ ASR and Archimago , home of a whole array of genuinely knowledgeable people and home of some of our best audio engineers.

Short and funny excurs :

Concerning  EtherRegen : Last year , as a former writer for "Computervideo" Germany and out of interest   I sent all the technical data , claims and discussions available for this device  to one of the engineers at Fraunhofer society  (the guys who brought us MP3 ).

 

Answer : " Is this a 700 €  joke ? Or the empirical evidence that audiophiles are so bloody stupid ?"

 

After lurking here for some weeks I have to realize that I am not the person who will ever believe in such nonsense as 

Ethernet switches that enhance the quality of the audio encoded into a digital stream being transported by TCP/IP over an Ethernet connection  , even with Brother Grimms firmware Nr.3  and Swensons enhanced USB cable.

 

I simply wanted a functional networkstreamer with I2S  (and DSD) with a good manual.

 

So .... Bye.  Wrong forum .

Last . Sorry for my english. Not my native language.

as

__________

Holo Audio Spring 3 DAC with preamp > 2 Neumann KH-310 - 2 x Neumann KH-750 (Mono array)  Room calibration with Neumann / Fraunhofer MA-1.

 

 

[the_bat]

Flounce with dual appeal to authority.  Top marks.

[dericchan1]

25 minutes ago, sch8mid said:

Yes , and I swear we are not alone and need solutions.

 

Dont even try to believe in one of Superdads false statements .

He was not even able to prove that a Mercury with Volumio out of the box plays DSD over I2S and instead showed a screenshot of a Picoreplayer , LMS , Roonendpoint combo .

Always the same.

A historical track record of misinformation , reported  not only over @ ASR and Archimago , home of a whole array of genuinely knowledgeable people and home of some of our best audio engineers.

Excurs :

Concerning  EtherRegen : Last year , as a former writer for "Computervideo" Germany and out of interest   I sent all the technical data , claims and discussions available for this device  to one of the engineers at Fraunhofer society  (the guys who brought us MP3 ).

 

Answer : Is this a 700 €  joke ? Or the empirical evidence that audiophiles are so bloody stupid ?

 

After lurking here for some weeks I have to realize that I am not the person who will ever believe in such nonsense as 

Ethernet switches that enhance the quality of the audio encoded into a digital stream being transported by TCP/IP over an Ethernet connection  , even with Brother Grimms firmware Nr.3  and Swensons enhanced USB cable.

 

I simply wanted a functional networkstreamer with I2S  (and DSD) with a good manual.

 

So .... Bye.  Wrong forum .

Sorry for my english. Not my native language.

as

__________

Holo Audio Spring 3 DAC with preamp > 2 Neumann KH-310 - 2 x Neumann KH-750 (Mono array)  Room calibration with Neumann / Fraunhofer MA-1.

 

Man, too much hate in you. Not just this forum but this kinda hate would be wrong in any forums!!! The older Pi2AES and now the Mercury are always known to the audio community that requires some DIY and linux knowledge to get it to work. Michael Kelly also has stated very clearly ever since PI2AES was launched that it only supports PCM 24/192. Every reviewer of the streamer also mentioned it has no support for DSD and only support PCM up to 24/192. Even in his product manual has absolutely no mention of it supporting DSD. (Not sure how superdad did it but I along with many other users KNEW that was to be expected before ordering)

 

Should you not have done some "homework" on reviews and user comments say on SBAF before making your purchase decision?

 

I don't get why all these insults to superdad and the Etherregen. While I don't personally believe in the device this has absolutely nothing to do with the Mercury streamer.

[Superdad]

31 minutes ago, sch8mid said:

Dont even try to believe in one of Superdads false statements .

He was not even able to prove that a Mercury with Volumio out of the box plays DSD over I2S and instead showed a screenshot of a Picoreplayer , LMS , Roonendpoint combo .

Always the same.

A historical track record of misinformation , reported  not only over @ ASR and Archimago , home of a whole array of genuinely knowledgeable people and home of some of our best audio engineers.

Wow. Just wow. I—and others here—tried to be nice and help the guy use the Mercury with a DAC whose I2S input has a known, very-slow-to-lock PLL.  And all I got in return for my time was his off-topic scorn? 
Guess it proves the maxim that “No good deed goes unpunished.” Good riddance to you sch8mid whoever you are…

[DuckToller]

36 minutes ago, sch8mid said:

Yes , and I swear we are not alone and need solutions.

 

Dont even try to believe in one of Superdads false statements .

He was not even able to prove that a Mercury with Volumio out of the box plays DSD over I2S and instead showed a screenshot of a Picoreplayer , LMS , Roonendpoint combo .

Always the same.

A historical track record of misinformation , reported  not only over @ ASR and Archimago , home of a whole array of genuinely knowledgeable people and home of some of our best audio engineers.

Short and funny excurs :

Concerning  EtherRegen : Last year , as a former writer for "Computervideo" Germany and out of interest   I sent all the technical data , claims and discussions available for this device  to one of the engineers at Fraunhofer society  (the guys who brought us MP3 ).

 

Answer : " Is this a 700 €  joke ? Or the empirical evidence that audiophiles are so bloody stupid ?"

 

After lurking here for some weeks I have to realize that I am not the person who will ever believe in such nonsense as 

Ethernet switches that enhance the quality of the audio encoded into a digital stream being transported by TCP/IP over an Ethernet connection  , even with Brother Grimms firmware Nr.3  and Swensons enhanced USB cable.

 

I simply wanted a functional networkstreamer with I2S  (and DSD) with a good manual.

 

So .... Bye.  Wrong forum .

Last . Sorry for my english. Not my native language.

as

__________

Holo Audio Spring 3 DAC with preamp > 2 Neumann KH-310 - 2 x Neumann KH-750 (Mono array)  Room calibration with Neumann / Fraunhofer MA-1.

 

 

Guten Tag,

As a fellow German I am a kind of sincerely embarrassed about your attitude. Most of my German friends aren't like that!

 

These forums do allow different disciplines and views from everywhere in the audiophile world to discuss together, mainly looking for a civilized  form of communication.

 

The objective side is shorter as I would wish for, but we could meet over at the ather forum when in need.

Members of the trade need to announce their affiliates and believers are accepted as far as they are aware about their limits and  own objectives (subjectives?)

You may find many helpful advise here from people who tried and errored for more than a decade in computer based audio. This is what I call experience

 

You seem to be driven by something, that imho won't help you in any other forums than the "x-chans", I'll hope you'll get over it soon and back to the joy of audio / gear / music.

 

Have a safe trip

Duck

[dericchan1]

The thing I find hilarious is that you kept complaining about the Mercury streamer or prior to that the SA streamer i2s output but no complains whatsoever on your dac’s slow to lock PLL.  Also, I believe there is indeed an option to turn off the PLL
 

why not switch to a denafrips dac or whatever other dacs that does not have a slower to lock PLL and call it the day, instead of complaining different streamers?

 

[PoMarantz]

OK.....so we ALL can agree that Sch8mid is WAAAAAAAAAAY out of line.

....but back to the Mercury...can anyone offer suggestions for my situation. (I am nice and don't bite! 😃)\

 

I am really lost with this stuff.... I am trying to partition and mount my internal nvme ssd. 

My commands are below... how do I update fstab?
Any basic help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

(I am a mac user and know nothing about Linux. NOTHING. LOL!)

 

volumio@bobs-volumio:~$ sudo parted -a opt /dev/nvme0n1 mkpart primary ext4 0% 100%
sudo: unable to resolve host bobs-volumio: System error
Information: You may need to update /etc/fstab.

[ericuco]

15 minutes ago, PoMarantz said:

how do I update fstab?

Not sure which Linux you are using, but for Ubuntu, I use a program called nano which is a text editor.

 

If you know how to bring up the Terminal window, you can issue

 

sudo nano /etc/ fstab

 

There lots of articles on how to use nano, just search “linux nano”.

 

Just be forewarned that fstab is a system file so proceed carefully.

[PoMarantz]

20 minutes ago, ericuco said:

Not sure which Linux you are using, but for Ubuntu, I use a program called nano which is a text editor.

 

If you know how to bring up the Terminal window, you can issue

 

sudo nano /etc/ fstab

 

There lots of articles on how to use nano, just search “linux nano”.

 

Just be forewarned that fstab is a system file so proceed carefully.

Thanks for the suggestion. I know nothing about the system files or anything.

I did not know that there were different Linuxes..and I do not know which one I am using. I am using a Terminal command window on a Mac and using Putty to talk to the Mercury. 

I am a kid off the street with no knowledge at all. So I am betting that I will never be able to make this happen.

To me...it seems bizarre that something would be soooooooo complicated. If this thing was Mac based ...it would be easy! 

I wish that I could just hire someone to come here and set this up!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

 

[ericuco]

1 hour ago, PoMarantz said:

To me...it seems bizarre that something would be soooooooo complicated. If this thing was Mac based ...it would be easy! 

I wish that I could just hire someone to come here and set this up!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

There are solutions that aren’t complicated so not sure what OS you are using or trying to accomplish. Seems there are applications that include the OS, like Volumio.

 

Mac is Linux-based (or perhaps Unix, can’t recall).

 

Instead of having someone come to you, perhaps you could send your unit to a AS member that would take this on. I configured a USB stick for another AS member for another application.

[PoMarantz]

Hi ericico...(I like your photo... I have a Freya+ PreAmp and a few sets of tubes)....

Thanks for getting back. OK...here is all I ever wanted to do with The Mercury Streamer:

1. Stream Music from Qobuz using Ethernet>Mercury via Volumio>I2S > Pontus II DAC (I have achieved that!!!!)

2. Internal Hard Drive (SK hynix Gold P31 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD l Up to 3500MB/S l Compact M.2 SSD Form Factor SK hynix SSD - Internal Solid State Drive with 128-Layer NAND Flash), for a Music Library. I carefully installed that SSD on the internal board and I would like to download & save hi-rez files from Qobuz and other sources and create a Music File Lbrary on that Internal SSD and playback thru Volumio on The Mercury.

That is all I want to be able to do. (people say Gentoo Player is better...but that sounds like more than I can handle. LOL).

 

So I have learned how to format an SD Card, download and flash the Volumio OS onto the SD Card  on my Mac (it takes like 5 softwares to do this!).....Powerman was helping me...but for part 2 above I just could not get any farther than..

Getting the IP address of my Mercury, set-up and use Putty on my Mac (it also took 6 softwares to make that happen). Using Terminal from my Mac (Yes...I think that my Mac is Linux-Based?) I was able to connect to The Mercury/Volumio and find the listing of my drive and get the name/designation of the drive. That is as far as I have gotten. Trying to Mount, Format, and make is locatable in the Volumio menu etc...has been a complete debacle for me as I REALLY do not understand anything...file structure...or anything...I have no experience with any of this. 

Powerman did tell me that I would not be able to buy and download any music files from Qobuz thru The Mercury/Volumio directly to the drive. He said that I would have to go to the Qobuz website from my computer and download the files onto my computer and then transfer them to the SSD on The Mercury using Filezilla, which I also have no experience with ....but it sounds like I "may" be able to figure that out ...not sure.

That is where I am ....and last my post up above has stopped me with an fstab update error listed there….

 

 

 

[ericuco]

50 minutes ago, PoMarantz said:

2. Internal Hard Drive (SK hynix Gold P31 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD l Up to 3500MB/S l Compact M.2 SSD Form Factor SK hynix SSD - Internal Solid State Drive with 128-Layer NAND Flash), for a Music Library. I carefully installed that SSD on the internal board and I would like to download & save hi-rez files from Qobuz and other sources and create a Music File Lbrary on that Internal SSD and playback thru Volumio on The Mercury.

I have not used Volumio but it appears to have some utility to mount NAS (network attached storage) which is what I use along with fstab to mount it on my Roon server. If that isn’t working, you may have to edit fstab file.

 

Here is an article I found that goes through mounting a hard drive in fstab. Sounds like you may already have the needed info. You should be able to do all of this remotely using Putty.

 

Worse case, if things go south on you, you can just reload Volumio on the SD card. Good luck.

[dericchan1]

1 hour ago, PoMarantz said:

Hi ericico...(I like your photo... I have a Freya+ PreAmp and a few sets of tubes)....

Thanks for getting back. OK...here is all I ever wanted to do with The Mercury Streamer:

1. Stream Music from Qobuz using Ethernet>Mercury via Volumio>I2S > Pontus II DAC (I have achieved that!!!!)

2. Internal Hard Drive (SK hynix Gold P31 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD l Up to 3500MB/S l Compact M.2 SSD Form Factor SK hynix SSD - Internal Solid State Drive with 128-Layer NAND Flash), for a Music Library. I carefully installed that SSD on the internal board and I would like to download & save hi-rez files from Qobuz and other sources and create a Music File Lbrary on that Internal SSD and playback thru Volumio on The Mercury.

That is all I want to be able to do. (people say Gentoo Player is better...but that sounds like more than I can handle. LOL).

 

So I have learned how to format an SD Card, download and flash the Volumio OS onto the SD Card  on my Mac (it takes like 5 softwares to do this!).....Powerman was helping me...but for part 2 above I just could not get any farther than..

Getting the IP address of my Mercury, set-up and use Putty on my Mac (it also took 6 softwares to make that happen). Using Terminal from my Mac (Yes...I think that my Mac is Linux-Based?) I was able to connect to The Mercury/Volumio and find the listing of my drive and get the name/designation of the drive. That is as far as I have gotten. Trying to Mount, Format, and make is locatable in the Volumio menu etc...has been a complete debacle for me as I REALLY do not understand anything...file structure...or anything...I have no experience with any of this. 

Powerman did tell me that I would not be able to buy and download any music files from Qobuz thru The Mercury/Volumio directly to the drive. He said that I would have to go to the Qobuz website from my computer and download the files onto my computer and then transfer them to the SSD on The Mercury using Filezilla, which I also have no experience with ....but it sounds like I "may" be able to figure that out ...not sure.

That is where I am ....and last my post up above has stopped me with an fstab update error listed there….

 

I don't know about Volumio, but have you tried Moode audio and simply mount a SSD as a library?

[zackthedog]

1 hour ago, dericchan1 said:

I don't know about Volumio, but have you tried Moode audio and simply mount a SSD as a library?

 

Will Moode let you do that?  I can try it on my Mercury and see.  But I think PoMarantz's issue is that he's got Qobuz working in Volumio and maybe reluctant to abandon that.

[PoMarantz]

2 hours ago, ericuco said:

I have not used Volumio but it appears to have some utility to mount NAS (network attached storage) which is what I use along with fstab to mount it on my Roon server. If that isn’t working, you may have to edit fstab file.

 

Here is an article I found that goes through mounting a hard drive in fstab. Sounds like you may already have the needed info. You should be able to do all of this remotely using Putty.

 

Worse case, if things go south on you, you can just reload Volumio on the SD card. Good luck.

Thanks for the help…I will try this later in the week..I have a lot of work stuff going on,…

[dericchan1]

2 hours ago, zackthedog said:

 

Will Moode let you do that?  I can try it on my Mercury and see.  But I think PoMarantz's issue is that he's got Qobuz working in Volumio and maybe reluctant to abandon that.

Sorry I don’t have a mercury to test, was merely suggesting to give it a try.

 

 

[zackthedog]

35 minutes ago, dericchan1 said:

Sorry I don’t have a mercury to test, was merely suggesting to give it a try.

 

 

 

Oh, fair enough. ;-)  I don't think Moode will recognize internal drives, either, only attached USB or network drives.

[dericchan1]

https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-mount-usb-drive/
 

Perhaps everyone must have attempted to set it up without much success? Not sure if this guide might help? It does provide illustrations and using fstab to mount a drive

[PoMarantz]

10 hours ago, dericchan1 said:

https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-mount-usb-drive/
 

Perhaps everyone must have attempted to set it up without much success? Not sure if this guide might help? It does provide illustrations and using fstab to mount a drive

Thanks for the help....I will take all info....and suggestions. I am very invested in Volumio Qobuz....but if anyone has a simpler solution to give me ethernet streaming, I2S out and Storing Music Library on an internal SSD I am open minded.   

Thanks again for the input and kindness.

[mitch751]

can I download and install the RopieeeXL on Ropieee website, instead of the one on Pi2AES website ?

[stefano_mbp]

41 minutes ago, mitch751 said:

can I download and install the RopieeeXL on Ropieee website, instead of the one on Pi2AES website ?

The RoPieeeXL image on Pi2 website is just preconfigured and not customized then the original image from RoPieee website should work

Both suggested overlays (pag. 15 of Mercury reference guide) are selectable from the original RoPieeeXL image from RoPieee website

 

[Riccitone]

So I’ve had my Mercury for a good little while. Just astounded  by the overall improvements in sq over my Allo Digione. Now also noticing how much more nuanced, cleaner and detailed the tracks I play on my usb stick are compared to streaming - even though streaming is still way more impressive than before the Mercury. So not totally bothered by it. 
 

However, wanted to ask if anyone here has compares wifi to using an Ethernet cable? I haven’t a way to connect straight to modem, but do have an extender in my listening room. Would like to connect a cable from it to the Mercury, but something about rpi’s do something weird this way (starts displaying text as “COMMON” and just stops responding altogether. 
 

I’ve heard others not having issues with using a cheap TP link extender with an Ethernet cable, so I ordered one hoping/assuming that using an extender with an outboard supply will not give me these issues. Fingers crossed.
 

Regardless, would love to know what solutions and improvements anyone here has found connecting to an extender, equipment, incorporating an EtherGen, if a Melco switch helps, or simply using a cheap extender plus a decent cable, etc. 🙏🏼