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Allo Boss2 Review (Stereo Streamer)

amper42

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Do I need to ditch Max2Play and use Moode? I really have no idea at all.

I gave you Moode instructions as that is usually what ships with Boss2. If you use Max2Play and have it working then make sure Airplay is turned on and connect with the iPhone. I don't have experience with Max2Play so you would want to review their website. https://www.max2play.com/en/max2play-image/
 

Gaspar74

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It may of come with Diet PI with Allo software installed. You just type the IP address of your Boss into a browser and enable Airplay which it probably is already. What are you trying to play and by what means
 

JayeC

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It may of come with Diet PI with Allo software installed. You just type the IP address of your Boss into a browser and enable Airplay which it probably is already. What are you trying to play and by what means
Hello, I have got it largely working now using MoOde, except I can't get the wifi to work. Thanks
 

Theodore8

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Hello, I have got it largely working now using MoOde, except I can't get the wifi to work. Thanks
FWIW, I once wasted three hours trying to get my BOSS2 with Moode to work on wifi, until I realized that I was entering the router admin password instead of the wi-fi password…. No comment on the vocabulary I used when I found out…
 

JayeC

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FWIW, I once wasted three hours trying to get my BOSS2 with Moode to work on wifi, until I realized that I was entering the router admin password instead of the wi-fi password…. No comment on the vocabulary I used when I found out…
Finally got the wifi working. Literally had to blackmail my extra-techie son - "I'm looking after Felix [grandson] for 6 hours tomorrow - I don't really want him to be tempted by trailing ethernet cables dangling across the house - can you help me sort this out..."
 

JayeC

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Ok, [never having streamed before] so I've got Qobuz wishing to send me some 1s and 0s; I have a Windows 10 PC, and an iPhone Mini 12. Two questions - how can I send these 1s and 0s to my Moode-driven Allo Boss2 DAC, wirelessly? It seems easy wth iPhone just use Airplay - but is it the 1s and 0s it sends, or does it pre-convert them to analogue? Secondly - why is everything so difficult with Windows - where's its version of Airplay? Surely someone, somewhere has addressed this problem already....
 
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WildThing

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I searched the thread and can't find the information. Is it possible to plug an iPad, directly in the USB input of the pi to get lossless Apple Music (Airplay is limited to 16/44.1 kHz, to get full loseless you must use the USB-C out of the iPad).
 

linuxfan

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Is it possible to plug an iPad, directly in the USB input of the pi ...
No. The iPad and Pi are both USB hosts. You need to connect the iPad to a USB DAC, and although the BOSS2 contains a DAC, this DAC is connected directly via I2S header pins to the Pi, and has no USB interface.
Instead, for the iPad get yourself a Topping D10s DAC (USB input only) or Topping E30 DAC if you think you might want coaxial/optical s/pdif input in the future.
 

Barrelhouse Solly

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Last week I got a Boss2 in the acrylic case and am using it with a Pi 4 as part of a bedroom system. I'm very happy with it. I've experimented with Raspbian, Diet Pi, Picoreplayer, and Moode. All work. If you want to use vanilla Raspbian you'll have to edit config.txt for the correct overlay and shut off the built in audio. If you're unlucky you'll also have to configure the default ALSA device. Instructions for all are available on line. You can use VLC (included) or any of many other audio players but you'll have to have a display, keyboard and mouse connected to the PI or use VNC. You can also use MPD--manual configuration required--with a mobile device control app like MALP on Android.

The easiest setup for me was with Moode. You can do all the configuration within the Moode web interface. For some reason the Moode web interface performs very s-l-u-g-g-g-i-s-h-l-y on my Android phone and tablet so I use MALP. Moode is based on MPD. The Moode web interface works fine on a desktop or laptop PC running Win, Mac, or Linux. Also Moode has CamillaDSP. I listen at low volumes--well under 5wpc most of the time--so I set up a loudness contour filter that works nicely. I haven't succeeded in creating a usable convolution file for CamillaDSP but I'm still trying.

I've been using Moode for quite a few years and prefer the UI to others because of the availability of tweaks and the variety of renderer options. It's open source and has an active forum where you can get prompt advice from the developer and other people who know what they're talking about.

FWIW, I noticed some small improvements in SQ. Some music I've listened to often had a bit more detail and a somewhat better stereo image. My hearing is not what it used to be and I have the audiogram to prove it so I'm not the best source for this sort of information. I had been using HifiberryOS with a Hifiberry DAC+DSP with the same Pi4. It has a bare bones utility for room correction that involves recording a sweep tone at the prime listening point. My subjective impression is that the Boss2 sounds better.

My system is Pioneer Andrew Jones bookshelf speakers, a low end Monoprice 12" subwoofer, and an Elac 101EQG (now discontinued) 30wpc amp. It's not ultra-hifi but it's more than adequate for low volume listening. What I want is what Paul Klipsch described as the "good 1 watt speaker." With modern electronics the speaker is the most significant part.
 

marble

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Hello, I was thinking lately about simplifying my audio chain. Currently, I am using a tablet with USBAPP feeding RME Adi 2 Dac FS and then into my integrated amplifier (volume is set from the amp)
I am experiencing some dropouts with the tablet (maybe something conflicting with USB Audio Player Pro, only experiencing that with TIDAL and Spotify and also some Wifi disconnecting...). I was thinking of a more reliable solution for streaming content.
Then I saw the Allo Boss 2 player.
Right now, I am thinking replacing my tablet with a RPI 4 running Moode or having the Allo Boss 2 player replacing both RPI4 and RME Adi 2 Dac FS.
What would you do ?
With Allo Boss 2 player, I would use CamillaDSP so I would still be able to enjoy DSP/parametric EQ and even Loudness... and there will be a single device instead of streamer + DAC...
Thank you !
 

Marc v E

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Hello, I was thinking lately about simplifying my audio chain. Currently, I am using a tablet with USBAPP feeding RME Adi 2 Dac FS and then into my integrated amplifier (volume is set from the amp)
I am experiencing some dropouts with the tablet (maybe something conflicting with USB Audio Player Pro, only experiencing that with TIDAL and Spotify and also some Wifi disconnecting...). I was thinking of a more reliable solution for streaming content.
Then I saw the Allo Boss 2 player.
Right now, I am thinking replacing my tablet with a RPI 4 running Moode or having the Allo Boss 2 player replacing both RPI4 and RME Adi 2 Dac FS.
What would you do ?
With Allo Boss 2 player, I would use CamillaDSP so I would still be able to enjoy DSP/parametric EQ and even Loudness... and there will be a single device instead of streamer + DAC...
Thank you !
From experience I would kep the adi dac and change the way you play music by adding a RPI 4 that connects to the dac. The reason I say this is that I wouldn't trust the MoOde software so much that it would never play at 100% output. I played with it quite a bit and one thing that is really obvious is that it's interface is such that it's easy to make mistakes. Changing a setting often requires a restart for example and I have experienced many times that I thought I had the correct setting but in fact it didn't save it because I followed the wrong chronological order. Every time I unplug the ethernet cable from the RPI I need to reset a few configurations in MoOde.

What I would recommend instead of directly connecting an ipad (if I understood that correctly) and using a streamer like RPI to connect to your dac. There is a lot of software available to choose from. On the top of my head: MoOde, Ropieee, Volumio, Squeezelite (from logitech now open source). Then you can enjoy a glitch free playback and use the ipad as a remote.
 

JDS

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Is Allo still in business?

The Boss2 seems to be perpetually out of stock on their website, as do most of their other products. I tried to reach out to them on their contact page, and never received a response.
 

Fahzz

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Like I said above Covid hit them hard. I know from this forum and others that RPI's are real scarce. Fingers crossed they come out OK.
 
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