Allo Boss2 Review (Stereo Streamer)

[itsikhefez]

I built a similar one. RPI + basic linear regulator, HifiBerry HAT (although these days I just use USB to a Benchmark DAC3L).
VFD for display (much nicer than a LCD).
piCorePlayer client with LMS on a remote server.

 

[amper42]

I would like to explain how a streamer works . RPIs hardware is a small computer that has an open sourced OS. Many audio players , like Moode , PCP . Volumio etc build on that OS using open source software .

From your tablet/phone , you can stream direct to our Boss2 using airplay , upnp/dnla , spotify plug in , roon and more coming . You can swtich at any time betwen players by flashing the SD card with the new image.

Which open sourced OS would work best with UPnP/DLNA with Audirvana?

 

[Benaudio]

The owner of the Company must be a geeky guitarist, Boss Katana is a very popular guitar amplifier

 

[Benaudio]

So in a nutshell can this kind of devices be thought as a Bluetooth DAC but with a SOTA SINAD and DR that works on wifi or Ethernet?

Essentially it serves the same function but does it in a audibly transparent manner, right?

 

[amirm]

That's one way to look at it.

 

[MCH]

Raspberry Pi as streamers are nowadays mainstream with lots of possibilities and manufacturers involved and as we can see here, with excellent results.
What is not by far as developed is how to "input" analog sound (turntable, tape or yourself playing an instrument) into your wifi network system.
Does anyone know a pi based solution beyond darkice-icecast web radio? (the results are not optimal and the setup not so straightforward...)

 

[TheTalbotHound]

@amirm Did you measure IMD and linearity for this device like you normally do for DACs?

 

[Kaushama]

Hi I need t

No worries MisOr we are shipping daily .

I need to buy some stuff from you and live in Sri Lanka? Your Indian operations are fully functional? (Covid situation looks not good in India) It saves me time and money to get stuff from India. Thanks!

 

[Balle Clorin]

Roon. As such, I am limited to static tests and not anything that includes a sweep.

What is the limitation? Roon can Play A sweep file and go to the device , right? I do this when I make REW timing reference sweeps with Roon as source.

 

[Apesbrain]

Just ordered one of these for delivery in Europe. Had a very old Squeezebox die on the basement system and needed to replace.

Another option:
https://polyvection.com/en/product/dac32/

 

[DTTOM37]

Hmm.

1) I will try out Option 3 @ https://www.picoreplayer.org/ to have the Boss2 stream from the Synology NAS and (as another option to replace the NAS in the near future) to stream music from a Hard Disc attached to the Boss2.

2) Alternatively I will try out Moode and see if Moode is able to stream from the NAS and/or from a Hard Disc attached to the Boss2. The parametric EQ is the feature I'm interested in...

If you stumble during the setup process, you should visit
https://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?113512-ANNOUNCE-piCorePlayer-7-0-0
The picoreplayer team is very responsive and helpful most of the times .
There is a learning curve, for sure, but in combination with the ALLO unit it looks like a perfect match for most needs.

 

[Labjr]

Another option:
https://polyvection.com/en/product/dac32/

Their website shows that is supports PCM sample rates but not DSD? I would think a streaming device would transparently pass anything through it to the DAC? No?

 

[Apesbrain]

Their website shows that is supports PCM sample rates but not DSD?

Correct. The DAC32 is a "plug & play", analog-only Squeezebox for $75. For streaming DSD to a DAC, you'd need a different solution.

 

[Bobinski]

This looks fantastic. In recent weeks I have bought an audioquest Black for headphone use connected to my pc and a Yamaha wxa50 which is connected to some passive speakers. I stream Deezer flax via the music cast app. I have 220 gig of C’s quality rips on my pc. I can set up a Nas.
niw I have this I am going to sell my squeezebox’s. BUT I am tempted by the Allo and need persuading on how I could do so. Also uk buyer so best place to buy?

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

Would someone be so kind as to tell me what the modern accepted definition of a "streamer" is these days? I'm a little lost here and thanks.

I thought a streamer had to have a digital output.

 

[cbhere]

Hi I need t

I need to buy some stuff from you and live in Sri Lanka? Your Indian operations are fully functional? (Covid situation looks not good in India) It saves me time and money to get stuff from India. Thanks!

I bought it from india through https://www.waretohouse.com/ and customer service was very good and shipping was fast, price is also good. You can mail them [email protected] and they respond fast. I was dealing with Abhishek and had great customer experience.

 

[m8o]

Nice to see the interest grow in Raspberry Pi streaming from this device. I was once a lost neophyte like you.

It's not so hard or scary. Especially if you get a turn-key device like this. It all becomes software.

I recommend you look thru this forum category. Read the numerous discussions that have gone on for a long time on raspberry pis as a streamer / music player for some direction and insight. This is just one of them. But a good one:

A Raspberry Pi as a music server:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-raspberry-pi-as-a-music-server.9130/

 

[m8o]

I thought a streamer had to have a digital output.

This is a "turn-key" product: combo host Raspberry Pi SoC computer, case, power supply, plus Raspberry Pi DAC as a HAT that slides onto the PI's expansion GPIO pins; all the former plus your choice of software player is the streamer part, the latter takes what it streams digitally from the GPIO pins and converts it to analog (if it isnt obvious to anyone, this Allo Boss v2 bare board cannot operate stand alone.)

Couldn't find the Boss v2 picture on the Allo site (just one with the RPi board too, making it less clear) but here is the v1.2. Something like this is actually what was tested here:

 

[sanathan]

I see a lot of questions here on raspberry pi streaming functionality
Let me try to clarify some points:

1) Any pi solution like this one can be run as an endpoint . This includes ROON,airplay(16 bit /44.1) , Upnp renderer (using an app like bubbleupnp or mconnect)( HD possible) ,LMS endpoint etc. For this i found ropieee to be best and simplest
2) all the above functionality as endpoint + attach a hard disk and play using a remote app or browser ie index music from attached uSB disk on the pi itself .For this i found moodeaudio and/or volumio very good. In fact latest version of volumio HAS tidal connect and spotify connect so can be played directly from mobile apps on mobile.
3) This is a all in one ie u dont need a dac it is built in and as Amir measured it is essentially transparent. All u need is powered speakers or amp + passive speakers. Also if u have lan connection u do not need a dongle for wifi.
Overall an excellent all-in-one

 

[Jazz]

Darnit! I knew there was compromise.
I noticed this note on Amazon's website in regards to casting to an Apple TV - maybe that means it MAY work in full-res now?

Cast Music using Apple AirPlay
Amazon Music can be cast to an Apple TV using the Amazon Music app.

• Device has an Internet connection.
• Device is connected to a power source.

1. Tap on the menu icon.
2. Tap Connect to a Device and tap on the device from the list.
   Note: Airplay and Airplay 2 can support HD or Ultra HD, depending on the device capability.

Also keep in mind that if you have “Sync Library” checked in Apple Music on MacOS 11 (and on down a few versions), Apple will only use the AAC version if you are an Apple Music streaming subscriber. When I updated to a new Mac, this was checked by default. Suddenly, all my music was showing as AAC and not pulling from my Music Media Folder location (on external HD, just moved it to the new Mac). So I unchecked it and, maybe did something else (I forget, Apple Care helped me). That reloaded the ALAC files. Then I rechecked it, which kept the ALAC on my external as the source for playback but, if I am playing off the Mac (on iOS device from Apple Music but my own music), it plays AAC. Which, normally, I like as, AAC is better with phone plan cost wise for mobile and in car. However, I think this feature also impacts playing on Apple TV. When I went to play my ALAC smart list on Apple TV 4K, it went into a kind of super speedy album cover show. I think that was it digesting what was ALAC that it could pull from Apple Music streaming.
So, having ALAC files on a Mac with Apple TV is very good but, it is the never ending saga of iTunes AKA Apple Music, which still needs some UI and UX clarification. But hey, it has been a decade or more so, not counting on it. However…
I suspect Apple Music will make Sync Library device dependent (which it should have been all along) when it comes out with Hi-Res Apple Music streaming. Otherwise, what would be the point!
Also, with Apple Music (as it was with iTunes) and maintaining your own collection, you have to check your Import Settings. I'd update OS or Mac and, importing would go back to AAC (ugh!) and I'd end up importing many CDs as AAC thinking it was ALAC. I am still dealing with that.
I hope Apple finally gets into the lossless world properly and fixes all of this. It will have to. The ATV 4K, ATV HD, and possibly the ATV4 (but I did not check) do now handle and move FLAC files to your AVR/DAC via HDMI (which is a very good wired digital music cable). It seems it is mostly an ATV OS update. This may signify things to come.