BEGINNER QUESTION : Getting "BitPerfect" output in Linux ?

[Phorize]

Hi Sal,

Thanks for the Strawberry tip...
I know that software and I really never got to understand it's logic.
Or maybe it simply doesn't fit my wantings.
But I will try it again...

I tend to use gmusicbrowser.
I have configured it to use ALSA, but I think it does not as I can still control output volume with the system volume.

I may try to install JACK... Not sure how to do it, but I'll find out

I’m not up to speed on jack configuration but it used to be notoriously difficult to set up and prone to breakage on systems with rapid update cycles. If you have issues it may be best to use a more stable distro or a specialist audio one.

 

[PenguinMusic]

As per other replies you don’t need to configure the audio sub system further. You can reduce the kernel latency for recording applications with an option at compile time-this doesn’t benefit replay.

Hi,

Does that mean that even with PulseAudio I can have something that would be about "BitPerfect"...
I don't care if it is, but I want to have the output to be at least the original bitrate and samplerate of the source.
I've read that PulseAudio remixes the whole thing to downsample it to 16/44...
Is that not correct anymore ?

 

[PenguinMusic]

I’m not up to speed on jack configuration but it used to be notoriously difficult to set up and prone to breakage on systems with rapid update cycles. If you have issues it may be best to use a more stable distro or a specialist audio one.

Hi,

Your post came a little late.
I am already running JACK on Manjaro, which based on Arch and is almost rolling release (so yes, rapid update cycle).
But with the provided tools, it seems to be easy to get rid of JACK in case it is not needed.

I also assume that having a "RealTime" kernel only helps if you are recording things but less if you just playback stuff ?

 

[Phorize]

Indirectly, not strictly the subject, but I am so happy to see some people using Linux!

Linux on the desktop all the way. Obviously real men use bsd on servers

 

[PenguinMusic]

Linux on the desktop all the way. Obviously real men use bsd on servers

I must be a sissy then :-(

But I am just running a "build server" to help people that can hardly afford a decent machine to build their custom Android ROM.

So maybe I don't need BSD for that

 

[Phorize]

Hi,

Does that mean that even with PulseAudio I can have something that would be about "BitPerfect"...
I don't care if it is, but I want to have the output to be at least the original bitrate and samplerate of the source.
I've read that PulseAudio remixes the whole thing to downsample it to 16/44...
Is that not correct anymore ?

Sorry to muddy the waters, use alsa for the reasons explained above, when I was referring to the sub system, I meant kernel.

 

[Phorize]

I must be a sissy then :-(

But I am just running a "build server" to help people that can hardly afford a decent machine to build their custom Android ROM.

So maybe I don't need BSD for that

Perils of leaving the smilie off of my post by accident. I had my tongue on my cheek, no offence intended. Linux is great for many server applications , and a must for what you are doing. Keep on fighting the good fight

 

[Phorize]

I must be a sissy then :-(

But I am just running a "build server" to help people that can hardly afford a decent machine to build their custom Android ROM.

So maybe I don't need BSD for that

But manjaro...

 

[PenguinMusic]

Perils of leaving the smilie off of my post by accident. I had my tongue on my cheek, no offence intended. Linux is great for many server applications , and a must for what you are doing. Keep on fighting the good fight

Don't worry... I got what you meant
Hence my smilies
So : absolutely no offence taken.

I switched from macOs about 3 years ago when Apple decided to go nuts about it's prices and I could not afford to get a new iMac decently specced.
So for the same money, I bought used/on sale parts and put my own machine up.
I ended up with a workstation MoBo (dual CPU, 16 RAM slots, 6 PCIe 16x slots, 10 SATA slots and 2 hardware RAID controllers), 2 Xeon (28c/56t total), 112GB RAM, Radeon RX580 GPU and a 21:9 DELL display... for the price of an i5 Quadcore iMac. But with no opportunity to spend a lot of money in Thunderbolt devices :-(

 

[PenguinMusic]

But manjaro...

Hi,
I love Manjaro. with MATE desktop (I could do with Budgie or xFCE).
It's fast, pretty and stable...
I have 8/10 devs in India and Pakistan and Venezuela that would have to spend 5 years of income to get a machine that is half the computing of mine connecting to my machine to build. Even with ssh they can build in 45 minutes (locally, I can do it in 35 minutes)... instead of 4/5 hours. Of course, I let them use the machine for free... But they united to donate the money needed for a dedicated hard drive... So they share a 4TB unit

 

[Phorize]

Don't worry... I got what you meant
Hence my smilies
So : absolutely no offence taken.

I switched from macOs about 3 years ago when Apple decided to go nuts about it's prices and I could not afford to get a new iMac decently specced.
So for the same money, I bought used/on sale parts and put my own machine up.
I ended up with a workstation MoBo (dual CPU, 16 RAM slots, 6 PCIe 16x slots, 10 SATA slots and 2 hardware RAID controllers), 2 Xeon (28c/56t total), 112GB RAM, Radeon RX580 GPU and a 21:9 DELL display... for the price of an i5 Quadcore iMac. But with no opportunity to spend a lot of money in Thunderbolt devices :-(

Thanks, just wanted to be sure, in some Linux circles it used to be the case one that mention of pulse audio = all out flame wars. Thankfully you missed all of that!

 

[Phorize]

Hi,
I love Manjaro. with MATE desktop (I could do with Budgie or xFCE).
It's fast, pretty and stable...
I have 8/10 devs in India and Pakistan and Venezuela that would have to spend 5 years of income to get a machine that is half the computing of mine connecting to my machine to build. Even with ssh they can build in 45 minutes (locally, I can do it in 35 minutes)... instead of 4/5 hours. Of course, I let them use the machine for free... But they united to donate the money needed for a dedicated hard drive... So they share a 4TB unit

That’s a great idea. I must admit I behind the times on distros. I’ve been on Debian for years, was on Slackware/gentoo before then. Things have changed a lot.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Thanks, just wanted to be sure, in some Linux circles it used to be the case one that mention of pulse audio = all out flame wars. Thankfully you missed all of that!

Hi,
As I am not skilled enough to understand the tech behind it all, I am maybe a little more "open minded" than said people
I have just configured JACK...
Now let's see if I can hear something coming out of my computer

EDIT : it works Not sure I can hear a difference, but placeboly, it's working and I like it

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

OK... Would just like to report that I am now pleased with what I am hearing.

So here's the set-up.
Computer playing music I bought in different qualities (16/44 ; 24/44 ; 24/88 and 24/96).
Operating system : GNU/Linux - Manjaro - JACK audio server playing over ALSA (no PulseAudio...).
Player used : gmusicplayer (set-up to use JACK for playback).
Sound is coming out of optical output of motherboard (will change cable as this one will also be needed elsewhere).
Sounding is going in ASUS Xonar used as a DAC...
Sound going then from ASUS Xonar into Little Bear B4 Valve headphone amp.
Headphones used : Sennheiser HD700
Headphones to be used : AudioQuest NightHawk ; B&O H9i ; Philips Fidelio X2 HR and B&W P5 (all those still to be listenend to).

Would like to give the Quad ERA a try Anyone living next to Paris (France) ?

I will also try to listen to the Asus XONAR headphone amp to see if it matches the Little Bear B4

Regards.

 

[cryptout]

I'm glad you got it working to your liking!

 

[LTig]

@PenguinMusic, you will probably want to get rid of the pulseaudio layer, as it provides resampling for concurrent use of a given audio device.

I use VLC player at 100% volume and choose

Audio -> Audio Device -> <any device> Hardware device with all software conversions​

to get bit perfect output to my RME ADI-2 PRO fs (veryfied by playing special RME test signals).

 

[PenguinMusic]

I use VLC player at 100% volume and choose

Audio -> Audio Device -> <any device> Hardware device with all software conversions​

to get bit perfect output to my RME ADI-2 PRO fs (veryfied by playing special RME test signals).

Hi,
Thought about using VLC also.
But it really misses too many features to mange the audio library.
Unless it has a plug-in somewhere that I am not aware of :-(

But yes, you can choose what output device you want to use.
And that is the most convenient way to choose it

Regards.

 

[LTig]

I've been 99% exclusive on Linux since 1999.
Boot into Windoz a few times a week to update my Quicken financial software and a couple other small things. Yuck.
There are others here that do the same.

+1, since 1999 as well. Have to admit that I use a win 10 notebook for measurements with REW if I need floating equipment or samplerates above 192 kHz.

 

[PenguinMusic]

+1, since 1999 as well. Have to admit that I use a win 10 notebook for measurements with REW if I need floating equipment or samplerates above 192 kHz.

Hi,
As for myself, I must admit that I have been unable to hear a difference between a 24/96 file and the exact same one in 24/192.
Of course equipment could output both format in original form.
So either the rest of the system is unable to reproduce the subtle differernce... or my ears are good/trained enough :-(
So, 24/96 will do...

 

[digititus]

Strawberry on linux works great. Volumio on Pi. All I need.