Best OS/server to stream Tidal/Qobuz via Raspberry PI

[BigJim79]

The RPi4 can output via USB to your DAC if that’s your preferred way to connect, but you aren’t locked into USB.

There are quite a few I2S daughter cards available for the RPi that do an excellent job of producing a SPIDF or Toslink audio output, if you’d rather go that route. On ASR, you can read Amir’s positive review of the Allo Digione Signature. Also, for 1/4th the price of the Allo, there is the HifiBerry Digi+ Pro which sounds almost indistinguishable (my opinion). These and other daughter cards attach to the GPIO pins on the RPi. Both of the cards I mentioned come as kits with all of the mounting hardware, and the manufactures offer cases that are properly sized to accommodate the RPi plus daughter card.

Again, it isn’t necessary to go this route, but it’s an option if you’d rather have SPIDF or Toslink signals, or if you are concerned about the RPi’s electrical noise over USB or it’s jitter.

Hey Thunder, thanks for the input. I was looking at those, but as I run my XBOX into the Optical, I really did want to stick to USB really just to save the wear and tear on the DAC. Now I’m going to do a load of reading and let the credit card rip! Cheers.

 

[BigJim79]

Yes, USB output to DAC - very straightforward.

Moode is free, but I know that all donations are gratefully received.

You do flash the operating system - full info can be found at https://moodeaudio.org/

The instructions don't give info on image writing utilities, but I uses balenaEtcher https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Quick question. Having a good read about Moode, seems ideal for me. However I have a question about EQ. At present I use the Add on for UAPP to set my EQ profiles. I have read that Moode can do Parametric EQ, but would that still work with a Tidal Stream? If it can EQ the Tidal at Hifi Quality (non MQA) I'm placing my order.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Sukie]

Quick question. Having a good read about Moode, seems ideal for me. However I have a question about EQ. At present I use the Add on for UAPP to set my EQ profiles. I have read that Moode can do Parametric EQ, but would that still work with a Tidal Stream? If it can EQ the Tidal at Hifi Quality (non MQA) I'm placing my order.
Thanks in advance.

Now that's something I don't know. Moode can indeed do Parametric EQ but I don't know if that works with Tidal. In fact I don't use EQ at all. Maybe somebody else can post?

 

[truscellino]

Hi all,
The only one I have tried with Qobuz is PicorePlayer with server (LMS) and player (squeezelite) on the same Raspberry Pi (an old one from 2015) and I really loved it. Simple and effective. There are all sorts of plug-ins in LMS for other music services (tidal etc.), airplay, UPnP etc.
With LMS v8 they have also added integrated playlists.
Moode actually includes squeezelite as a player option too, but in that case it requires a LMS server elsewhere.
Parametric EQ - can't speak for Moode, but in PicorePlayer some people do it by using LADSPA DSP. It's not trivial, but very powerful. It consists of changing the ALSA sink, sending signal to DSP. instead of direct hardware So the same approach could be used with any player as long as the DSP package is available on the platform.
Cheers, Marc

 

[somebodyelse]

I wonder if some of the reputation for USB instability for the RPi predates the RPi 4. In earlier versions, the USB ports and the Ethernet port shared the same controller and, apparently, this could cause dropouts, jitter etc.

Yes, it predates the Pi 4 which has a completely different USB subsystem to the previous version. It's...complicated...which is probably why blaming it on the shared network/usb interface has stuck even though it's wrong.

 

[Thunder240]

I wonder if some of the reputation for USB instability for the RPi predates the RPi 4. In earlier versions, the USB ports and the Ethernet port shared the same controller and, apparently, this could cause dropouts, jitter etc.

This wouldn’t surprise me at all.

 

[jae]

I would like to see CamillaDSP implemented in moode

 

[somebodyelse]

I would like to see CamillaDSP implemented in moode

Thanks for pointing it out - it looks like an interesting alternative to BruteFIR.

 

[somy]

None seems to support tidal mqa w/o issue. Better with a Mac mini or nuc + Audirvana

 

[somy]

I can recommend Moode Audio with Mconnect on iOS: very convenient! I use it with a Pi4 2GB and a passive cooled Flirc case. The design perfectly integrates in a Hifi system.

The cheapest and easiest way is indeed with CCA connected via toslink to your DAC.

Does it work with tidal master mqa tracks?

 

[Sukie]

Does it work with tidal master mqa tracks?

Moode definitely does NOT work with Tidal MQA. I use Moode and love it, but with Qobuz.

Tim Curts, Moode Audio founder, has categorically stated that MQA will never appear in Moode.

 

[somy]

Moode definitely does NOT work with Tidal MQA. I use Moode and love it, but with Qobuz.

Tim Curts, Moode Audio founder, has categorically stated that MQA will never appear in Moode.

I recently learned I can push tidal master track to Volumio via upnp - Volumio doesn’t support mqa either, but it can output bit-perfect to external usb DAC which can then decode mqa. Just want to ask if moode Also supports it

 

[Sukie]

I recently learned I can push tidal master track to Volumio via upnp - Volumio doesn’t support mqa either, but it can output bit-perfect to external usb DAC which can then decode mqa. Just want to ask if moode Also supports it

I couldn't say as I don't actually use Tidal. As Moode is free to use you could always try.

 

[somy]

I couldn't say as I don't actually use Tidal. As Moode is free to use you could always try.

Will try on my rpi 3

 

[guybrush]

Moode definitely does NOT work with Tidal MQA. I use Moode and love it, but with Qobuz.

Tim Curts, Moode Audio founder, has categorically stated that MQA will never appear in Moode.

Hi everyone,
I use moode + bubbleupnp (android) for tidal and it's very simple and convenient. i think mconnect its the similar app but for ios.
I tried Volumio but the interface is awkward in my opinion

 

[somy]

Hi everyone,
I use moode + bubbleupnp (android) for tidal and it's very simple and convenient. i think mconnect its the similar app but for ios.
I tried Volumio but the interface is awkward in my opinion

Are you able to send tidal master mqa to moode and get it decoded by external DAC?

 

[guybrush]

I have never been interested.
However I believe my dac does not support MQA format.
I always have the doubt that they are fashions, but I repeat I have never seriously informed myself. Rather I prefer to play with components, speakers, environment rather.

 

[Sukie]

Are you able to send tidal master mqa to moode and get it decoded by external DAC?

I think people are answering without reference to the MQA eleme

Are you able to send tidal master mqa to moode and get it decoded by external DAC?

Part of the problem, for you, is that on this forum most people don't seem go for for MQA. I'm afraid that I'm one of them. But you are asking a legitimate question. Unfortunately it would appear that most of us aren't in a position to give a definite answer.

If you're confident that you can get a bit-perfect output to an MQA DAC then give it a go.

On a slightly different note I do know that USB Audio Player Pro handles MQA. Unfortunately this requires a usb connection from android device to the DAC so it limits flexibility. I can, however confirm that it works.

 

[somy]

I think people are answering without reference to the MQA eleme

Part of the problem, for you, is that on this forum most people don't seem go for for MQA. I'm afraid that I'm one of them. But you are asking a legitimate question. Unfortunately it would appear that most of us aren't in a position to give a definite answer.

If you're confident that you can get a bit-perfect output to an MQA DAC then give it a go.

On a slightly different note I do know that USB Audio Player Pro handles MQA. Unfortunately this requires a usb connection from android device to the DAC so it limits flexibility. I can, however confirm that it works.

Hi thanks for the reply! I read some debates on mqa and personally I don’t like it either - unfortunately I’m in an area where I can only get tidal subscription so it’s kind of important for me. For streaming services it’s better for them to use a compressed format to reduce storage and network cost, ultimately help to reduce the price for consumers (or pay more to artists). However for my local music I’ll never go for mqa. I’m definitely neither a supporter nor hater of mqa, just want it to work so I can enjoy music without losing quality

 

[Sukie]

Hi thanks for the reply! I read some debates on mqa and personally I don’t like it either - unfortunately I’m in an area where I can only get tidal subscription so it’s kind of important for me. For streaming services it’s better for them to use a compressed format to reduce storage and network cost, ultimately help to reduce the price for consumers (or pay more to artists). However for my local music I’ll never go for mqa. I’m definitely neither a supporter nor hater of mqa, just want it to work so I can enjoy music without losing quality

Definitely understand. Luckily I'm in the UK so can use Qobuz. To be honest this as much to do with cost as anything. Qobuz is way cheaper than Tidal in UK (although Qobuz has a more limited catalogue than Tidal).

It seems the disliking of MQA covers 2 areas. There are those who don't like it because it's a lossy format and others who don't like it because it's another proprietary addition. I don't have particularly strong feelings on the matter.

You'll still be able to use Tidal even if you can't use MQA, but then I suppose you would be paying for a service that you don't receive (the hi-res part).