-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Best value streamer with no DAC
- Thread starter Saffy
- Start date
Volumio is reasonably good, has an app, but works equally well through your phones web browser. Moode audio is good too, no phone app but works with web browser, less optimised for phone interfaces in my experience. They target different user groups really. What services do you want to run?
Yes - lots of apps, lots of ways.
If you're wanting to use the native User Interface of a provider, e.g. Moode or Volumio, you can just set use a browser and navigate to the IP address of the RPi. The native UI allows you to stream locally stored files and also view/change settings. You don't need an app for this. Volumio has a (paid) app but its just a wrapper that presents the browser version.
If you're wanting to set up the RPi as a UPnP renderer (best way to access Tidal or Qobuz) then you can get Mconnect on ios and and android. The ever popular Bubble UPnP app is only available on android.
somebodyelse
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2018
- Messages
- 3,764
- Likes
- 3,072
Source / build process for the firmware? I've got a beaglebone black wireless waiting for me to try MachineKit, but audio is another option. I tend not to trust random-looking download links though.
The beaglebone has strengths and weaknesses relative to the Pi. The low power consumption comes with relatively low computational ability, so a Pi 4 would be a better bet for DSP. The beaglebone seems not to suffer from the Pi <4 USB issues (not that I've run into that with PiCorePlayer on any Pi...) and it's also capable of TDM unlike the Pi. The wired network port also does hardware timestamping so can be used for AVB. The extra I/O and related processors might be good if you want buttons, rotary encoders etc. for a manual interface.
Raindog123
Major Contributor
People (including myself) still fancy Auralic Aries Mini’s quite a bit. They show up on eBay regularly, around $300-$400...
somebodyelse
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2018
- Messages
- 3,764
- Likes
- 3,072
For LMS based systems (PiCorePlayer, Daphile, or one of the others that can optionally use it) there are apps like Squeezer and iPeng - searching the relevant app store will probably find more - or you can install the Material Skin plugin and follow the 'useful tips' section of the docs to add it to the home page of your platform. Most of the others use MPD in one form or another, so the various MPD remote apps will give you some degree of control.
Raindog123
Major Contributor
It might shock some here, but if you have an old iPhone 6 (or old iPad mini) laying around (whose trade in value diminished to zero, per Apple
), and a $11 “camera [usb] adaptor“ with lightning power input, you might have a very decent wifi Roon endpoint... I have two of those around the house with external Schiit Modi 3 DACs, and am extremely happy with sound quality.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 24508
Guest
Having tried and listen to a number of raspberry Pi solutions they were all very poor, too much noise, poor dynamics, non existent sound stage. Went with Microrendu and Audirvana, excellent solution.
D
Deleted member 24508
Guest
Tried it, very poor when compared to other solutions, cheap but poor.It might shock some here, but if you have an old iPhone 6 (or old iPad mini) laying around (whose trade in value diminished to zero, per Apple
Raindog123
Major Contributor
Sorry, not entirely clear - poor what?
For me, an iPhone to Modi 3 powered by DAC’s stock power supply sounds identical to another Modi 3 attached to Auralic Aries Mini with SBooster+Ultra LPS. Into various mid-grade cans and/or NAD375BEE+floorstanding Wharfedales. Both get Qobuz from a Roon workstation over WiFi. And both sound fantastic, to my 50-yo ears
I have heard this about USB out from raspberry Pi but haven't been able to test this myself since USB out has never really worked for me at all. Always too much stutter and clicks. It this what you experienced or something else? I have a Hifiberry digi+pro HAT that solved my rbpi quality problem. Coax output from the HAT to my Topping E30 sounds great to my ears.
if I just want to run Spotify, what should I be looking at?
I think it has stopped production
Yes. I think you can still find them on eBay.
This has been discussed on numerous occasions on this forum. There are potential issues with USB audio on RPi3 and earlier. These issues have been dealt with on the RPi4.
Sorry, but that's nonsense. There may be issues with functionality depending on what model of RPi you're using, but this has nothing at all to do with dynamics and soundstage.
By all means spend your money on a Microendu but please don't encourage others to do the same by making unsubstantiated objective claims, at least not on this forum.
Most RPi systems work with Spotify. I've used Spotify with Moode, Volumio and RopieeeXL. You need to have Spotify Premium as they all use Spotify Connect. This means that you can use the native Spotify app.
OK thanks I do have spotify premium..
BTW, I was thinking along having a DAC and AMP hat for RPI4 but some suggested that the AMP HAT is not as good. And since AMP needs to be separate perhaps , DAC and AMP should be separate too OR we should get a DAC + AMP combo like SA300 or something, what do you think? I prefer PI+DAC+AMP HATS because it's AIO LOL.
Similar threads
