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Fosi Multichannel DAC coming!

Honken said:
This cannot be stressed enough. In a home setting, a simple 8ch DAC is just that much easier and nicer to deal with.
Click to expand...
The AoIP stuff is honestly killer though. As a paradigm, it's incredibly hard to pass up once you start playing with it, even in a home setting. None of my main computers / sources are connected to any audio gear, they just push their audio out, in real time. Having an affordable, playback centric 8ch D/A only unit that can receive those streams directly would be wild. If correctly implemented, its scalable, you need another 8 channels for the same system? Add another.

Super off topic though.

Totally just happy with 8 channels of high quality USB D/A that supports DSD.
 
For that I just use AirPlay, using Shairport Sync. My Apple devices supports it naturally, but my Linux devices support it as well via Pipewire and it's RAOP sink. Works seamlessly, but latency restricts this to music listening.
 
Honken said:
For that I just use AirPlay, using Shairport Sync. My Apple devices supports it naturally, but my Linux devices support it as well via Pipewire and it's RAOP sink. Works seamlessly, but latency restricts this to music listening.
Click to expand...
Have you tried any of the other pipewire to pipewire network options for lower latency? I keep meaning to, but haven't yet. From the default latencies the RTP seems most promising, but also trickiest to set up.
 
somebodyelse said:
Have you tried any of the other pipewire to pipewire network options for lower latency? I keep meaning to, but haven't yet. From the default latencies the RTP seems most promising, but also trickiest to set up.
Click to expand...
I have not, mostly because I am not using anything but ALSA in my current setup.

For a while I did use PulseAudio for my stereo, and I did try RTP with that. I did not have much in the way of success however, audio was consantly stuttering over RTP whereas the RAOP module worked OK for PA (but I believe Shairport Sync was the receiver in that scenario as well). At the time, I chalked this up to the poor WiFi connection of the RaspberryPi 4 that I use in my stereo.

Could be that the implementation in PA is bad, and that PipeWire handles this better.
 
Honken said:
I have not, mostly because I am not using anything but ALSA in my current setup.

For a while I did use PulseAudio for my stereo, and I did try RTP with that. I did not have much in the way of success however, audio was consantly stuttering over RTP whereas the RAOP module worked OK for PA (but I believe Shairport Sync was the receiver in that scenario as well). At the time, I chalked this up to the poor WiFi connection of the RaspberryPi 4 that I use in my stereo.

Could be that the implementation in PA is bad, and that PipeWire handles this better.
Click to expand...

I have just recently released a bash/Linux app called GSASysCon that can stream audio across your LAN between computers, so meaning from system to system, and maintain synchronicity of multiple playback endpoints. This uses Gstreamer pipelines and RTP streaming of PCM audio (no compression). It's nothing fancy, but gets the job done.

It also does DSP processing (IIR only) and it was created primarily for implementing loudspeaker crossovers using software DSP.I have been using it for years to do this sort of distributed audio within my home. If you are interested there is thread over at DIYaudio about it:

Software DSP Processing using Gstreamer pipelines and the GSASysCon app

Last Update to this Page: 25 April 2025. GSASysCon Release 3.15.1 is now available for download. It includes an automated setup script that should make it easier to get started. You can find the project at GitHub using this link: https://github.com/charlielaub/GSASysCon To download the...
www.diyaudio.com www.diyaudio.com
 
Honken said:
I have not, mostly because I am not using anything but ALSA in my current setup.

For a while I did use PulseAudio for my stereo, and I did try RTP with that. I did not have much in the way of success however, audio was consantly stuttering over RTP whereas the RAOP module worked OK for PA (but I believe Shairport Sync was the receiver in that scenario as well). At the time, I chalked this up to the poor WiFi connection of the RaspberryPi 4 that I use in my stereo.

Could be that the implementation in PA is bad, and that PipeWire handles this better.
Click to expand...
Pipewire's RTP is pretty mature by this point I think. I looked into it a bit as I was sorting out my AES67 stuff. They don't sync to PTP though, at least when I checked so YMMV for certain things.
With AES67 I've gotten my overall latency down to under a frame at 120hz, so I'm happy, it's perfectly good for gaming / desktop use in addition to handling consumer home video sources.
Also, Wifi doesn't really jive with some of this stuff. Apple's Airplay 2 is pretty clever, it's using PTP internally I guess, and just a looser implementation of it.
 
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charlielaub said:
I have just recently released a bash/Linux app called GSASysCon that can stream audio across your LAN between computers, so meaning from system to system, and maintain synchronicity of multiple playback endpoints. This uses Gstreamer pipelines and RTP streaming of PCM audio (no compression). It's nothing fancy, but gets the job done.

It also does DSP processing (IIR only) and it was created primarily for implementing loudspeaker crossovers using software DSP.I have been using it for years to do this sort of distributed audio within my home. If you are interested there is thread over at DIYaudio about it:

Software DSP Processing using Gstreamer pipelines and the GSASysCon app

Last Update to this Page: 25 April 2025. GSASysCon Release 3.15.1 is now available for download. It includes an automated setup script that should make it easier to get started. You can find the project at GitHub using this link: https://github.com/charlielaub/GSASysCon To download the...
www.diyaudio.com www.diyaudio.com
Click to expand...
Cool :) Yeah, gstreamer is great once you know your way around it, they support syncing with PTP and I've found it incredibly helpful. They've got a PTP helper process that works on Windows (I think it's in the releases by this point?) which has been useful for my mixed, Windows / Linux environment.
 
evedoesaudiothings said:
Cool :) Yeah, gstreamer is great once you know your way around it, they support syncing with PTP and I've found it incredibly helpful. They've got a PTP helper process that works on Windows (I think it's in the releases by this point?) which has been useful for my mixed, Windows / Linux environment.
Click to expand...

My own systems are synchronized using NTP and chrony because that can be done over WiFi and without using special PTP capable equipment. I currently use three NTP servers on my LAN that sync to public timeservers. These three serve all my local clients and ping times are very low even over WiFi (I do RTP over WiFi only, no hard cabling). This works very well when the network is not bogged down by e.g. streaming video.
 
For all of you asking for DSP (for the particular one have a look at the Node thread to understand what it takes and why all these devices suffer) , complex functions (which, dear God, include levels that can default to 0dB) , etc, you realize that we had to taught fosi what an electronic crossover is, right?
I would wish for the simplest, safest, no BS MC DAC if I was you with at least the ability to sustain rock-stable independent channel levels and call it a day.
 
charlielaub said:
My own systems are synchronized using NTP and chrony because that can be done over WiFi and without using special PTP capable equipment. I currently use three NTP servers on my LAN that sync to public timeservers. These three serve all my local clients and ping times are very low even over WiFi (I do RTP over WiFi only, no hard cabling). This works very well when the network is not bogged down by e.g. streaming video.
Click to expand...

Glad you've gotten RTP over Wifi working. It's 100% possible, just sort of a YMMV thing. I ended up going the PTP route here and I do really like it. I mess around with some distributed systems nonsense where it can be useful too so it was a nice side effect / bonus in addition to the audio transport. It's funny, I actually got into AoIP after I learned about the existence of PTP, it was like a lightbulb went off about how that could be applied to audio.


Sokel said:
For all of you asking for DSP (for the particular one have a look at the Node thread to understand what it takes and why all these devices suffer) , complex functions (which, dear God, include levels that can default to 0dB) , etc, you realize that we had to taught fosi what an electronic crossover is, right?
I would wish for the simplest, safest, no BS MC DAC if I was you with at least the ability to sustain rock-stable independent channel levels and call it a day.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I kind of can't wrap my head around this idea of being locked into some 'on device' DSP, even if it was very capable, it just... that can't evolve in the same way that software can. *shrug*
 
Has anyone heard an update on this from Fosi, or an estimate about when the product might be available for purchase?
 
First a stable at all times all channel volume control! with rotary knob on front.

Inside they could make room for a RPI or ADAU card or other similar DSP

That «DAC» would need
5 volt USB power source.
I2S/TDM out source connector. Source master
TDM in to DACs TDM input
Those connectors must of course be inside the box

For this there can be no support/warranty from Fosi only the format description
 
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Another wish is a 4/8 channel DS2. Each of the 4 CS DAC chips can be either mono or stereo. (Instead of mono only of DS2)
TDM to DACs from USB chip

Hardware controled stable all channel volume contol.

Out could be 4.4 mm balanced headphone jacks.
Input USB UAC 2.0 compliant
Maybe galvanic isolated USB?

If xmos usb chip, maybe a ADAT input interface as xmos support ADAT in SW
 
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torgeirs said:
Maybe galvanic isolated USB?
Click to expand...
That would be nice but tricky for a multichannel as it has to be one that has enough current and range.
Most limit to 100-200mA or so, barely enough for some DAC and as rates go higher (assuming that is a Hispeed one) so do the power needs.
 
darth said:
eARC and Dolby/atmos decoding would be very nice
----

Here is the source of the 1st post
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02W8MExaZJMd8RGqG47yPshD4hxMykzkErHZTVyijPzMoWuJqG8JpnBe1pwjTa8wQCl&id=100083279470005
Click to expand...
It's 8 channels, you're not getting "atmos", you'd be decoding the TrueHD portion, but I would be phenomenally surprised if that was supported? In most situations, if there is decoding supported, you'll be getting at the further fallback, the DD+ core (in TrueHD, that's DD).

I know it sounds like a real, stone age request but the stable, front panel, stays where it is sorta volume control is underrated, it makes me feel better since I don't use a pre and go directly to amps. It's hard to balance conceptually with wanting dumb as can be control via IP but alas.
 
Sokel said:
Most limit to 100-200mA
Click to expand...
yes maybe to little
See the new 8 ch CS dac states:
10 mW power consumption per channel
(8 channels enabled)
Balanced or pseudobalanced output helps also.
But I dont like that big thumph or growl.
(That my really old single ended minidsp makes when disconnecting cables)
 
IMO the purpose of a USB isolator in audio chain is to break ground loops which is complicated with USB. The isolated DC/DC converter in the isolator box is not designed for high power and clean output, and a separate clean PSU should be used on the secondary side. In a device like this the DC/DC part would not even be necessary. The USB isolator chips do not handle the DC/DC part either, it's externally provided, if implemented in the isolator box.
 
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