Here for DAC/Streaming guidance

[Bigman80]

Hi all,

Having only "dipped my toe" into the digital realm and being mainly an Analogue listener, I have been using a Raspberry pi, Allo Boss combo for digital files via Jriver on my laptop. Files are sent via a wired connection though the internet router.

I am considering pushing things on a little and trying to improve my sound. I have demoed the Allo Katana and the Orchard Audio Pecan Pi and bother were a step up but I wondered if there was something that could elevate the SQ a little further for realistic money.

However, now I am like a deer in the headlights and completely unsure what does....well, what!

I'd like to keep the file storage on the laptop and continue to use Jriver as I can control that from my listening position (lazy lol)

Any and all suggestions would help educate me.

 

[BillG]

The Allo Boss is sufficient according to the following - it's unlikely that you'd hear any improvement with a better performing DAC:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-allo-boss-raspberry-pi-dac.4529

For any real dramatic improvement, I'd look at Room Equalization/Room treatment first, and then my speakers. You didn't mention amplification, but I'll assume you're happy with what you have currently...

P.S. Regarding formats, *.mp3 at 320 kbps is great for most people; *.m4a/aac at that bitrate or higher is fantastic, though; and *.flac is the ultimate for archival purposes.

 

[Bigman80]

The Allo Boss is sufficient according to the following - it's unlikely that you'd hear any improvement with a better performing DAC:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-allo-boss-raspberry-pi-dac.4529

For any real dramatic improvement, I'd look at Room Equalization/Room treatment first, and then my speakers. You didn't mention amplification, but I'll assume you're happy with what you have currently...

P.S. Regarding formats, *.mp3 at 320 kbps is great for most people; *.m4a/aac at that bitrate or higher is fantastic, though; and *.flac is the ultimate for archival purposes.

My system is in my signature Yes everything else is hunky dory, Just felt it may be time to give digital a fair crack of the whip.

 

[Julf]

My system is in my signature Yes everything else is hunky dory, Just felt it may be time to give digital a fair crack of the whip.

Your digital source is unlikely to be the bottleneck in your system.

 

[Bigman80]

Your digital source is unlikely to be the bottleneck in your system.

what is then in your opinion?

 

[Julf]

what is then in your opinion?

Room, speakers, possibly amp in that order.

 

[Bigman80]

Room, speakers, possibly amp in that order.

Room is obvious as most listening environments aren't ideal. Speakers and amplifier? Not my experience.

Heard them both?

 

[Julf]

Room is obvious as most listening environments aren't ideal. Speakers and amplifier? Not my experience.

Heard them both?

No, heard neither, but just looking at objective performance data of speakers and amps compared to digital sources.

 

[Bigman80]

No, heard neither, but just looking at objective performance data of speakers and amps compared to digital sources.

Hmmm, where's the data for the speakers? I've been looking for that sort of information for the last few days!

 

[Aaron Garrett]

The MiniDSP Dirac works really nicely as a streamer, currently with Volumio and soon w/ ROON (supposedly). It also provides excellent room correction. Output into a Topping DAC (or whatever) and you are set.

 

[Bigman80]

The MiniDSP Dirac works really nicely as a streamer, currently with Volumio and soon w/ ROON (supposedly). It also provides excellent room correction. Output into a Topping DAC (or whatever) and you are set.

Ah! Just the kind of info I was hoping for. Thank you Aaron.

Edit: That may be a bit above my ability lol

 

[Julf]

Hmmm, where's the data for the speakers? I've been looking for that sort of information for the last few days!

Haven't seen specific data for your speakers, but any speaker with less than 0.1% THD and a frequency response within +-3 dB would be really state of art.

 

[Bigman80]

Haven't seen specific data for your speakers, but any speaker with less than 0.1% THD and a frequency response within +-3 dB would be really state of art.

Oh, I thought you'd stumbled across a goldmine of information that had eluded me.

 

[Willem]

No speaker ever comes close to decent electronics, and no speaker ever performs as well as it could in a real room. So Dirac in a minidsp dac with volume control would be a real improvement.

 

[Julf]

Oh, I thought you'd stumbled across a goldmine of information that had eluded me.

Unfortunately not. Just kind of extrapolating from all the measurements I have seen and done over more than 40 years.

 

[Aaron Garrett]

Ah! Just the kind of info I was hoping for. Thank you Aaron.

Edit: That may be a bit above my ability lol

Ha. It's very easy to use. If you can use a fancy turntable you can certainly use the MiniDSP Dirac SHD.

 

[Bigman80]

Ha. It's very easy to use. If you can use a fancy turntable you can certainly use the MiniDSP Dirac SHD.

Fancy! It's just a button and lowering the precious stone into a groove. I describe it as Neanderthal Audio, but I do love it.

I'll investigate the MiniDSP, thanks.

 

[BillG]

There are other ways to do Room EQ/Correction without buying another device since you already own one that is capable of running such software, that being your laptop - I'm personally not into buying more gear when it's unnecessary to accomplish what I need to do. It's my understanding that JRiver is capable of running convulution filters that can do the job.

How that would all interface with your RPi streamer is not part of my knowledge base since I don't use one. (I suspect that if you're streaming PCM from JRiver to it, that's the answer, as it would already be decoded and processed via its DSP engine.) However, I'm sure someone else here can answer that question.