KEF LS60 and WiiM Ultra?

[terryforsythe]

Now I need to build a Pi for my LSX II as well.

Depending on your streaming needs, you may be able to use the Raspberry Pi as your streamer and DSP.

I have my Raspberry Pi working with Tidal Connect - https://github.com/GioF71/tidal-connect. It allowed me to stream Tidal while using camilladsp-setrate with CamillaDSP until my WiiM Ultra arrived.

There are other streaming packages for the Raspberry Pi as well.

 

[terryforsythe]

Forget the taps. If you spent $1 mil on the house you should budget at least $250k for the wiring/ cables.

And, don't forget the power conditioners, cable risers and holy water to cast out the audio demons.

 

[AncientMariner]

Depending on your streaming needs, you may be able to use the Raspberry Pi as your streamer and DSP.

I have my Raspberry Pi working with Tidal Connect - https://github.com/GioF71/tidal-connect. It allowed me to stream Tidal while using camilladsp-setrate with CamillaDSP until my WiiM Ultra arrived.

There are other streaming packages for the Raspberry Pi as well.

Thanks for the link.

On my other set of speakers (KEF Q350) I use a Pi with Airplay (shairport-sync).

I think I tried to follow the guide you mentioned once before but couldn't get it to work. Maybe I will try it again, since I've become better with Linux.

Even if I still can't manage to get it to work, the difference between properly EQ'ed speakers playing high quality lossy audio vs. non-EQ'ed speaker playing lossless, is so much more significant that it's a non-issue for me to give up Tidal connect.

Also, I have had so many other problems with Tidal connect since my laptop is my main steaming device that uses a VPN. Tidal connect just doesn't like that and will randomly drop the connection and will no longer see the speakers. While I do (believe) I can hear a minute difference between lossy and lossless with some music, I decided for myself that the difference is so insignificant for me, I will take lossy music if it's more convinient - and especially if there are other benefits like the ability to EQ.

 

[terryforsythe]

I think I tried to follow the guide you mentioned once before but couldn't get it to work. Maybe I will try it again, since I've become better with Linux.

I put together a list of instructions for getting it installed and working on my Raspberry Pi 5. Let me know if you need them.

 

[terryforsythe]

Even if I still can't manage to get it to work, the difference between properly EQ'ed speakers playing high quality lossy audio vs. non-EQ'ed speaker playing lossless, is so much more significant that it's a non-issue for me to give up Tidal connect.

Mine is lossless.

I use the Tidal Connect app on my phone or tablet to connect to it just like I connect to my WiiM.

And, it works with camilladsp-setrate, which automatically adjusts CamillaDSP's samplerate to match that of the incoming stream.

 

[AncientMariner]

I put together a list of instructions for getting it installed and working on my Raspberry Pi 5. Let me know if you need them.

That would be appreciated. Thank you.

I just gave it another try and it gave me this error when trying to run
docker-compose up -d
"docker.errors.DockerException: Error while fetching server API version: ('Connection aborted.', PermissionError(13, 'Permission denied'))"

I think this is where I gave up the last time as well. Even if I will use Airplay most of the time, I strive to get as much functionality into the Pi as possible. So far I have gotten Airplay, Raspotify, and Kodi running.

 

[terryforsythe]

That would be appreciated. Thank you.

I sent you a message with the instructions that worked for me.

Let me know whether you got the message.

 

[AncientMariner]

I got the message. Thank you very much!

 

[keiron99]

I recently got a pair of LS60 speakers and I’m struggling to love them. I find my ears get a little tired after half an hour or so and there is a bump in the bass which irritates me. I gave up trying to integrate my REL sub.

Why KEF can’t just give access to simple EQ/ tone controls I don’t know rather than things like “wall mode”. I keep experimenting with no joy.

So my simple question is: has anyone here who has got the LS60 and Wiim ultra got the results they want and would the Wiim possibly help me?

 

[Purité Audio]

Have you measured with REW?
Keith

 

[keiron99]

Have you measured with REW?
Keith

No. I don’t have a laptop and nor do I have access to one.

The thing to note is I’ve not experienced these “issues” with other speakers in my room. It could well be that the KEFs are technically perfect…but just not to my taste!

 

[Purité Audio]

I don’t believe the LS60’s inherently have ‘issues’ pretty much transparent here, and with good extension without a sub.
Measuring would allow you to see precisely what is happening.
Which speakers did you have before?
Keith

 

[keiron99]

Thanks Keith. I had Harbeth M30 before (with REL sub).

I fully appreciate it’s probably just a matter of what my ears are used to but nevertheless there’s a little thump in the bass (don’t know what hz) which irritates me. No amount of adjustment in the KEF app can remove it.

 

[Phorize]

Thanks Keith. I had Harbeth M30 before (with REL sub).

I fully appreciate it’s probably just a matter of what my ears are used to but nevertheless there’s a little thump in the bass (don’t know what hz) which irritates me. No amount of adjustment in the KEF app can remove it.

Sounds like you need to take some basic measurements so you know what you are dealing with and eq. You've got some expensive equipment so investment in a minidsp mic and rew feels proportionate.

 

[Purité Audio]

If you can borrow a laptop I can walk you through REW, almost certainly the extension of the KEFs either overlapping the sub and/or exciting a room mode.
Even if the KEFs had peq you would still need to determine the parameters of the filters needed and that would require REW.
Keith

 

[keiron99]

Can you get REW to work on a phone or iPad?

 

[Purité Audio]

Don’t believe so, whereabouts are you?
Keith

 

[Moonbase]

Maybe we are jumping in too quick. What Music and Source is the Op listening to? The Op maybe for example using Spotify and listening to some very flat and badly record music. I discovered this very much when moving to a decent system, it exposed the floors in the bad stuff. I moved to Qobuz & Roon and thing vastly improved.

 

[Phorize]

Maybe we are jumping in too quick. What Music and Source is the Op listening to? The Op maybe for example using Spotify and listening to some very flat and badly record music. I discovered this very much when moving to a decent system, it exposed the floors in the bad stuff. I moved to Qobuz & Roon and thing vastly improved.

True, but measurements will sort the wheat from the chaff.

 

[keiron99]

(I'm in Greater Manchester.)

I'm listening to my own files ripped from CD, and vinyl on a decent Technics. Always sounded great on my last system.

Due to failing health, I switched to the KEFs to get rid of all the boxes I had - don't want my wife to have to deal with all that - and switch to streaming from vinyl (I'm selling my records off). So I'd basically be left with just a pair of speakers and my phone. That was the plan.

I really don't have energy (physical and mental) to be doing all the scientific analysis with a laptop. I just want to be able to switch on and listen to sounds that please my ears! I'm not getting that from the KEFs at the moment: an annoying bass thump and ear fatigue. Maybe there is yet more messing I could do in their connect app. I think I've been tying myself in knots continually moving sliders and turning "wall mode" and "phase correction" and the like (what even are these things) on and off. I really wish they had just an old fashioned equalizer so I could adjust to taste, even if it's not a technically accurate measurement. Maybe I'm not used to a neutral sound!

I did have my REL sub hooked up but gave up because it just made things yet more complicated. thought I'd try to get the speakers themselves singing before getting that dialled in.

Anyway apologies for the little rant! Not really sure which way to turn now. Is there anything I could do (some kind of app or something) that would at least let me stream to my speakers and give me a chance to play with EQ to see if that would help? (I rather wish I had kept hold of my little Wiim mini to let me experiment with that.)