Raspberry PI + JDS Labs Element

[borat]

Hi All,

I'm starting to build a PI streamer out of DIY curiosity and the ability to tweak and swap parts long term.

Right now I've,
Raspi 4 + Volumio --- over USB 2.0 port ---> JDS Labs Element (DAC+AMP) --- RCA Out ---> Receiver

I confirmed with JDS Labs that the original JDS Element can be used powered-off as a USB DAC (powered over USB itself). To quote JDS:
"Yes, the original Element relied on USB power for its DAC, consuming less than 100mA. "

This is great as I want to reduce cables that are running everywhere. I've noticed a strange effect, if I disconnect the power outlet from the Element completely, Volumio logs show that the USB DAC behaves as if it was detached and attached again. This causes Volumio to stop working. If I leave the power outlet plugged into the Element but keep it turned-off, Volumio works great.

I'm using a Macbook charger, rated at 2.4A for 5V (87 watts). I'm wondering if the DAC gets reset due to lack of power. Raspi 4 can provide a combined 1.2 A on the USB ports. I've a USB drive connected as well (though I don't know how much power that will consume). Raspi 4 suggests 3.5A @ 5V as input.

I've a dedicated 3.5A @ 5.2V power supply for Raspi on it's way.

I thought I'd check with the forum, what are people using as their USB powered DAC with Raspi and how are they powering their Raspi. Secondly, I'm not a fan of Volumio, I find their UX poor. For now, I'm using Volumio to arrive at a stable solution and then explore other streamer/software. What suggestions are worth trying.?

 

[Beershaun]

I power my dac separately from my rpi. It sounds like you are not getting enough or consistent power to you dac so I would suggest you just power it separately. I use Moode as rpi my streaming endpoint software.
https://moodeaudio.org/

It's great and works with airplay, spotify, tidal, and your own personal network attached storage or media server. It has good support and actively maintained.

 

[somebodyelse]

piCorePlayer would be my choice, but keep trying the alternatives until you find one that suits you. Moode has already been mentioned. See also Rune, Ropieee, GentooPlayer, Max2Play and probably others. I don't think HifiBerryOS supports USB output.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

piCorePlayer would be my choice, but keep trying the alternatives until you find one that suits you. Moode has already been mentioned. See also Rune, Ropieee, GentooPlayer, Max2Play and probably others.

I've tried nearly every one of the packaged distros, but stick with Raspbian with a manual LMS install and the Material Skin. With the 8.x LMS version, which integrates your Qobuz tracks seamlessly into your local library, and the brilliant UI of the Material Skin, it's one of the best options I've encountered. Of course, with 40+ years of *nix experience, doing it the "hard way" isn't an issue for me - others may find it daunting, but there are plenty of "how to's" out there.

 

[tw99]

The issue with USB DACs not working after being powered off/on can be solved. With picoreplayer, you would just select the correct instance of the output device from the list to solve this issue. Maybe Volumio doesn't give that flexibility.

https://forums.slimdevices.com/show...s-disconnected&p=930865&viewfull=1#post930865

 

[Beershaun]

One way to try out a bunch of different Pi players is to purchase a multi pack of microSD cards and load a different software on each and configure them. Then all you need to do is swap out the cards to quickly try different players. Here is a link for a 5pack for $19 US. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07R3QRGGF/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_scJ8FbRWHQM8B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1