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What flavor PI?

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Tom C

Tom C

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Shumi, I don't know enough about streaming to be of much assistance here. If you use your laptop, I kind of think you might be up and running a little more quickly and easily than if you use your phone. As others have said, it looks like Tidal only supports offline mode for mobile devices running iOS or Android, so you might be able to use your phone, but maybe not your laptop for Tidal. If you use your phone, then you would have to figure out whether or not Tidal can use the software drivers built into your phone to drive your DAC. Maybe it can, and you'd have no trouble. I don't know because I've never tried to do this. The other thing is that you'll need a cable to connect the two, possibly with a USB type C connector at the end that goes into your phone, and a USB type B connector at the end that goes into your DAC. A link to explain a little about the connectors is here. Also, if the USB port on your phone is connected to your DAC, you may not be able to connect to your TV at the same time. You could add a USB hub for not a ton of money, but when I tried to use a USB hub with my DAC, the connection kept randomly dropping. I removed the hub, and the problem disappeared. Others have reported similar experiences. If your TV supports Bluetooth, you wouldn't have that problem.
Spotify has at least some level of support for offline mode on a laptop, and your laptop would likely be able to use the manufacturer's drivers for your DAC. Some laptops have a separate port such as DisplayPort or an extra HDMI port for an external monitor, so you can easily connect the DAC and monitor at the same time. But you have said your plan is to use Tidal, so maybe that has less appeal for you.
I really like the Raspberry Pi. It was an inexpensive, fun little project that works well. But if it were me, I'd start with trying to do as much as I could whatever hardware and software I already own and is available for free. That experience will help you understand what the limitations and possibilities are, and what it is you truly need that you don't already have. And those things it would just be nice to have. There is lots of support for Raspberry Pi and a large, enthusiastic user community, which means there are lots of available options. Chances are, there is something that will work the way you want, but I'm not sure Tidal will do what you want on a Raspberry Pi (Android or Apple iOS only for Tidal offline mode). You might try starting your own thread requesting advice for you specific situation.
Sounds like you've got some pretty nice gear. I think you're in for a treat, once you get it all up and running the way you like it.
 

shumi

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Not interested in Spotify because it streams at bitrates less than MP3. I like Tidal because I can stream as a minimum CD quality bitrates. I understand Tidal can let you save tracks for offline playing to the micro SD card in your Androind phone, not sure what to do next with it and how to get the saved queue to play on my DAC.
 

Davelemi

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Not interested in Spotify because it streams at bitrates less than MP3. I like Tidal because I can stream as a minimum CD quality bitrates. I understand Tidal can let you save tracks for offline playing to the micro SD card in your Androind phone, not sure what to do next with it and how to get the saved queue to play on my DAC.
I'm not sure if the Tidal app will integrate with the software operating the RPi. Is streaming Tidal not an option?
 
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Tom C

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Something like this will connect your phone to your DAC, assuming your Android phone has a USB C connector.

EDIT:
Unless you need an On The Go (OTG) cable.
 
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shumi

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I'm not sure if the Tidal app will integrate with the software operating the RPi. Is streaming Tidal not an option?
No, my rig (stereo) is in the basement, no wifi, no ethernet, no internet. i have to download tracks upstairs and then trasferred them somehow to my dac in the basement for offline playing.
 

shumi

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Something like this will connect your phone to your DAC, assuming your Android phone has a USB C connector.

EDIT:
Unless you need an On The Go (OTG) cable.
That may work. I will need to investigate it.
 
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Tom C

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So, going over the prior threads, for your Android phone to work, you do need an OTG cable. The one I posted above won’t work without an OTG adapter. Post #15 by somebodyelse is pretty informative.
 

JoachimStrobel

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Hello,
We're doing some remodeling to our 45 year-old house, and after moving the furniture where my wife wants it, my main PC is no longer next to my main 2-channel system.
It has a preamp with built in DAC that can accept optical digital, coax digital, or USB. I have an ASIO driver from the manufacturer for use with Windows. It is said that for Mac OS, native drivers are sufficient, no extra driver is needed. Manufacturer doesn't specify regarding Linux variants.
I had been using a desktop PC, with Win 10 and JRiver MC26, with outstanding results. Very pleasing to the ears. But a direct, hardwire connection from PC to preamp is no longer possible. I don't (yet) have a network server, and accessing files stored on a PC on my home network (set up as a Windows work network, but located in my home) has given me fits, dropping the connection, blocking access to shared files, etc. Pretty lame, always having to go to another room to reset network discovery every time I want to use it. Plus the greater lag/latency loading the files. I realize that if I learned Windows networks better I might be able to avoid some or all of the issues, but time is important to me too. Plus, whatever you learn today is only good until the next update that rearranges everything, wasting more of my limited time on a frustrating exercise.
For replacing the PC, I am considering one of the Pi flavors, raspberry, pecan or orange, but have no experience with any of them. I think I have read somewhere around here that Raspberry Pi can be used with a web based interface, so a phone or other mobile device can be used for browsing and file selection. I think that would be quite nice. Room correction is less important to me at the moment, simply because I'm not sophisticated enough to be using it yet, but would be good to add down the road (one thing at a time). I have a portable USB hard drive (with all my music files) I'd like to connect to the Pi, and plan to use USB to connect the Pi to the DAC that is built into the preamp.
So, I'd need at least two USB ports, the ability to run a software player of some type, and WiFi. That's it. It seems about any of the Pi's would handle that readily. But would they all work equally well? Is price the only difference between them? How much processing power, and how much RAM is needed?
Thank you in advance for any help you're able to provide.

Reading that you do not want to waste time, I can recommend a PI4 with Volumio. The setup is easy and it is cheap. And it a dynamic system with more to explore, like a Roon endpoint, a full DSP or a DAC add-on.
On the other hand- have you considered building a mini-Pc with a small main board and a vent-free housing that might look good enough to be placed next to your components? That would still beat everything in versatility.
 
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Tom C

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JoachimStrobel,
You hit the nail on the head.
I have put the Raspberry Pi in place, and it’s working. I started with Volumio, and was quite happy with it. Wanting to explore a little, I later tried PiCorePlayer, Moode, and Kodi. You’re right, I don’t like to struggle more than I have to, so for me Volumio was pretty much the best. Kodi actually isn’t too bad, and it will do video, so that’s a major plus. I found PiCorePlayer a little too unstructured for my taste. I think if you’re used to code and programming, and know a bit more about Linux than I do, I could see where some folks might prefer PiCorePlayer. Volumio has been my favorite so far, because its GUI is simple and intuitive. And it works really well, except for randomly dropping the USB connection from time to time. I read another thread where Sal1950 seems pretty pleased with Strawberry, but also has had some trouble with DSD playback, which gives me pause...
So, I’m thinking now to go back to Volumio on RPi, put in in the bedroom where only audio is needed, and use JRiver on a mini PC or Mac Mini in the main room. I like JRiver because I’m familiar with it, and once you learn it some, it gives pretty complete control over the replay process.
 
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