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Whatever it was I said about little Linux streamers...
in Audio Talk
...I take it all back!
Right now I've just set up a Raspberry Pi with the HifiBerry DAC board. Running volumio software, which you control from a web browser. It's still busy indexing the NAS but playing fine. Sounds good too. Can also function as an Airplay destination, so easy to stream Qobuz to.
Pretty slick little package, actually. For a bit over a hundred bucks!!
Comments
Apart from this statement
I didn't understand any of it
"Geekspeak" - don't worry G - you're not alone - I did get the bit about 100 bucks though.
Hah hah. Perfect! You guys can be the guinea pigs for my article
I understood it...mostly.
The bit over a hundred bucks statement raises some eyebrows though...given John in the past seems to always finish up with prototypes rather than having everything in a sparkly box!!!
Last night I tried the digital output board. This works even better.
Holy cow. I decided to try a USB connection straight to the DAC, just to confirm that it doesn't work properly, as I've read, you know, on the Internet.
It works great! Plays anything up to DSD128 and DxD.... :-O (That's double-rate DSD and 352.8 kHz PCM.)
I guess this new version 2 of the board solved all those problems. Either that, or I'm an unwitting genius.
Which is of course excellent, but the whole reason for the article I've half written no longer exists
which sounds like the basis for half an article at least!
We must adapt! It's a full-featured digital streamer. Will have pics soon
Background for Graham and Paul. In 2012, the Raspberry Pi Foundation (https://www.raspberrypi.org/), an education charity, released the first Raspberry Pi, a miniature computer designed for use as a low-cost computing platform for education. While there are a number of such computers available now, the Raspberry Pi is probably the most numerous and best known.
Since the first version (model A), a series of versions has been released, with the most powerful Raspberry Pi 2 being released early this year (2015). Unlike typical general purpose computers, the operating system is booted from an SD card (or a micro-SD card for the later models).
brrr...ppp! And here's the finished product:
Hmmm...neat.
Let me guess - Pi takes material from NAS via wifi (according to instructions delivered wirelessly via a tablet) and throws it at the headphone usb DAC/amp which runs the cans?
Exactly
It has a web UI built in, or you can use an MPD client like MPDroid or mPod/mPad.
Also, you can send audio to it over Airplay.
Also, there's a digital board on it so you can use SPDIF.
So one could also connect the Pi directly to a HD and it could send audio out to a conventional (read old school) DAC?
Could that HD be one powered via the USB rather than external power?
Yes. This is the digital board: https://www.hifiberry.com/digiplus/
I've not connected a hard drive but as long as it doesn't draw too much power I believe it will work. A powered hub might not be a bad idea though. https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/faqs/#power
I'll try a drive tonight.
Also this is the latest model 2 Pi.
Be interested to hear how you go. I already have a spare amp, DAC and speakers...and a hard drive full of audio.
Today's news: looks like the Pi won't power my enclosure (Firmtek miniSwap/U3). So I'd suggest a powered hub.
But can it do porn?
Do i still fit the guinea pig category
My wife says I fit the fat pig category, but I think she's biased :-q