Raspberry Pi2 and Hifiberry Digi+: A cheap transport that made me happier

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Vastx, Apr 26, 2016.

  1. damaged-goods

    damaged-goods Acquaintance

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    Great setup! Maybe Yggdrasil takes care of the difference, it's another league.
     
  2. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    I am using Pi with Digi+ Pro and indeed I found iPower and BNC connector to eliminate a very low level of noise that I heard before.
    But when I count additions to some of the setups in this thread (LPS, SPDIF purifiers, reclockers ect..) we are getting into the Bryston BDP-Pi price territory. So what's the point?
     
  3. monacelli

    monacelli Friend

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    Isn't the Bryston something like $1300 (usd)? You can get an Allo USBridge, an iPower, and an Eitr for roughly $379. I think having very similar functionality, exemplary sound quality, and saving $900 is pretty compelling. An Auralic Aries Mini, at $549, is more in the ballpark, but still almost 50% more expensive.

    Edit: This thread was written before the Eitr came out, which has sort of changed the game with respect to reclockers and SPDIF converters. At this point, I would just use the USB output of the Pi streamer and feed it into an Eitr. Check out @Torq's comments in the Eitr thread for more info [link].
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2017
  4. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I did not pursue that road any further, because it start to get a bit silly for me. I would probably look at the Eitr next if I can find one here in Europe for reasonable price.
     
  5. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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  6. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Ok...I've had the Pi 3 for about a year and here is what I can say:

    - MoOde really does sound and work best over Volumio and Roon. The build of MoOde now is odd with an auto build and having to use two SD cards (one to boot the Pi, and one to build MoOde card with USB SD card reader), but I love it and now has Tidal and other streaming options, crossfeed, and EQ options for those interested in that kind of thing.

    - The knockoff Digi+ card with WM8840 with transformer coupled S/PDIF is quite nice.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DDFKEZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nmzwAbGZT6BQG

    I was using a Peachtree X1 USB to S/PDIF (which is also transformer coupled btw) connected to an Uptone Regen, and the hat board was certainly cleaner.

    - With the hat board, a bigger improvement was using the Regen for power supply duties. I'm sure an ifi supply is similar.

    - Turning off WIFi and using Ethernet is where is at.

    After hearing rumblings about WiFi and interference on the Pi3 board, I turned an old router into a Client Bridge (using DD-WRT), and this difference is huge. Like this puts this dude over the top.

    Now I also run all my gear through a heavy duty Powervar power conditioner that is designed to run sensitive lab equipment so it stays within spec. I don't recommend it for amps, but for digital gear is almost a must.

    Might switch out my connectors for BNC.

    I guess the only next upgrade is LPS. Don't know if I want to go there...yet.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018
  7. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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  8. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Exactly, I am trying now DIGI DAC Pro XLR with Hifiberry Roon endpoint image and RuneAudio. Roon image had wi-fi disabled, RuneAudio used wi-fi. Initially I though Roon endpoint was much better sounding, not at all. When I turned off wi-fi on RuneAudio they were both better sounding. RPi with audio boards is a great transport but do not ask it to do anything else.
     
  9. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Ok...ok..ok...

    I know I said LPS maybe down the road...then I saw this...

    [​IMG]

    I guess I was imagining the board and whatnot not in a single case. But this might be doable.

    Looks like a fun project to put together. Hifiberry even lists instructions on external power supply:

    https://support.hifiberry.com/hc/en-us/articles/205732441-DAC-Pro-external-power-supply

    The size of the box seems like overkill, but this box looks like finger torture:

    [​IMG]

    Same idea though, but this adds a LCD display...another hurdle that is not really worth it for me.
     
  10. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    new Hifiberry DAC PRO XLR already has two pins for external 5VDC PSU so no soldering is required.
    Visible right behind the left XLR socket on this picture
    https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91xiDQTxqEL._SY450_.jpg
     
  11. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...that-made-me-happier.1970/page-10#post-102160

    Getting a couple questions and PM's on this old post above, so dredged this up (oh how times have changed lol)... Figured no harm since these are now older parts.

    IMG_00902.jpg
    Batteries/isolator is just a clean 5V I used for the Kali to test-- optional. Orange LED on a GPIO use it to indicate squeezelite active. BNC optional.
    kali MCLK pin29 --> digi+ MCLK pin36 required use short high-quality wire Thats the 22+ MHz NDK XO's

    Untitled2.jpg
    It does work with or without Ian's isolator board, set to i2s passthru. Aside: the digione only needs 3.3V if not using optical, the Kali provides a nice separated 3.3V, but not 5.0V-- the optical will just be off, if you are crazy you could power that separate from everything w/5V... no point in removing it like I did, didn't realize at the time it could be powered off.

    Screen Shot 2019-04-09 at 1.46.42 PM.png
    Use generic/simple, so squeezelite starts and just outputs i2s, no chit-chat with a driver. (not DigiOne)

    hw1.png
    Set Hardware mode is required (the blue jumper in pic), else it's expecting setup from the DigiOne driver (it gets set to Master Mode)-- here we're slaving it to the Kali, and hardware mode happens to do this by default. The DigiOne green led does not light.

    This works and sounds good (just setup, again) in fact going to test it out against current stuff and keep it as a nice stack, it's an interesting unique alternate for pi spdif. I DO know tho it's past the tipping point of meh digital, it's on the other side. YMMV. Aside: I have a 2nd permanent setup like this running the MCLK into a custom psaudio dac, hooking into the mini coax underneath the kali.

    Big SHOWSTOPPER: This only works on the Kali192 (22/24 XO's). Current Kali384's are (45/49 XO's) --> sort of works but distorted, too fast for the WM8804.

    This may be a nice way to utilize old parts if you have them laying around... this is even using an old piA+ (5GHz wifi)
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2019
  12. dreambox

    dreambox New

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    Dear Scott,
    Thank you so much for an explanation of how to set up HiFiBerry Digi with Kali. I ordered one and will try to repeat you setup.
    Could you please clarify regarding 3.3V. As I know Kali do not pass it through, neither provide at GPIO.
    But you say it will, as Digi will need it for WM8804. Do you provide this 3.3V externally? Or I miss something..
    Thank you again.

    PS I tried to see some videos demonstrating this setting on youtube but they are marked as private and not play.
     
  13. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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    IMG_0034.jpg
    Works fine, hooked it up for you to make sure-- sounds awesome... just a single power supply into the kali can run it. Kali delivers 3.3v to the digi+. Also power passed thru to the pi via GPIO. Listening to Qobuz new Lorde album on it now!

    note: In piCore use Generic/simple TI5102 as audio output, that outputs the correct i2s without MCLK.
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2021
  14. dreambox

    dreambox New

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    Thank you Scott!
    A was almost there ) but unfortunately somehow blowout WM8804 chip during unsoldering clock.
    It was a new version, looks similar to yours, but the clock was different, small metal square (4 solder points), wasn't easy, I used 2 irons.. was not smart at all as it appears 6V AC between them (
    So no sound anymore. Need to go for a new one.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2021

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