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

Ok, thank you for your reply
I bought thé Digi + Pro because the speed 2 is not ready.
If speed 2 SQ is better I will buy it later.

 

I have completed my prototype LT1083 linear PSU. I have adiusted the voltage going into the P3 at 5V. For those that have How precise should this be, for example if it is 5.5V is that a problem?

 

5.5V is on the high side, but won't damage anything if the supply is regulated enough so that it doesn't rise more than that. The pi3 has a crowbar circuit that will trip if you reach 6V as higher than that will damage components. Best to keep the voltage within 5% of 5V though, so 5.25V is the recommended max. Also, try not to go below 5V as it could trigger down clocking of the pi3 (though the down clocking and slow down is not damaging, it only makes what's running on the pi unusable at times due to the slowdown).

 

That's good info. Currently have it 5.01V so I was just curious.
Next step would be to power the Digi+ and Pi separately. Have to read a bit about that though...

 

Anyone have some thoughts on the new Digi+ Pro?Does it yield improvements over the stock digi+?
I am also interested in these Pi dacs, but have not really found any impressions or reviews as to what level these perform.

 

I just purchased an iFi SPDIF iPurifier to get better sound out of Chromecast Audio (Tidal streaming). It works wonders for the Chromecast, so I just hooked it up to RPi2-Digi+.

Now I completely understand the collective need to reduce jitter with this setup and the negative effect on SQ.

The improvement is like a slap upside the head...it was the same effect on the Chromecast Audio. Soundstage is MUCH wider and deeper. The level of detail (both macro & micro) is turned up several notches.

I suspect that this is maybe a cheaper-smaller footprint way to approach improving the Digi +, as opposed to huge PS. Just a thought...for me the SPDIF defuckifier works big-time for both the Chromecast Audio and the Digi+.

System used: -->Moby-->Jotunheim-XLR-->dynamat mod HD650

 

Too bad they didn't use BNC connectors on that iFi Purifier dingus, but it looks pretty sweet I gotta say!

 

Not to sound rude, but what better source would you recommend? This thread is all about using a RPi and adding on to it to get a good, cheap digital source. The majority in this thread recommend getting a better power supply which isn't feasible for me and I was suggesting another way to attack the known problem of jitter with the Digi +. I ended up purchasing the iFi device to help the Chromecast Audio sound better when streaming Tidal. I tried going the Roon route but the SQ was much lower and price higher. I have my system on the other side of the house away from the computer. I attempted Chromebook laptop USB to Moby but SQ was just OK. I didn't want to start down the USB rabbit hole since I don't have Yggdrasil. I apologize if I am being defensive but just rolling out generic (get a better source) advice in this specific thread seems a flippant reply.

 

I brought up the Chromecast to explain the impetus for purchasing the iFi reclocker. I have a dual use (hence a strong value proposition) for it now with the RPi/Digi +. Although the iFi device sits downstream of the Digi +, to me (I am not an engineer) it seems that it accomplishes the same idea as the Allo Kali or even SPD2. I am eager for the release of SPD2 and I think that would be the source upgrade you were referring to.

 

@philipmorgan it actually does come with adaptors to convert to and from BNC to RCA.

 

The Digi+pro is nice. Got one and have an I2S header for the Audio-gd reference 10.32.
The SPDif output is good as well.

Have the Kali, as well, which is nice but I need to use Generic I2S output in Volumio, which causes channel inversion and some high pitch tone when stream is paused (luckily not full volume).
Will need to write something for Volumio so it supports generic DACs better.

 

The ifI powerupply are not very big, and feeding the Digi+ first yields big jump in SQ. Would be interesting if the ifI reclocker still improves on that too, might have to investigate.

@Hands. I have not found a reclocker yet that will will work with one of the digital hats from the Pi, meaning for SPDIF output. The Kali reclocker seems promising, but seems to only work with DACs, if I understood correctly. Would be nice if it could be used with the SPDIF hats too.

 

Somewhere in the other thread @Michael Kelly said that that the speed2 actually already works as a reclocker, meaning that it has its master clock and it doesn't use the one in the RPi.
I guess the use of a reclocker should be not so useful with a speed2 but I might be wrong.

 

Roon, Squeezebox, MPD, DLNA, HQPlayerAA and Airplay:

 

Just a quick FYI, ordered BNC's for the Digi+ PRO. Fit perfectly. Mouser PN: 571-1-1634508-0

http://www.mouser.com/Search/Produc...-0virtualkey57100000virtualkey571-1-1634508-0

 

Very cool! They just released the 3.3V info on the support page, pretty much what you had already said.

 

Hey guys:

@iancanada is back again on diyforums-- and doing a group buy for these now...

It's another cool piece on the journey to perfect i2s/spdif!

This isolator board duplicates all GPIO signals on the pi (general gpio, bidirectional i2s (for clock slave/master), i2c, spi, etc., everything) and ties them to new power/grounds. It transparently sandwiches between the pi/digital hat, or inserts after the pi, before a FIFO buffer etc.

Theory is it presents pure signals to the digi+, speed2, dac+pro, kali FPGA, etc.

Also the i2s is accessible thru mini coax (u.fl), or a 2nd header. (MCLK is odroid only)

diyforums thread:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pc-b...tor-hat-native-dsd-decoder-5.html#post4862631

GB:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/grou...-pdif-fifo-kit-group-buy-207.html#post4865532

 

@Gaspasser

I don't believe in those spdif reclockers (the ifffy & others)... at least not at this level--> i2s has 2 clocks + data --> this is manchester encoded into a new SPDIF stream, which is overall clocked again... so it may fix the overall SPDIF clock, any problems with the i2s are already baked in.

Please let me know if it's a little more exotic than this... but meh--