Diretta Thread

Dankjewel Auke,

Thank you for quick response. Very helpful.
I assume LMS together with Diretta on the host and Squeezelite on the target. Is that correct?
Do I need to install the uPnP bridge plugin for squeezelite as well?

Kind regards,
Henry

 

No

Target:
0. Select your dac in menu 4
1. Disable all software in menu 5
2. Go to menu 6 and install Diretta Target. You don't need to buy it. If you buy it you can also play highress.
3. Your target should work now. There are a lot of tweaks you can try to improve your sound. Thats for later.

UPNP/DLNA bridge is not necessary with squeezelite.

On host install squeezelite.

 

I have not used GentooPlayer before, but I am all set to try it out.
Can I install it with LMS (Material skin) and Squeezelite (R2?) first and if it all works properly and if I am satisfied with the reputed sound quality improvements, then install Diretta? I will first need to add a second Ethernet port on the host then.

Kind regards
Henry

 

You can install and later remove what you want.

But if you don't use diretta than install squeezelite on target. You don't have to use a second Ethernet port than. But you may try. Haven't done that before. You can connect host and target on router than.

 

Thank you very much, Auke.
The new RaspberryPi 5 is ready for GentooPlayer. Will start install tomorrow.
Regards
Henry

 

I installed GentooPlayer on a RPi5. It uses SqueezeliteR2 and an existing LMS on a RPi4 with NVMe SDD attached.
Since I already used Squeezelite in the form of PiCorePlayer, the interface (Material Skin - highly recommended) did not pose any problems.
I Installed this without Diretta, I am going to try that next.
After I figured out how to connect the LMS music server (Lyrion) to Gentooplayer I started playing some of my favourite music and I was impressed. After a few hours this turned into VERY impressed. The music somehow seems to come from a 'black' background. It is way more focussed and there is more 'space' around the instruments and voices. The level of micro-detail has increased as well. There is more resolving power without becoming 'tiring'.
All in all I am extremely pleased with Gentooplayer! Thanks for helping me out, forum.
The next phase in my new StreamerDAC project will be the construction of the new DDDAC1794 NOS-DAC from Doede Douma and the guys from audio-creative.nl Please check it out!
I'll let you know how that sounds in a few weeks or so.

Kind regards,
Henry
Netherlands

 

Are there any instructions on installing the host driver on 24.04 LTS? I had to update my server to 24.04 for something else more important and broke Diretta in the process. The experimental driver is 0140 and file structure is different than @famish99 github directions I used to install it on 22.04. I tried following the instructions in the readme.txt file in the 0140 package and that didn't work.

I don't think Diretta themselves offers support for Linux host even if having a license, which kind of sucks.

 

@Azimuth also reported the structure change, I could take a look at it later this week to see if I can install the newer driver in a VM or something.

 

Would it be possible for me to add another Pi to the network as a gentooplayer Diretta Host, keep my Roon server and HQPlayer Embedded where they sit, and send RAAT/NAA to the new Pi Diretta Host (with Roon Bridge and Networkaudiod enabled) which then sends to the currently existing Target?

If possible, would it result in a loss of sound quality adding another machine in there?

Maybe a simpler way to ask this would be is: Does the Diretta Host have to be the same machine as music server (whether Roon/UPnP/LMS, etc)?

 

Yes, that is possible and probably wil result in a better sound. But you have to find the right settings in host and target. Most important is the right kernel in both of them. Which is the right one for you can only your ears decide. There are a lot of other settings which can alter your sound.

See my post for a few tips here

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/diretta-thread.13918/page-4#post-434835


Btw: Is the host u use now also a rpi? Or a more powerful pc?

 

Thanks! It's a more powerful linux computer sitting in a network closet with GPU running DSD upsampling HQP along with Roon and a UPnP server and a number of other home server stuffs. I'll pick up a Pi after work from a local shop and set it up.

 

For optimal result:
-Good (linear) power
-Good network (network switch and network cables)
-vibration control

 

I've attempted this and it isn't as degraded as I was expecting and it was still an improvement over RAAT direct, but I would prefer the simpler chain, especially when NAA has been compared against Diretta and many find it's of equivalent quality (aspects of the sound are slightly different).

 

Better late than never, but you can find instructions here: https://gist.github.com/famish99/a274c8867d4afddd6cc0090a847c4366

 

I am a newbie to all this. I benefitted so much from this forum that I created an account to report back.

My use case is I use a mac to run roon and hqplayer. Roon points to hqplayer. And hqplayer points to NAA residing in a holo red streamer. Holo red runs the program from Holo, which I activated NAA (hqplayer end point) and RAAT (Roon end point).

Last week I try installing GP on my holo red. I use for NAA and RAAT. It sounds better. More snappy and quicker on its feet. I am surprised by the difference GP makes.


Then this week I installed GP on my mano ultra mk1. Then I make it a diretta host via GP. I make the holo red a diretta target via GP. I then link the host and target w an ethernet cable. Hqplayer residing on the mac could see and can be pointed to the diretta target. And the sound improvement is on a whole new level. The noise floor drops and all the details in the music can be heard. GP with diretta is astounding, and totally worth it.

 

RE: Using an ethernet cable directly from host to target, how did you get HQP to see the Diretta DAC? I am experimenting doing that and I got it to work with aprenderer but I already had Diretta selected in the "Card" screen for aprenderer even though it's no longer an option.

In HQPe however, I cannot see the Diretta DAC and nothing plays through it.

I think I notice improvements with the directly linked host/target with aprenderer but haven't tested extensively.

However, I am all in on gentoo/diretta. It's 100% worthwhile. I've now separated the whole chain on different machines for best SQ. Minimserver/HQPe/bubbleupnp on my powerful linux server, gentooplayer/diretta host/naa/aprenderer on minipcs, and gentooplayer/diretta target only on pi-based streamers and ordered an afterdark diretta only target with their black friday deal to go full bore on diretta.

Diretta fully illuminates Roon's slight shortcoming sound-wise to MPD/LMS/Upnp. I ended up prefer the Upnp/Openhome route via HQPe/aprenderer after testing MPD and LMS. I've read people also like Audirvana's linux offerings but I didn't test.

I use Rigelian as a controller on all my Apple devices and the Linn app on my Windows work computer. Rigelian has excellent Qobuz integration. It's no Roon but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for SQ.

I'll still use Roon every now and then (still through Diretta) just for music discovery or background music while working but it's not my main vehicle of audio transmission anymore.

 

I’m resurrecting this thread as I’m about to jump into the GentooPlayer/Diretta pond.

I’m sure I’ll have lots of additional questions as I start working my way through the process, but I’ve got one quick question up front:

If I install GentooPlayer on my Mercury V3 before I start using it with Diretta, will I have to pay for a new GentooPlayer license when I purchase a Diretta lincence? Do I need to purchase both licenses at the same time? I got the sense that the GentooPlayer license is tied to the device itself (for me, the Mercury V3) and so can be purchased independently, but I want to be sure.

 

Unfortunately yes. This is because Gentoo is tied to the hardware and not the user.

You don't have to do both at the same time. Gentoo is quicker anyway.

Either way, you can install Gentoo and Diretta and will work at 16/44.1 only for no cost.

 

Just to clarify: It is possible for me install my GentooPlayer/license on my MercuryV3, use it for a while, then later get a Diretta license and install that to feed my MercuryV3 running my existing license for GentooPlayer without having to purchase a second GentooPlayer license?

 

No.

Try GentooPlayer with the fairly short trail. Buy license if you like it. Yes the license is linked to your H/W.
Set up Diretta and use on the trail which lets you use 16/44.1 for as long as you like. Buy license if you like it.
Total spend 69 Euro min donation for GentooPlayer , 99 Euro for Diretta.