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Post by speedysteve on Dec 5, 2018 17:39:15 GMT
When I was using Windows Spotify was very average and that was using a dedicated pc fanless with linear power supply Yes, yes sad but true, but WHY is this so? It's vexing! Is it something in Spotify's signal / stream? Added or missing? Why should it require different treatment / clocking? If it is so, I see it as a drawback / blocker for Spotify and my hobby and wonder if their equivalent of Tidal's HiFi will ever be as good on many pieces of kit? Or does the solutions you guys have found align things better for Spotify to the detriment of, in Martin's case, Qobuz? Tidal? It's rather confusing. You'd think digital would level the playing field, but it seems far from the case.. When we compared Martin's Rpi set up to my laptop usb-I2S FLAC setup Spotify did well. Not surprising perhaps as my laptop was is absolutely nothing special and could clearly be bettered. John's gear he played me sounded like a good move on but I had too little time to properly evaluate it. My laptop doesn't even have SSD. I see it as a deadend so I'm not evolving it further.. Then came Chromecast Audio and with linear PSU / Spotify... I found it like Martin's Rpi / Spotify to be essentially the equal of my Laptop too. Some things better, some things nearly as good, but on average as good. Now having found Tidal HiFi better than Spotify by a clear margin on Chromecast Audio, I see I must go back and compare Tidal against the Laptop/FLAC to confirm. It should be beating it. So that's another head to head to do.. First I'll play with the Ethernet Vs WI-FI though. The Spotify lack of lossless is well discussed and frustrates many community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/Spotify-Hi-Fi-Lossless-Hi-Res-Music-Streaming-Download/idi-p/4418398community.spotify.com/t5/Closed-Ideas/Music-Spotify-Hi-Res/idi-p/4445880forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/cant-understand-spotify-not-having-hi-res-or-mqa.769327/Keep in mind that Tidal usability has improved somewhat since these comments. |
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 5, 2018 20:13:24 GMT
Been doing the tests between
1) Chromecast Audio (CA) original power supply and WiFi streaming
VS
2) CA power supply and ethernet connection streaming
VS
3) CA with linear power supply and WiFi streaming
Results are..
3 is best, quite closely followed by 2. 1 is clearly worse. I would not go back to this..
Most striking is the siblance introduced by the original power supplies on both Ethernet and WiFi.
Take Good Harvest's Woodstock track.
It's irritating beyond the pale with original power. With the linear it's a convincing life like performance. It notches up Res and realism across the board too.
I switched back and forth many times on various tracks to confirm..
So Ethernet streaming and linear PSU should be a worthwhile little mod to make.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 5, 2018 20:28:32 GMT
Good song, that - playing it now. There is some sibilance with the second singer but less with the first. Could be microphone placement.
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 6, 2018 17:48:49 GMT
This evening's fiddling was to cut the Google Chromecast Audio Ethernet / power thing open and extract the mains to 5Vdc module. Put that in the recycling bin and give it some decent quality connecting pins to fit on my linear PSU. I checked that the output really was 5V and indeed it was so should be all good for this evening's listening test of Ethernet connected Chromecast Audio and linear 5V supply. Should be a match made in heaven.. See pics below. Striking fear into every Audio modders heart. Seeing HF stamped on a PSU   What's left the power input and Ethernet to usb module.  Power lines in added and strain relief tie wrap added.  |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 6, 2018 18:21:30 GMT
Good work, Steve. Now to listen...
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 6, 2018 18:33:58 GMT
Good work, Steve. Now to listen... Yes right after I've finished watching the men's Super G 2nd run from Beaver Creek on demand on Eurosport  |
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 6, 2018 21:22:49 GMT
Whoooa there!!!
What is going on???
Going Ethernet and linear PSU together just elevated Spotify several levels!
I can't explain it - but what is going on?
Certainly more dynamic, cleaner but most of all the undescribable artifacts that shouldn't be there are gone. It's lower / cleaner / no noise.. stuff shouldn't have been there, that's most of it..
I need to listen over several sessions but I'm convinced right now!
Tidal HiFi sounds the same as it did before. It's Spotify that's leapt up some!
But why is this?
I know you said Martin that your Rpi was better over Ethernet. But was that all streamed music feeds or Spotify only?
Is something being unlocked, falling into place etc?
I don't get it..
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Post by MartinT on Dec 6, 2018 23:15:34 GMT
Tidal HiFi sounds the same as it did before. It's Spotify that's leapt up some! Hah! Colour me not surprised, I've been saying this for a bit. It's astonishing when you start hearing what Spotify can really do! Yes, ethernet cable really is better than wi-fi. Try putting your router on a linear power supply and things take another jump! |
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 7, 2018 0:00:22 GMT
Tidal HiFi sounds the same as it did before. It's Spotify that's leapt up some! Hah! Colour me not surprised, I've been saying this for a bit. It's astonishing when you start hearing what Spotify can really do! Yes, ethernet cable really is better than wi-fi. Try putting your router on a linear power supply and things take another jump! Yeah, but why is Spotify such a sensitive primadonna? Makes no sense.. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 7, 2018 7:43:50 GMT
I'm not sure either, but it benefitted tremendously from getting the ethernet path clean (linear PSU for router, MeiCord ethernet cable, LAN isolator) and from superclocking the SEG DAC. It's now as good as Qobuz 16/44 with tiny differences and can still compare well with higher resolutions.
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 7, 2018 16:42:28 GMT
Yes, makes sense to clean power what you can in the streaming path. Less noise we spit at our devices the better.
What 12V supply did you settle upon for the router? I have 2 routers, so would need two linear PSUs for optimum performance.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 7, 2018 16:52:39 GMT
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 7, 2018 17:19:24 GMT
That's good! I got one of those for my 5v duties and find it good.
I actually just bought the last 12v one they had.. Will try on one router and then get another if/when they restock.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 7, 2018 17:20:56 GMT
Snap - I ordered a 15V version for my DAC!
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Post by MartinT on Dec 7, 2018 17:39:33 GMT
They're doing well from us!
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 8, 2018 17:42:46 GMT
Here's a good indication..
When I had the laptop for streaming, ripping CDs I'd bought or downloading FLACS, I was listening quite sporadically. Sometimes not for days or a week or so!
Since getting great quality from Tidal and now Spotify Streaming via the suped up Chromecast Audio, I've been listening to the main system pretty much every evening again!
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Post by MartinT on Dec 9, 2018 1:37:57 GMT
Since getting great quality from Tidal and now Spotify Streaming via the suped up Chromecast Audio, I've been listening to the main system pretty much every evening again! Me too. I drive home tired from work but can't wait to fire up the system and play music every night. |
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Post by John on Dec 9, 2018 14:35:30 GMT
Yes getting very clean power and reducing jitter really pays off with Spotify it seems to be very sensitive to this I am really glad that this is working so well with your hardware Steve.
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 13, 2018 8:29:13 GMT
I had a few unexpected hours of me time yesterday evening so I fired up my newly acquired 2nd hand Rpi 3. Left the Hifiberry board on top for the time being.. Following Martin's excellent guide in the Source section, it was easy. I 'borrowed' Marie's micro SD card out of her phone. She'd only used 300KB out of 32GB! So I gave her a 4GB one Got Volumio on and up and finding Spotify.  Seen here accessed through the old desk top with 32" hd screen Then Spotify up and running via my phone.  Music was playing through the headphone jack okay. Yuck quality as expected Next session I'll test the Hifiberry board output and see... I'll also see if it can play my FLAC files of my Laptop that's networked (my Sonos setup can) and even see if Rpi can use a USB drive with them on (I know this is not the preferred method though).. Then comes the more invoked work of removing the WaveIO board & putting it very near the Najda DSP X/O I2S input, and point to point wiring it in.. using very short ofc copper wire. I think in going to need some form of clocking though! Have to read up on that as I have no idea about it. Fun and games. |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 13, 2018 8:36:34 GMT
Good start, Steve.
Yes, the 3.5mm headphone jack on the Pi is not hi-fi quality, as you've discovered!
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