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Post by speedysteve on Dec 30, 2018 16:57:54 GMT
There is no MCLK in the Pi so the Kali must be generating one. My understanding is that the receiving device (in your case the Najda) must supply the clock locally if it's not seeing MCLK. Sounds like there's a couple of ways you can go. Yep. MCLK could be the salvation I'm looking for! I'll know later on this evening  I'm not so sure Najda can supply a good clock either. Could explain v the weird sound effects. Let's hope it's Kali MCLK to the rescue. |
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 30, 2018 20:48:56 GMT
Connected up using MCLK out from Kali instead of BCLK, same input of I2S_EXT_CLK pin 23 input of Najda.
Absolute silence!
So connected up to Kali's BCLK and it plays as before (all weird on a few tracks and balance off left a tad on all). But is at least listenable / has great potential..
Then I tried Najda's EXT_CLK pin 27, (external clock input) Again absolutely nothing..
One thing that is different though. I'm using separate power to both RPi and Kali.
It's sounds better than power just to Kali.. that is a positive.
I need to research more about Najda clocks and Master / Slave..
Reading more WaveIO master clock was never connected..
At this point I don't think Najda works the right way for RPi / Kali
Forgot to say, Volumio appears okay in Spotify on phone now! Not tried it repeatedly yet though !
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Post by MartinT on Dec 30, 2018 21:08:05 GMT
I still have the feeling that a DigiOne (or Sig) with S/PDIF link might be the way to get good quality and peace of mind. Reading lots elsewhere, I 2S is fraught with difficulties and even different vendors are implementing it differently. However, I can see that you have that look of 'challenge' about you...  |
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 30, 2018 21:42:09 GMT
So far (touchwood) my DigiOne + DAC solution with Spotify has proved to be flawless for me.
I'm really looking forward to extracting more out of it in the New Year.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 30, 2018 21:42:42 GMT
I've amended my signature to give digital first - so there you go!!
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Post by John on Dec 30, 2018 22:15:54 GMT
Gosh that is something I did not think would happen so quickly
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Post by MartinT on Dec 30, 2018 23:40:42 GMT
I edited mine a while ago!
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 31, 2018 6:12:44 GMT
I still have the feeling that a DigiOne (or Sig) with S/PDIF link might be the way to get good quality and peace of mind. Reading lots elsewhere, I 2S is fraught with difficulties and even different vendors are implementing it differently. However, I can see that you have that look of 'challenge' about you... Next step is to talk to Allo again and see what they say / find best way forward. As you say, might be to get a DigiOne or Sig.. Interestingly with an earth for each of the BCLK, Data and LRCLK Kali sound terrible - all lispy and sharp. Whereas without Kali all earthed is okay! With the earth for BCLK removed, smoothness is restored but no affect on the sound stage / instrument placement weirdness. Enquiry on the Allo forum and directly to support duly sent |
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Post by MartinT on Jan 2, 2019 6:37:11 GMT
Hi Steve
I'm going to back-track somewhat. The more I read about I2S as a transport format between source and DAC, the better it seems. S/PDIF is definitely limited to 24/192 maximum data rate, I2S is not. The PS Audio external format using an HDMI cable is a good standard now being adopted by other DAC vendors.
Keep going, you're bound to find the solution sooner or later!
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2019 9:17:02 GMT
Hi Steve I'm going to back-track somewhat. The more I read about I 2S as a transport format between source and DAC, the better it seems. S/PDIF is definitely limited to 24/192 maximum data rate, I 2S is not. The PS Audio external format using an HDMI cable is a good standard now being adopted by other DAC vendors. Keep going, you're bound to find the solution sooner or later! Yes, there is that! Going SPdif puts I2S -> SPdif and then SPdif RX and ASRC in the loop before the DSP. I2S from RPi to Najda's ASRC and in, is cleaner in theory. I've had WaveIO feeding in I2S, 384kHz FLACs via ASIO using his drivers (bypasses Windows mixer of course).. Nice combination of WaveIO status lights when you get 384! I don't have many Flac files of that res though - They are rather large too. I've not heard anything from Allo yet.. They have a 48hr policy but New Year got in the way.. I sent an email to Lucian of WaveIO too. He wanted updates on my RPi progress, but that was more about connecting an RPi upto WaveIO USB wise (very early on I explored that option..). Lucian knows exactly how to connect an I2S device to Najda.. hoping he might tell me what I'm missing (some magical grouping of pinouts from Kali  I can but hope.. We are early days of streaming and res levels are only going to get higher as systems get more capable / new ways of doing things are found. Interestingly this was being discussed back in 2010.. link I was still only CD / Analogue then |
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Post by John on Jan 2, 2019 10:56:55 GMT
I found them to be quite responsive usually same day
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 2, 2019 23:00:05 GMT
No response from Allo yet. Must have been a hell of a News Years Eve celebration or perhaps they are out until next week?
Tonight's messing about was to try different Dac settings in Volumio.
Pain that each restart takes exactly 1 minute..
I got as far as Allo's Piano 2.1 and RPi crashed and would not recover without a SD card reburn..
It did this twice on that setting so it's that that's setting it off. I read that you could have RPi+Kali+Allo Piano 2.1 stacked, as Piano 2.1 was made for Kali. Clearly not made for RPi+Kali+Najda..
Up to that point Volumio remained steadily available to Spotify after each restart - Restarts do not change the IP address.
I gave up after that, so only got a fraction of the way through the list (still on A for Allo) - I can confirm that all the other Dac settings before Piano 2.1 sounded the same as Generic I2S DAC.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 3, 2019 5:55:24 GMT
It may have been alive enough to PuTTY in and remove the DAC line from config.txt
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 3, 2019 8:23:25 GMT
I've not used PuTTY yet - can you explain how to use it?
Volumio would not show up in the device list of devices attached to my network. Thought it dead at that point.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 3, 2019 8:35:37 GMT
Enable SSH by going to volumio.local/dev and clicking the Enable button.
Then use any PuTTY client and SSH into the IP address of the Pi. Login as volumio with password volumio. Hey presto, you're in the Pi's Linux OS!
You can edit the configuration file with...
sudo nano /boot/config.txt
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 3, 2019 22:45:44 GMT
How do you best copy/back up the config file?
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Post by Slinger on Jan 4, 2019 0:02:46 GMT
You might like to try WinSCP, Steve. winscp.net/eng/download.php It's got a decent front end, rather like Windoze explorer. Here's me, logged in to my Pi/Volumio...  It integrates Notepad++And as you can probably work out for yourself, you can drag and drop files, and edit them directly without all that SUDO this and NANO that stuff. Backing up your config.txt file is as easy as dragging it into a folder on your desktop, or wherever you want to keep it. |
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Post by MartinT on Jan 4, 2019 6:08:30 GMT
Since the partition containing the boot folder is readable in Windows, you can just insert the SD card in your laptop/desktop and copy and edit the config.txt file that way, too.
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Post by speedysteve on Jan 4, 2019 21:21:59 GMT
It's a good job I'm a persistent bugger!
After trying I2S DAC settings in Volumio in alphabetical order and getting stuck on the Allo Piano 2.1 rendering RPi unreachable by IP address and it even seemingly toasting one SD card, the next I2S DAC selectable in Volumio was Apple Pie DAC!
You can see I'm still on A out of all the letters.. there must be some 40 or 50 selectable.
It only works.. & plays
Can't you hear me knocking by The good old Rolling Stones perfectly!!!!!!! Yes I know more than one ! is bad taste.
It was the Pinky and Perky setting I'd tried by mistake when messing about with the Hifiberry on the Pro setting that took me down this route of testing btw.. I thought if Volumio can do that, there might be a setting that sorts things out for me!.. long shot I know. But had to try something while waiting for Allo / searching the net.
Now to customise some more save the config file and then have me some quality time evaluating RPi..
Hopefully Allo will get back to me with other even better suggestions, but for now it sounds ok.
I might even try it without Kali at some point.. but not for a while.
The more I listen the more in liking it.
Easy to A/B compare at the touch of a button with ChromeCast Audio too!
I2S when it works it's the future haha..
Thanks for all the support and encouragement guys - kept me believing..
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Post by MartinT on Jan 4, 2019 22:18:52 GMT
Excellent stuff, Steve. These config.txt settings improve sound quality for me. They underclock and undervolt the Pi for lower noise. You should be able to hear the difference with I2S connection, I can certainly hear it with S/PDIF.
gpu_mem=16
arm_freq=666
sdram_freq=333
core_freq=400
gpu_freq=333
over_voltage=-10
over_voltage_sdram=-4
hdmi_blanking=1
force_turbo=1
boot_delay=1
max_usb_current=1
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I can but hope..