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Post by ChrisB on Dec 21, 2014 17:03:03 GMT
Fantastic news!
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Post by MartinT on Dec 21, 2014 17:44:32 GMT
Great stuff. When you try ethernet cable versus wi-fi, tell us what you think.
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Post by pinkie on Dec 22, 2014 9:26:56 GMT
Will do Martin. I am keen to try another evaluation against the CD player on like for like files first. (And unplugging the home plugs to see if Sue hears a difference). Christmas projects. I need to get a bit more software -so ripping will be a priority (I only have Dave Migden and a handful of Linn stuff in FLAC). Also I will use the 2nd Coax board on DaCapo to compare CD and Pi using the same connection type (I used optical last night for convenience).
Optical, MP3 music, and only volumio with the Android "Sound at Home" app were the "after a fashion" element in my previous post. I could do with a better user interface. Either getting JRiver working with the Pi (I think Pinch had something in his thread about this) or as a minimum solving why "Sound at Home" doesn't control the volume (I guess this may be because the output is the Digi+ and not the Pi soundcard - thinking aloud. That's a shame, a remote control volume was nice).
Very pleased with this so far. I will probably order another Pi to go in the new case with the Dac, and use that in the kitchen system (and to enable me to do easy Digidac v DaCapo comparisons)
And then there's fettling. In spite of the rough and sore patches getting to this point, I haven't had to use sudo yet. If I need to make OS changes, how do I access the interface on the Pi?
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Post by pinkie on Dec 22, 2014 10:09:46 GMT
Finishing my post interrupted by the arrival of my daughter, The usb dongle which just worked was bought specifically for the Pi with the Pi at the same time on Amazon. I can't work out a brand from the packaging but it is USB 2.0, 802.IIN and uses a Ralink 5370 chipset. Configuration consisted of telling Volumio the network name, security type and password. I also had to tell Volumio I was using the Digi+ but there was a drop-down menu for that (actually it was the "Digi" I selected, and it worked. There is no Digi+ mentioned) Otherwise, it was pretty much Plug and Pray with very pleasing results. Just need to get Owen to modify Pip with a remote volume control which can be controlled from a phone app... (Thank you waiter, I'll have another wing of pork please)  |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 22, 2014 10:37:36 GMT
If I need to make OS changes, how do I access the interface on the Pi? Use PuTTY. There are versions for pretty much all platforms, and the MetroPutty App is nice if you have W8.1. |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 26, 2014 9:26:57 GMT
OK - quick Christmas update No putty used so far - very wary of touching an operating system I know nothing about. Is there a complete beginners guide to Linux - the 5 page version somewhere? As noted on Pinch's "Fingers in the pi" thread I have volumio controlled by JRiver now after an aborted attempt on Christmas Day. Pretty obvious really, but volumio needs to be in a web browser on the device with JRiver running. JRiver is on my laptop, the NAS and volumio controller (web page open) were on the desktop. Opening a web page with volumio on the laptop fixed it. I have configured JRiver to convert files only when necessary and convert to PCM16. Is that right for my DaCapo? There sadly doesn't seem to be a setting to get it to convert to "best possible" So far I have not been making any quality assessments, just working on functionality. I have had no clicks or pops or any need to overclock or mess with other operating system aspects. I am using the Digi+ with optical on input 4 of DaCapo, SPDIF RCA to Bayonet on input 2, and all 75ohm on input 1 from the CD6. Will do some comparisons later. As stated several times, I need to get ripping higher quality than MP3, but interestingly some MP3's via the Digi+ are HiFi enough to get played I am looking at leaving the Digi+ in the mains system and putting the DAC+ in the kitchen. Volumio I think can then play simultaneously to both to give around the house music (wife and teenagers set this as a challenge, but I think it will just do it. Not sure it knows which volumio is which. Any help configuring multiroom will be much appreciated) I must get JRiver installed and working on the desktop, and then make a decision about buying it (very likely, unless the annoying habit of taking over the PC's audio can't be fixed. However, I think using the DNLA renderer aspect means JRiver can be configured to output ITS sound (never used) through the PC soundcard, and all music is output through the DNLA renderer which is the Pi Boxing Day at the outlaws beckons... |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 26, 2014 18:57:25 GMT
Tiny bit more experimenting. I am listening to a JRiver bit perfect rip of Mary Black "Columbus". This was my stock first demo track with DaCapo 20 years ago, so it is VERY familiar into a DaCapo 22 bit, Pip, Quad 405-2 ESL 63 set up. OK - that's not the same as a direct A:B but I am impressed this is "good enough" - and that isnt meant to damn with faint praise. I am unmotivated to fettle or tweak - I can listen to this and seriously enjoy it (using the SPDIF connector) No 2 dabble - sorry Martin, I finally got round to putting the Missus into the hot seat to audition. This is not a case of "my wife the musician needs to do my listening for me". Since playing with HiFi recently I have come to completely trust that Sue can hear anything I can, usually much quicker to spot the differences if they are subtle. She may not have the vocab for describing it, which I have found frustrating at times, but on a binary "diferrence / No difference" she is 100% reliable, and I would put money down on her in any A:B contest. So I left her listening and told her to listen real hard and be sure to tell me when she heard "it" I didn't define "It". "It" included removing one home plug, then the 2nd (last) home plug, then reconnecting, then browsing the web across them. In short, taking out a mains noise source, then reinstating it and feeding as much noise into it as I could. It's on the same ring main. Not a peep, dicky bird, whatever. No difference at all. This hasn't shattered any illusions for me... "Hobbit time" now |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 26, 2014 21:22:19 GMT
Hah, don't worry about it. Have you tried running the RPi from a battery? That may be of interest to you. I'm running mine off an XT Power MP-10000.
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Post by pinkie on Dec 26, 2014 22:13:20 GMT
Not yet. A battery is on the "to do" list. As is fitting the heat sink and trying ethernet. And another dac, and with it hi-res. And then ripping and organising a library, probably a bigger hard drive, and the list goes on. But I'd like to sort functionality and user interface first. Jriver is a real curates egg. Good in parts, but maddening in others, and the frustrations make me wary of parting with $50 yet. Getting there gradually |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 26, 2014 22:37:30 GMT
I found JRiver maddening, it messed with the sound from all my applications so it didn't last long.
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Post by pinkie on Dec 27, 2014 7:43:45 GMT
I found JRiver maddening, it messed with the sound from all my applications so it didn't last long. As Tom (pinch) noted it has a much more attractive interface than volumio, and was more akin to the sonus experience I had when buying the esl63s. Also, critically, it deals with playing hi-res files automatically on my dacapo, without my needing to convert manually or store files at multiple resolutions. It will also do that for files synched to my portable devices. What alternatives might I consider (pc not apple)? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 8:08:22 GMT
What does JRiver do that Windows Media Player (or the equivalent free alternative) doesn't?
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Post by pinkie on Dec 27, 2014 11:57:16 GMT
What does JRiver do that Windows Media Player (or the equivalent free alternative) doesn't? I'm not sure - it maybe I just don't know how to use them, but 1) JRiver can be controlled on the PC by an android app 2) JRiver can in turn control Volumio on the Pi "transparently" via the DLNA renderer/ server / controller function 3) JRiver will play the 192K files downloaded from Linn. It just plays them. I click on the pretty picture of the band and it plays as if it was a 48K CD track on my DAC which is only capable of handling 48 K (actually, I think 96K, but not 192) 4) JRiver will then synch that same file as an MP3 to my Android phone to use in the car without creating a duplicate on the disk to take up more space, and leave 2 files for a music track instead of one Can I do all of that with Windows Media? What JRiver can't do (I am unable to follow a couple of tutorials to make it do) is just have working internet radio stations there to select. I find the volumio app sound@home better for that (although I haven't tried to add a radio station). However, volumio lists Hi-res radio stations, and when I select them just goes silent. By contrast, I assume J River would "down-scale" the stream to play through DaCapo. Volumio on its own, if I select a hi-res track from the NAS, just goes silent. I'll keep learning...  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 12:10:59 GMT
Ok, but:
1) I don't have Android, Windows phone for me :-)
2) No idea what that means....
3) Don't use a DAC and don't really understand the issue....
4) ditto
Seems like a waste of $50 to me, stick with the free stuff IMO. Pinkie, I can't understand why you would want to downgrade to digital!
Lawrence
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 12:13:07 GMT
Ok, but: 1) I don't have Android, Windows phone for me :-) 2) No idea what that means.... 3) Don't use a DAC and don't really understand the issue.... 4) ditto Seems like a waste of $50 to me, stick with the free stuff IMO. Pinkie, I can't understand why you would want to downgrade to digital! Lawrence See the thread on perception |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 12:19:31 GMT
I have, and it's only scratching the surface, philosophically speaking.....
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 12:32:53 GMT
I have, and it's only scratching the surface, philosophically speaking..... A bit like vinyl then!!  I still prefer it but there are those who swear that it's crap in comparison to CD. I never use maps, prefer to follow my sense of direction.......I'm famous for my SHORT cuts. |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 31, 2014 17:06:43 GMT
Exciting news (for me). Not remotely relevant, but its my blog, and I wanted to be excited somewhere. Owen has finally got hold of a Benchmark power amp for me to try (long term loan hopefully) and signed off Pip 2 as fully healed and fit for active service. It it wasn't for bloody tax returns...
(I'll get back to Pi stuff shortly)
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Post by pinkie on Dec 31, 2014 19:30:46 GMT
OK folks, I am listening to Adele via wifi to the Pi controlled by LMS (Logitech Media Server). Fairly straightforward, once you realise the wifi has a different Ip address for the player from the ethernet. The player is given a name in the configuration, and it may be that if you just refresh that in LMS it finds the device. However if you want to use the PiCoreplayer software to further configure, you have to use the correct ip address. I need to evict a teenager to test the Digi+ board , but its selected from a dropdown menu, and the PiCoreplayer has been bomb-proof so far, so I have high hopes. Now - LMS experts Can I expect to synchronise 2 squeezeboxes (RPis) to play the same music simultaneously in 2 rooms? What file handling abilities does LMS have? Will it transcode Hi-res files for me? Will it deal with synching my library to a mobile device? If not, what do I use? Should I rip to WAV with Windows Media Player, or FLAC with something else? What? Oh - such fun!! |
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Post by pinkie on Dec 31, 2014 19:49:27 GMT
Omg Omg - total success. Playing new wav rip of kerry Ellis & Brian may cd through dacapo controlled by lms from my android phone. Awesome quality. This is the way to go! |
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