Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 12, 2020 17:01:46 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 12, 2020 18:23:01 GMT
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Post by stevew on Mar 13, 2020 10:49:52 GMT
After yesterdays utter disappointment of getting the PecanPi to sound at it's best, even with the help of jimbo's Sata to USB cable, i have spent this morning listening to the Pecanpi with Jim's cable and with the GPIO cable allowing some distance between between the DAC and the RPI. I was told a while back by TC of Coherent that if i could do this, i would be rewarded. I have to tip my hat, he was right again. I have noticed a real uplift in information from the recording. A reduction in bloat in the LF, improvement in transparency and a modicum of better individual space in the soundstaging. I'm hesitant to say a smearing of the sound has been removed but something has certainly happened. Dynamics have become a bit more punchy and quick. Better decay and attack. To be honest, i spoke with a few people about DAC's for Pi's recently and one guy who heard this felt it was a bit slow, which i had attributed to the BB chip. Today i am heaing a totally transformed DAC, which is a bit of surprise. It sounds faster and cleaner. I am totally loving it lol. So, there is another little addition coming for this rig, which i ordered about two months ago, so it may get here off the slow boat sometime soon. I'll say more about that when it eventually gets here. So, top tips for RPI Audio: 1) Use a SSD directly into the RPI with this cable: tinyurl.com/sokrzva2) Get a 40 pin GPIO cable and separate the DAC hat from the RPI, further the better i suspect. 3) Secure them both to a heavy platform with vibration absorbing feet More to follow Ok. Like a prize numpty, I’ve fried my pi. Dunno how.. but I got hold of a long (300mm) GPIO cable and plugged the pecan and pi into either end. Nothing.. no sound of owt, but then I picked up a very warm pi. Could not get sound out of it on reconnecting- although Quboz and the NAS all appeared. Somewhat worried that I’d damaged the dac I found an old raspberry pi 2 and connected that up. All fine and working. Think what I might have done is inverted the way the pins connect. That’s all I can think I’ve done |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 11:19:12 GMT
After yesterdays utter disappointment of getting the PecanPi to sound at it's best, even with the help of jimbo's Sata to USB cable, i have spent this morning listening to the Pecanpi with Jim's cable and with the GPIO cable allowing some distance between between the DAC and the RPI. I was told a while back by TC of Coherent that if i could do this, i would be rewarded. I have to tip my hat, he was right again. I have noticed a real uplift in information from the recording. A reduction in bloat in the LF, improvement in transparency and a modicum of better individual space in the soundstaging. I'm hesitant to say a smearing of the sound has been removed but something has certainly happened. Dynamics have become a bit more punchy and quick. Better decay and attack. To be honest, i spoke with a few people about DAC's for Pi's recently and one guy who heard this felt it was a bit slow, which i had attributed to the BB chip. Today i am heaing a totally transformed DAC, which is a bit of surprise. It sounds faster and cleaner. I am totally loving it lol. So, there is another little addition coming for this rig, which i ordered about two months ago, so it may get here off the slow boat sometime soon. I'll say more about that when it eventually gets here. So, top tips for RPI Audio: 1) Use a SSD directly into the RPI with this cable: tinyurl.com/sokrzva2) Get a 40 pin GPIO cable and separate the DAC hat from the RPI, further the better i suspect. 3) Secure them both to a heavy platform with vibration absorbing feet More to follow Ok. Like a prize numpty, I’ve fried my pi. Dunno how.. but I got hold of a long (300mm) GPIO cable and plugged the pecan and pi into either end. Nothing.. no sound of owt, but then I picked up a very warm pi. Could not get sound out of it on reconnecting- although Quboz and the NAS all appeared. Somewhat worried that I’d damaged the dac I found an old raspberry pi 2 and connected that up. All fine and working. Think what I might have done is inverted the way the pins connect. That’s all I can think I’ve done Oh No! Steve, Give Firebottle a shout, i think he has a RPI3 he was looking to sell on now he has changed his setup. Get a SOOOOOPER cheap multimeter and check they are the right way round before powering up next time. Maybe i should have put that in my list....ooops. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 11:32:30 GMT
Updated PecanPi Sound Quality tip list - PECANPI PCB ONLY. Not applicable to the fully built unit. (in memorandum of Steve's Pi) 1) Use a SSD directly into the RPI with this cable: uk.crucial.com/accessories/Upgrade%20Tools/CTSATAUSBCABLE2) Use Volumio with NO upscaling. 3) Turn off "Volume Control" within Volumio if you are using a separate preamp. 4) Use a wired connection to the router if you can and turn the Volumio WiFI setting off. Not essential this one, just belt and braces. 5) Get a 40 pin GPIO cable and separate the DAC hat from the RPI, further the better i suspect. USE A MULTIMETER to make sure you have the pins connected correctly 6) Secure all PCB's and SSD's to a heavy platform with vibration absorbing feet. Makes no sense but it made a difference. 7) Stick a LPSU on the PecanPi. The Difference is worth the £50 from a Chinese outlet. Just make sure you fit an earth and check the voltage. I ordered a 9v unit and they sent a 12v. Always check before powering up. |
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Post by jimbo on Mar 13, 2020 12:13:07 GMT
Good results with the Pecan Pi then Oli. Interesting that more can be had from this little DAC. Considering power supplies and placement of PCB boards etc it would be interesting to have a look in a few top dollar DACs to see how they are configured?
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Post by sq225917 on Mar 13, 2020 12:33:46 GMT
Get an msata ssd and an x850 msata shield. It comes with a pcb style usb connector that is correctly impedance matched for usb, and its absolutely the shortest usb link possible.
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Post by sq225917 on Mar 13, 2020 12:34:51 GMT
Nice to see a proper inlet filter on that psu.
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Post by firebottle on Mar 13, 2020 12:37:54 GMT
Not strictly necessary as it's not a SMPSU but nice to see anyway.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 12:43:56 GMT
Get an msata ssd and an x850 msata shield. It comes with a pcb style usb connector that is correctly impedance matched for usb, and its absolutely the shortest usb link possible. I looked Simon, but couldnt see any for sale anywhere. To be honest, i think it's sounding rather remarkable as is. I'd give it a try though, for research purposes etc. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 12:50:07 GMT
Good results with the Pecan Pi then Oli. Interesting that more can be had from this little DAC. Considering power supplies and placement of PCB boards etc it would be interesting to have a look in a few top dollar DACs to see how they are configured? I don't know if that would be completely fair Jim, as the RPI wasn't really intended for HiEnd audio, it didn't get the specifics to layout etc, that you would see in even reasonably priced DACS these days. The recommendation to separate the RPI from the PP came from this idea. Also, as you know, RFI can be transmitted from an SSD so Simons mSata and shield would also be a step in the right direction. However, the steps i have taken to get a digital replay system have all come in under £500 and i am now seeing results that even the most sceptical couldnt deny. Listening to Janos Starker now and the difference from the other day is in orders of magnitude. The LPSU is still about £50 on ebay, and as SQ said, it's a very decent unit versus the usual corner cutting from the Chinese. Nice build quality for the money but not quite as good as if i'd built it myself, but you can't build this for the price i paid. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 13:08:24 GMT
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Post by jimbo on Mar 13, 2020 13:16:12 GMT
Maybe the next step would be to look at one of these devices? Not sure if there are any cheap ones around though?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 13:20:40 GMT
Maybe the next step would be to look at one of these devices? Not sure if there are any cheap ones around though? Never heard of it!! Looks like I need a Hans Beekhuyzen tutorial lol |
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Post by stevew on Mar 13, 2020 13:23:32 GMT
Oh No!
Steve, Give Firebottle a shout, i think he has a RPI3 he was looking to sell on now he has changed his setup.
Get a SOOOOOPER cheap multimeter and check they are the right way round before powering up next time. Maybe i should have put that in my list....ooops.
[/quote]
It’s cool, have a few pi’s kicking about and got an old mk2 working.
Lesson learnt is that if you don’t know what you are doing, then don’t do it!
Giving serious thought to a change in direction on the streaming side.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 13:29:29 GMT
Oh No! Steve, Give Firebottle a shout, i think he has a RPI3 he was looking to sell on now he has changed his setup. Get a SOOOOOPER cheap multimeter and check they are the right way round before powering up next time. Maybe i should have put that in my list....ooops. It’s cool, have a few pi’s kicking about and got an old mk2 working. Lesson learnt is that if you don’t know what you are doing, then don’t do it! Giving serious thought to a change in direction on the streaming side.[/quote] Oh, what are you considering? |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 14:14:56 GMT
Maybe the next step would be to look at one of these devices? Not sure if there are any cheap ones around though? Ok, now I get it... I suppose if I was sending files over the network, this would be on the radar, but I'm not. In fact, SQ took a good uplift when I removed all the flab of sending data over 2x Network Cables, the router and Jriver. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 17:14:49 GMT
I'm all about the little things, and this little yellow LED has brought me joy, by removing the boring red one that it arrived with.  |
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Post by stevew on Mar 13, 2020 18:12:00 GMT
Oh No! Steve, Give Firebottle a shout, i think he has a RPI3 he was looking to sell on now he has changed his setup. Get a SOOOOOPER cheap multimeter and check they are the right way round before powering up next time. Maybe i should have put that in my list....ooops. It’s cool, have a few pi’s kicking about and got an old mk2 working. Lesson learnt is that if you don’t know what you are doing, then don’t do it! Giving serious thought to a change in direction on the streaming side. Oh, what are you considering? [/quote] Considering a chord Qutest. Then later marry it up with a Innuos Zen mk3, or perhaps an Allo digione Signature. Will need to listen to the options, and right now there is no rush. Hooking up with Angus soon.. which is enough excitement for now. |
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 19:26:35 GMT
No way of going back.....yellow LEDs are the way forward  |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 19:27:32 GMT
It’s cool, have a few pi’s kicking about and got an old mk2 working. Lesson learnt is that if you don’t know what you are doing, then don’t do it! Giving serious thought to a change in direction on the streaming side. Oh, what are you considering? Considering a chord Qutest. Then later marry it up with a Innuos Zen mk3, or perhaps an Allo digione Signature. Will need to listen to the options, and right now there is no rush. Hooking up with Angus soon.. which is enough excitement for now.[/quote]My advice..... Listen first before you shell out. I think you'll get far better sound out of your PecanPi than you will the Chord. |
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Post by stevew on Mar 13, 2020 19:48:52 GMT
Oh, what are you considering? Considering a chord Qutest. Then later marry it up with a Innuos Zen mk3, or perhaps an Allo digione Signature. Will need to listen to the options, and right now there is no rush. Hooking up with Angus soon.. which is enough excitement for now. My advice..... Listen first before you shell out. I think you'll get far better sound out of your PecanPi than you will the Chord. [/quote] Not rushing into anything now.. as you say, not without careful listening. Especially with those costs. Be interesting to compare over at yours. Especially my Chord Mojo/ ageing IQAUDIO digi+ vs your pecan. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 13, 2020 19:51:54 GMT
Considering a chord Qutest. Then later marry it up with a Innuos Zen mk3, or perhaps an Allo digione Signature. Will need to listen to the options, and right now there is no rush. Hooking up with Angus soon.. which is enough excitement for now. My advice..... Listen first before you shell out. I think you'll get far better sound out of your PecanPi than you will the Chord. Not rushing into anything now.. as you say, not without careful listening. Especially with those costs. Be interesting to compare over at yours. Especially my Chord Mojo/ ageing IQAUDIO digi+ vs your pecan. [/quote]You are welcome to bakeoff whatever you have there vs what I have here. Bring your Pi based stuff and I'll separate the PCBs for you....safely lol |
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Post by firebottle on Mar 13, 2020 20:30:54 GMT
If/when a bake off happens I can come over with the Topping D50.
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Post by jimbo on Mar 14, 2020 7:42:17 GMT
It would be an interesting bake off between the Pecan Pi and Chord Qutest.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 14, 2020 7:52:42 GMT
It would be an interesting bake off between the Pecan Pi and Chord Qutest. You've heard both Jim, what's you thoughts |
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Post by sq225917 on Mar 14, 2020 11:20:37 GMT
So I'm wondering, it a direct connection is better than wifi, and ethernet is better than usb, and optical network is better than electrical, why not just remove all these unnecessary complications and put it all in one box and call it a cd player...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2020 11:32:30 GMT
I have it all in my media PC which can be connected directly to me pre-amp.
The only moving part is the CD-ROM.
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Post by jimbo on Mar 14, 2020 13:33:52 GMT
It would be an interesting bake off between the Pecan Pi and Chord Qutest. You've heard both Jim, what's you thoughts I have heard both and impressed with both. I have a feeling the Qutest has a more muscular sound and is probably more detailed with bigger soundstage, however I was listening with files loaded on an Innuos Zen. As a stand alone DAC fed with files off a laptop and using the Pi as a streamer things maybe different. The Qutest is excellently isolated as a device and its output can also be changed which can have a significant effect. The Pecan Pi is very good indeed with good imaging and sound stage and control but I feel the Qutest is even more controlled especially in the bottom end and delivers more information. This will be an interesting bake off if it happens especially as the Qutest is five times the price, can the Pecan Pi hold its own..... |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 14, 2020 14:27:33 GMT
You've heard both Jim, what's you thoughts I have heard both and impressed with both. I have a feeling the Qutest has a more muscular sound and is probably more detailed with bigger soundstage, however I was listening with files loaded on an Innuos Zen. As a stand alone DAC fed with files off a laptop and using the Pi as a streamer things maybe different. The Qutest is excellently isolated as a device and its output can also be changed which can have a significant effect. The Pecan Pi is very good indeed with good imaging and sound stage and control but I feel the Qutest is even more controlled especially in the bottom end and delivers more information. This will be an interesting bake off if it happens especially as the Qutest is five times the price, can the Pecan Pi hold its own..... You still haven't heard the PecanPi at it's best and whilst I don't doubt the Chord will be excellent, I do wonder if it will be a sound I like. |
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