What happens to most of us when we go on a "detox" of sorts, is your mind seems to increase the urge to binge! So for instance today, I have decided to avoid sugar as much as possible. I have done this before and remember the first two weeks being absolutely horrific. So why am I telling you this?
Well ladies and Gentlemen, for the last two weeks, I have had no vinyl replay facilities at my house.
Yep, my phonostage has been out on the road for two weeks and wont be back until next week.
However, far from pining for my wondrously analogue vinyl, I have instead been advancing my enjoyment of the artifice of digital. Spurred on by my recent experiences with DACs I have loaned, I felt the PecanPi had more to give.
I have tried to add proper RCA sockets (CMC Pure Copper)to my PecanPi before and found that the left channel never worked. Since I have been using the Balanced connections, I didn't worry too much. However I recently decided that XLR plugs and sockets are Sh#t, and I wanted to go back to RCA. I can't live with the brass connections and replacing them all with sockets and plugs I could accept was going to be VERY pricey.
Speaking to Leo
orchardaudio about how I may have accidentally destroyed the opamp for the RCA output on my PecanPi DAC, he suggested I take the connections from the pins on the underside of the XLR socket, thus avoiding the nasty brass connections used in (EVERY) Neutrik socket. So I did.
Within seconds of playing the first track, which I believe was Queen - Innuendo, I was immediately aware that I had unleashed something in the PecanPi. It had awoken.
Enthused by what I had heard, I scoured the internet for further "tweaks" that I could apply. Here I stumbled across an post on an American forum about a guy reporting the merits of putting RPI based Audio gadgets into Aluminium enclosures. I immediately hacked at an old Alu shave tin and put the PecanPi in it. Well, I can only assume the American chap knew his onions because I noted a further uplift in detail, which got marginally better again when I covered it with foil...If only I could find the bloody lid for the TIN!
Whilst sitting listening to Muddy Waters - Folk Singer album, I remembered a conversation with Tony of Coherent Systems in which he suggested raising the voltage a little bit, maybe 0.5v (to 9.5v) His suggestion was that the sound would become a bit more dynamic.
Well, I wasn't entirely comfortable with this, but I thought "it's only £250 to buy a knew one if I blow it up"
Tentatively, I went up in 0.1v increments and left it for 5 minutes to see if anything popped. As soon as I got to 9.5v, I stopped. I just couldn't go any higher without getting some info off Leo, which I will do.
I left the PecanPi for an hour then checked it out. All was well.
So I sat back down and played Innuendo again.
Holy Sh#t! The sheer force form the opening gambit stuck me to the chair as I was engulfed by a wave of sonic power. Akin to being hit by a huge wave in the sea. it engulfs you and you are reminded of how feeble you are against the might of the sea. I haven't experienced anything like that anywhere, with any system. Vinyl or Digital, at any price.
The propulsion was epic. Truly.
After the shock of what I had just heard, I needed a cup of tea and a digestive....chipping slowly away at emptying the biscuit tin I need for my next project.
A track list formed in my head about what to listen to next and with gusto, I went back at it.
I won't bore you with descriptions of what I heard in each track etc, but I will elaborate on the perceived improvements I feel the changes provided as this goes on.
Previously, whilst I had found the PecanPi to be more than adequate in every area, and provide me with "acceptable digital" I had no reason to think it was "special" other than to respect the fact it was the only piece if Digital replay kit that has lasted more than a couple of months here. I felt like maybe only I appreciated it.
So, what do you do when you think there is enough improvement that a piece of kit has become your "benchmark"? COMPARISON TIME!
Alan (Firebottle) brought over his Topping D90, LPSU's and USBridge and we set about rigging everything up to the same server. I tried my absolute best to get things as fair as possible but ultimately, the Pecanpi is hard wired to a RPI3 and the Topping was USB connected to the USBridge. So there is the first Caveat.
We listened to a few tracks via the PecanPi and then swapped over to the D90. I think both of us expected the D90 to show the diminutive PP a clean pair of heels. In fact, it didn't happen. Truth be told, the D90 sounded a bit 2D in comparison. The space around instruments and the minutiae detail seemed a bit closed off and the soundstage shrank by quite a distance. Depth was also an issue. On "Peter Schneider's - St James Infirmary", it's very apparent on the PP that the recording is live and it places the musicians very deliberately and keeps them in their own space. This didn't convey anywhere near as well with the D90, sounding like we had move 20 rows back.
I played a few more tracks and the Topping struggled to provide any real dynamic energy or excitement. It sounded lacklustre, like a tired boxer hanging on the ropes, throwing a few pawing shots, it was just going through the motions.
On the other hand, the PecanPi was vibrant, energetic and dynamic. It's tone was full and resonant and guitars especially seem to have everything you should hear. There was no glare, no edge, no crystalline brittleness, just superbly articulate timing and realism. Pure tone and timbre. I am in love!
I had done the D90 comparison a couple of weeks ago when I had the Lampizator Amber 3 here. I felt then that the D90 was the most resolving DAC of the three. Not anymore. The PP was outdoing the D90 there too.
Alan and I both concluded that at the moment, the Pecanpi was the best digital sound either of us had ever heard. Now remember, this also must include the Chord Dave, as we have both heard that too. I realise this may cause some "mockery" but I am deadly serious about this. The DAVE *may* actually be better. In an A/B comparison, in the right system (mine lol) it *may* be the best DAC in the world, but I didn't hear it in such a system, so this comment must be kept in the context of the system it was in.
As I eluded to earlier, you have to help the PecanPi get to this point. Straight out of the box, the PP is a fantastic unit, but there is more available from it. Fit proper RCA sockets to it, Put it far away from the RPI, Get a GOOD LPSU for it and a SSD, and you will not believe how good £400 total spend can sound.
So, the Caveat:
I have long held the suspicion that Volumio somehow embellishes the sound. I am not technical enough to know how it could be done or if it's possible, but whenever I compare Volumio to mooDe or any other RPI OS, I always seem to notice that the LF doesn't carry the same weight or power. Yes, we used Volumio on both units, BUT I have a niggling feeling over the RPI's effect too. So I will be fitting a MiniDSP USB streamer to the PecanPi and that will enable an absolutely fair comparison. Both the PecanPi and the Topping D90 will be using USB, Volumio and the USBridge.
I have drawn absolutely no final conclusions from the D90 Vs PP comparison, other than the PP is now far better than it was. I know the techis will say it's impossible for RCA sockets, a shave tin and an additional 0.5v to make so much difference, but I don't care. I stand by it. Try it!
