The Most Minimal Computer Music Converter

[terrybooth]

I know that I will plough a lonely furrow here. But...

I have a wired (are wireless) home network.
All my digital music sits on a Network Attached Storage box.
I access it mostly through my TFS/Asus Dac or a Mac Mini/Bereford DAC.
Both of these solutions appear to me as having too many parts: both already have a way of converting digital to analogue, but I'm using an external box to do that. In the case of the TFS there's a whole sound card and half a power supply not doing anything.

So, along the lines of 'better than the best component is no component at all'. I've been following little leads I've stumbled upon or been told about from time to time.

The latest stumbled-upon was volumio.org(previously raspyfi). This is a linux distribution designed for 'embedded systems'. All DIY at the moment.

The people behind this also have a 'less is more' theme (in parts at least) and look at ways to reduce the number of interfaces for sound.
http://volumio.org/raspberry-pi-i2s-dac-sounds-so-good/

This looks interesting enough to want to give it a try. The easiest way looks like it is to buy a Cubox (a ready made mini computer) but I can't find out too much about what is inside that and it has more than I think I need.

The nearest I can find to the 'absolute minimum' is to get a Raspberry Pi and a HiFiBerry Dac and make a device which would sit in between a Lan cable and an amplifier (using volumio and controlled from a web interface using a smartphone/tablet/computer). Where I'm stuck in my thinking with that is a case to stick it all in (this is more to protect components from damage than electrical safety since it all runs of 5volts and a fraction of an amp) and the thought that providing a separate power supply to the DAC board might be better (the HiFiBerry is designed to 'plug' into a 5v power rail on the Raspberry Pi board). It wouldn't have wifi but this is supposed to be 'minimalist'.

So, thoughts about making cases (I guess my baseline is making something crude our of plywood)?
And power supplies (wall wart variety at the moment)?

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

You design it and I will come up with the box and PSU and analogue output stage this seem to bring up a memory, have I done this before

[jammy395]

Well best of luck Tel..........

But it just aint hifi .

Now im a dino with 2 lugs - so stereo lps suffice.....wtf do ya want to pursue this madness for....

I read the above...and aint got a Scooby wtf yer on about....I wanted too, but just cant...

I access it mostly through my TFS/Asus Dac or a Mac Mini/Bereford DAC.(Terry)

Tel I just stick on an LP (Remember those) and chill...........

[terrybooth]

Well best of luck Tel..........

But it just aint hifi .

Now im a dino with 2 lugs - so stereo lps suffice.....wtf do ya want to pursue this madness for....

I read the above...and aint got a Scooby wtf yer on about....I wanted too, but just cant...

I access it mostly through my TFS/Asus Dac or a Mac Mini/Bereford DAC.(Terry)

Tel I just stick on an LP (Remember those) and chill...........

The computer experience is basically the same, but you hold a tablet rather than an LP or CD cover and poke it to change what you are listening to.

[Andrew]

If you do make it, I really like the name "most minimal"

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

TMS (the minimal statement)

[Lazmo]

Hi Terry

We are in a very similar place except i have a case for my raspberry Pi i am using the hi fi berry dac and a mini 5volt 2 amp power supply all waiting to be fitted possibly even a wireless soultion but i would prefer it to be hardwired my self so your not ploughing that furrow alone

Also apart from the Hifi Berry there is this guy a uk supplier i have just discovered last week and have ordered from it hasn't arrived yet because of the holiday mail delay (well just delay really royal mail ) things are moving very fast in the world of the Rasp Pi and good audio reproduction and there are lots of intresting things to try.

http://iqaudio.com/

I will post more information later but at the moment i am being told to get off the pc as the sun is coming out :D

[terrybooth]

Thanks Lazmo.

The iqaudio DAC looks like it is designed with the anticipation of the amp solution to follow (I'm assuming that's what the extra connectors are for.)

What Operating System are you looking at: volumio, xmbc, something else? (and are you going linux or android?).

As you say, interesting times.

[Lazmo]

The iqaudio DAC looks like it is designed with the anticipation of the amp solution to follow (I'm assuming that's what the extra connectors are for.)

That and the inclusion of an LCD display for the likes of simple code and icon display amongst other things they are already producing cases which will allow the inclusion of them
the IQaudIO board which arrived this morning has header pins already on the board (for expansion upwards) the Hi Fi berry you have to solder your own on

I have been using Raspi fi for quite a while but found it a little clunky and very tempremental in use i am using Volumio now which is Raspi fi MK II
with a name change and is linux based works really well although the Nas set up can be a bit of a pain you have to be very precise in the instruction you put in network path etc

I have used or should say i am using XMBC on a 2nd Pi board as a media hub hdmi connected to the main tv it works really well i used a set up from here

http://www.xbmchub.com/blog/ to get that set up there are lots of goodies to load into that to make a complete media hub
Xmbc as a high end audio player i have not tried although i believe it's poor compared to volumio and Pi Core etc good for movies i have tried that 5.1 is acheivable

I am currently waiting for some stuff to carry my project further heatsinks etc for chips on the Pi Board

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clear-Transpa ... OU:GB:3160

That case above will allow you to use extension pieces on the case to adjust the height to allow an onboard dac to be fitted where as the standard enclosed type cases wont

I have sourced a nice aluminium case and a small power supply which i intend to install with the Rasp Pi and the dac to make a one complete unit to take and plug straight into my main hi fi set up but as of yet i am still collecting items and testing audio players and the like i will include the pic i am working from which i found on a site someplace when i work out how to add pics to the text here .

As of yet i have not considered using android the linux based stuff is enough of a challenge sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't there are lots of permutations of set up's really depending what you want to achieve with it and just as you think you have got one somebody releases something else lol it's all good fun though .

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

That is why it has not really gone commercial yet apart from companies like Linn and Naim with lots of sheep. On a commercial basis it is frightening how quickly thing change. It is still definitely a hobbyist thing at the mo.