HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Gabriel Drake. Sister of Nick Drake.

Nice Fretless! I like the tinkering!

HiFiBerry announce a new DSD capable DAC HAT:

https://darko.audio/2018/08/hifiberry-a ... pberry-pi/

DSD Processing and then with an extra Toslink output?

Strange but intriguing - will have a good look at this.

Never really got the Pi thing. Other forums as well getting excited about it and saying it sounds stunning when partnered with other similarly cheap stuff.

Nick brought me one round a year or so ago, what's all the fuss about?

no money in it?

David Brook wrote: ↑Sat Aug 18, 2018 7:24 pm Never really got the Pi thing. Other forums as well getting excited about it and saying it sounds stunning when partnered with other similarly cheap stuff.

Nick brought me one round a year or so ago, what's all the fuss about?

The 'Pi thing' is attractive as it brings an affordable, hobby-element into computer-based audio. For a modest price you get a couple of IC boards in kit-form which you put together. Then you can mess around with power supplies, operating systems and generally have a bit of fun - certainly more than you can have with an expensive audiophile 'black-box'. The relative cheapness of the various components makes upgrading easy as well.

Because the whole concept was as an introduction to computer-engineering for secondary-school children, the systems are simple and basic - no experience necessary.

The Pi itself is a quite powerful little computer which, in this case, ONLY runs as an audio signal processor - most PC's (Windows/Apple) are constantly busy doing a variety of other tasks. The Pi becomes a dedicated audio-streaming device which can be expanded with a variety of add-on boards from the likes of HiFiBerry or Allo. These produce either analogue signals direct to an amplifier or digital PCM output for an outboard DAC.

The SQ of Pi-based systems is regularly compared with units costing many times the price - and with a little effort and minimal knowledge you can get a seriously, audiophile-grade sound out of these 'toys'.

No regrets at all with my Pi/Allo Boss combo. It certainly getting some use. The Chinese 5 Volt power supply has been added a few weeks back and this weekend ordered the new Aluminium case following the earlier positive review on this thread. Its replaced an expensive Naim set-up which I’m not missing at all.

Karnevil9 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 18, 2018 7:54 pm no money in it?

I don't or ever would sell a pi even if there was, as I think it sounds shit personally.

I'd be sure to end up with what I started with - two IC boards in kit form, but strewn about the place in despair, with holes in the wall where I'd beat my fists in frustration at my total cack-handedness and lack of DIY skills.