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The Ultimate RaspberryPi Streamer ?

150.9.68.196

Posted on September 19, 2024 at 02:39:03

Jotaro
Audiophile

Posts: 92
Location: Kyushu Japan
Joined: June 6, 2024

Seems to have all high end parts.

Our Streamer 23 Reference unit is also an amazing R-2R technology Digital to Analog converter. It has additional digital inputs and has been manufactured using the highest quality components, all exclusive to this device.
- Duelund copper foil coupling capacitors
- Amtrans copper foil capacitors in filter stages
- Audio Note non-magnetic Tantalum resistors everywhere
- Audio Note Kaisei and Kemet supply capacitors
- New old stock USA military opamps in filter stages
- Furutech alpha copper conductor output and power sockets
- Direct silver plating on entire surface of the printed circuit board
- OCC copper power wiring inside
- Triad Magnetics toroidal transformers

https://saboaudio.eu/Streamer23Standard.html

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RE: The Ultimate RaspberryPi Streamer ?

triodesteve

11:09:49 09/19/24

I've frequently observed

E-Stat

13:55:40 09/19/24

Jotaro

11:26:44 09/19/24

...

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RE: The Ultimate RaspberryPi Streamer ?

triodesteve

11:09:49 09/19/24

I've frequently observed

E-Stat

13:55:40 09/19/24

Jotaro

11:26:44 09/19/24

But it's still just a Raspberry Pi......

AbeCollins

08:29:40 09/19/24

RE: But it's still just a Raspberry Pi......

Jotaro

10:54:00 09/19/24

Inmate Cut-Throat

E-Stat

16:29:54 09/23/24

RE: Inmate Cut-Throat

Jotaro

01:39:09 09/28/24

They can be found here for about $60

E-Stat

06:55:34 09/28/24

RE: They can be found here for about $60

Jotaro

15:07:13 09/28/24

But it's still just a Raspberry Pi...... , posted on September 19, 2024 at 08:29:40

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 47436
Location: Maidenhead Grid Square DM79
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

....which is a good thing! Bryston and Boulder seem to think so as they both use the hobby Raspberry Pi boards in some of their high-end products. I have several DIY Raspberry Pi network streamers here. Is that Sobo unit 4,600 Euro ($5,100 USD) ??? Is that correct ???

That Sobo includes an impressive list of high quality components but those do not reside on the Raspberry Pi network streamer board. Those are for the DAC section. One can build a DIY Raspberry Pi network streamer for less than $100 USD and couple it to a high-end outboard DAC of your choice. This offers much more flexibility vs having the streamer and DAC combined into one box.

I run DietPi and Roon Bridge software on my Raspberry Pi streamers. Others prefer piCorePlayer, Volumio, or other software.

Some of my Raspberry Pi streamers over the years:

I install DietPi OS onto the micro SD card. You can get the software image from the DietPi website. I then install
Roon Bridge onto the 'headless' Raspberry Pi remotely over the network from the command line using my Mac.
Many prefer having a desktop environment on the Pi itself along with keyboard, mouse, and LCD monitor but
I run all of my Raspberry Pi 'headless'. In operation I control Roon playback through the Raspberry Pi using the
Roon Remote app on my iPad.

DietPi OS for Raspberry Pi

RE: But it's still just a Raspberry Pi...... , posted on September 19, 2024 at 10:54:00

Jotaro
Audiophile

Posts: 92
Location: Kyushu Japan
Joined: June 6, 2024

Yes RPi's have been around for a very long time, I imagine people including myself have amassed quite a few of them. I probably have 10 or so in total and a slew of other SBC's over the years past like BBB, Cubieboard, Asus, Odroid and a whole lot more. Michalng, Dietpi's dev, made some code contributions to one of my repo's on Github. Thanks for using Dietpi, its a wonderful project.

J.

RE: The Ultimate RaspberryPi Streamer ?, posted on September 19, 2024 at 11:09:49

triodesteve
Audiophile

Posts: 808
Location: Walla Walla Washington
Joined: September 4, 2001

Years ago when Allo was still a going concern, someone that did design work for them was talking about designing their own version of a Pi that would result in better sound. They changed out lots of parts...regualtors that were pretty noisy if my old memory is correct.
A Pi is still just a Pi. And while it can be pretty good...very good even, it's not ever going to be worthy of an all out assault.
Just my opinion, which is based on listening.

I Agree 100%, posted on September 19, 2024 at 11:26:44

Jotaro
Audiophile

Posts: 92
Location: Kyushu Japan
Joined: June 6, 2024

I did a similar 'mass upgrade' of a Dac many years ago. I changed out 50+ parts with similar caps from Mundorf, Shinkoh resistors etc.. You can only squeeze out so much performance from a core unit. Nice to look at though.

On the other hand, upgrading parts can really show you what a core unit is capable of, let it be all it can be. For example, I currently have a Dac based on the TDA1541A single crown dac chip. After upgrading some key resistors, caps and a few other parts it turned into a different beast. Its now the best Dac in my stable and in fact the best I've heard.

J.

I've frequently observed, posted on September 19, 2024 at 13:55:40

E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 38980
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
Since: April 5, 2002

an RPi is the most cost effective endpoint I've experienced. At least starting with the 4. I have both a 3 and 4 and thoroughly enjoy them. Using piCorePlayer, one can disable lots of superfluous functions but that goes only so far.

A Sonore ultraRendu it is not IMHO. General purpose computers of all walks capable of all they do necessarily compromise design aspects optimized for the single application of music playback.

Inmate Cut-Throat, posted on September 23, 2024 at 16:29:54
E-Stat Audiophile Posts: 38980 Joined: May 12, 2000 Contributor Since: April 5, 2002	I probably have 10 or so in total... has you beat by one. ;)

RE: Inmate Cut-Throat, posted on September 28, 2024 at 01:39:09
Jotaro Audiophile Posts: 92 Location: Kyushu Japan Joined: June 6, 2024	I was thinking of buying a Rpi5 but things here are a bit more expensive. Even with the exchange rate the Rpi5 is at about a 20% premium vs US prices. J.

They can be found here for about $60, posted on September 28, 2024 at 06:55:34
E-Stat Audiophile Posts: 38980 Joined: May 12, 2000 Contributor Since: April 5, 2002	Since I use mine for playback only, the added power is unnecessary. I declock my 3B and 4B anyway. :)

RE: They can be found here for about $60, posted on September 28, 2024 at 15:07:13
Jotaro Audiophile Posts: 92 Location: Kyushu Japan Joined: June 6, 2024	Wow, $60 is a better price than I thought. The lowest here is $100 US. At first I thought perhaps its due to importing but even Mogami cables are twice the US price and 10 times harder for find. I ended up buying wire from HiFiCollective and making my own XLR cables. Even with the import tax it was cheaper. J.

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