Kategorie: Pi-Audio-Distros

The Burson V5i-D arrived->very “un-colored”, a little bit “lifeless”, but very clear + less distorted..

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so, 😉
finally the Burson V5i-D from Massdrop arrived, hooray !! 😉 :
As said in the head/tag-line very “un-colored”; after hearing them u got the feel that the OPA627AU + the AD797BRZ (+ other) are somehow colored, they add some “push” (over the whole sound-spectrum, or to the highs or lows).The Bursons are very “neutral”.

On the other hand the V5i “sound” a little bit “lifeless” (in opposite to the OPA627AU par example, which is very “sweet”(the V5i´s are missing the “sweetness”)..
The AD797BRZ is very “bass-controlled” but they all don´t have the unbelievable room of an AD797ANZ..
(all this said of course that its absolutely depends on your personal listen-affections/preferences and so on..+ also all concerning to the ESSabre-9038Q2M->with other DACS/chips u can get another impression)
These 4 Op-Amps (OPA627AU,AD797BRZ,Burson V5i,AD797ANZ) are in a range of 95%-98& with 1% difference to each other !!(IMO and in my/this case))
so whats the conclusion now (for me) ?
My favourite OP-Amp to date was the AD797ANZ, because it has an unbelievable room + almost perfect + really some brilliance but it is also somehow too “distorted” (in comparison to the V5i), too (digitally) harsh (on the ES9038Q2M here)..
it is really head to head between the 2 (V5i + AD797ANZ), i swapped back and forth and finally i switched now to the :
Burson V5i !!

and only because it is absolutely less distorted (more “clear”+clean) and for now (for me) its some more “fresh” to hear..
The AD797ANZ has absolutely more room and is somehow also more “perfect” (the phenomenal “soundstage”, brilliance(on the ESSabre 9038Q2M)) but at present i think i stuck with the V5i and so we have a new “winner” here 😉 (for now. but maybe i´ll swap back the days 😉 )..

(PS: i´ve tested it all with Volumio V2.572, “Allo Katana” !!-sound-device-settings, NO software-mixer, ES9038Q2M..works all, no problem)
more to come and stay tuned !! 😉
SFB2

Massdrop: SMSL SU-8 Version 2 DAC 200$ Dual ES9038Q2M + Volumio 2.565 (12-03-2019)

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so folks 😉 ,
sorry that i lately post so much “massdrop”-related things, but this is first an audio (ESSabre)-site and second heavy related to the ES9038Q2M 😉
as said, DUAL ES9038Q2M on it, some additional specs:
Input: USB, optical, coaxial
Balanced !! Output: RCA, XLR 
USB sampling rate: PCM: 44.1–768 kHz; DSD: 2.28224–22.5792 MHz
200$ (instead of 250$)
Link-Massdrop-<
(PS.: and btw.: u get 10$ “start”-bonus !! if u join massdrop via these essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com – link(s) (on the site + right via the “widget”(“Xavier”)) !!..
so hop, hop and join !! 😉 )
(“display-wise” its not soo great, but for all these problems we have here on essabre-90xx-rpi “tons” of display-tuts and possibilities (for DIY)) 😉

Driver (Shenzhen-Audio) are here (XMOS V4.47)->https://download.shenzhenaudio.com/Smsl/SU-8_v4.47.0.zip
and an review is here ->https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/smsl-su-8-version-2-balanced-dac.5433/
interesting at this review is the following “SINAD“(some distortion-/noisemeter)-diagram, with some “oppononents” like Benchmark DAC3, Schiit Modi USB, Chord Mojo, Katana, Auralic Vega and such->

by that some new “Volumio” is out (now at VERSION: 2.565)->LINK, some fixes, and since V2.527:->Add direct DSD Support to many USB DACs, Mpd 0.20.18 version..

essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com-wise its a little bit on “hold”, just ordered (as said before) some Burson V5i-D and can then report about the Op-Amp and the “general”-massdrop-experience..

greets from here for now and stay tuned !! 😉
SFB2

ESP32 – Bodmer TFT_espi / autoconnect github / Picoreplayer 4.1.0 / Dietpi V6.18

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so, 😉
nothing particular new; “audio”-wise its a little bit on “hold” (had first to buy some +-15V toroidal transformer and so on) but i made a little progress/effort “usability-wise”..
i´m now able to get something in the spiffs-fs (ESP32), read it out 😉 and display it via “drawJpeg” from the famous Bodmer TFT-eSPI-library->Link

(!! sorry for the still absolutely “shitty” layout, but i was only happy to get something on the display at all 😉 !! (will change/edit it then; only some “ideas” (for not doing it in this way 😉 ) for u maybe)
was a little bit difficult because u (i) really need the absolutely newest libraries (jpegdecoder.h for example too) from the bodmer-github-repository (some older example jpgs are unreadable by their own decoder-library and so on..)..
have still some problems/the first third of a decoded jpeg is corrupt, but i can now upload some jpegs in the spiffs, list and display them..(and understood how)
the whole sketch (web-gui for filter-selection, HW-volume control via digi-poti, display jpgs etc..) is here->Link and i maybe make a post in the forum->Link..(could be very interesting for some who also want to understand the ESP32 “better”)..


by that it was all build on top of the absolutely fabulous “Autoconnect-library” by Hieromon -> https://github.com/Hieromon/AutoConnect; absolutely super great webserver/wlan access library->absolutely to recommend !!
Picoreplayer is now at V4.1.0 (24.Nov 2018)->https://www.picoreplayer.org/main_downloads.shtml(Pi-Kernel-bump to 4.14.81, squeezelite-update, support for Rpi 3B+ and so on->Link
Dietpi is now also at V6.18 (26/11/18)(some bugfixes+improvements)->https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/blob/master/CHANGELOG.txt
that was it for now, more to come, stay tuned, greets 😉

The OPA627AU arrived – very “warm”- not so much “digital-room/-soundstage”/ Volumio now at V2.502 / dimdim.gr

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so 😉 ,
finally the OPA627AU (as dual on one DIP-8) arrived..
and indeed, absolutely more “analogue/tube-sound” (in comparison to the AD797ANZ + LME47910-20s) here..
very “warm”, but with a lot of “body”, more “natural”, not so digitally “harsh” as the AD797ANZ (or the LME47910 of course) by example..


better for high-volumes->thought first “more right/true”->more hi-fi..(but also maybe a little bit “fatiguing/boring” due to the analogue “timbre”)
not so much “digitally room/3D” what i liked the most on the ES Sabre-Chips; very “sweet”..
The OPA627AU and the AD797ANZ are absolutely on a very similar “level”; u absolutely dont go wrong in using the OPA627AU..
but for me, i think i stuck with the AD797ANZ; more “room/clinical”, but thats really an absolutely personal impression/affection/taste..)
i think the speciality on these Sabre-Chips is this digitally room/3D-feeling + also with the great soundstage..
so i stay, as said, with the AD797ANZ (all on this “Blue” ES9038Q2M; the “Green” have a slightly different characteristic as mentioned in an earlier post..)
(Update 2hrs later: i will definitively stuck with the AD797ANZ; for me absolutely the better choice !!)

by that Volumio is now at V2.502, some minor bugfixes + Pi Kernel-bump to 4.14.71; couldnt determine any differences in the overall tune..


by that i want to suggest/introduce you to http://www.dimdim.gr again..
absolutely great site; inventor of the famous “Hifiduino-project”; a lot of very interesting infos/tips there; take a look over there !!


more to come !! 😉

New Moode V4.3 out – now as an image (.img) / ESP32S factory-reset/flash

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so, 😉
a new “Moode” V4.3 is out; now as an image (.img); u dont have to set it up/compile it for yourself anymore->Moodeaudio.org
first impressions: (all in relation to “our” ES9038Q2M-“chinese-boards”):

choose first the “I2S-generic”-settings; runs okay, no problems..

used then the “Audiophonics ES9028Q2M” setting->for me better, not so “harsh”, got the feel it has more room, more “exact”, think its maybe about the specialized register-adressing of the ESS-chips (but don´t know for sure if they “fine-tune” it for the chip, guess so)…used then to cross-check the “hifiberry-dac” settings; the same there; for me absolutely to “harsh”, too much treble (not such a “fine resolution” as the AudiophonicsES9028-setting..)
(the “Allo Katana”-setting (at contrary to Volumio) works also NOT !! (on the ES9038Q2M (chinese)))

stayed with the ES9028Q2M-setting, then tested for DSD(DoP): works, Moode said “Encoded to DoP 352.800khz”, but the DSD-Led on the ES9038Q2M was NOT lit !!

disabled the software-mixer, resampling-options, but still no DSD-light..

i´ve mentioned it in this post/article before-> http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/2018/09/volumio-now-at-v2-452-did-it-dsd-lock-light-on-es9038q2m-alsamixer-archphile-xmos-usb-audio-etc/

the first time i´ve got the feel of real DSD/DoP (and the DSD-Led was lit of course) was in/with “Volumio”; foobar2000 also said ASIO-active (pcm-mode) 352.800khz and so on, but the DSD-Led was also not lit !!

conclusion for now (for “our” lovely chinese-ES9038Q2Ms 😉 ):

true/real DSD/DoP (DSD-Led lit) only on Volumio (V2.452 and up) (and meanwhile i think thats the point: with the “Allo Katana”-settings !!) so far !!

by that, in listening here Moode is very very close to Volumio (maybe a little better at present IMO) (but as said, this is an absolutely personal/subjective impression).

also my ESP32S Geekcreit (Doit.am 36 pin) was not functional anymore, couldnt run/upload a sketch, tried everything, found now a way (and mainly with the right hex-adresses for the espressif-flashtool) to made it functional again->long Tut here (at the forum/at the end of the post)->LINK

greets for now 😉

Volumio at V2.457 / Dietpi V.6.16 / mympd / upgraded ES9038Q2M decoder board I2S

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so, 😉
after searching today for some new ES9038Q2M-boards/-infos, i´ve found also this “Upgraded version of ES9038Q2M decoder board I2S input OPA1612+AD8397ADRZ” (it was also mentioned in these diyaudio.com-forum)->Link

it costs only about 42$ (incl.shipping), and interesting is (besides all the disadvantages like the 5V-9Vplug, the only-headphone 3,5mm jack and so on) that they use “OPA1612” for the AVCC-section and some “AD8397ADRZ” for the “output”-section..

i´ve googled immediately for “AD8397ADRZ” and according to this post/article->https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audio-gd-discrete-op-amps-reviewed-opa-earth-opa-moon-opa-sun-v-2.397691/ its only in the “Category 2 – nice but incomplete sound” 😉  (posted the link+excerpts also in the forum here->Link)

the author there also said, that for him (and thats interesting for me) the AD797BRZ (i have the AD797ANZ here) are the only ones in the “Category 5 – complete sound traveling in the clean air” 
“..roughly, it’s like the AD79ANZ with all advantages of the OPA627BP added” and as u know, i just wanted to buy lately an OPA627 (the “Bugatti Veyron” on the OP-Amps) to “finalize” my op-amp-experiences..
so i guess i have to check-out these AD797BRZ some time too 😉

another thing is that they are now at Volumio V2.457 (PI Kernel bump to 4.14.69 and some fixes), i´ve tested it immediately with the ES9038Q2M and the “Allo-Katana”-setting, and it was, as said in an earlier post, “massive” (ES9038Q2M+2*AD797) again !!

 

this time had the chance to test it before with the ES9028Q2M-option (in Volumio) and some minutes before also with the i-sabre-k2m option in Dietpi V6.16..

last time i thought it could also be by the changed footprint/pi-kernel-bump but today i would say the “Allo Katana”-overlay is more specialized on the ES9038Q2M-core->

finally, at present, i must really say that i have the best sound (on all distros) with the newer Volumio (V2.452 and up) + “Allo Katana”-settings on an ES9038Q2M+2*AD797 !! (okay, its really tight between them but Volumio is absolutely easy to handle at present)

DietPi is now at V6.16, i just wanted to set up the new “mympd”-(fork of ympd), ran into trouble, theres a workaround now and its fixed in DietPi V6.17..(“Allo Katana” works NOT on DietPi (with the ES9038Q2M) but with the “i-sabre-k2m” overlay i got 32/384..)

more to come, greets for now 😉

 

Volumio (now at V2.452) did it->DSD/Lock light on ES9038Q2M / Alsamixer Archphile XMOS USB Audio etc..

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so, 😉
after i tested “Archphile” with the Skysong-Xmos-USB-interface and still don´t know how to limit the DSD-rate to the DAC/-combo (it uses 705600 but the ES9038Q2M doesnt support it, i got only a heavy white noise), tried everything in the /etc/mpd.conf; i used again “Volumio” as it said in one of their forums something about their DSD-native/DoP-compatibilty..
so let it run and hooray, the DSD-Led on the ES9038Q2M + the DSD-indication on the skysong-bridge were lit !!

(hadn´t got the DSD-indication before afaik).

wonderful, true DSD/DoP-sound !! 😉

had used foobar2000 with the Asio-driver/DSD-processor, the singxer audio-panel said:”Asio active(PCM-mode)-352800khz sample-rate”, see 2 posts before, but meanwhile i think it was converted !! to PCM- (with soxr by example) >because i hadnt got the DSD-led on and it wasnt not such a great improvement to “normal” PCM..
now with volumio it sounds absolutely fantastic, absolutely real DSD-“sound” !! (“real” DoP)

by that i´ve think meanwhile “Archphile” is for the really high-end USB-DACS->384khz,768KHz (and above); think its about the “Arch-linux ARM”-kernel/core..
also u got a wonderful “Alsamixer-volume and master-clock”-mixer for the XMOS-USB-audio interface (with the command “alsamixer”)->

also interesting in Volumio is that if use the “resample-option” in the settings it affects also the “DoP-chain”->set at 384khz resample/sox/very high, got my red light (PCM) on the bridge on and no DSD-light on the ES9038Q2M..
interesting II. is that u can resample up to 768khz (in Volumio) and u can hear something (but heavy white-noised) on the ES9038Q2M although somebody posted it can only play/(is capable of) up to 384khz in “asynchron-mode”; but i heard here something..->


greets for and more to come !! 😉

“Archphile 0.99.73 Alpha” + XMOS USB-Bridge (Skysong)->768 khz !!..

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so, 😉
in trying to play finally some real/Native DSD on some (our “lovely” 😉 ) chinese ES-Sabre-boards i came by chance about the “Archphile”-distro->https://archphile.org/ (knew about it , but hadnt got the time to test it till now)

it uses mainly the mpd-subsystem and i´ve read some days ago that it also could be a driver problem/xmos-usb-driver thing on linux to get DSD-native to work..!!
so and today after imaging the archphile-archive, and first i must say its really hard/difficult to “understand this archphile-distro”, because u got only a MPD-user interface with almost no settings (for the DAC for example and so on), u have absolutely to work over SSH in first place..
so but the really interesting thing is this->
first picture is the output of the “alsacap”-command (its Arch-linux)->
absolutely super fantastic !!! it says that the XMOS-USB-device (Skysong) can handle up to 768khz (via linux usb-driver)!!!

(a problem could (may) be that it didn´t show the “DSD_U32_BE” sample-format which is normally a clear point/-“ means that this DAC supports Native DSD in Linux“.)
but anyway absolutely fabulous !!
and much more fantastic is that it sends 705600 !! to the xmos-usb !!!->(with the “perfcheck”-command)

by that, “Archphile” has a very good/clean sound; sounds better than the picoreplayer for example (IMO), really,really clear !!

but got a really “destroyed/white noise”-tune with these 705600 on the ES9018K2M(and didn´t find a way here right now to lower it down to 352000 for example); have it really hard  to work it out here at present; (the ES9018K2M has lower capabilities DSD-wise than the ES9028Q2M or the ES9038Q2M for example).

flacs (all up to 24/192) are playing very,very well..but anyway as said, really,really great news !!

more to come !! -> greets for now !! 😉

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