HDMI to I2S Part II.-> experiences, links, pics, wiring dsd->i2s

It Works ! – Sony UBP-X1000ES HDMI “Audio” output to Chinese I2S Adapter Board to DS Sr. I2S Input”

->https://forum.psaudio.com/t/it-works-sony-ubp-x1000es-hdmi-audio-output-to-chinese-i2s-adapter-board-to-ds-sr-i2s-input/15630

2. “SACD playing to an external DAC (DSD via i2s hdmi input)

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/sacd-playing-to-an-external-dac-dsd-via-i2s-hdmi-input.20115/

->”..And that works!
I’m really satisfied with the results indeed, superior to anything I’ve got till now.
In addition I have some SACDs that cannot be played by my Yamaha cds-s2000 anymore. I can play them again with a blu ray player with even better results.
During all my tests I’ve found the result with the i2s hdmi always better than any other input (also for red book CDs)”

3. DSD->I2S wiring..

(backside of the earlier posted “HDMI/MHL zu IIS I2S HDMI IIS I2S Separaten Extrakt Audio I2S/DSD/Optische/Koaxial”(and used in the 2 above mentioned articles/builds)->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2531)

very much to come + many greets !! 😉

HDMI (4K)-audio-extractor / HDMI to I2S

so, 😉

as i yesterday connected my (Sony) blurayplayer via coax to the Sanskrit i saw only “44 or 48” at the display, means the player downsample all content to this rate (to coax/spdif) because of copyright issues/or technical limits in other cases.. (uargh..) ; you get only 192/176khz or 96/88khz via HDMI..

(btw. nice description of this “case” is here->”The extractor overcomes the restriction the visual media puts on its audio – namely restricting it to HDMI – by liberating it from its HDMI cell and forwarding it in a freed state…”->https://community.naimaudio.com/t/hi-res-audio-from-visual-media-sources/10673)

okay, and so we need a “HDMI (4K)-audio-extractor” (see other post before->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2477(i originally wanted this extractor for the “I2S-line”, see at the bottom)

there are a ot of them around, beginning at 20$ (up to 60$ or more)(this for example)->https://www.lindy.de/HDMI-4K-Audio-Extractor.htm?websale8=ld0101&pi=38167

very important seems also the “ARC”-function + EDID-support/settings (will post maybe then more about it)..

obviously its better to buy directly a HDMI-extractor with I2S output to “bypass” the spdif-conversion (and as we know “our” early chinese ES9038Q2M-boards had not such a good “coax/toslink/spdif-line” (the first onboard spdif-receiver-chips were not soo good (hashtag #SRC4192/AK4113/4118) ->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2211 ->”..First, on the new, blue SMPCB they use some „DS9281“ for „better coaxial conversion, less jitter, less „lock“-“problems, „better coaxial line..”)->

(50$/37$ Aliexpress->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005001265826217.html ;https://de.aliexpress.com/item/33031920347.html , same one from audiophonics (66€)->LINK))

i guess i´ll start with a “cheap” one from aliexpress (Link is coming..) ..

(“Lusya”-Aliexpress (27$)->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/33029578710.html)

many greets for now !! 😉

Review: Sanskrit SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK.II / absolutely “bad”, not for “hi-fi-enthusiasts”

so, 😉

got today the “SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK.II” (from Amazon) in red and the first thing to remark is that the case/DAC is absolutely small; absolutely smaller than you might expect..

second: had trouble in detecting it via USB under Windows 10..installed the original smsl(xmos)-driver (Thesycon), tried all different USB-ports, restart etc, no success..

connected then a blurayplayer via coax->suddenly the DAC via USB was detected..

third: the tone !!

generally speaking: absolutely nothing..absolutely no push/aggressiveness, no particular soundstage, no “3D”, no “airy”, brilliance, nothing, absolutely “flat”..

okay, for “normal” PC-soundcard-user its maybe an upgrade, but for really sabre-hi-fi-enthusiasts absolutely NOT !!  

i would say, from the overall tone-quality its in the ES9018/28Q2M-range, almost so bad like the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic-100 for example, the Xduoo-Link (portable) sounds almost better..(btw.just saw the Cambridge Dac Magic 200M uses also ESS Sabre-chips; the “100” used Burr-Brown, no 3D,soundstage,nothing)..

okay, so absolutely no comparison to an ES9038Q2M (not to speak of an ES9038Pro for example)->“worlds/”lightyears” between them (also i got the feel that the AKM4493 is not soo bad as Sanskrit has it implemented in this “Sanskrit 10th Anniversary MK.II”)

so, great/final conclusion:

buy the SMSL Sanskrit 10th Anniversary MK.II

“ABSOLUTELY NOT” !! 

absolut no recommendation; if u would buy a cheap chinese ES9038Q2M (for only 35$)  you will have an absolutely better tone/sound !!

AKM vs. ES-Sabre:

i really miss this “spectacular” 3D, soundstage,”airy”, aggressiveness/push from the ESS-Sabre-chips..no comparison, ESS-SabreChips are laps/”worlds” ahead !!

so, the other possibilty in this price-range would be the Topping D10S, one ES9038Q2M in it (the D50S for example is a dual-ES9038Q2Ms-build), but it has only an usb-input, no coax/toslink/no remote..

so, todays conclusion for me is to safe money and buy a Topping D50S (with this dual ES9038Q2M)..(obviously it would be better buying some DAC with an ES9038Pro or similar, but this also costs a lot more..) 

greets for now !  (was a tough/interesting afternoon ! 😉 )

Audirvana for windows: no comparison to a pi/i2s/es90xx-combo nor VLC-player nor CD-transporter solution

so, 😉

as i´m lately here full on “try-out” to play DSD/dsf/dff-files (easy handling at first !!) i came today  about “Audirvana” (for windows)..It has a very great reputation in the Apple-scene, and i read about it from time to time..

so, i just downloaded the windows-version (not easy to find, absolutely complicated on their website, have first to be registered and so on..) 

wanted to try it because of the DSD/dsf-files compability and okay, fine, you got a nice settings-menu with the capabilitys of your connected DACs->

(also interesting is that “our” great Skysong XMOS-USB-bridge (see other posts) has the capability of up 768khz/PCM and DSD256 (the “Leaf”-XMOS-USB-bridge (also other posts) for example goes only to 384khz/PCM, DSD128))

okay, tried the “Xduoo Link” (55$)->(http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2193) to play, finally !!, some dsf(DSD)-files under windows without any problems/hassle (like foobar2000 for example) and voilá, it works !! ;-)->

the UI of Audirvana is also okay (u get again another approach to your wonderful/great music library !!) but now the downside:

for me, absolutely NO hi-fi !!

the “normal” VLC-player (for windows) has a better “performance”( soundwise) IMO, not to speak about some brilliant raspberry-pi/i2s/es90xx-combo or CD-transporter-solutions..

absolutely too “muffled” and no “clear” presentation (its because of the PC-emi-things and thousand processes running in the background) against the short electronical circuits on a pi for example..so conclusion:

very nice UI, another approach to your great music-library, easy handling, u can play dsf(DSD)-files but soundwise absolutely no hi-fi..(because PC-based)..

but okay, very easy handling, no “pops” by changing/playing different sound-formats and u can play dsf-files..

so, more to come, (ordered some Sony Bluray-player with DSD over hdmi-capability and will post then more about it !!)

greets for now !! 😉

Task: with a cheap bluray/SACD-player over hdmi to I2S->ES9038Q2M

so, in short: 😉

idea is to buy a cheap bluray-player (Sony BDPS570 for example) with SACD-capability and then sending the DSD-information over hdmi to a hdmi -> I2S converter and then via I2S to an ES9038Q2M for example..(btw. absolutely “common practice” in the “hi-fi”-world).

we had such a hdmi-i2s-converter-discussion some time ago->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?s=hdmi..->

(and beware: there are lot of different hdmi->I2S sender/receiver-boards: ones are only for transmitting the I2S-signal between them and the other “extract” the audio-signals/I2S from the HDMI-stream ! (had made a new category”->”HDMI to I2S”; will explain it in a later post)

there are also complete “solutions” for that, and also i´ve read just now that u can burn your own SACDs with Nero for example..

(50$/37$ Aliexpress->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005001265826217.html ; https://de.aliexpress.com/item/33031920347.html )

i´m in the “gathering-information” state 😉 right now , will post then more about it,

greets for now 😉

Schiit Modi 3+/Multibit 99$ / Analog Devices AD5547

So folks, 😉

back to a little bit “Hi-Fi” again.. 😉

according to this list (interesting, have a look)->https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2021/05/15/the-best-dacs-servers-streamers-and-disc-spinners-buyers-guide-summer-2021/

the Schiit Modi 3+ (Multibit) should be the best in this price-range..(99$/249$)->(https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-1)

we had here THD-lists (“Sinad”) from audioscenereview->(https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-new-topping-d50s-dac.7914/) in which the Schiits were also in the top) 

question is now (because they use in 80% of their products “AKM-chips”) and as i always said and read again and again, these AKMs (“Velvet”-sound) were not so transparent + airy like our phenomenal ES-Sabre-chips..

so best would be to test one of them in comparison to some ES-Sabre-gear; we´ll see..

also interesting is that there is “a new player” in these DA-market->”Analog Devices“..I/we know that they had made very good DA-chips in the very beginning of this era + also have a very high “distinction” in the hi-fi-world in general..

The Schiit 3+ Multibit uses an Analog Devices “AD5547”->have to test them also against some sabre´s..

(it would be very nice, if someone can post his experiences with one of the Schiits oder ADs in the comment-section !!)

more to come, greets for now !! 😉

ESP32-CAM-MB USB Programmer / 2$ / esp32-mjpeg-multiclient-espcam-drivers

hi folks ! 😉

no worry, more “hi-fi” is coming in the next weeks but found today by chance this little thing->ESP32-CAM-MB USB Programmer !

should save the trouble in connecting the ESP32-cam-board via a ftdi-programmer (Essabre-Link here->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2269) and reset/uploading a sketch/put in flashing-mode..

u can get them everywhere on ebay or aliexpress for example->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005002265308564.html (guess 2$/6$ with ESP32Cam-board)

Nice tutorial in using it is again on “randomnerdtutorials.com/”->https://randomnerdtutorials.com/upload-code-esp32-cam-mb-usb/

and also nice tutorial again to install the Arduino-IDE + the esp32-packages->https://randomnerdtutorials.com/installing-the-esp32-board-in-arduino-ide-windows-instructions/


UPDATE: had problems in streaming with the “normal” “ESP32-cam-webserver”-.ino  in the Arduino-IDE examples-folder to more than 1 client->this library (rtos-based) should do the trick (up to 10 devices)->https://github.com/arkhipenko/esp32-mjpeg-multiclient-espcam-drivers

Full story here->https://www.hackster.io/anatoli-arkhipenko/multi-client-mjpeg-streaming-from-esp32-47768f


 

so, many greets for now and as said more “hi-fi” / ES90xx/Pro -things are coming again in the next weeks !! 😉 

Raspberry Pico is out !! 4$, 2xI2S, 2xSPI etc../ Twister OS for Pi4

hi there ;-),

found by chance that a new “Raspberry Pico !! ” is out/available..

Cost is about 4$, software is micro-phyton or C/C++, has USB1.1, Dualcore ARM cortex 133mhz, looks like an ESP32-alternative..

some more technical specs->

Mikrocontroller RP2040
• 2 MB QSPI Flash-Speicher,• 256 KB RAM,• 2x 20 I/O Pinleiste (30x GPIO-Pins 3,3V),• ADC 12-Bit 500ksps,• 2x UART / 2x I2C / 2x SPI / 16x PWM
• RTC / Timer mit 4 Alarmen,• Pinabstand: 2,54 mm
• Micro-USB 1.1 für Strom und Datenübertragung

u can get it for example here-> https://www.rasppishop.de/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-RP2040-ARM-Cortex-SBC

and here´s a tutorial how getting started->https://pico.raspberrypi.org/getting-started/

by that, i´ve “discovered” “TWISTER-OS !!“->absolutely super great (for RPI-4s)..

https://twisteros.com/

absolutely super nice + top usable, + absolutely sleeky look, it has tons of software pre-installed (Kodi,VLC-Player,Retro Pie,Steam-client etc..) and the great advantage is still the phenomenal sound (over USB to a xmos-bridge->I2S->ES9038Q2M) because of the short electronical circuits on the board (as mentioned in the article before), absolutely great and for the first time a real good OS for the Raspberry Pi-4 !! (its based on the normal Raspberry OS)

fantastic, give it a try !! 😉

another thing is that i´ve bought now a third pair of speaker (Mission 760i (not SE)) this time and will tell u then more very interesting facts on these Mission-lines (760,780)..wanted originally make a new subsite for it (/mission-speaker) for it..

by that a very interesting site is also this: https://www.hifiengine.com/

https://www.hifishark.com/ (link also in a widget on the right) is a very good adress for “used” hifi-gear (crawler), cause this is also a “hi-fi website” 😉 (or is intented to be 😉 )..

more to come “in this fashion”,

greets for now !! 😉

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