+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 36

Thread: The Pi bake off

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Join Date: Jan 2011

    Location: Bristol, UK

    Posts: 278
    I'm Stephen.

    Default The Pi bake off

    Hot footed it over to User211, Justin this afternoon with the just received Pi-Dac.

    Was great to be presented with an Apogee based system. Our musical tastes are similar which helped as well.

    Found it very fascinating to watch the way the panels vibrate both LF and HF ribbon in response to the music. Think the bass panel must be equivalent in size three 18" woofers. Then there is the scale of the presentation, so much detail and with such intensity. Justin applied a high pass filter through the playback software but in my view this cut off a fair amount of detail. The source was a laptop via USB to the Lampizator Level 7, a brand I had not come across before. A substantial DAC with valve stages. And Justin demonstrated how the character could be changed following a valve change.

    The valve power amps are obviously very capable to cope with the power hungry Apogee drivers. It was a high class sound that I could happily live with.

    Onto the Pi DAC competing with the Lampizator. Boy was it playing up again with the IP addresses etc. With two IT power users we could not get it to play across the network. Then went for plan B to try some music files on a USB stick. Success, we managed to play one. Then tried to add another to the play list and couldn't manage it. Yes the Lampizator came out on top but I think Justin was surprised at the quality of output on offer from the Pi DAC. Need to get some more hours on it now and think about power supply options.

    An enjoyable afternoon.

    Regards

    Stephen

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Proof it really happened:





    Actually I wasn't surprised at the quality of the Pi-Q as I decided a while ago Marco has a good pair of ears

    We didn't get to hear much on the Pi-Q really as we spent so much time messing around with network configs, wondering why it stopped working when it seemed fine etc.

    Comparing the Pi-Q to the Lampizator is completely unfair WRT price, and in comparison the Pi-Q offers quite a different presentation. It is relatively 2D and the sound seemed to stay in the same plane as the speakers. That said the sound was good I thought - clean, no obvious issues, enjoyable, detailed. The Lampi 7 sounds like more signal is getting through to the speakers even at similar volume levels but I really noticed this trait when comparing the level 7 to the level 4, so it seems to be a particular trait of the 7, which also excels with it's spatial presentation (3Dness).

    As most people know a good 3D presentation is typical of valve output stage DACs, and I'd like to hear the Pi-Q running through a cheap Chi-Fi valve buffer (maybe a foo'd one with some quality replacement parts would be interesting) just to see what could be achieved in that area.

    That said for £70 the Pi-Q is a bargain. I think it is only really for people who don't mind messing around with computers, though. Exploring all its capabilities may prove to be time consuming and frustrating, but some will enjoy the challenge I am sure. If your that type, buy one.

    Oh Steve that track with the mega-bass - Boral Kibil - Wake Up. After you left I cranked it to see how far it would go and I was surprised how much further it did go without issues. I stood in front of the bass panel and looked down and I haven't seen bass panel excursion that marked before. They were literally going crazy.

    I'm glad you enjoyed the Apogees, Steve. Intense is the right word they aren't an easy listening speaker. They are a "sit there in awe" speaker. For easy background listening they most definitely are not.

    BTW I believe the bass panels are broadly equivalent to three 12 inch woofers per speaker, not 3 18 inch ones.

    Plan is to play with the Pi-Q a bit more round at Steve's in the near future. Steve has some very nice kit so I'm keen to hear it
    Last edited by User211; 09-05-2015 at 16:41. Reason: Boral not Borat

  3. #3
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: North East

    Posts: 3,670
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Not for me i'm afraid. I heard one a few weeks back and it didn't impress me at all.
    Quote Originally Posted by User211 View Post
    Proof it really happened:





    Actually I wasn't surprised at the quality of the Pi-Q as I decided a while ago Marco has a good pair of ears

    We didn't get to hear much on the Pi-Q really as we spent so much time messing around with network configs, wondering why it stopped working when it seemed fine etc.

    Comparing the Pi-Q to the Lampizator is completely unfair WRT price, and in comparison the Pi-Q offers quite a different presentation. It is relatively 2D and the sound seemed to stay in the same plane as the speakers. That said the sound was good I thought - clean, no obvious issues, enjoyable, detailed. The Lampi 7 sounds like more signal is getting through to the speakers even at similar volume levels but I really noticed this trait when comparing the level 7 to the level 4, so it seems to be a particular trait of the 7, which also excels with it's spatial presentation (3Dness).

    As most people know a good 3D presentation is typical of valve output stage DACs, and I'd like to hear the Pi-Q running through a cheap Chi-Fi valve buffer (maybe a foo'd one with some quality replacement parts would be interesting) just to see what could be achieved in that area.

    That said for £70 the Pi-Q is a bargain. I think it is only really for people who don't mind messing around with computers, though. Exploring all its capabilities may prove to be time consuming and frustrating, but some will enjoy the challenge I am sure. If your that type, buy one.

    Oh Steve that track with the mega-bass - Boral Kibil - Wake Up. After you left I cranked it to see how far it would go and I was surprised how much further it did go without issues. I stood in front of the bass panel and looked down and I haven't seen bass panel excursion that marked before. They were literally going crazy.

    I'm glad you enjoyed the Apogees, Steve. Intense is the right word they aren't an easy listening speaker. They are a "sit there in awe" speaker. For easy background listening they most definitely are not.

    BTW I believe the bass panels are broadly equivalent to three 12 inch woofers per speaker, not 3 18 inch ones.

    Plan is to play with the Pi-Q a bit more round at Steve's in the near future. Steve has some very nice kit so I'm keen to hear it

  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Down South

    Posts: 2,413
    I'm Neal.

    Default

    I think we should be a bit more cautious before dismissing the RPi and DAC completley, there are quite a few s/w settings that can alter the sound presentation quite dramatically and without knowing what settings where used its very difficult to make comparisons.
    Listening in a Foo free Zone...

    Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by User211 View Post
    Proof it really happened:





    Actually I wasn't surprised at the quality of the Pi-Q as I decided a while ago Marco has a good pair of ears

    We didn't get to hear much on the Pi-Q really as we spent so much time messing around with network configs, wondering why it stopped working when it seemed fine etc.

    Comparing the Pi-Q to the Lampizator is completely unfair WRT price, and in comparison the Pi-Q offers quite a different presentation. It is relatively 2D and the sound seemed to stay in the same plane as the speakers. That said the sound was good I thought - clean, no obvious issues, enjoyable, detailed. The Lampi 7 sounds like more signal is getting through to the speakers even at similar volume levels but I really noticed this trait when comparing the level 7 to the level 4, so it seems to be a particular trait of the 7, which also excels with it's spatial presentation (3Dness).

    As most people know a good 3D presentation is typical of valve output stage DACs, and I'd like to hear the Pi-Q running through a cheap Chi-Fi valve buffer (maybe a foo'd one with some quality replacement parts would be interesting) just to see what could be achieved in that area.

    That said for £70 the Pi-Q is a bargain. I think it is only really for people who don't mind messing around with computers, though. Exploring all its capabilities may prove to be time consuming and frustrating, but some will enjoy the challenge I am sure. If your that type, buy one.

    Oh Steve that track with the mega-bass - Boral Kibil - Wake Up. After you left I cranked it to see how far it would go and I was surprised how much further it did go without issues. I stood in front of the bass panel and looked down and I haven't seen bass panel excursion that marked before. They were literally going crazy.

    I'm glad you enjoyed the Apogees, Steve. Intense is the right word they aren't an easy listening speaker. They are a "sit there in awe" speaker. For easy background listening they most definitely are not.

    BTW I believe the bass panels are broadly equivalent to three 12 inch woofers per speaker, not 3 18 inch ones.

    Plan is to play with the Pi-Q a bit more round at Steve's in the near future. Steve has some very nice kit so I'm keen to hear it
    Been connecting up my uber mf buffer to the rpi iqdac combo but not overly expecting too much change tbh....slight misjudgement there
    have to say it has done even more to the pi than its done to the cd player when connected.
    A worthwhlie roll on the floor and shooting pains. think I can safely say its staying this way for a while. Better depth to the sound especially behind ..there feels like its more layered if that makes any sense. of course its a better than average buffer so cannot say what a chinese one would do for it. I had a yawin buffer but it was no match for this one..
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Yeah that is what it needs Grant - a bit of 3Dness

    TBH I used to use a cheap chi-fi headphone amp which you can pick up on ebay for peanuts as a tube preamp. Decked out with a Tesla E88CC it sounded great driving a Behringer A500. Well, great is probably exaggerating but I preferred it to a straight A500.

    Add extra circuitry - get a better sound. Ridiculous really but there it is. It may not always work but those headphone amps are a great stand it for a proper tube preamp when funds allow. Assuming your (not you Grant, I mean in general) ebay one sounds like mine did which is a tough call as there are now so many different ones on ebay it is pot luck if you get a good sounding one I guess.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by User211 View Post
    Yeah that is what it needs Grant - a bit of 3Dness

    TBH I used to use a cheap chi-fi headphone amp which you can pick up on ebay for peanuts as a tube preamp. Decked out with a Tesla E88CC it sounded great driving a Behringer A500. Well, great is probably exaggerating but I preferred it to a straight A500.

    Add extra circuitry - get a better sound. Ridiculous really but there it is. It may not always work but those headphone amps are a great stand it for a proper tube preamp when funds allow. Assuming your (not you Grant, I mean in general) ebay one sounds like mine did which is a tough call as there are now so many different ones on ebay it is pot luck if you get a good sounding one I guess.
    Yeh the Chinese one was ok and with, as you say a better valve it was good. The M F one I have now is a different kettle of fish and does a very good job; but as you say you pays for it like most things in life.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    On the way back from London, stopped off at Cyclopse's place. Pretty cool system - see what I mean...

    Nagra VPAs




  9. #9
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Dual mono Whest phono stage



    Modwright LS36.5 pre with SoundBlaster E5 headphone amp (mine - to compare with the Pi-Q).



    Nagra CD transport


  10. #10
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    I thought I'd bring the Soundblaster E5 round to compare it briefly with the Pi-Q. We connected the SoundBlaster E5 (which has a line out socket) into the Modwright 36.5 and I drove the E5 via A2DP Bluetooth using downloaded lossless TIDAL tracks from the mobile phone (this is the setup I use in my car - connected to the AUX input of the stereo system). We compared it to the Pi-Q on a few tracks.

    After doing so I asked Steve what he thought. He was off axis, but said basically what I thought i.e. the Pi-Q had more drive to the sound than the E5. He thought the E5 maybe had more detail. I'm not so sure about that - on axis I thought the E5 displayed a more spacious 3D soundstage and definitely lacked the drive of the Pi-Q.

    So that is two systems in which I found the Pi-Q to be relatively 2D soundstage wise compared to other digital sources.

    At the end of the day I'd rather listen to the Pi-Q to the E5, because the E5 doesn't have the balls to do really well on more dynamic sounding music.

    This Pi-Q was being fed via a £500 power supply whilst the E5 was running of its battery so it didn't disgrace itself for what is a cheap unit really.

    Anyway, onto Steve's system... which I'll post about later.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •