lap top v raspberry pi

[Sherwood]

... and just to add, it took me 15 minutes to download, install and start up Volumio. I agree that some of the earlier interfaces for the Pi had a steep learning curve and were a little flaky. The learning curve for Volumio is hardly steep and it is the curve for a molehill not a mountain.

I would not know a line of Unix code if it was put before me and I never had to enter a single command line to get Volumio working.

Finally, I use the Pi/Digione because that gives me the best sound quality compared to other devices I have (e.g. a Cambridge CXN) or those I have auditioned.

Geoff

[montesquieu]

I'm sorry but once again you are just plain wrong on this. Please see the specs for this board and refer to the section on compatibility. I have this device and speak from first hand experience of both pc/mac solutions and pi solutions.

https://allo.com/sparky/digione.html

Geoff

Oh yes, the bloke who though an RPi was always and everywhere better than a Mac because of this magic board, which could never never never be beaten ever ever.

Based on one duff dealer demo a few years back where a Mac didn't sound very good.

[Sherwood]

Oh yes, the bloke who though an RPi was always and everywhere better than a Mac because of this magic board, which could never never never be beaten ever ever.

Based on one duff dealer demo a few years back where a Mac didn't sound very good.

Yes this is George. I see that you persist in insisting that the demo I had was a duff demo even though you were not there and that rather than apologise for the many errors and false assumptions that you made and I have since corrected, you persist in making demonstrably false claims. The demo you refer to started with a Mac front end and fed a high quality Benchmark DAC, MacIntosh Amplification and Magneplanar 3.7s. Hardly a dodgy system and yet it sounded nothing until the Mac front end was replaced with a CDP. Even the demonstrator conceded the improvement but admitted that the Mac was more convenient as a demo system.

Are you saying that the Digione does not have galvanic isolation or (double) reclocking or standing by your claim.

Frankly, you are beginning to sound a little irrational buy making aggressive and belittling remarks rather than accepting that you have made numerous mis-statements and rejecting my assessment based on my personal experience. Finally, I never said that the RPi and its boards could never ever be beaten. That would be ridiculous and untrue.

Geoff

[montesquieu]

Yes this is George. I see that you persist in insisting that the demo I had was a duff demo even though you were not there and that rather than apologise for the many errors and false assumptions that you made and I have since corrected, you persist in making demonstrably false claims. The demo you refer to started with a Mac front end and fed a high quality Benchmark DAC, MacIntosh Amplification and Magneplanar 3.7s. Hardly a dodgy system and yet it sounded nothing until the Mac front end was replaced with a CDP. Even the demonstrator conceded the improvement but admitted that the Mac was more convenient as a demo system.

Are you saying that the Digione does not have galvanic isolation or (double) reclocking or standing by your claim.

Frankly, you are beginning to sound a little irrational buy making aggressive and belittling remarks rather than accepting that you have made numerous mis-statements and rejecting my assessment based on my personal experience. Finally, I never said that the RPi and its boards could never ever be beaten. That would be ridiculous and untrue.

Geoff

You keep insist on puffing this board and dissing Mac-based approaches on the back of what I'm sure was a bad demo, but is hardly the only story in town.

I'm sure this board is good, indeed it may be very good but your approach in previous posts has been to insist that it's always and everywhere better than a Mac. That's nonsense. I've never insisted that a Mac couldn't be beaten. But I don't either accept this board's web site claims to be the best transport on the planet. There's far too much hyperbole (perhaps the word bollocks is more appropriate) both on hifi web site and also, in people justifying the kit they own on forums.

At the end of the day the Pi remains a cheaply mass manufactured, utterly basic computing device, and building anything on such a shaky foundation, while it may be fun and appeal to the sound per pound instinct, is not the route to the ultimate anything.

[Sherwood]

You keep insist on puffing this board and dissing Mac-based approaches on the back of what I'm sure was a bad demo, but is hardly the only story in town.

I'm sure this board is good, indeed it may be very good but your approach in previous posts has been to insist that it's always and everywhere better than a Mac. That's nonsense. I've never insisted that a Mac couldn't be beaten. But I don't either accept this board's web site claims to be the best transport on the planet. There's far too much hyperbole (perhaps the word bollocks is more appropriate) both on hifi web site and also, in people justifying the kit they own on forums.

At the end of the day the Pi remains a cheaply mass manufactured, utterly basic computing device, and building anything on such a shaky foundation, while it may be fun and appeal to the sound per pound instinct, is not the route to the ultimate anything.

You have not addressed my points and ignored my clarifications and I realise now you will not concede your previous mis-statements. This will be my final post on the subject as I refuse to reply in kind to your escalating rudeness.

I have heard more than one Mac based system. I am not saying that the Mac cannot sound good. What I am saying, though you refuse to hear it, is that on the times I have heard such systems they have not impressed and have been bettered when a decent CDP is substituted.

As an economist, yes, performance to price is something I aspire to, as evidently many others on this forum do too. I am sure that for many the idea of running an audio system with an expensive pc is a non-starter.

I will not talk about Rpi front ends in general as there are many designs and they vary in quality. However, I stand by my assertion that the Digione board offers an extremely high performance/price ratio. Yes, the Rpi is a basic mass produced computer, but it has sufficient processing power for the task. I am sorry if it is too mass market for you but I judge it on its performance, not its aesthetic appeal. Can it be bettered? Of course, but only by spending considerably more in my opinion. Was it better than the Mac systems I heard? Absolutely! The US demo I heard, in November 2016 by the way, allowed me to play numerous tracks that i am very familiar with. With the Mac front end, I found it difficult to follow fine detail and nuances. You may attribute that to the ancillary equipment, but the performance improved markedly when the Mac was replaced by a CPD player. I only bought the Digione about 4 months ago, but immediately I was aware of a level of clarity that I have only heard previously on some very expensive systems. I am sure that that better and faster Pi type pcs will be developed and I am equally sure that better spdif and dac boards will be developed too. Are they for everyone? Clearly not, but even now they provide a level of performance that would have cost ten or twenty times the price only a few years ago.

Geoff

[Edward]

Well I've never used a pi or a mac as an audio device only Windows devices and I hereby assert that Windows is the bestest platform for audio playback. So there.

Seriously though if using Windows (as Tony the OP of this thread is I assume on his Acer) than make sure you are using the correct sound drivers. Ideally ASIO or if not available for your DAC then Wasapi. I've found this makes a very useful improvement - that and ensuring there is good isolation (galvanic or whatever). Most decent DACs these days have isolation (as well as being the Master clock via Asynchronous USB). So, to Tony, I'd say you have a fine setup as is - just check you are using correct drivers and perhaps double check that your TQ Claymore DAC is up to spec. I'm sure it is, but Colin should be able to confirm.

Most decent audio playback software (e.g. JRiver, Roon) will allow you connect to the correct software device (e.g. ASIO, Wasapi).

[Simon_LDT]

I'm baffled that so many seem to find the RaspberryPi's difficult/fussy to use and/or setup. There is no need at all to have any knowledge of coding as there are numerous choices of software out there which do the job for you (Moode, Volumio, Roon, etc). The step by step guides are simple to follow and there are a lot of support and discussions out there on various forums if you do have trouble.

[montesquieu]

I'm baffled that so many seem to find the RaspberryPi's difficult/fussy to use and/or setup. There is no need at all to have any knowledge of coding as there are numerous choices of software out there which do the job for you (Moode, Volumio, Roon, etc). The step by step guides are simple to follow and there are a lot of support and discussions out there on various forums if you do have trouble.

Not ‘difficult’ just an unnecessary faff compared to MacBook plug and go, plus the UI feels cheap and nasty. (People who use Macs often care about these things - for people who don’t, there’s Windows or even -yikes - Android).

[Simon_LDT]

It's not exactly a faff though to get going. It literally takes about 10-15 min to download the software and Flash the SD card (and the majority of that time is waiting for the card to flash - it does it all for you). I think some people see (read) about many Pi users tinkering in the back coding and modding all sorts but those are people that enjoy tinkering hence why they do it. It's not needed though as these programs are mostly already built to be ''audiophile'' and cater to get the best sound possible from it.

[montesquieu]

It's not exactly a faff though to get going. It literally takes about 10-15 min to download the software and Flash the SD card (and the majority of that time is waiting for the card to flash - it does it all for you). I think some people see (read) about many Pi users tinkering in the back coding and modding all sorts but those are people that enjoy tinkering hence why they do it. It's not needed though as these programs are mostly already built to be ''audiophile'' and cater to get the best sound possible from it.

20 years working for software companies and it seemed like a faff to me. Of course if you enjoy the faff and get some enjoyment out of it, that’s fine.