Allo DigiOne Signature

[Jimbo]

Anyone out there using the Aloo DigiOne Signature yet with battery power supply?

[SteveW]

Don’t know if you’ve seen this... but notice especially the bit about the battery adapter!!

Cheers Steve

https://youtu.be/tJIj0Acq99o

[Jimbo]

Thnaks Steve, yes i am aware of battery adapter - thanks

[killie99]

The battery thing looks very amateurish. At the very least it should be one of the little enclosed battery holders and it should come with a proper cable, with a usb C connector, not some hokey cable adaptor.

[Sherwood]

I currently use an Allo Digione and I am very pleased with it. It was a lot more expensive than my previous Rpi HAT (a Hifiberry Digi+) but it was better.

I am a little bewildered by Allo's recent products and their pricing. Pre-launch reports got me very interested in the all in one Katana. However, the need for multiple power supplies and the mish mash of the 3 boards really put me off. The 3 board Katana really looks a mess when all the power supplies are attached.

More recently, the upgrade for my current Digione caught my eye: the Digione Signature. In fact, I responded to the Allo post on this forum looking for reviewers for the Signature. I did hear back from Allo, but it was to decline my offer on the basis that my system was not up to the task of evaluating the Signature. Whilst I disagree with this assessment of my system and the other equipment I have I really do think that Allo don't understand their market and the type of systems that potential buyers are likely to have. The early Allo products were relatively affordable, although still more expensive than the competition. The latest products, the Katana (with Isolator) and Digione Signature are considerably more expensive at around $400 with basic case, and before purchasing the extra power supplies advocated by Allo. I find it difficult to understand how the price of the Signature has jumped s much from the basic model. I would also suggest that at this price level, users are likely to be less forgiving of aesthetic shortcomings and less willing to put up with messy wiring arrangements.

I am sure the Signature is a worthwhile upgrade but I wonder how many members on this forum will be tempted to give it a try at the market price. I think Allo how lost sight of who their market is!

Geoff

[Jimbo]

I currently use an Allo Digione and I am very pleased with it. It was a lot more expensive than my previous Rpi HAT (a Hifiberry Digi+) but it was better.

I am a little bewildered by Allo's recent products and their pricing. Pre-launch reports got me very interested in the all in one Katana. However, the need for multiple power supplies and the mish mash of the 3 boards really put me off. The 3 board Katana really looks a mess when all the power supplies are attached.

More recently, the upgrade for my current Digione caught my eye: the Digione Signature. In fact, I responded to the Allo post on this forum looking for reviewers for the Signature. I did hear back from Allo, but it was to decline my offer on the basis that my system was not up to the task of evaluating the Signature. Whilst I disagree with this assessment of my system and the other equipment I have I really do think that Allo don't understand their market and the type of systems that potential buyers are likely to have. The early Allo products were relatively affordable, although still more expensive than the competition. The latest products, the Katana (with Isolator) and Digione Signature are considerably more expensive at around $400 with basic case, and before purchasing the extra power supplies advocated by Allo. I find it difficult to understand how the price of the Signature has jumped s much from the basic model. I would also suggest that at this price level, users are likely to be less forgiving of aesthetic shortcomings and less willing to put up with messy wiring arrangements.

I am sure the Signature is a worthwhile upgrade but I wonder how many members on this forum will be tempted to give it a try at the market price. I think Allo how lost sight of who their market is!

Geoff

This might answer some of your questions Geoff including the two power supplies.

https://darko.audio/2018/11/a-short-film-about-the-allo-digione-signature/

[Sherwood]

This might answer some of your questions Geoff including the two power supplies.

https://darko.audio/2018/11/a-short-film-about-the-allo-digione-signature/


I understand the design principles and the separation of clean and dirty power supplies. What I am suggesting is that Allo could offer a solution, as others have done, whereby the Rpi is placed in a properly designed case with built in (preferably linear) power supplies, and with all connections on one side of the case (i.e. the rear of the case). The stacking of 3 boards as in the case of the Katana may be cheap for Allo, but it is not elegant and necessitates very messy cabling.

Frankly, their dodgy battery pack should be withdrawn from market. For the price of the Katana and Signature this is just not good enough.

Geoff

[Jimbo]

I understand the design principles and the separation of clean and dirty power supplies. What I am suggesting is that Allo could offer a solution, as others have done, whereby the Rpi is placed in a properly designed case with built in (preferably linear) power supplies, and with all connections on one side of the case (i.e. the rear of the case). The stacking of 3 boards as in the case of the Katana may be cheap for Allo, but it is not elegant and necessitates very messy cabling.

Frankly, their dodgy battery pack should be withdrawn from market. For the price of the Katana and Signature this is just not good enough.

Geoff

Does look like a complicated set up and I agree could be executed much more elegantly than the hodge podge effort currently on offer. Maybe its cheaper to produce it that way?

[Sherwood]

Does look like a complicated set up and I agree could be executed much more elegantly than the hodge podge effort currently on offer. Maybe its cheaper to produce it that way?

That's one of the points I am making. A Signature player costs $400 of which less than $100 are accounted for by the case, Rpi, SD card, power supply etc. I would say $300 is a lot for 2 small PC boards which is all Allo have to supply. For this price I think they should be looking to supply a proper case in which the Rpi is a plug in component rather than just stacking boards on top of each other. Frankly, I cannot see where that $300 plus goes!

[killie99]

I use an Audiophonics RaspTouch case with my DigiOne and the new DigiOne Signature won't fit in it due to the USB c connectors. In fact, I doubt the Signature will fit any of the existing cases for the DigiOne so it's pretty much not an option for me as I'd need to junk the whole setup.
A more sensible thing for Allo to do would be to put headers on the board to allow power to be connected but maybe they've made a conscious effort not to fit headers to 'up sell' a case for the Signature. If the Signature would have fitted in the RaspTouch case I'd have one in a flash, as it is the options are a pretty dismal plastic case with a gaggle of cables so no thanks.
I agree with Geoff, the pricing of Allo's new products moves them away from the geeky diy'ers who are happy to have cables going all over the place but they'll struggle to attract people in the $400 plus market due to their Heath Robinson offerings.
Is the new Signature version better than my DigiOne with homemade LPS? Possibly, but I'm not spending the thick end of $400 to find out.

[Sherwood]

I use an Audiophonics RaspTouch case with my DigiOne and the new DigiOne Signature won't fit in it due to the USB c connectors. In fact, I doubt the Signature will fit any of the existing cases for the DigiOne so it's pretty much not an option for me as I'd need to junk the whole setup.
A more sensible thing for Allo to do would be to put headers on the board to allow power to be connected but maybe they've made a conscious effort not to fit headers to 'up sell' a case for the Signature. If the Signature would have fitted in the RaspTouch case I'd have one in a flash, as it is the options are a pretty dismal plastic case with a gaggle of cables so no thanks.
I agree with Geoff, the pricing of Allo's new products moves them away from the geeky diy'ers who are happy to have cables going all over the place but they'll struggle to attract people in the $400 plus market due to their Heath Robinson offerings.
Is the new Signature version better than my DigiOne with homemade LPS? Possibly, but I'm not spending the thick end of $400 to find out.

That's very much my thinking. I do not doubt that the Signature is an upgrade on the already excellent Digione. However, I think Allo have overpriced the Signature and failed to address aesthetic and ergonomic issues which become more of an issue at this price point!

[Qwin]

I currently use an Allo Digione and I am very pleased with it. It was a lot more expensive than my previous Rpi HAT (a Hifiberry Digi+) but it was better.

I am a little bewildered by Allo's recent products and their pricing. Pre-launch reports got me very interested in the all in one Katana. However, the need for multiple power supplies and the mish mash of the 3 boards really put me off. The 3 board Katana really looks a mess when all the power supplies are attached.

More recently, the upgrade for my current Digione caught my eye: the Digione Signature. In fact, I responded to the Allo post on this forum looking for reviewers for the Signature. I did hear back from Allo, but it was to decline my offer on the basis that my system was not up to the task of evaluating the Signature. Whilst I disagree with this assessment of my system and the other equipment I have I really do think that Allo don't understand their market and the type of systems that potential buyers are likely to have. The early Allo products were relatively affordable, although still more expensive than the competition. The latest products, the Katana (with Isolator) and Digione Signature are considerably more expensive at around $400 with basic case, and before purchasing the extra power supplies advocated by Allo. I find it difficult to understand how the price of the Signature has jumped s much from the basic model. I would also suggest that at this price level, users are likely to be less forgiving of aesthetic shortcomings and less willing to put up with messy wiring arrangements.

I am sure the Signature is a worthwhile upgrade but I wonder how many members on this forum will be tempted to give it a try at the market price. I think Allo how lost sight of who their market is!

Geoff

You power some of the boards, like the SBC through the Kali board/supply so not as many supplies as you think.