View Full Version : A Mini Digital Bake Off (digione v usb audio)
Pepperamip
12-02-2019, 09:09
My brother came over last night and with him brought a kindle fire loaded with usb audio player and an otg usb cable to go between the tablet and my caiman seg.
My digital set up right now is using BubbleuPnP to play tidal through Volumio on my rpi/digione.
He was pretty confident it would outdo the digione as i am only currently getting 44.1khz due to rpi/volumio limitations (need to decide which piece of hardware im going to use to run Audirvarna on but i will save that conversation for another day. It will at the very least be trialled at some point)
We loaded up some familiar tracks on both devices and did some back to back tests flicking the input of the seg from usb to coaxial and back again.
It was very close run thing at first i think we both needed to get into the comparing frame of mind but we soon came to the conclusion that digione seemed to have a deeper and wider soundstage. Seperation was more apparent through the digione and it just seemed more textured and 3 dimensional if that makes sense. Bass seemed more controlled too and possibly a little deeper. The differences were by no means night and day but it was there and obvious.
Got a bit worried there for a minute thought my digione was about to be undone by a cheap player with a clever android app. The digione is staying for now!
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Surprised the Kindle set up came close to be honest.
Sherwood
12-02-2019, 10:19
Surprised the Kindle set up came close to be honest.
I don't think you have set up your RPi/Digione correctly. It is capable of superb performance and should blow the Kindle away.
Geoff
Pepperamip
12-02-2019, 11:57
Geoff i think youve got used to using av with the digione if you pull that and use it up against a usb player with the usb playing 96kh and the digione playing 44.1 its not as massive a difference as you might think.
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Sherwood
12-02-2019, 12:08
Geoff i think youve got used to using av with the digione if you pull that and use it up against a usb player with the usb playing 96kh and the digione playing 44.1 its not as massive a difference as you might think.
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Paul,
it is true that AV further improves on the RPI/Digione performance but I ran the latter without AV for about 16 months. Even without AV the Digione sounds very smooth and detailed with an extremely low "noise floor". It was a big improvement on my previous set up (Hifiberry DIGI+) which was already very good.
Geoff
Pepperamip
12-02-2019, 13:51
Geoff i agree, as the night wore on the differences became more apparent and for me the initial assessment of it being fairly close definately changed and not just for odd track.
It was an easy test to set up just helps to confirm Im on the right track and not all things digital are equal.
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I'd be interested to see/hear the results of a test between rpi/digione and google chromecast audio (both using Tidal)
Sherwood
13-02-2019, 14:19
I'd be interested to see/hear the results of a test between rpi/digione and google chromecast audio (both using Tidal)
I have both (2 Chromecasts in fact) and a Premium Tidal subscription. The Chromecast is very good (using the optical out connection) and amazing vfm. However, it falls far short of the Rpi/Digione.
This is true in terms of every aspect of performance.
Geoff
I have both (2 Chromecasts in fact) and a Premium Tidal subscription. The Chromecast is very good (using the optical out connection) and amazing vfm. However, it falls far short of the Rpi/Digione.
This is true in terms of every aspect of performance.
GeoffI was unimpressed with the rpi even when using lossless files but I think could be due to the DAC I have for it: Kuman PIFI Digi DAC+ HIFI DAC Audio Sound Card Module I2S interface for Raspberry pi 3 2 Model B B+ Digital Audio Card Pinboard V2.0 Board SC08 (SC07+Acrylic Case) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DD94DL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Y-czCbWD70JDQ
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tis a digi board not a dac. what dit you put it into?
tis a digi board not a dac. what dit you put it into?My bad yeah, I knew all I needed was an optical port to make it work so dipping my toe in the water I landed on that one.
The rpi and the board, that was it.
Help me up my game haha
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lots of digi boards, with different drivers; some work with base ones some need a specific one. . the dac its going into may or may not hold it back i dont know. i was using an iq audio board originally. you could also buy a dac board rather than a digi bord and output it into a line level on the amp. That way you bypass your dac. Ive got one of those too, and it works very well.
lots of digi boards, with different drivers; some work with base ones some need a specific one. . the dac its going into may or may not hold it back i dont know. i was using an iq audio board originally. you could also buy a dac board rather than a digi bord and output it into a line level on the amp. That way you bypass your dac. Ive got one of those too, and it works very well.Options would be:
digiboard > optical > SEG > Capella
Vs
rpi/board+DAC > line > Capella
Can't really imagine the latter would be better sounding (if all else being equal)
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not saying it will be, just different, but an rpi should be wooing you rather than the opposite. Something is odd.:)
not saying it will be, just different, but an rpi should be wooing you rather than the opposite. Something is odd.:)All the quality is there but I think it might have been a little bright for my ears, something was just off I thought. Hard to place tbh. I still have it so probably plum it in over the weekend and give it another go.
It's having to compete with a set up I've used for so long and I'm comfortable with
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Power supplies make quite a difference for both RPi and DigiOne, are you using a standard SMPS?
Power supplies make quite a difference for both RPi and DigiOne, are you using a standard SMPS?I wasn't, I was powering it with a powerbank. Powerbank was showing the right output too (w, v etc)
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worth trying a wallwart as well just in case. 2.5 amp
worth trying a wallwart as well just in case. 2.5 ampI have the rpi official one already. Bought it just incase the powerbank didn't work , haven't tried it yet though to see how it sounds
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I have found the DigiOne has to be used with the SEG "one flash" setting, otherwise it sounds to bright. I have CCA too. With an optical setting streaming FLAC it is pretty good considering but still way behind the Digione/SEG.
Pepperamip
13-02-2019, 23:16
Grant, how are you getting on with the digione, have you noticed any improvements over your previous hat?
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I have found the DigiOne has to be used with the SEG "one flash" setting, otherwise it sounds to bright. I have CCA too. With an optical setting streaming FLAC it is pretty good considering but still way behind the Digione/SEG.Can you explain the "one flash" setting?
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Stratmangler
14-02-2019, 09:45
Can you explain the "one flash" setting?
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http://www.beresford.me/S/home_htm_files/TC-7535_SEG-22_SEG-30.pdf
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