So, today I finally managed, with lots of instruction by Mikeyb, (thanks for the loan!) to connect a Raspberry pi to my system, install some music files on a usb flash drive and listen to the result.*

I have to say, I am totally dumbstruck.*

I've resisted the lure of these Pi's mainly due to my lack of understanding and in part because I was highly dubious about how well it could actually perform.*

I am regretting not trying one earlier.*

Ok, I probably would have made it through the install and possibly made it work but it was a lot easier with a guide. I am pretty sure that any reasonable person can do this with the help of a couple of YouTube vids. So if it's holding you back from trying it, bite the bullet.*

On to the spec.*

This is a Pi 2 I believe, with Allo Boss DAC hat. I haven't heard anything else from any Pi related companies so I'll just judge it on its own merits.*

The sound is really very very good. Better than any CD player I've had for sure. Soundstage is massive. And I mean "rivaling the vinyl" massive. It's abundantly detailed and yet sufferers no glare or harshness whatsoever. It's has Excellent fluidity and the music flows as it should. Vocals sound excellent too. Human like rather than organic, but I did forget on numerous occasions that I was listening to the pi and not the vinyl.*

Bass is tight and intrinsically displayed. Finger slides, feet buzz and the snappy hits of the strings, ring through and the texture really is impressive.*

The highs float across my room like waves of light catching the dust in the air and the filigree catches your attention.*

It's the mids that hold the magic though. Lots of tone and timbre. It really is very good.*

Performer placement is not as precise as the Vinyl or the Sony CDP for that matter, however, this is a minor issue and certainly not something id write it off for. It not smeared either just not as easy to pick people out. I'd put this down to not imaging as well as the analogue rig.*

The only other minor niggle is that cybals on occasion seem to escape the control and lose a bit of tone. Sometimes they sound a little splashy. Not always, just now and again. Not majorly splashy, just not as wholesome as vinyl. I may be a little harsh on that point but I thought it so I wrote it. It's also entirely plausible that it's the recording and not the Pi*

Would I buy a Raspberry pi and have it installed in my system?

Definitely.*

I never ever thought I'd invest in digital but this has really opened my eyes. It's not Vinyl, it's different. Not worse either, just a different approach to music replay that actually still sounded like a believable performance. Not mechanical, not artificial just music.*

Total price of the package I have here is about £80. That is just ridiculous for what I am hearing.*

A linear PSU will set you back and extra £50ish and I suspect it may be worth going that extra step.*

I am now reading about isolator boards which galvanically isolates the DAC from the pi. This could be a major play in SQ and at £150 for the board (from Allo), it's starting to get into dedicated DAC territory.*

Will I venture into that with the Pi?

Its a possibility.