Raspberry Pi4

[mr sneff]

I'm currently using a Raspberry Pi 3 into a Beresford Caiman SEG DAC via USB. Is there anything to be gained sonically by upgraing to a Pi 4? If so, which model, 4GB, 8GB?

[Alp]

The RPI4 has a better USB and, if you underclock it, is pretty good. However, it is slower to reboot than the RPI3 with PCP, for reasons unknown to me.

Someone suggested the 8GB version sounds better if you are running LMS on it.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[mr sneff]

I'm running Volumio........
I wouln't know how to go about underclocking........... PCP - PiCorePlayer?

[Alp]

Yes, PCP is PiCorePLayer

You can also under-clock in Volumio on the RPI by editing the config.txt file on the SD-Card. There are details about it for the RPI3 on the Volumio thread on The Audio Standard (search for gpu). For the RPI3 it will go down to about 600MHz quite comfortably, with the RPI4, 1000MHz is OK. The only thing you have to remember is that when you upgrade to a new version of Volumio, you have to do it again, so save a copy of the config.txt file.

This is the config.txt I used with my RPI4:

initramfs volumio.initrd
gpu_mem=16
max_usb_current=0
dtparam=audio=on
audio_pwm_mode=2
dtparam=i2c_arm=on
disable_splash=1
hdmi_force_hotplug=1

arm_freq=1000
sdram_freq=500
core_freq=400
gpu_freq=250
over_voltage=-3
over_voltage_sdram=-3

include userconfig.txt

[Bencat]

I have used a 4gb Pi 4 as the stand alone music server for my system since the introduction of the Pi 4 and i found it to be quicker in all areas than a Pi 3 and it made the use much nicer and more responsive . Using the 4 gb unit i di not notice any increase in sound quality and was just happy with the speed gains and response time. As my Music server is on and running all the time have not really noticed the boot up times. One small suggestion make sure you make use of the USB 3.0 ports if you are connecting a Hard Drive or USB DAC to the Pi it will give you much better response times .

Now for the contentious part . Due to my Pi 4 4gb going boom it had to be replaced . I was just going to order another 4gb but at the last minute thought what the hell and ordered an 8 gb one instead . I used the same SD card that had been in the 4 gb and the same standard Pi PSU as well . Now I truly have no explanation for this but i am sure that it is real the 8 gb Pi sounds so much better than the 4gb that if you can afford one I would say get an 8 gb . THe improvement is in every system and player I have connected to my network from cheap and cheerful to Mid Fi full blown they have all improved and by quite a bit . I am to say the least delighted but at the same time really puzzled as to why this is the case .

[mr sneff]

That's helpful, Andrew. I find that the Pi3 is quick enough, so it was just a question of whether an improvement in SQ was possible. I'd read that users were having problems getting the 8GB Pi to work with Volumio and that 8GB was considered overkill for running Volumio anyway so your observations regarding 8GB vs 4GB are very interesting.

[Bencat]

Just an update on at least one explanation is that uusing LMS in the set up the Server does much of the work of converting the files to a suitable format for the players . The additional Ram could offer more headroom and greater ease doing this and this might make a difference in the work placed on the player to accept and use the digital information being recieved. While not exactly the same thing I was told to think of it like the work done by a CD player to error correct when playing a CD if you can reduce the work being done then the sound can be easier to play and less stress on the players memory .

[Bonky]

Is the RiP4 the same size as the 3 version?

If so, I may well contemplate buying the 8gb version.

[PaulBarnett]

Just an update on at least one explanation is that uusing LMS in the set up the Server does much of the work of converting the files to a suitable format for the players . The additional Ram could offer more headroom and greater ease doing this and this might make a difference in the work placed on the player to accept and use the digital information being recieved. While not exactly the same thing I was told to think of it like the work done by a CD player to error correct when playing a CD if you can reduce the work being done then the sound can be easier to play and less stress on the players memory .

I find this very interesting, as I'm using a Pi4 with piCoreplayer, and am thinking about running LMS on the Pi too (my LMS is currently on a separate machine). Re Ram use on the Pi - have you considered ssh'ing to the pi and seeing what 'free' has to say about how much ram you are actually using?

my Pi and lms both have 4Gb , and seem to be using hardly any of it:

[paul@hyper1 ~ 11:58:24 255]$ ssh signature free
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 3950120 149620 3702608 11316 97892 3755472
Swap: 960980 0 960980
[paul@hyper1 ~ 12:02:06 0]$ ssh lms free
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 3924316 295860 2449996 3700 1178460 3388916
Swap: 1048572 0 1048572
[paul@hyper1 ~ 12:02:16 0]$

[Bencat]

Is the RiP4 the same size as the 3 version?

If so, I may well contemplate buying the 8gb version.

Yes they are identical in size but please be aware that there is a change of the USB port positions and the power input socket to usb C . Plus the HDMI outputs are now two by mini hdmi instead of the single full size hdmi of the Pi 3 . What this means is that you need a new power supply and a new case as the Pi 4 will not fit in a Pi 3 case .