'Analog Dinosaur' succumbs to the joys of FBA : enter Raspberry Pi 2/IQ-Audio DAC+!!

[Marco]

Getting Spotify at CD quality just opens up so much music.
I not gone down the Pi route at the moment using a Direct Digital amp so can stream via that, SQ is very good indeed once I treated the Ethernet cables that really took playback up to a unexpected notch.

I agree about Spotify. What do you mean by "treated the Ethernet cables" - what did you do to them? I'm just using bog-standard cat5e.

I think Martin likes the his Caiman but he might try out the DAC sometime. Using a good power supply seems to be the key to getting good SQ

Interestingly, for the first time ever with an SMPS unit, I can hear no major deterioration in the sound, using the Raspberry Pi PSU. I guess, as technology advances, SMPS units are getting better. However, I fully expect some sonic gains to be had with the introduction of a high-quality linear PSU.

I'm sure that the Caiman sounds great, with the Pi, but I still suspect that Martin would be in for a shock if he bought the (£32) IQ-Audio Pi-DAC+, and ran it as a hard-wired DAC, without the need for any cables, straight into his power amp. *That* is where the true magic lies, and where special things happen, sonically - certainly in my system.

The value to SQ performance ratio is amazing. It something we just learning about
Not sure why no one is making a decent music player using the Pi approach. Seems to be a logical step. If I had the skills I do it
Also great having 2TB of music at hand. You can never have to much music
I agree about having different options

I agree. The SPPV is just bonkers! Yeah, someone should defo make a decent music player, with the Pi. It seems like a total no-brainer. Yup, 2TB of choons is handly to have - and that will only grow as I start ripping my own CD collection and adding it to further hard-drives... Happy days!

Marco.

[Marco]

However, it really isn't hard and jeez if it can finally get that Luddite, doubting Thomas Marco to embrace it, then there's hope for all

Ha.... Told ya, daftee, that I wasn't a doubter; merely a discerning (hard to please) listener with high sonic standards, which with FBA, have only now been satisfied!

Marco.

[r100]

In terms of the emboldened text, precisely! For me, the most genuine music fans own various music sources, able to access their favourite music in different ways - not just one... Now that I've added a streaming device, I now have five different music sources in total (Pi, CDP, T/T, tape deck and analogue tuner), all of which are used regularly.

Yup, vinyl and FBA are most certainly the future. CD is on borrowed time!

Marco.

sorry what is FBA ? But certainly agree with above

Fellow of the British Academy
Federation of British Artists
Federal Bar Association
First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia
Flux Balance Analysis, in chemical engineering/systems biology
Freshwater Biological Association
Fixed Block Architecture, in computer science
Fulfillment by Amazon, Amazon.com's third-party fulfillment service
Form-based authentication
French BasketBall Association

[Marco]

File-Based Audio, Roops!

Marco.

[r100]

edit: is streamed music also consider FBA ? Who knows, maybe someone is playing it on a TT with a mic in front of the speakers (just joking)

[The Black Adder]

Flying Binary in the Air



Makes more sense to me...

[John]

Nought wrong with the cat 5se I am using 7se but have treated the ends with Extreme Silver treatment I bought years ago In the past I tried it with valves and it had no benefit But with the Ethernet cables it was a noticeable step up in SQ. For years I considered it foo but happy I gave it another try I am now using it with my fuses and all connections. We not talking big increase in SQ but as you know a lot of small changes add up

[Marco]

Ah, that's interesting.... In your experience, then, does the quality of Ethernet cable also make a difference? This is an area I have no experience in whatsoever, so I'm always keen to learn

What about upgrading the mains lead that supplies power to your hard-drives? Lol.... Hey, who knows?

First thing for me, however, will be to sort out a nice linear PSU, for the Pi.

Marco.

[Tim]

edit: is streamed music also consider FBA ?

Who cares, as long as it sounds good . . .

[Marco]

As a Glasgow Celtic football supporter, I'm more in tune with FTQ, than FBA......

Marco.