Topic: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Hello,
I am pretty new in the forum.
Currently, I own 3 pcs of RME ADI2 DAC FS units.
I am using them with Chromecast audio devices to stream music from Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify.
Sometimes by native apps but most of the time by Roon.
Looking to get better streaming bridge devices like Lindemann Limetree Bridge or Sotm SMS 200 Ultra Neo. In ASR forum many people says if Chromecast audio device is used with properly designed dac like RME ADI2 DAC FS, no chance for better streaming sound quality even with a lot more expensive streamers like Lindemann Bridge or Sotm. What is your opinion, is it possible to achieve better sound quality with expensive streamers compared to what I am using currently?

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

FDX,

Probably not!   What may distinguish one Streamer from another will likely be in terms of it's features, connectivity, and app support.  Case in Point, my 2009 vintage Squeezebox Touch (with about the same CPU power as an Electric Toothbrush) has been a Super Hero for me seemingly forever.  It tests BIT PERFECT as well via the RME test feature.   You can't possibly be better than Bit-Perfect. 

These days?  Lots of folks are liking the Raspberry Pi streaming set up. 

No matter, choose what you like best, and be cautious of outrageous claims...  wink

Have fun!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Curt962,

Thank you for your kind answer.
I am not interested in anything else than sound quality improvement thus Streamer's extras are not my goal at the moment. As you wrote nothing is better than "bit perfect". Is there any audible advantage of using Lindemann Bridge upsample to 192 kHz? Frankly, when I test the upsample option via Roon (to 96 kHz because this is the limit of my CCA), I can' find any difference compared to native streaming. Some people says the problem with CCA devices are bigger jitters when streaming 96 kHz trough toslink output but I believe RME DAC will clean them completely.

4 (edited by Curt962 2020-11-26 20:29:37)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Fdx,

Upsampling sounds Sexy, but how does it actually improve anything?

Whatever did not exist in the original file CANNOT be suddenly revealed by upsampling.  Fact!

Pizza Analogy:  I we had a Pizza.  How many Slices should we cut to give us the MOST!

Hint:   You cannot possibly somehow suddenly have MORE no matter how the Pizza is sliced.  More samples doesn't truly mean more.

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

5 (edited by KaiS 2020-11-26 21:34:46)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

There is an advantage: DSPs and specially filters and equalizers work better with higher sampling rates.
Audibly I can detect a faint difference between 44.1 and 88.2 or 96 kHz, even with non-native, upsampled material.

With native "high res" music a proper A/B comparison is impossible, often different masters or new transfers are used.

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Agreed: it is well-known that upsampling results in better quality in general even though no new info gets added. Though, whether or not that is applicable to the RME ADI-2 DAC FS, I do not know.

RE: streamers, I love my Auralic Aries (with dual Femto clocks and linear PSU). Streams Tidal and Qobuz (in addition to ability to play your server’s music) and has a fantastic iOS app (sort of the one that Tidal / Qobuz / Roon have). It does have filters and can upsample (so some features may be common to the RME ADI-2 FS DAC). It is a Roon Ready device and I found the SQ to be a big upgrade (earlier, I used the Chromecast Audio with Toslink output).

While not in production (they have been replace with much more expensive units), they do come up for sale in the used market once in a while.

7 (edited by terrys999 2020-12-04 19:44:44)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

I have been using Cambridge cxnv1 to stream to adi 2 dac fs.
It does it brilliantly.

Bitferfect test on optical out  passes on all sample rates up to 192khz .
I can even send dsd opt.. out to the dac. Shows. Dsd 176 24bit as DOP.

Done blind tests coax too . All digital out are indistinguishable. Bitferfect.

Maybe you could pickup a cxn vs 1?

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Raspberry Pi with an Allo Digione sig hat and shanti power supply. Running with Roon.

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

dCS Network Bridge, works perfectly... all bitratetests is good.

10 (edited by maartenl 2020-12-08 01:06:36)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Raspberry Pi Zero W with Justboom Zero Digi Hat (TOSlink to ADI-2) running mpd, upmpdcli and minimserver

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Hi y'all...

After so much temptation by others  I gave in!   I set up a Raspi 4B with Picoreplayer/Squeezelite, and all is Super!  One Afternoon!!!

No amazing Sonic Differences to report, but the RME Bit Test is happy.  Bit Test OK at all sample rates/bit depths.

Open Source Software.  Easily replaceable hardware.    VERY Future Resistant option!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

12 (edited by Viennacalling 2020-12-14 07:27:56)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

What is the max Bitperfect with rasp?
http://www.rme-audio.de/download/bit_test_wavs.zip

Adi-2 Pro, Adi-2 Dac Fs

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

All the RME-supplied test files pass the bit-perfect test on my Pi4 streamers.

RPi4 | RME ADI-2 Pro FS R BE | Senn HD600 | Sugden Masterclass AA | Teddy Pardo i80d | Naim SBL

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

@Vienna:

I didn't bother testing the 192khz/32bit .wav as I dont have any 32bit Music, nor a 32bit DAC wink

All else check A-OK!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Great
What components/software/image exactly do you use with your P4?
Is there also a system with passive (no noise) cooling?

Adi-2 Pro, Adi-2 Dac Fs

16 (edited by Curt962 2020-12-14 10:20:18)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Box Stock    I just used the supplied Wall Wart PS.  Works fine.

Cooling:  The device has Heat Sinks that you attach to the CPU, and Two other components.   There is
also a fan that I'm running on low speed (3.3V)   Cant hear a thing.  The need for the fan might be debateable.  Audio doesnt tax the CPU a great deal. 

Plug in USB direct (no HATS) to the ADI-2 Dac and Rock Out!

Best Part?  I added a 13" screen via HDMI, and can now SEE my Album Art/Info from across the Room!  Big Win. smile

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

17 (edited by bejoro 2020-12-14 10:35:19)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Viennacalling wrote:

Great
What components/software/image exactly do you use with your P4?
Is there also a system with passive (no noise) cooling?

I mentioned different cases I had tested thoroughly.

Search for "Argon One" and "Flirc" here and you should get my posts as result.

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

There are many images that you can use - I would suggest Rune (not Roon), it's free and is a full UPnP streamer/renderer in a dedicated Arch Linux image. Boot that and connect directly from USB on Pi4 to USB on RME.

You do not *need* any heat sinks or fans, mine runs fine without and has done so for many months.

You control the whole thing from iPhone/iPad via Linn Kazoo app (it's free on App Store) or any other UPnP control point on the same network.

Total cost is < 100 USD and it's bit-perfect. If technology advances so much that bit-perfect can be bettered then your investment is small-enough to be throw-away, plus it's so small that even if WAF is a concern, it can be hidden out of sight.

With streamers, it seems that the only reason to spend any more is if you want more software features or something that looks expensive on the shelf.

RPi4 | RME ADI-2 Pro FS R BE | Senn HD600 | Sugden Masterclass AA | Teddy Pardo i80d | Naim SBL

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Great - thanks for feedback

Adi-2 Pro, Adi-2 Dac Fs

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Any Raspberry Pi 4 device (even with 1GB memory) is able to get bit perfect result with USB connection, for both signal formats (DSD, wav) and all sample rates the ADI-2 supported.
I am one of the developers of MPD and I have verified that the Raspberry Pi 4 running any supported Linux based OS with MPD can achieve the above result. The device is never throttled even with highest bit rates.
Normal phone charger is good enough to power the device.
Just don't buy Raspberry Pi version equal of smaller than 3 as they won't work.

Here's a sample mpd.conf works for ADI-2

audio_output {
type "alsa"
device "hw:CARD=Pro<insert your serial number here>,DEV=0"
dop "yes"
name "RME ADI-2 Pro FS R BE"
mixer_type "none"
}

21 (edited by Curt962 2020-12-14 19:25:22)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

@ning:

How do I do that?   I'm using the generic USB Output setting and it works great with my RME.

Please don't make me do any coding!

That cannot end well. wink

Thanks!

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

22 (edited by ning 2020-12-15 00:37:18)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

@Curt962

Seems Picoreplayer/Squeezelite already works for you? Did you miss anything?

MPD is just another piece of software that does the same job as Squeezelite.
Usually it can be installed from the package manager of your Linux distribution. On Raspbian it's just
sudo apt install mpd
then all you need is to configure mpd.conf file.

An alternative to that is to use a user friendly pre-configured solution based on MPD technology,
such as the very popular volumio distribution: https://volumio.org/
it's similar to Picoreplayer but should be much easier to setup and use.
You don't need to have any Linux knowledge --- everything is graphical, you just need to click the button. documentation is here:
https://volumio.github.io/docs/User_Man … Guide.html
then you can remotely use it on any computing device through its web interface for free.
there are quite a few step by step instruction videos online, such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVEx5y_teg

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Is it correct that volumio does not support tidal until now?
https://community.volumio.org/t/adding- … t/42022/31

Adi-2 Pro, Adi-2 Dac Fs

24 (edited by Curt962 2020-12-15 12:53:49)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

@Ning:

Thanks for your nice inputs.  For now though, I'm going to stay with Picoreplayer. I notice also
that it's developers are the same people that have kept the Squeezeboxes running in fresh, functional sftwr many years after those devices were EOL.   Very impressive, and it gives me great confidence!   Open Source, and FREE! (Donationware)

To the original poster (Fedex)...

Best Streamer?   I'm now sold on the RPI.   Purely Functional, No Fluff, with a Long, Bright Future almost certain. 

My RME likes it.  My Wife likes it.  Who am I to argue?  smile

Thanks again,

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Which iOS-app do i have to use for Picoreplayer?

Adi-2 Pro, Adi-2 Dac Fs

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Vienna,

I can't answer that.  Check PCP's info pages. 

http://picoreplayer.org/

FWIW:  I'm using Squeezer via Android to run the show.  Seems Solid!

Best!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Viennacalling wrote:

Which iOS-app do i have to use for Picoreplayer?

Give iPeng a try.  I've happily used it for years.  Works on both iPads and iPhones.

28 (edited by Curt962 2020-12-16 02:37:34)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Hi RP!

Happy you dropped in!  smile

Curt

Pi is SO COOL!

https://i.ibb.co/WKgB8k1/20201215-202933.jpg

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Better late than never, Curt.  Yeah, they're pretty cool---I couldn't believe how tiny it was when I got pi #1.

My first one multiplied....now there are upstairs and downstairs pi's----the latter with a Hifiberry dac hat going into my very modest HT system.  But, hey, now I can listen to whatever I want while I'm flogging the rowing machine....

Cheers and very happy holidays to all!!

30 (edited by Curt962 2020-12-16 03:29:18)

Re: Best streaming device to be used with RME ADI2 DAC FS

Back at ya friend!   I'm loving my new *RME-Ready Toy!

Merry Christmas/Froliche Weihnachts zu Alles!

Curt

** "RME-READY" (copyright) is the new Buzz-Phrase!  wink

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes