Upmpdcli allows you to control music replay via Linn Kazoo (iOS), BubbleUPnP (Android) or other OpenHome compatible control points.
The RPi 3 hosts a DigiOne Signature which is connected to a Naim DAC via DC1 BNC-BNC.
If you are not comfortable with Raspbian headless installations, you can try GenTooPlayer: it is a plug-and-play Linux distribution that allows you to activate/deactivate, among others, upmpdcli and MinimServer via a simple web interface. I liked it much more than Moode, Volumio, DietPi, etc.
I’ve got a couple of RPis and have tried a number of different builds/applications, including:
Raspbian
PiCorePlayer (LMS/Squeezelite)
GentooPlayer
RoPieee
Volumio (only a brief play)
Moode Audio (only a brief play)
PiCore (with Asset)
PiCore (with LMS2UPNnP)
BubbleUPnP Server (with Raspbian)
MinimServer (with Raspbian)
I’m actually most happy with PiCore and was running Asset on it til I started with the Roon trial again. If you want LMS then PiCorePlayer is excellent. iPenq is the probably the best interface I have used for accessing LMS, the browser can be customised but still lacking somewhat.
@nbpf Couldn’t get on with GentooPlayer at all. I found the documentation to be greatly lacking and many of the scripts didn’t work, the RAM options were very hit and miss and you have to pay now.
Spotify (native app)
Apple Music or anything on the internet, e.g. You Tube (via airplay if iOS)
Qobuz, BBC Sounds and other Radio (via an LMS app such as Squeezepad …there are many, all a bit clunky for Qobuz)
Yes, I have used GentooPlayer in parallel with my system for a few months. I had no major problems apart from the fact that system updates were very slow and not completely safe: it happend to me a couple of times that, after a system update, some settings were lost. I haven’t played around with different RAM options, however. At least not so much.
In the end I went back to my standard Raspbian installation mainly because it is rock solid, UPnP discovery is super fast and I have many copies of it running on different RPis.
Thank you @nbpf I’ll give these some thought and do some research. It is a worry for me that much of what you have said confuses the hell out of me, this may be why I don’t find the world of Rpi very comfortable everyone assumes you know what you are doing!
Same here @nbpf, I’ve tried out most of the options for a Raspberry Pi and I usually end up back with the standard Raspberry Pi OS. You have full control and can customize it to your wishes. You need to be a bit of a geek though and some of the plug n’ play distros like RoPieee XL are quite good and easy to set up.
These are my RPi setups:
Lounge: RPi 4B/HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro/HiFiBerryOS -> Aune X7s headphone amp/Sennheiser HD650
Study: RPi 3B/HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro/HiFiBerryOS -> Micromega MyDac/B&W MM-1
Bedroom: RPi 4/RoPieeeOS -> Audioquest Dragonfly Red/Sony noise cancelling headphones (doubles for mobile use)
Conservatory: RPi 3B/HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro/HiFiBerryOS -> B&W MM-1
For me the key things were, after the initial research deciding which way to go, they were easy to install and setup, and run trouble free.
All systems are set to run Roon from an Audiostore MicroRoon music server.
Music everywhere I want it. Never been happier.
I am looking to invest in a RPi 4 to use exclusively as a streamer. Will only be running Roon and Spotify - all my music is via online streaming. The RPi will feed a DAC (still debating which one to get), which in turn will connect to a Nait 2.
The consensus on websites such as ACR seems to be that there is no point paying premium for a streamer and that a RPi based steamer would perform the same as a branded streamer at 10x the cost. I can understand the logic behind this argument. And it is also a fact that many premium streamer use a RPi based hardware setup.
However, is this the subjective experience of those who have tried and compared here? Ie there is no sound quality difference if used as a pure streamer?
The other option I’m currently looking at is getting a ND5XS2 and use that as a pure streamer. Quality is important to me, so happy to get the ND5XS2 if there is an improvement to sound quality vs a RPi system.
Having recently moved from a Pi based streamer (Project Streambox S2 ultra) to a Sonore ultraRendu for my headphone system (Mytek Brooklyn DAC+) there was quite a step up in SQ that I wasn’t expecting (both acting as Roon endpoints). I’d certainly try a couple of streamers as sources to your particular DAC to determine what works best for you.
I use a Sonore microRendu for streaming duties in my main system but had a lot of success with RPi and HiFiBerry products in other setups around the house. (see posts above)
I recall you have a Devialet in your main system? I have been using a Devialet 220 pro for the last few year and have been generally very satisfied. Although a recently acquired Nait 2 with Devialet only as a streamer and DAC sounded ridiculously good for the money.
If you still have the Devialet did you ever compare the RPi streamer vs the streamer in the Devialet. Thought that would provide some insights.
I must admit I’ve not tried it. I used to use a Melco as a USB source in my main system but once I had the Core Infinity streaming board fitted to the Dev I used UPnP via Ethernet and then Roon as I found it better than USB (Sold the Melco).
For me, it keeps things simple with all the ‘noisy’Network hardware (Nucleus and Cisco 2960) elsewhere and just an EE switch in the rack in the lounge.
Nice choice on the Nait 2. I have a sweet little Nait 1 but keep an eye out for the right Nait 2. It would be worth considering a Chord Qutest for your Nait 2 - It’s a very nice DAC. Its switchable output voltage allows you to get more range on the volume control of a Nait so you don’t get into the usual channel imbalance issues at low volume settings.
That’s what I initially thought as well, until I read more into it. I think there would be a big difference if one intends to use the RPi as a streamer + DAC. However I have seen less evidence of improvement in data quality when Rpi is used purely as a streamer.
Anyway, I have just bought a RPi to try and will revert on my findings.
@nbpf just thought I would update and say that I’ve been using the latest version of GentooPlayer and seem to be getting much better results from an ease of use and stability perspective. Documentation could still be better but can’t have everything
As a first step, and to get a feel for it, you might like to try Volumio or (my preference) MoOde software on the RPi. They are both pretty simple; just download the image, blow onto an SD Card via your PC, plug into the Pi, boot up and configure . They will pick up internet radio, or play audio files from a USB stick plugged into the Pi.
