Streaming - they said it was all simple

Streaming Audio
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Firstly thanks to forum members for sending me down the Raspberry Pi and now Innuos server route, I would have never given either a second thought.

So I’m looking to add a USB to SPDIF converter which is proving interesting given it is all 1 and 0.

I narrowed this down to the Schiit Etir (crazy Yanks), Gustard U12 as Richard said so, both are proving a pain to readily source, but found some options.

I was also thinking of repurposing my now unused Raspberry Pi with say a Digi One board

Question thereafter is, cables, USB cable lots of options, I would like to stay with Synergistic Research but the cable would be 3 to 4 times the cost of the converter.

So that leads me to the output, surely toslink is best, or is coaxial ?

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If you buy the Audiophilleo + PurePower the output is BNC with best results using the BNC to BNC coupler they provide. I just use a cheap computer USB cable. The package costs £1k - I got a preloved at half price.

It has timing jitter of a few pico seconds. They use the BNC coupler because then there is no issue with signal reflections worsening the jitter. You are also spared the need to wonder about which digital cable is best.

I tried the M2Tech HiFace 2 which costs about £200. Neither are easy to obtain but the reviews of the Audiophilleo were excellent and it the sounds so.

I did post findings on my Innuos Zen Mini thread which covered the range up to the Zenith. I play via nDAC and was replacing a CDX2. It was a lot better package and I didn’t need a NDS or better.

Phil

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I did ask Innuos and they suggestion was a Mutech USB3+, again circa £1000.

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What DAC are you using ?

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The Nova.

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Does the Nova use BNC at all?

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USB to SPDIF converter … Stello U3.
Superb piece of kit. A few come up on ebay quite often. Not sure if they are available new.

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The Nova has a BNC socket for digital input alongside RCA and Toslink. Why bother though when it has a network connection or am i missing something about what the OP is trying to do…

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Sorry as mentioned Nova.

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because perhaps the innuos zenith 2 is better as a transport, or not.
But Obsydian wants to test.
If i understand well his goal…

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Yes that his goal. I imagine he wants to try the Innuos 4GB memory buffer in squeezelite for playback, Its supposed to improve the playback on Innuos devices for Roon, so I guess in his ever lasting road on improvements its driving him mad to try it.

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Hi, if using the Pi as a streamer server, I really would focus in using Ethernet as opposed to USB and SPDIF.
Obviously as you know it’s not just 1 or 0s… who ever came up with that expression should be shot… it’s so misleading and blatantly false.
Media flow using TCP is completely asynchronous, and local Ethernet clock noise from the Pi would be mostly / totally removed by using a network switch and it’s all straightforward.
To get the same degree of decoupling with usb or SPDIF in my experience you would need go for quite a lot of expense which otherwise with a Naim streamer with Ethernet would be uneccessary.

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So in your opinion is there is much point going with a linear PS to the computer if its only use is as ethernet-server (I use an external Dell 19VDC power block powering the computer). About 8m decent 5e cable from Cisco-switch to streamer.

I am actually very happy with the sound now after moving the computer out of the Fraim and the listening room so perhaps I should leave it alone now :slight_smile:

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No I see no point in changing the powersupply … if the SMPS is a quality compliant one that doesn’t introduce excessive noise on the mains, or create common mode EM noise to connected cables.

BTW slapping a linear powersupply onto devices with out the right decoupling can actually create more noise than the SMPS you are replacing. Finally SMPS can be made to be very benign from a noise point of view… it’s just they cost a little more to make to do so and so typically only done if required.

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I have a Schiit Eitr which I am not using at the moment and I had a Mutec MC-3+ Smart Clock USB for about one week. I find the BNC output of an Allo DigiOne Signature superior to (or not worse than) both.

I freely would not add a USB to SPDIF converter to the Innuos to stream to a Nova. The Nova has S/PDIF and Ethernet inputs and the Innuos has dedicated Ethernet and USB outputs.

What is the reason for not using the dedicated Ethernet output of the Innuos to feed the Nova?

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It is one of those that powers laptops so it should be fine. I have similar PSU from HP and I could not hear any difference.

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All sounds good then.

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To try the Squeelite player option as it uses a 4GB memory buffer to play everything from RAM. Its supposed to improve the SQ of the Innuos if using it as a streamer. So it to bypass the Nova as the streamer and use the Innuos output.

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Sounds like a lot of faffing. You then need to add another box (USB to S/PDIF) into the mix for little, if any gain, from what was a simple setup.

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Exactly it might sound better than the Innuos Roon bridge which most that have used it verify, but it doesn’t mean it will sound better than the Nova using RAAT. But who knows he wants to find out.

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