amey01

A lot of fun. And quite frankly, easy and cheap also. Enjoy!

People generally build a music server to last years, not days. If you're going to all the effort of this sort of research, then building the system, you want it to work tomorrow as well as today. If you are interested in DSD512 files, then you want your system to be able to play them whenever you might acquire them - quite simply so that you are spared from going through the "research, acquisition and build" phase all over again! Agree with what you said later though - start with a bare bones 'Pi and move up from there if you feel the need. Note however that the USB out on the 'Pi is more than adequate - it is absolutely 100% bit perfect. I know because I've tested it. And if your DAC is the async / buffering kind (like virtually any DAC manufactured in the last 15 years), then there is not really a way you can improve on that.

An SPDIF HAT won't meet the OP's requirements of DSD512, or much else other than low rate PCM. It's USB out or nothing with those requirements.

I may have missed your point - but are you building a server or a player? If you're building a server, I don't think you can go past Logitech Media Server. Check out PiCorePlayer, which can do both player and server at the same time if you really must. It will do everything you want. There is a fantastic support community too.

FIXED ........! I'll leave the previous post there to demonstrate the "gotcha" for anyone else who comes across this issue. The driver above ^^ was correct, however I had to to to: "More Sound Settings" in the Windows 11 sound settings panel: Then select the Dragonfly, and select "Properties" Then Properties again Then "Change Settings" Then after all this - follow your instructions above to select the "Generic USB driver". Wow - what a challenge. Hope this helps others who may come by.

I'd say this about you - hats off to you. Problem continues though.......it IS using the correct driver in device manager.......but still showing as incorrect in Settings. I assume this mismatch is what the problem is. I don't know how to update it in Settings.. ??

I think this is getting close. So close! NOTE: "Manage Sound Devices" is not an option on Windows 11. However, I can see the DAC (Dragonfly) shows up differently through the dock. Here is the sound with a direct connection: And here is the sound with the dock: Here's where it gets interesting. If you click on the DAC, you can see the driver it is using. Here is a direct connection to the laptop (doesn't work config) And here is a connection through the dock - totally different driver ?????? So a question - can I manually change the driver it is using?

The dock does not have any analogue audio capability (if that's what you mean). But regardless - it should work without it. Yes - a real mystery. I'm sure it is something obvious and simple. I can't believe someone else hasn't had the same issue. I'll be sure to post the solution if I ever find it.

Yes!! Both modes, this is checked.

OS settings would be my bet, given: 1. The app works perfectly with the dock 2. The same behaviour can be observed with any app (MusicBee, Foobar, Squeezelite).

Both direct connection to laptop, and through the dock seem to show identical available bitrates: Direct connection and through dock attached. They look identical, but for the "Type A" and "Type C" difference (as expected).

Close I was hoping; but no go. BLUE is when plugged into the hub. RED is direct to port. They look identical.

Error post. Files of different bitrate and dell dock.MOV Dell dock and USB-C-A converter.MOV Direct to computer.MOV

It's even weirder! The Dell DA310 has a USB-C port as well as a USB-A port. Using a USB-A port on the dock works fine (as above) Using the USB-C > A converter on the dock also works fine!!!!. Plugging the USB-C > A converter directly into the laptop does not work I'm so confused now. So.....3 videos attached - showing the behaviour. Files of different bitrate and dell dock.MOV Dell dock and USB-C-A converter.MOV Direct to computer.MOV ^^