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A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming


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Most important: please realize this thread is about bleeding edge experimentation and discovery. No one has The Answer™. If you are not into tweaking, just know that you can have a musically satisfying system without doing any of the nutty things we do here.

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1 minute ago, Miska said:

 

Nothing much, the OS itself may write some small amounts of runtime information, but nothing critical. It is journaling filesystem so if you pull the plug it will fix up unfinished things on next boot up. And if it ever goes bad for what ever reason, you can just dump the image on card again and that's it.

 

 

Thanks again Jussi. Happy days

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12 hours ago, Middy said:

@tapatrick

All but wifi and  No speed step.

I reduced my GFX memory but iam using Serial? Blue connector on an old monitor not HDMI. There are 6 usb listed but 4 ports?

Thanks! I'm going to shut off the unused USB and HDMI ports today, and tweak other BIOS settings....

Quote

 

I should get my memory for the i3 NUC tommorow.  If i get a chance i will swap out the 2 gig installed.

It came from ebay with Kodi i think media player. I hope when i buy AL i dont have to buy another Key for win or Win server. I am still lost on what to do...the  very very basics.

 

Never connected 2 PCs, hopefully just an Ethernet cable will do.

I have an Aqvox switch between roon server and Endpoint

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I wont attach internet router just transfer my small.music collection from usb memory onto hd.

I am trialling ROON atm very nice and polished.

My current goal is:

AL on celeron end point

AL on i3 for roon core

2 memory sticks.

Hopefully i can set up( haha)..try normal AL version and use roon to act as headless remote. Not headless AL.

This to me seems complicated enough.

If i stay on roon (trial) and figure out basics i can go from there next year.

HQP, uptone switch, more power add ons ect.

good luck!

Topaz 2.5Kva Isolation Transformer > EtherRegen switch powered by Paul Hynes SR4 LPS >MacBook Pro 2013 > EC Designs PowerDac SX > TNT UBYTE-2 Speaker cables > Omega Super Alnico Monitors > 2x Rel T Zero Subwoofers. 

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On 11/7/2018 at 5:20 AM, tapatrick said:

Down the line I’ll be looking out how to tap I2S from an NUC. 

 

https://forum.up-community.org/discussion/comment/9379/#Comment_9379

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Once you have BIOS 4.0 you would need the patches available from this git repository: https://github.com/thesofproject/linux/tree/topic/sof-v4.14-rebase

 

At the moment they are still work in progress and the 4.15 patches for Ubuntu kernel will be available only later this year.

 

We expect to integrate both set of patches in January respectively for Yocto and Ubuntu.

 

drivers: i2s frame clock slave mode

https://github.com/thesofproject/sof/pull/147

 

HDaudio: machine driver selection improvement

https://github.com/thesofproject/linux/issues/284

 

Fail to load nocodec topology on UP2

https://github.com/thesofproject/sof/issues/592

 

BIOS support should be essential? Let's see if that were going anywhere, Comparing both I2S and USB outputs from an UP Squared board could be so much fun, especially Jussi already provided an image for running NAA

 

https://up-shop.org/home/164-up-squared-pentium-4gb-32gb-pack.html

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/AAEON-UP/UPS-APLP4-A10-0432?qs=5aG0NVq1C4xQTuA4WkVd9A%3D%3D

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For anyone who is interested I have gone into more detail on transferring the mobo into a Akasa case here:

Akase Case Transfer

 

This involved a number of changes:

  • The case itself;
  • Removing the cables that would in theory connect a HDD;
  • Changes to the BIOS as advised here; and
  • Memory changes ....as I was running in ramboot when I changed my confiog file, and so it reverted.

I certainly like the change, but I need to run with it for a while before I post my thoughts.

 

M

 

 

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28 minutes ago, mourip said:

 

Have you tried locating your Roon server on the dirty side or tried internal storage for the music files as opposed to I assume NAS storage. Just curious...

 

Yes and no. The NAS PC still pictured on the dirty side actually was the Roon server until the moment I tried out the bridge thing that started this topic. After trying that out I did have a ‘wow moment’. So much so I decided to build a new Roon Server machine using a thin-miTX motherboard (Gigabyte GA-H110TN-E) powered by the SR7, with local music storage on SSD.

 

So this new machine improved considerably over the NAS PC (which today no longer performs any active ‘audio related duties’) I just temporarily got downstairs. I used a short AQ Diamond cable to connect it directly to the SMS-200. 

 

With the NUC running AL I had hoped for another ‘wow moment’ but thus far the changes are subtle in my setup. With an audiophile switch I could try moving the Roon Server further away again but I don’t have such a switch yet. Also running AL on the Roon server machine is still a ‘to do’. :)

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1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

It is my own and not related to sonicOrbiter OS in any shape or form.

 

 

I don't think so, I believe I have pretty good idea how things work. ;)

 

My images have my tunings to get best performance out of NAA functionality in a way I see things. They work as my "reference implementation".

 

But anyway, people are free to try on their own and decide. I don't mind what they choose to use in the end if it works for them. And especially for hardware like Rendus, swapping SDcards is easy.

 

Sometimes businesses become too invested in what they make, stop listening to their customers. I think the mR is great hardware... hobbled by an OS. I've pulled

mine from re-sale in hopes that some path to improve the OS results.

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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Some Listening Impressions - NUC to Akasa Case:

 

I immediately noticed an improved bass - always a good sign.

There is an improvement in the detail. For instance, backing singers are just that bit more separated from the backing musicians. Fine details, such as cymbal work and strings have more definition - which I genuinely didn't think was possible.

 

I feel that there is an improvement in the macro dynamics ..... BUT, I have a sneaking suspicion this may be due to the memory config. This is all still running with the default memory config. I will start playing with the Squeezelite config tomorrow.

 

For info - temp:

Squeezelite - Core 0 & 1 = 41C

LMS - Core 0 = 48C & Core 1 = 45C

 

M

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5 hours ago, Superdad said:

Anyway, I would caution folks against replacing OrbiterOS with some more generic Linux boot image as the Rendus are far from simply a CuBox in an aluminum case!  

 

Hi Alex,

 

Not sure I follow your logic here. If an MR or UR owner wants to pop a different OS or different boot image on an SD then surely that's their prerogative. Are you seeing a risk of bricking the Rendu ?

 

I'd have thought they just need to revert back to the original SD card to restore normal SonicOrbiter service.

 

Cheers,

Alan

Synergistic Research Powercell UEF SE > Sonore OpticalModule (LPS-1.2 & DXP-1A5DSC) > EtherRegen (SR4T & DXP-1A5DSC) > (Sablon 2020 LAN) Innuos PhoenixNet > Muon Streaming System > Grimm Audio MU1 server > (Sablon AES) Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC > PS Audio M1200 monoblocks > Salk Sound Supercharged Songtowers

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Hi @Bricki,

 

Where is your music? Do you have local files on a NAS or whatever? Or are you only streaming Tidal or one of the others?

 

Cheers,

Alan

Synergistic Research Powercell UEF SE > Sonore OpticalModule (LPS-1.2 & DXP-1A5DSC) > EtherRegen (SR4T & DXP-1A5DSC) > (Sablon 2020 LAN) Innuos PhoenixNet > Muon Streaming System > Grimm Audio MU1 server > (Sablon AES) Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC > PS Audio M1200 monoblocks > Salk Sound Supercharged Songtowers

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3 minutes ago, BigAlMc said:

Hi @Bricki,

 

Where is your music? Do you have local files on a NAS or whatever? Or are you only streaming Tidal or one of the others?

 

Cheers,

Alan

I am only using tidal streaming for now until I figure out how to get some of my favourite music that isn't on tidal somewhere on my network that isn't going to have have a negative impact.... I am thinking of trying to put a small number of tracks on a usb stick plugged into my router... My previous experience of that with a hdd wasn't good though... It seemed to slow the router down and had a negative impact on sq... I may have to add a NAS but I didn't want to put a smps on the network and I've run out of lpsu's ?

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7 minutes ago, Bricki said:

. I may have to add a NAS but I didn't want to put a smps on the network and I've run out of lpsu's ?

 

Thanks Bricki

Synergistic Research Powercell UEF SE > Sonore OpticalModule (LPS-1.2 & DXP-1A5DSC) > EtherRegen (SR4T & DXP-1A5DSC) > (Sablon 2020 LAN) Innuos PhoenixNet > Muon Streaming System > Grimm Audio MU1 server > (Sablon AES) Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC > PS Audio M1200 monoblocks > Salk Sound Supercharged Songtowers

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On 12/9/2018 at 6:23 AM, Middy said:

Hopefully i can set up( haha)..try normal AL version and use roon to act as headless remote. Not headless AL.

This to me seems complicated enough

Hi Middy,

 

Using the headless V0.5 onwards, the setup is pretty straight forward.  Just boot it up.  Then issue the command

        alconf [Enter]

a menu will show up and you're done.

 

I don't use the ROON bridge but I can see it on the menu.  If you can use cursor key (the arrow keys on the keyborad that I'm sure that you can use), it should be OK.

 

Now the price of the AL has been raised, hence I am not sure if I should recommend this to you.  To me, the now $49 AL headless is still a worthy investment in audio, still one of the best investment in MPOV, YMMV.

 

Any CAers near you that you can have a try?

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