Raspberry Pi I2S to SPDIF Hat

Hi Michael,

Thx. I am using the audioquest evergreen fiber optical cable. You can have a look at the link I sent you as I dont know how to attach a picture.
I eventually find another fiber optical cable that works but with less quality. Does the quality of the fiber cable makes a difference in SQ?

I am using Volumio and PCM is working fine. DSD does not work in both Native & DoP modes. On My iFi iOne, the led is red means it can't sync the signal.
Is it because the 502DAC is 192/24 or there is a limitation on the optical spdif connex? Will coax fair better in this regards.

So far the SQ of PCM is very good. Thx.

 

The fiber cable is important, but not too much. BTW, the S/PDIF standard is only meant to go to 192Khz, and the WM8804 is limited to that as well. I would try the coax with your iFi to see if it is happier.

Note also that the WM8804 does not support DSD or DoP.

Cheers,
Michael

P.S. I could not find a reference to the Audioquest Evergreeen fiber on their web site.

 

Hi Michael,

Sorry, it should be forest. The other "green color" cables from Audioquest are called Evergreen but the optical fibre they called the "forest". I think it was their old name.
I take it that coax & fibre optical spdif both share the same limitations.

Thx.

 

Yes, but Coax can go higher if the WM8804 and Pi allowed it. So Coax has more "headroom" and is the better of the two. Note that with the RCA adapter it may not be as good if your cable is not 75 ohm. But we have done many tests here with that setup and have had no issues.

Regards,
Michael

 

I only have an el-cheapo optical cable that I can compare to a reasonably good coax-cable, but to me coax(or BNC) is the better-sounding option.
Optical is very good too but over coax there seems to be (a little) more detail and low-end(definition).
YMMV as it is all very relative to a lot of other things.

Ow and Michael, if you are going to adjust the case anyway.
Make the slot for the screenflexie slightly wider, I could not get mine through without bending it.

 

@bigbear1997 You had me wondering why you would use a heatsink. Are you overclocking the pi? Or is it just for kicks?


Make sure the acrylic cant move either!
Might still be a little risky I have no idea how brittle the housing is.

 

No overclocking. In fact try to underclock if not for DSD.
It runs a bit hot around 62C when using Volumio to resample at 16/192 as it is the only way to play DSD2.8. The room temp. is around 22C and I use a 14x14x10 AL heatsink.

 

I think also good to drill some venting holes while at it as it runs a bit "warm".

 

Hi Michael !
I connect the i2s 502DAC to the discrete DAC . A my question of the i2s 502DAC signal at the socket has been reclocked yet ? Is it clock of Pi or of 502DAC ?
Thx ...

 

I am intimidated....yours is so much bigger than mine!
I think I see the 502(obviously) the pi and what might be an isolatorboard. What is the one under the pi for?
And most importantly how does it sound?

 

Does the 502DAC get hot or is it from the Pi?

Cheers,
M

The I2S signals at the header are direct from the PCM5122 except data which is coming from the Pi.

Cheers,
Michael

 

Hi HumanFly,
It's an Amanero usb but it does not have anything to do with it. Sound good !

 

Nah, 502DAC does not get hot just the cooler the better (coming from a guy who used to have many fans on his desktop pc).

 

What do you guys think of the sound-quality? Can you compare it to other stuff you had?
I`ve had some Hifiberries and allo-boards but they didn`t really do it for me.
The Hifiberries always sounded a little shrill up top. I liked the allo piano2.1 a litlle better but it did not offer the output options I wanted.
And considering you would need the Kali to get the best out of it. It also is more expensive.
Using USB (with a Wyrd) really is no longer an option to me. I find myself checking the subwoofer settings(wanting to turn things up but then stuff would get boomy) or thinking something has been moved out of its sweetspot. It is leaner sounding in a way.
They may have ruined the whole pi-tinkering-thing for me. I kinda lost interest in new boards and add-ons.
Maybe I have to get another pi and do other stuff with it besides audio.
(Had one running domoticz for a while, that was fun too.)
Maybe I should DIY some speakers next, that could be an nice and cozy rabbithole to get lost in.

 

I really enjoy my 502dac feeding a Modi Multibit thru spdif. Minimal connections, ifi 5v power supply, ethernet and coax spdif. Music is played thru Logitech media server and running picoreplayer on the pi. The software runs in pi memory. The music xfers to pi memory and then gets played. I downsample DSD and that works just fine. I turn wifi and hdmi off and don't use usb for anything. I control playback from the pc or my phone and I don't have any sound issues at all.

I have used jriver21, foobar, bugface emperor, with Fidelizer Pro on max settings musing a regen and usb to Modi Multibit and previously an Aune X1S. They were all good, the 502dac is just better. Clearer, better soundstage, better imaging. I use a Project Ember and a Adcom GFA 535 with DCM Timewindow 3's. Crack and Massdrop Cavalli on the way Everything is fed thru a passive preamp, record out to the ember.
The 502dac is here to stay.
I think I should look at the headphone amp and maybe the speakers for my next upgrade. Seriously considering the diy lx mini w/wo subs from linkwitxlab

 

Those lx speakers look really cool.

 

RPi3/502DAC/iFi One >>> RPi3/LG HiFi+ via USB
RPi3/502DAC/iFi One >> Rpi3/IQAudio DAC Pro
RPi3/502DAC/iFi One > Laptop/nano iusb3.0/iFi One using JR23 w/o upsampling
RPi3/502DAC/iFi One = or slightly < Laptop/nano iusb3.0/iFi One using JR23 w upsampling to 4xDSD

ps. RPi3/502DAC/iFi One 502DAC connects via audiorequest Forest Coax cable. The RPi3, 502DAC & Coax cable are new and not burn in yet.

In conclusion,
502DAC is very very good.

The only draw back is it can't play DSD directly. You have to down sample to PCM. Not sure if there is any RPi hat can play DSD natively.
My workaround is convert DSD to 24/96 and it still sounds very decent.

 

I have 0 experience with DSD but there is a dropdown in Volumio that lets you choose between DSD direct or DSD over PCM.
I once downloaded a .dsd (because the Aune x1s supported it but it was huuuuge and I didnt really hear the difference between dsd and 24bit PCM) but it seems I lost it so I can`t test it right now. But I think DSD direct also means you have to use the USB output on the pi. But like I said....0 experience.

 

Aoide UGEEK DAC II .

You can try it can play original DSD .
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/Aoid...108.1000016.1.2ef6e42asbqMha&isOrigTitle=true

 

I’m have been using the 502DAC (earlier test unit) and a Schiit Eitr side by side for about a month now and I like both, both sounds the same for me.
Unfortunately my Eitr makes the Yggdrasil’s relay click every time I turn on the lights, my PS4, the monitor, kettle, amps anything. Its quite annoying so I mainly using the 502DAC.