Dummies Guide to Pi2AES! Throw away your PC or laptop.

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by purr1n, Jan 29, 2020.

  1. Metro

    Metro Friend

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  2. Failed Engineer

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    I recently got a Wavelight DAC and trying to understand if the i2s of the pi2aes can connect to the i2s of the Wavelight or if it's incompatible or a case of same connector and wrong technology. I tried a cheapie throwaway 6ft HDMI cable but got no signal to the Wavelight. I'm using RoPieeeXL and Roon. AES output to the Wavelight works.
     
  3. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    There are several HDMI I2S pinouts https://www.computeraudiophile.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=29238. I read the Wavelight manual, they don't specify theirs.
     
  4. famish99

    famish99 Friend

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    The Rockna spec is different from the PS Audio spec, you'll need to put in the 5v jumper to get it to work, but the channel mix will be backwards. Nicolae has added support for the PS Audio spec on the Wavedream, but I'm not sure what the timeline for that feature to be added into the Wavelight, if it's even possible.
     
  5. Qstik

    Qstik Acquaintance

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    Unless it is somehow defective, standard HDMI cable attached to the Pi2AES will have a valid I2S signal. If you connect it to the I2S HDMI connector on your Rockna, it should work. I believe the HDMI pinout of the Pi2AES is Rockna compatible.

    I've got the first I2S output of my Pi2AES connected to my Metrum Onyx via common ethernet UTP patch cable (Cat 6a). I installed the optional RJ45 adapter from Pi2Design to do this. The other I2S output of the Pi2AES comes from its HDMI connector and is connected via HDMI patch cable (18Gbps) directly to my PS Audio SGC preamp. Of course, PS Audio has the funky swapped LH and RH channels since I used a stock HDMI cable. Otherwise, the Pi2AES outputs both I2S signals simultaneously (all outputs, actually). I can easily listen to I2S through the Onyx NOS DAC versus I2S through the PS Audio OS DAC simply by selecting inputs with my remote. I greatly prefer the Pi2AES I2S/ethernet cable/Onyx combo over Pi2AES I2S/HDMI cable/PS Audio SGC DAC. 99% of the time, I use my PS Audio SGC DAC/Preamp as a very expensive volume control since the Onyx has none.
     
  6. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Sell PS Audio and Onyx and get a Sonnet Morpheus? ;) Volume control, better DAC than Onyx IMHO. Pi2AES>I2S RJ-45>Morpheus just works.
     
  7. Qstik

    Qstik Acquaintance

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    That's my plan.
     
  8. Failed Engineer

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    I asked Nicolae about this via email and he replied that he is going to add compatibility to the Wavelight in a future firmware update, but no timeframe specified. Appreciate the information!
     
  9. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Mine arrived in Milan on July 28.

    From there on, no updates :(

    Hopefully it's just the usual thing where our postal system just ... stops working ... every summer, and they didn't "lose" half a grand worth of gear.
     
  10. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    Thank you to everyone for the guide and helpful information. After reading this thread and getting a small amount of assistance from Michael on a jumper that had fallen off in transit, I was able to get the pi2aes running with MoOde.

    A few things I learned along the way:

    - confirm that you have both jumpers, one on the 5v to provide power to the Raspberry and another jumper on the 16 pin connector between pins 13 and 14. It is marked on the silkscreen PSW.

    - MoOde can be configured without an Ethernet connection by connecting to the MoOde wireless network and configuring from there (I used parts of the setup guide here).

    - I selected the HiFi Berry Digi + as the I2S audio device as it seemed to work best (and someone else here recommended this setting.

    My chain is now Pi2AES -> AES out -> Emotiva XDA-1 (DAC) -> Schiit Sys -> B&K 140 power amp -> Omega 3 XRS speakers.

    If anyone has questions about MoOde or my setup, please let me know.
     
  11. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

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    And the sound?
     
  12. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Can you take a pic of the jumper situation please?
     
  13. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

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    I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way, but the jumpers are documented in the hardware reference manual that’s on the webpage for the PI2AES. As we used to say in the Marines, RTFM. ;)
     
  14. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    I highly suggest using Ethernet due to the extra noise the WiFi can impart on the board. WiFi is an option, just not the preferred way to connect IMO.

    For those that HAVE to have it and want to use Ethernet, a simple WiFi repeater has Ethernet jacks that will act as the WiFi/Ethernet bridge.
     
  15. Mindbender

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    For the I2S audio device, also try the "Allo Digione" setting in the dropdown box. I found the "HiFi Berry Digi+ Pro" setting to oversaturate the music depending on what you're playing. But YMMV, of course.

    The "Allo Digione" setting sounds a little thinner but the low frequencies sound cleaner (again, depending on the music you play). I'll have to go back and verify this but I prefer the AD setting.

    I have to say that the PI2AES has spoiled me for life. Everything else sounds thin and "ehhh..." - This is all Michael's fault !

    Volumio -> PI2AES -> (AES) -> YigA2U -> Rag2 -> HD800S
     
  16. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    I don't think I can link a picture, but the manual has a diagram on page 15:

    http://www.pi2design.com/uploads/4/8/5/3/48531975/pi2aes_hw_ref_manual_p3_4.pdf

    The two jumpers are shown on the board in purple/blue.

    upload_2020-8-12_18-19-23.png

    I'm not great at describing the sound, but I will say everything sounds more immediate and weighty now that I'm using either local USB storage or Spotify. Before I used Airplay streaming to an Apple Airport. I recognize much of the improvement is due to local storage and reliance on a better DAC.
     
  17. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

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    I have also had success with a standard USB Wi-Fi dongle on a USB extension cable keeping it far from the pi.
     
  18. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

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    Sorry, not sorry.;)
     
  19. haywood

    haywood Friend

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    I know it’s the conventional wisdom but there isn’t any real difference.

    https://archimago.blogspot.com/2018/12/measurements-raspberry-pi-3-b-as.html

    As for hifiberry vs allo, hifiberry wrote most of the drivers iirc and everyone pretty much followed their lead for interopability. So the reason both settings work is they’re probably using the same driver. I know allo did some work to support special features for some of their products but prob not for the digione.
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Unison can perform, but you need to control the USB on the source side. Probably means dedicated bus for USB audio, EMI and RF shielding, overbuilt 5V LPS, ground isolation, and meteor dust blessed by monks at the base of Mt. Fuji when Haley's comet is at its closest point to earth.
     

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