Pi2 Design Idiot-Proof Ready-To-Go RPi/AES Streamer

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Michael Kelly, Jan 16, 2021.

  1. Marutks

    Marutks New

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    London, UK
    I am interested in "Mercury Streamer". I would use it as Roon endpoint connected to Spring 3 KTE DAC.


    Do they ship it to UK?
    Does Mercury's power adapter work in Europe?
     
  2. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    we already have customers in the UK. And we have been shipping there with our pi2aes for many years. As for the power adapter you just need to get a local power cord that has the IEC C13 end. Same as a typical PC.

    upload_2022-5-25_8-48-45.png
     
  3. CongoFather

    CongoFather Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2021
    Likes Received:
    33
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Istanbul
    Mercury SPDIF Coax output is also very clean:) . It's better to use Digital Coax input rather than USB input for Chord Hugo.

    Roon App(Client) on Windows11 >> Euphony(Roon Server) >>SOTM Switch >> Mercury Streamer(RoonBridge on Gentooplayer) >> Chord Hugo(SPDIF) >> Fostex TH900MK2
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2022
  4. GoldenOne

    GoldenOne Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2020
    Likes Received:
    1,049
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    England
    I've posted some measurements of the Mercury here; https://goldensound.audio/2022/06/03/pi2design-mercury-streamer-server-measurements/

    TLDR: Similar performance to Pi2AES, slightly better on 48khz, not quite as good on 44.1khz.
    Lower noise though and the fact that you can have the entire power chain be linear is very nice.

    I don't think there is any other device with anything close to feature parity that doesn't cost a huge amount more, and the price to performance is excellent.
    Awesome stuff Michael :D
     
    • Like Like x 23
    • Epic Epic x 2
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 1
    • List
  5. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    1,417
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Atl
    @Michael Kelly question about the OG Pi2AES. Does it have built in power regulation or is it relying on the PSU for that?
     
  6. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    PI2AES takes the input voltage and converts it to 5V using an on board switcher. From there it is used for the pi and the various 5V devices such as the coax output drivers and the Balanced transmitter. The 3.3V for the clocks and the WM8804 come from separate LT3042 low noise LDO’s.
     
  7. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    Great review.. Thanks so much for the info .. can't wait to have mine...

    I need to be a tad bit more patient for my Mercury to be shipped, been waiting for so long... being in Australia, shipping would be another couple of weeks but yeah... :(
     
  8. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    To you and to all our customers, thank you for your patience. We are hard at work trying to catch up. Keep the faith!
     
  9. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    Yes, they are real and shipping!

    IMG_0426.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 16
    • Epic Epic x 2
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 1
    • List
  10. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    Oh wow so close now :)

    Hopefully one of the completed one in your photo is mine... ;)
     
  11. Superdad

    Superdad MOT: UpTone Audio LLC

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2022
    Likes Received:
    24
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Mariposa, California
    • Like Like x 4
    • Epic Epic x 1
    • List
  12. CongoFather

    CongoFather Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2021
    Likes Received:
    33
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Istanbul
    I have been following all the posts for Mercury on both this thread(SBAF) and the one on Audiophilestyle :).
    After a time, it becomes very difficult and time consuming to try every different probability/combination. It's good to see you're also trying hard. I hope, at the end of these tests, if Gentooplayer support team(it's probably one person) also help, it would be good to see an optimized image of Gentooplayer for Mercury that will be simple to use for everyone :)
     
  13. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    Finally got a notification that it was sent via UPS!!!! hopefully doesn't take more than a week to come down to Australia

    I can now patiently wait for Mercury DAC-AMP, this will stack so well with the Mercury streamer...
     
  14. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    UPS says you should have it Wednesday. :)
     
  15. lordearl

    lordearl New

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2022
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Australia
    I'm also in Australia mate, if you want to private message/chat about our setups!
     
  16. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    Finally got my Mercury streamer :)
    [​IMG]
    got Volumio instead of Ropieee

    Anyway, installed Ropieee but not sure which Audio HAT to choose? tried Allo DigiOne and Hifiberry DAC but none of them seems to work?

    Thanks.
     
  17. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    I have tried Hifiberry Digi+ Pro but it doesn't seem to be sending out the signal... I am using AES output to my DAC... running the latest Ropieee (RoPieee 2022.05.1 (0299))

    i might be doing something stupid here but below is what I have now;

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,112
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Home Page:
    Hifiberry Digi+ Pro
     
  19. xtiva2000

    xtiva2000 New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2022
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sydney
    Oh thanks for the reply.. actually put Volumio back into the Mercury and tested it using that way...and now with that HAT setting, my Ropieee is working as well.

    Now the main thing is, I am still having some issues with some outputs..

    Coax RCA & Coax BNC works without issue locked at 192. (have not tested Optical as I have no cable and will never use that interface)

    AES
    no signal look at all. the same cable that I have been using with another streamer (Sonnet Hermes). Also tried another AES cable but no lock... Have downsampled the music from 192 to 48 and it looks like it is working. Looks like only samping rate it is able to play is 48kHz?

    DAC is Topping D70s so it definitely can play at 192 and I have been using it with my Sonnet at 192kHz without issue.


    I2S with my Topping D70s with Phase reversed,

    getting a lock at 192kHz but no sound is coming out. Using the same cable that I have been using with another Streamer (just unplugged to test)
    Same issue whichever bit rate I use or change the polarity nothing is coming out...:(

    So for the 2 connections that I was going to use isn't working or isn't working as I was hoping for...

    Hopefully, I am doing something wrong here... and hope someone can help ....

    Thanks.
     
  20. Egill23

    Egill23 New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2022
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Sweden
    About the I2s, did you try to reconfigure the pinout of the Topping 70s to match the output from the Mercury?
     

Share This Page