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

I am using Canare RCAP here, making my own cables. For tight fit check this cables - I was unable to find the connector alone: http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/a09.html

 

The offending Canare RCAP is available from Markertek ( and other canare products as well ) https://www.markertek.com/product/r...nector-for-l-4cfb-or-belden-1505a-1506a-8241f

Maybe this Amphenol ACPR-SBK (also avaiable from Markertek and from Mouser ) might be a better fit: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Amphenol-Audio/ACPR-SBK?qs=GREDC2MNXtezA1md9Ad5BQ==

The specs drawing does not offer the sizing of the barrel.

 

Order a Blue Jeans cable with BNC on one end and SPDIF on the other. Or get a BNC->RCA adapter.

 

Had this discussion a couple of pages back and decided to go straight RCA to RCA. I enlarged the hole without any issues, so I'm good now.

The Canare plug is 12mm at its widest, but the shoulder slopes narrower towards the opening and the hole doesn't need to be 12mm.

 

Michael,

In a future case, could you remove the corner around the RCA to make clearance for the Canare RCAP? It looks like there is a plate around the RCA.

I mention this because the Canare RCAP is the only RCA cable connector that attempts to be a 75 Ohm impedance. That makes it the best choice for very little more money when doing an RCA digital coax cable.

 

Thank you for understanding. From my point of you 3 mm is

Actually, the standard video RCA cable (yellow) is also 75 ohms, and dirt cheap. Obviously not marketed towards audiophiles, but remember it is carrying digital data not analog, so as long as it meets the impedance and has sufficient shielding it will work very well. Since it was designed for video it will meet all of those needs.

Cheers,
Michael

[edit] monoprice has 75 ohm rca to rca as well:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=619

 

I'm happy with the Amazon Basic RCA coax cable. Works great in tight spaces.

 

The issue is that the cable is 75 Ohms, but the RCA connector isn't. At least that is my understanding, I'm no expert. The Canare RCAP was an attempt to get as close to the 75 Ohm on the connector.

This is an interesting read.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/75ohmrca.htm

Edit: I thought I had posted this yesterday, but I can't find it now. My apologies if it turns up twice.

 

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ay-your-pc-or-laptop.8878/page-14#post-291299

 

So I feel as if I've been clogging up this thread with cable and case nervosa the last couple of weeks, so I'd like to offer my impressions this evening after using Pi2AES for almost 3 weeks. This is my first impression I've shared of any gear, so please feel free to let me know what I could have done to make it better.

The chain that I'm listening with is Pi2AES SPDIF > Modit MB > Lyr 3 (TS 6SN7GTB) > Focal Elex. I've got Volumio installed on the Pi and have mainly been streaming via Qobuz. My baseline is the same DAC/Amp/phones fed via Eitr and streaming from Qobuz on my Intel NUC.

I'm not breaking any new ground here when I say the first thing I noticed was blackground. When there's no information in the recording, there's no sound.

The second thing I noticed was the clarity. There's no "fuzz" on the edges like I was starting to notice with the Eitr. I can hear the room. I can hear individual instruments and the space between them clearly. I wouldn't say that it increases the stage, but it adds focus to what's on the stage. I can hear decay that I've never heard before.

One little example which convinced me I was hearing enough to be able to say the Pi2AES is a definite improvement to my chain is the high hat in Lake Street Dive's "You Are Free". Rather than just hearing the "ch ch ch" that I heard using Eitr, I can now hear the drummer move up and down the high hat , from edge to cup. That just blew me away. And in a similar vein, I can hear details of plucking and strumming of string instruments in the better recordings of bluegrass and Americana music I like to listen to.

I'm really happy to have built this little box. There's been a lot of churn to my chain the last couple of months as I've upgraded both amp and phones, but I still wasn't completely satisfied. This seems to have added enough that I'll sit tight for a bit and enjoy the music. Though BF2 is calling me...

 

Sorry I never noticed, but you mentioned the extra plates. There are two versions of the front plate (where the ethernet is) and the left side plate (where the HDMI is). These are to support the PI 3.

Cheers,
Michael

 

@Michael Kelly are you guys still shipping units while all of this COVID-19 stuff is going on? Just curious, a new raspberry pi project would be a great way to spend time with the kids while all of us are stuck in the house.

 

@Michael Kelly - I was also going to ask about this, although we hope that you and your team/families are staying safe. But could you update us what the current turnaround is (I placed an order this week)? Very curious about the AES output that everyone is talking about.

Stay healthy! Cheers!

 

Still chugging away. I just picked up 24 units from my production manager to test this weekend. I think this takes care of most back orders, but the best is to send an email (with your order number) to [email protected]. This goes to me and my production manager.

We both work out of our homes so we already practice "social distancing". Who knew being a hermit was good for your health!

Cheers,
Michael

 

Mine was ordered a couple of weeks ago and should be on one of the few flights making the trip across the Pacific, if it's not already in country. Like Taiwan's response to the virus, I'm way ahead of you guys on this...

Take care all!

Edit: PI2AES just arrived ... w00t!

 

I should preface my comments by saying that my general computer skills are less than stellar. Hey, I'm an old guy, OK? ;-)
I am quite pleased with the Pi setup, but not so much with Volumio. It's rare that I have a session without dropouts or errors. Navigating it is very frustrating. The interface with Qobuz is sad: it's too bad that Qobuz doesn't do the same as Spotify and allow users to activate Volumio through their own site.

 

Forgot to mention that there are times when Volumio won't connect to the Pi.

 

The beauty of the raspberry pi of course, is all the other options you have. Internally we use moode audio for all of our testing because it does seem to be a little more reliable each time it powers up. This is not to say that the Volumio is not good once it’s set up, just we have found moode to be a little more reliable in an environment where you are continuously powering up and down.

And there are of course other options that folks here on the forum can weigh in on.

Cheers,
Michael

 

I got it set up pretty quickly yesterday. Marv's photos made it easier to identify the parts of the case and simplified the assembly procedure. I just used my fingernail to start peeling off the protective paper.

I'm using an rPi Zero W so I had to leave the "front" panel off to provide access to the SD card, and one of the side panels as the connector of my Micro-USB OTG cable won't fit through the cutouts (though if/when I commit to S/PDIF I can put it in). Looking at it side on, it seems my rPi Zero PCB is on the thin side as the top is warped if the screws are tightened firmly. I backed them off a bit and it doesn't look too bad. Because the Zero only has 2 mounting holes, I cut some spacers from the rubber core of an Ety foam tip to put between the 2 remaining lower standoffs.



Impressions in the Raspberry Pi I2S to SPDIF Hat thread.

 

FYI - Raspberry pi zero is 1mm thick versus 1.6mm for the regular pi.

Michael