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

Here's the front end UI for moOde v7.0.1. It basically displaying the same interface you would see on a browser with your computer, but in full screen mode via Chromium (I did modify the CSS to increase the font size though). For Volumio's UI, take a look at this dedicated thread about how to setup touchscreen support. For both OS, you'll need to enable touchscreen support before you see anything on screen.



And yes I can use Spotify to control the Pi for music after configuring my account settings in the system's configuration in the back end. It'll automatically detect the device when on the same network. I'm pretty it's similar for other operating systems.

 

it’s actually really simple it’s just not what we’re used to.

Yeah I’ll just go ahead and say that I heard a positive difference plugging my amp and DAC in with those Pangea Power cables. I’m still hearing that difference. Oh well I guess they make a difference. Now I want everything in my room plugged in with them lol

 

Yes, streaming directly from BubbleUPnP Android to Moode PnP will work too. I like to look at these things from the vantage point of how the bits flow. Until the bits reach the rPi, the only requirement is that it's bit perfect. If the bits are perfect then there won't be any SQ differences as we're talking computer-to-computer transfer here, and not USB Audio.

BubbleUPnP Android to Moode PnP bits flow like this: Qobuz servers => your router => BubbleUPnP Android => your router => Moode PnP. So three hops; triple the load on you network vs shipping bits directly from router to rPi . BubbleUPnP Android is acting as both a PnP controller here and also as a PnP media server supplying bits to the Moode PnP renderer. If you shut off BubbleUPnP Android, the music will stop after the render exhausts its buffer. Tracks in play list will not advance unless BubbleUPnP Android is up and running in the foreground, as it's controlling Moode PnP directly.

Unless there is severe network congestion, none of this should be causing drop outs.

 

I can’t really I use it every day switching between my iem amp and headphone amp for working on orthos.

it’s been a bit better lately for whatever reason. It’s also switched to the left channel. Phantom Menace!!

 

Is there an iOS alternative to Mconnect for MoOde that works with Tidal? Mconnect is great- way more stable then Volumio except for one ridiculous design choice. It puts you back to the Home Screen and moves the app into the background immediately after an album finishes, loosing where you were browsing in your list of artists/albums/whatever. It also does this if you leave it paused for more than like 15 minutes. I can’t fathom why they did this but it’s a design choice. Ruins it for me.

 

My experience with Volumio and Mconnect is so bad I’m considering buying a cheap android phone used on eBay so I can use bubble upnp. I’ve read all over how much better it is.

I could get something like a “Motorola Moto G fast” used for under $100. Problem is it would be so big. The iPod is nice and small snd light.

 

I dislike Mconnect as well, but I switched from an Android phone to Apple a couple years back and lost access to BubbleUPNP when I did. I tried using Mconnect for a bit but just couldn’t stand it. I ended up keeping my old Android around just for BubbleUPNP. I found it far superior to Mconnect, but haven’t used either in over a year since moving to Roon. If I ever dumped Roon, I would find an old Android phone or tablet so I could put Bubble back on it.

 

Hmm more motivation to get a cheap android phone. I’ve already got an iPod touch dedicated for the Pi2AES so it wouldn’t change much except the app. Why isn’t there a smart phone thread on SBAF?

 

Also a big thanks to Michael from me for an excellent product!

I am using with a lyngdorf tdai-3400 (costing an arm and a leg), and the pi2aes is much better than both the integrated streamer and the Eitr I used before - not even comparable after burn in. Pretty mindblowing since the pi2aes (ex. PS) costs around 1/40 of the lyngdorf. Using coax until I find the right AES cable.

Contrary to what seems to be the consensus I heard a big improvement going to better PS's and separate power. I am using a diy r-core plus a couple LT3042 for the pi2aes, and a shanti for the pi (not 100% sure yet if the shanti matters). Feeding around 30v to the pi2aes it sounds amazingly good - exactly as I had imagined based on everyones descriptions, only even better ;-) I only tried these PS's because I already had them, and was quite surprised. I am aware the pi2aes has switching supplies and lt3042 onboard, so I have no idea why the extra lt3042's works so well for me.

I am wondering though if I can use an Allo Isolator between the pi and the pi2aes? Guessing it won't matter as I removed the jumper, but still curious but too afraid to try..

 

Does BubbleUPnP work with Volumio?

I think MoOde sounds better in general but Volumio seems to sound better with BA iem’s which I mainly use right now. MoOde sounds glossed over with them. Though I can tell that with full size headphones MoOde would sound better.

 

I thought moOde sounds better with anything I threw at it. I think BubbleUPnP should work with Volumio since I think Volumio does have UPnP/DLNA Render support.

 

Mconnect doesn’t pick up my Volumio card so I’m not sure.

 

Yes. I tried it in the past, and again just now to verify. I haven't been using BubbleUPnP because I prefer to use the direct Qobuz/Tidal support on MyVolumio (and lately I've been using Roon). You've had many issues with Volumio but it has actually worked very well for me.

 

weird. It’s super buggy for me.

I don’t think my rig likes me very much. On a positive note I haven’t heard the static noise since installing Pangea Power cables. Maybe the shielding stopped it. Or maybe it’s just taking a break.

 

Getting closer to trying a pi. Can someone direct me to the right and best sounding solution for the following use case :

1. Pi 4 connecting via usb to dac or any rec'd hat that does usb connect to dac.
2. Music files will be located on a HDD attached to router which will feed to the pi via ethernet.
3. Need simple as can be setup and use.
4. Need Android remote capability for phone
5. Not interested in Roon, dlna, or other streaming requiring another compute.

*Was thinking about Ropiee XL but that seem to be streaming only with no local program to playback the music files locally.

thanks in advance

 

I thought UPnP and DLNA were active by default but I could be wrong. They are found under Settings->Sources under the Functionalities Control heading.

 

I'm unclear on your goal. To the best of my knowledge, the main benefit of using a Pi is to bypass USB due to the signal being crappy (compared with the options offered by the Pi2AES). Why do you want one?

Playing your music files as described using the Pi2AES is totally doable and you would use the web browser to interface with MoOde, Volumio, Ropiee, or whatever you go with. A big reason we need to fuss with UPnP and/or DLNA is for using a streaming service like Tidal or Qobuz. For simply playing files on a drive on the network (or connected to the Pi via USB), it should be pretty simple but you won't get the full audio benefits unless you use a different digital transport to the DAC such as RCA, AES, etc.

 

Pi board temperatures when playing for a long time over Ropieee get unnervingly high, 63.4℃ on my Pi2AES+Pi 3B+PiTouch setup. In an ideal world, there would be a nice passive dissipation (a la Flirc) alternative to the plexiglass cases. But I guess that's hoping too much,.,

 

Hi: Thanks for responding. I hope I can clear up my goal.

Your premise that USB is crappy on all implementations is flawed. USB is only crappy on crappy implementations. That aside, reason for usb is the dacs I use have USB only inputs and they sound very good.

My goal is to reduce the electrical noise in the computer part of the source, eg. no fans, simpler design, ability to use better power supplies, low power cpu, simpler OS, etc. I have no need for Tidal or Qobuz on this setup as I only listen to sources like those for casual music discovery, all serious listening is done with personally owned and ripped files.

I know USB can sound great via a pi, I have heard and compared the Allo USB Bridge, but that was using as a Roon Endpoint and of course with their excellent hat, I just need some advice from those with personal experience as to which OS and hat, etc, and what players are easiest to use and sound very good. I have heard of Moode and Volumio, with most folks saying Moode is better, but not sure how easy it is to find network drive and have no clue what app they may have for Android and headless control. Ropiee XL is out because it seems limited to streaming from another computer and not local app for playback.

I did not know the pi2aes could supply a usb out other than what is in the pi, if so great, but otherwise a waste in my case of a very nice design for folks that want or are required to use aes to get good sound from their dac.

The Allo USB bridge player can do what I am shooting for, but I know no one not using it as a Roon endpoint, and it is a little pricey vs just a base pi. Maybe there is nothing in between, that is what I am trying to find out. That and some first hand accounts of networked local playback on a good OS and player is what I seek. perhaps @Hands can help?

I have looked for another thread, but it seems most of the collective SBAF knowledge of pis at least visits this one. If there is another, maybe a mod can let me know.