Recommendation to Buy: HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro or ALLO Boss

I intend to renew my equipment:
Windows 10 PC + Kodi + M2TECH hiFace DAC (USB) to RasPi1 + Volumio + DAC???

I have a very good analog hi-fi equipment and want to add a very good network player.

I like the XLR-Version of the HiFiBerry as my equipment has XLR.

But Michelangelo’s review of the Boss sounds amazing. And - charming - it’s available as a buy-and-play bundle in the shop.

Is there any reason for not using your M2Tech DAC? i notice that it’s not on Volumio’s compatibility list. I’m not trying to pursuade you not to use an i2s DAC, just curious :slight_smile:.

Now that I (YOU - to be honest :blush: ) solved my problem with connecting to the FritzBox music I’m eager to find a most perfect solution.

The M2Tech played with Volumio (Webradio). But I found a lot of complaints about dropouts with USB-DACs and power supply through RasPi / USB here in the forum.

Beside that the equipment I’m doing my first experiments with Volumio is not really beautiful: Old RasPi in ugly black box + USB cable tail + USB-DAC (orange!!) + telephonejack cable tail.

I have no imagination of difference in sound of M2Tech and ALLO e.g.

But I remember very well when we compared components at home: I switched from a direct drive CD player to a belt driven one - both Burmester - and my wife was startled by the different sound not beeing concentrated to listen but just sitting on her desk reading some papers.

==> Just the “best” sources are good enough :nerd:

What amp are you using and what inputs does it have? Balanced
XLR is a very good option.

The HFB is a good option, if you can find it :slight_smile: I am not sure if you can easily get your hand on it.

To make it the best source, spend some time (and a bit more money) on getting a very good power source to feed the HFB and Pi independantly. Good change that your wife might be startled when switching power supply :slight_smile:

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk

I am using a USB DAC (ODAC) without any problems, and I even have a USB-powered external HDD attached. Just make sure you have a good 3A power supply (I have one from NorthPada).

This is actually quite strange, the Allo Boss Player in the Volumio shop comes with only a 2A power supply. This is definitely too low, as even Raspberry themselves are recommending at least 2.5A for the RPi3. I hope this is just a typo.

HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro is noisy without a separate power mod (using a linear power supply). But, after the mod, I could not get it to work with Volumio 2.201 nor 2.2.46.

… its a Burmester Pre Amp 935 with XLR Inputs.

What’s your configuration?

My M2TECH is playing, sounds quite well but makes “chirpy” noises more or less periodically. May be, due to my RasPi1 (see my config above)?!

… so the ALLO Boss + bigger PSU might be the better coice today - if even Michelangelo is enthusiastic about it?! How did you mod it?

@superuj
What is the problem with 2.201 / 2.2.46?

By the way: In Windows environment there are no “chirps” with M2TECH.

Yeap a typo, its actually 3A

… as I wrote, I’m impatient … :unamused:

When I decide to buy an ALLO Boss Player package i will …

… have to forget XLR and accept Cinch: Maybe acceptable from the sound-point of view. An XLR is a bit overkill for tiny RasPi anyway.

… accept the standard 5V 2A PSU shipped with the package just for feeding the RasPi. (or not enough, as ROLO wrote?!)
edit: … 3A PSU

… Order an IFI iPower PSU additionally to feed the ALLO Boss (but it’s just 2,5A too).
… then I have to cut 5V pins of the GPIO connector - Which ones?
… feed the Boss separately - through the “optional Battery Connector”?
BattCon.JPG

What do you Cracks say?

… OK so I might forget about lingering around on two PSUs?

For those who are interested - that’s the wiring panel of the Burmester Pre Amp 935:
935.JPG

In case of “emergency” I have some adaptors XLR > Cinch

… actually you can buy it for EUR 47,99 (shipment included)

Hi,

Noisy ? HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro use a ultra low noise (9 μV rms) regulator LDO ( ADP150 labeled U2) to power supply the PCM5122. Power supply ripple rejection ratio (PSRR) is typicaly 70dB with this LDO. It act as linear power. Moreover, the card have a very good ground design.

So i have a big doubt of your trouble.
The mesurements made at this place ( archimago.blogspot.com.es/2016/1 … berry.html ) confirm me that is no diference on analog output when you remove switching power supply and replace it by a battery.

Or maybe your switching power supply is defective ?

Also, if you want to power supply directly the card and bypassing the PI, you must remove the zero ohm resistor labeled R14 .

Ludo.

And this one says/meassured, that power banks are often the baddest PSU ever and Apple Charger along with alkaline batteries might be one of the betters: computeraudiophile.com/foru … -and-smps/

Hi all together,

last evening I ordered an “Allo BOSS Player” bundle - I’m really very courious!

Many thanks to everybody in the forum for help and hints so far.

I’m sure I will be back soon :smiley:

The Boss-Player arrived today:

  • Startup was totally easy.
  • First impression: Great sound.
  • Direct comparision with originals on Burmester CD player will be done.

Please keep in mind for the BOSS that you need to burn in some capacitors for at least 50 hours and it improves until 2 weeks of use. Then you can listen critically.
I use it with disabled wifi, disabled bluetooth, power off hdmi through ssh and put flacs on memory stick, there is a difference to flacs on network.
Enjoy!

… Ahh, I read but forgot about it!
Regularly I switch off all components as DVD player, tuner, power amp, switch and now the RasPi by a master-slave power bar. So I will plug the RasPi directly for the next weeks to avoid prolonged charging of the supercap.

… I already disabled wifi. OK, will check the other parameters.

The player was not shipped set to an I2S DAC. Do I have to adjust special settings for the BOSS?

… I heared about this effect, but to be honest: I believe (and verified by myself) all the hokus-pokus about cables, power supply etc. but do not (yet) believe the network thing.

Another fact: My FLAC collection is growing towards 1TB that’s why I have it on a FritzBox with external 3TB HDD.
The big USB sticks are still too expensive (2TB @ 1.300€) only downwards from 256GB @ 65€ are acceptable.

What about a USB-powered HDD? I powered RasPi + BOSS with the original 3A PSU shipped with the player and is said to be suffizient here in the forum.
I’d really like to keep cabeling as smart as possible - the WAF is inversely proportional to the cable-spaghetti-factor :open_mouth: . Have a look at the foto.

@pbarna: Thanks for the hints!

Boss.jpg

I heard a really small difference between memory stick and network external hdd, the lows had a bit more subtlety. About power bar, I bought a quality one for my gear with surge protector. It damaged the sound clarity. It took me one week of testing to find the problem.

Tapatalkkal küldve az én Redmi Note 3 eszközömről