Currenly I have most of the components for my own Volumio project. I wanted it to integrate in my setup.
So i am currenly running volumio on a RPi B+ with a hifiberry digi+. But I know the pi is really bad with the clock. The hifiberry is a huge improvement but not how I want it yet.
So I’ve decided to go with Ian’s fifo project (see diyaudio.com).
The setup is as followed:
Rpi 2 -> rpi hat -> FiFo board -> isolator board -> dual XO clock board -> s/pdif board.
The clock board will get upgraded to a set with two lower clocked XOs from Cystek (950 series iirc).
The clock board will get powered by a LiFePo4 battery with a charger kit. This will be the only pcb that will be power on ajd off, the rest is on always on mode.
Its a bit of a big case, but it looks great.
The case will stand on 3 cones, gets a power switch for the clock board, and connectors of the PI (hdmi, ethernet, usb, power)
I’m still struggling soldering the SMD UF.L selectors . I’ve messed 2 up. I got the hang of it at the third. Luckily, I can order them locally.
After that, the big struggle will be getting the battery management board correctly working with the batteries, and then test the whole circuit, rather than just couple. I’ve seen every light being lit up, so that’s good.
Gotta order a lot of bits and bobs to get it all properly in the case too. I think I’ll wait for my salary and order it next week. Hopefully the weekend after, I could be “done”.
And after being “done”, I want to add the 5V trigger with also does a 9V trigger and attach it to the power button. So I can get my PS Audio Quintet to power on the DAC, and dual amps in the relay.
Ian’s pictures are so incredibly clean. I took them for now with my phone. When it’s done, it will definately look much better =) It’s all new to me working with this kind of serious money.
In the meantime, I’ve ordered 2 Crystek clocks, type 957 with 22.xx and 24.xx MHz range.
Also found out why the battery management board wasn’t working… I just forgot to add the relays. So also ordered them next to some new U.FL sockets. Which I screwed over with my fat soldering iron. (Not wanting to get a hot air one for just a simple PCB without any ICs on it)
Next week, I’m ordering everything else to make a 5V trigger to charge the battery and control the PS-Audio quintet and to finish the case including all holes, mounting and making the final wires and fit them neatly in the case.
Altho i messed it up for the first two anyways. I’ve order now another 5 just in case
Also with the u.fl tool.
In the mean time I’ve ordered all the extra components needed to finish the case as well (making an extra 5V trigger output) and shielding. The last thing is to use some mu-metal, but that’s the last part I will do. When everything is in, in the weekend i will finish the project =)… (fingers crossed)
Little update on the project. I was stuck in getting any signal working.
I’ve gotten back to the basics and assembled it in the least desired but simple setup. (hifiberry out, into the spdif board in using toslink, into the fifo board (powered by switching PSU ), then into the clock board and back to the spdif board bnc out, into the gungnir).
It seems Clock 1 is not working as I expected it. Clock 2 does. Luckily, Volumio now samples everything to 16/96Khz for now that makes it work. It was by accident that I found out.
The music is so much more natural sounding, the sound stage has improved amazingly and the timbre is great. Especially on string instruments it works great.
The desired part is to isolate the clock board from power and use a lifepo4 battery instead, run the i2s signal from the pi2, and use a lineair psu instead of the cheap 5V phone charger… oh yhea… better clocks. Wow. I’m already impressed so far.
All works fine now. After checking, it was the lowest MHz Clock that wasn’t right. After resoldering some things, adding new clocks, all runs very smoothly and the sound is amazing, only running trough the S/PDIF output. Next stop is modding my DAC, but that’s another thing.
Coming evenings and weekend I am going to assemble all components and fix them inside the enclosure. The pics will follow soon
One thing for sure… Ian’s FIFO project is amazing and it really improves a great deal. Like… more than a Hifiberry does. It’s not an overstatement that it sounds like you are listening to a whole new set.
), then into the clock board and back to the spdif board bnc out, into the gungnir).
