Hello
Could we use Audirvana (qobuz as example) from a Raspberry Pi instead of a laptop running windows or a mac?
Many thanks in advance for your answers
I guess this is not possible. You could use the Pi as DLNA renderer and play from mac/pc to the pi using Audirvana.
The Pi as a standalone solution would be possible e. g. with Volumio. This includes the opportunity to use Qobuz.
cheers
Hello Woe, many thanks for your feedback.
Cheers
Just wanted to add my two cents. On of the great bargains in audio includes using Audirvana on an inexpensive Mac (in my case, a 2009 MBP) in network mode to connect to a Raspberry Pi with either a sound card (in my case a DigiOne Signature connecting to a dac by s/pdif digital cable). The advantage is that the MBP is kinda noisy electrically (it is a consumer product, not an audiophile product), so it is not directly connected to the dac. Instead, it is used to pick the music file and customize it (software up sampling, and adding filters and the like) and then send the file via ethernet to the Raspberry Pi which is a simple and relatively quiet low power computer. By sending an already modified file to the Raspberry Pi, you ask it to not do too much, also keeping the signal quiet. The modifiability of the Raspberry (USB, s/pdif, dac) is an important variable in this system and promises continual improvement in sound quality. And all of this hardware stuff is in the context of Audirvana improvements (like 3.5).
Have I explained this in a coherent manner?
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ruffian, I also add my 2 cents 
you can even go further by using a ethernet switch specially designed to reduce noise and provide galvanic isolation with the DSL box / LAN.
UpTone Audio has just released one :
Thanks for the recommendation, but the EtherREGEN is a little pricey for me at this time. Does anyone make a less expensive ethernet switch that reduces noise and provides isolation?
Well … this is what we call “high end audio”
They provide 30 days money back if we don’t like the product, I plan to give it a try and will let you know the results.
However, it will certainly increase clarity and sound stage as long as the whole audio system provides enough resolution.
You’ll get pretty much the same result by using a less noisy fast ethernet switch instead of a gigabit switch.
With the RPi you get most bang for your buck by powering it through the HAT with a cleaner power supply.
My local audio buddy has been suggesting a less noisy ethernet switch and he is using one with great success (and not much money). As for RPi “bang for your buck,” I agree that the sound HAT’s power supply (switching, linear or battery) can make a big difference (without breaking the bank). I am using a battery pack to power the Allo Digione Signature and an inexpensive ($80) linear power supply with the Pi itself.
Hi, I’m very interested in using a Raspberry Pi as a renderer connected to my DAC as it would help me avoid moving my computer. However, could you please tell me more about this option? Does he Raspberry Pi require specific software to be installed??
Thanks!
Yes, try with RoPieee XL.
There are other alternatives like Volumio and such. Just Google for it, you’re looking for UPnP support.
As both a network engineer (Mainly Cisco, HPE Aruba, Extreme) doing everything from top of rack core to edge and NAC, and hobbyist speaker builder and designer, I’m at a loss for how any of these switches can improve playback systems that are never actually playing off Ethernet directly but out of local buffer.
You have play back applications that can buffer entire tracks and therefore allow the cable to be unplugged w/o any interruption to the music.
The selling point about jitter is 100% snake oil. Because buffers ELIMINATE jitter. 100% guaranteed. Look up clock domain boundaries some time.
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It’s not that much about jitter as it’s about the noise creeping in to the device circuits. Fast Ethernet is just less noisy than Gigabit Ethernet.
As far as “audiophile” Ethernet switches go, I’m also skeptical. It could theoretically help if a a device has poorly implemented Ethernet interface. Given the price of such device, it’s unlikely you’ll deploy such a device with a cheap DIY solution.
How so? Any evidence?
1: 802.11az is Green Ethernet standard. It’s also a GBe standard. So GBe Ethernet will use less power in 40 meter and under cable runs.
2: GBe allows for 10X faster data X-Fer so the circuit is in use 1/10th that of 100
3: GBe over all is way more power efficient
So I can spend $640 on the Etherregen 5 ports or I can get a MikroTik 9 port with 8 10GBE SFP+ , 1GBE copper, 10GBe SFP MM LC<>LC optics ($17), and it support way many more functions like VLAN, IVR, Vlan Filter, PVLAN, 802.11s/802.11w,
And it will be $260 for the Switch and $136 in SFP+ modules either optical or copper. And I get 100 times the throughput, and I get 100% electrical isolation.
You can go to ServerSupply and get 10GBe PCI-e server cards that are new pulls for $20-$40.
Anyway received my Etherregen so far zero difference. I can even unplug the Etherregen and by some miracle only known to some higher power, the music still plays and doesn’t sound any different then either my Aruba 3810 or my D-Link 8 port switch.
Nobody is talking about the power consumption. Higher signaling speed generates more electrical noise. That’s why with the increase of speed you need cable that has better shielding.
Whether you’ll be able to notice the difference depends on many factors, starting with the implementation of the ethernet interface on the device.
You are missing the point: Modern Ethernet PHY power circuits power down when not in use. The faster they can transmit data the more time they can spend in a powered down state.
You can watch this in Windows Task Manager in the performance tab. You can start playing a song and literally watch the network connection go to 0kbps. The faster the connection the more time the PHY spends idle. That’s the most desirable outcome.
A 10GBe connection is going to spend 10X more of it’s time inactive than a 1GBe and 100 times more inactive than 100MB connections.
The audio you are listening to at any given moment was most likely buffered 5-7-10 seconds before you heard it.
So how’s 1200 baud dial up working for you. It should be the best sounding.
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My network is MikroTik based. I can’t tell the difference between Fast and Gigabit Ethernet with my gear. I doubt that audiophile switch would also make a difference.
I’m just saying that if you have a cheap SBC like RPi you use for streaming, it might make sense to try with Fast Ethernet and see if it makes a difference.
Well, the modulation noise from the telephone line would make it counter effective.
How deep of a dive into the CLI have you done on the MikroTik? I normally design, install, Cisco, HPE Aruba, Fortinet. Just curious on what that MikroTik is capable of.