Just signed up today and finding one interesting stuff here already.
I have loaded Volumio onto a Raspberry Pi2B which is either pulling my music library from a Samsung SSD (Qobuz FLAC downloads or my own FLAC ripped CDs) or using Qobuz. Output is through a Hifiberry SPDIF HAT and a Chord Qutest. The sound quality is absolutely fabulous and what was a lockdown project has become a game changer in the way I listen to music.
I am sure the audiophile dealers and pundits would take issue with my kit as a strange baggage of old and new. The Qutest is fed into a Cyrus 6 amplifier and then to a pair of B&W 603 speakers, both of which are about twelve years old or so. But the end result is a lifelike reproduction for live albums in particular.
I am intrigued to try some of the plugins e.g. Bandcamp, Radio Paradise and whilst thankfully no major snags so far this looks like the place to find solutions to any technical hitches that might arise in future.
a heartly welcome from Germany, near Kassel. I particulary do love your hometown very much and I’m looking forward to the day we can visit London again…
Have fun with Volumio - it changed my way of listening and using external music sources (webradio and Tidal here) as well. How do you connect the SSD to the Pi? USB or as a NAS?
Hamburg is also on my list of favourite cities. Some of my friends are living there. It feels like we didn’t meat each other for centuries now…
That’s quite interesting in regards of the problems we are facing at first startup an x86 image. So if you ever happen to change your Pi into an x86 platform you probably might plug your SSD into the USB of these, correct?
In my case it’s obviously the same because I built my living room speakers on my own many years ago - and the British ETON chassis are still doing a quite good job. Nevertheless I’m enjoying a rather new pair of DALI Zensor with a matching sub woofer as well…
I am quite happy with the current Pi set up (2B + HiFiBerry) so unlikely to implement x86 any time soon. I have kept away from Windows since the last century when I found Mac was far superior for installing and controlling musician software and hardware e.g. line 6 pedal board. If there is a next stage for me it is to build a 4B with the DigiOne Signature HAT from ALLO and possibly invest in a linear power supply to go with it. Unfortunately I have few other domestic priorities that need funding which my wife sees as more important than good tunes
and chiming in from Lake Constance…
12 yeas old B&W speakers shouldn’t be an issue, unless they have the ferrofluid version of the tweeters.
They tend to “dry out” over the years, which makes them go almost silent.
Replaced mine on a CDM7 and CDM1 set a few years back, bloody good still, they’re from 1997!
Appears B&W stopped producing tweeters for the CDM line, but the ones from the 603 look very similar…
May have to operate on them myself in a few years be very carefully removing the sticky ferryfluid and replace it (or run them without it). It seems some “patients” have died during the process
as we use to say in Germany: After mariage the Euro is only worth a 50ct. Sorry about the stale joke.
These days HiFi environment is very divers. In my case an x86 volumio feeds an NAD C510 pre amplifier via SPDIF or alternatively via HDMI. A Trends Audio Class T Amplifier TA-10.2 drives a pair of Dali Zensor speakers and a Dali Sub E-9 subwoofer. I’m quite happy with that setup.
My self made ETON ferrofluid [tm] bassreflex speakers (1988) still do their job in the living room. Seems as if ETON did take care about the tightness of the ferrofluid elements…
Anyway - have fun with your equipment and let’s keep in touch.
Robert
Many happy memories of Bodensee area as that was my last proper summer holiday before the lockdown started last year.
I shall take a look at the tweeters and see if they are the ferrofluid versions. Presumably there is an obvious degradation in sound as they get “drier” before they actually fail ?
Thankfully they are performing well at the moment. They are unfashionably large boxes compared to modern day speakers but the bass extension they have combined with the control that comes from my Raspberry/Chord set up makes me a very happy bunny.
Hi Nick,
which side of the lake where you on, German or Swiss?
Yes, the boxes are fairly large (my wife didn’t like them in the living room) but the sound stage is excellent.
Wouldn’t want to swap them for new ones (yet).
yes, know that nice quiet place well from cycling through when we take the Mainau-Dingelgelsdorf way.
Its about 15 km away from here. But can’t get there just now because of the German lockdown & quarantaine rules.
In my case it’s obviously the same because I built my living room speakers on my own many years ago - and the British ETON chassis are still doing a quite good job. Nevertheless I’m enjoying a rather new pair of DALI Zensor with a matching sub woofer as well…
Sorry about the stale joke.