What Amp are you using?

My first is a pi4 with HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro feeding into an 80s vintage NAD receiver.

I was so pleased with that I put together two more. They are both Pi3’s with HiFiBerry Amp2.
Esentially a DAC+ with integrated amp.

They are driving passive 2 way speakers. Again very pleased.

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I have a RPi4 with a self-made board with PCM5102, connected to a Pioneer A20 amplifier

I also have another RPi4 with a self-made board with latest amplifier from TI: BassOwl-HAT

Kenwood KA-33 from 1981 :upside_down_face:

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Ok, I’m a self admitted tube guy. However, I’m a financially sensible tube guy. My Pi3 with Allo Boss dac is hooked up to a tube headphone amp from Monoprice that lives on my nightstand(my pi3 is in a custom “case” made from broken skateboards). This amp was a steal when it went on sale a couple years ago. Now I have a new toy, a Reisong Yulu M2 single ended EL34 amp. For less than $300usd delivered, I have a decent looking, dead silent(seriously, volume knob up all the way and ear to the tweeter silent. I thought it was broken till music poured out), two input, 8 watt amp that so far has blown me away in my small room(approx 3 meters by 4 meters). I’m loving the sound of this thing and that’s with the stock tubes. Rolling might wait a bit till I’ve lived with it for awhile.

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Linn Kolektor & LK140

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Pi 4 with Hifiberry dac2hd
Volumio 2
Speakers: gen1 monitor audio bronze b2
Amp: 80’s harman kardon PM660 amplifier (bought for £90 on eBay)

Sounds fantastic.

You should ask your amplifier to stop smoking. :slight_smile:

For compact installation you can’t beat the Hifiberry Amp2.


The amp board includes a DAC. It will fit either of these cases. And with Bluetooth speakers no wires needed other than power supply

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I’d love to know how these sound - I haven’t seen many reviews online…

I turned an old linn kudos into a streamer with touchscreen and khadas tone 1, in this streamer there is enough space for an allo volt, for example.
Or a small class D amp.

DAC / Streamer: NanoSound One.
Amps: March Audio P451 Monoblocks. They use the Purifi 1ET400A class D modules.
Speakers: B&W Nautilus 803, 2nd hand; about 20 years old.

Very happy.

Streamer DAC: RPI4/4GB Topping D90
Amplifier: Arcam A32 integrated amp + P35 power amp (both 20 years old)
Speakers: B&W Nautilus 803 (ex demo model 20 years old)

Sounds good

Amps:

  • NAD C740
  • NAD T747

Speakers:

  • Focal Chorus 807V + Siltech LS-38 G3

Streamers:

  • Dell E5540 (Library)
  • rPi4/8GiB
  • rPi4/4GiB
  • rPi3/1GiB

DAC’s:

  • iFi Zen DAC
  • Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital
  • HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro

Software:

  • Volumio
  • JRiver
  • Audirvana Studio
  • Fidelizer Pro

I am always amazed how good the 803s sound. My only concern is that one day age might finally do them in. I will then be forced to something silly, like buying a pair of 802s or even 800s. It’s a worry.

The present generation of B&W speakers aren’t much of an improvement and the price in real terms is much, much higher. If my speakers develop a fault and there are no spare parts I might look at KEF.
Purifi amps are a real game changer. What made you decide on the March P451 over the several other Purifi amps out there? I guess the P451 is closest to the Eigentakt original amplifier from Bruno Putzeys - at least in terms of the all important input buffer. The March P452 stereo version is appreciably cheaper but is of course more recent.

RPI2 (& 3) (Wifi)
Allo BOSS Dac
Latest Volumio
iFi-Audio power supply 5V
Hypex nCore 400 Power Amps
Hypex Interconnects RCA-XLR
Boenicke Audio W5 SE Speaker
iFi-Audio AC-purifier

I agree with your comments about B&W speakers being overpriced for devices that are small incremental improvements on designs that over 20 years old, but I have heard the 802s. I think I can resist while my 803s continue to work. Time will tell.

I chose the March P451 because it appears to stick closely to the Bruno Putzeys design and it is well made. I was considering the Nord range of amps, but I ended up going for March Audio. I live in Australia which did sway me a little. When I finally made my purchase the P452 had become available. I had been investigating the P451 for so long I just went for it. In truth the P452 is better value for money.

I notice that “rost21A” has Hypex nCore 400 amps. If the Prurifi modules had not come along I would have purchased Hypex amps.

I listened to a few high end speakers at a demo event in a local hifi store which was rather poorly attended and so it became a private demo almost. I heard several brands B&W 802 D3, 800 D3, KEF Blades 1 and 2, KEF Ref 5, Vimbergs, Wilsons etc (you can tell I wasn’t much impressed the latter 2). KEF Blade was impressive and if I won the lottery . . …
Living in Australia your choice of March audio is a no brainer, Alan Marsh has developed a beautifully engineered set of amplifiers with impeccable presentation. None of the manufacturers of Purifi complete amplifiers publish detailed measurements though. Possibly some do not have access the essential tool, the Audio Precision APx555 both to develop and test the buffer stages? All the manufacturers who have used ‘boutique’ (and expensive) opamp solutions for the Purifi input buffer have failed to beat the performance of the TI OPA1612 amplifier used in the Putzeys original when these solutions have been independently evaluated by the likes of Audio Science Review. Interestingly the P452 does not use the same configuration on the input buffer as the P451 (TI OPA1612 equipped, at least recently) and achieves slightly worse noise performance (particularly unimportant) but there is no info on THD and IMD degradation, if any, which might be more of an issue.

When I started investigating the Purifi Modules I was put off by some equipment makers use of exotic buffer and PSU solutions. It seemed more about establishing a point of difference than any real technical advantage. Regarding the P452, as a Hi-Fi buff and consumer, I want the OPA1612, but putting my technicians’ hat back on, other cheaper devices like the much older NE5532 could do the job. I doubt if I could tell the difference.

I enjoy reading Audio Science Review forum. Some contributors get a bit carried away, but Amir, the founder is a good source for reviews and sane commentary on whatever is the latest controversy in the audio world.

Hi all,

I have,
RPI4 4GB
5Ghz Wifi with 200 MB/s
Latest Volumio (2.882)
Pioneer VSX-922
JBL LS-60

But have a very strange problem with this setup.
In case I power off the TV while the Volumio is streaming, VSX-922 can’t find the HDMI signal from RPI4 and music dropping down for few seconds. This problem appears in a few minutes interval. Then I’m opening the TV and stops dropping down.

Is there anyone who faced such a problem before?