Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumio

Raspberry Pi related support

Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumio

Postby PhilHill » 15 Jan 2018, 23:22

Hi there,

compared Sound between Rune and Volumio during the last few Days.
Found an inch more at the low end with Volumio, which I cannot understand if it's
'Bit Perfect'.
Tried different Sound Signatures in Rune, but not the wanted effect;
tried finite and infinite DSP Programs (DAC: Ti pcm5122)

May Volumio tweak Frequency Response at low end ?

A bit frustrating because Rune ist far best I've seen,
lightweight, functional, fast.

Setup:
RPi3, Allo Boss v1.2, mAudio m3-8 nearfields

Any Idea ?

Kind regards & keep on with Rune ,
Phil.

https://pastebin.com/VPpEg3BZ
Last edited by PhilHill on 16 Jan 2018, 10:53, edited 2 times in total.
PhilHill
 
Posts: 17
Joined: 15 Jan 2018, 21:45

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby dror » 16 Jan 2018, 07:49

Hi

first, you better share your debug info this way
HOW TO COLLECT AND POST DEBUG INFO
In the RuneUI, go to MENU > Debug;
Refresh the page a couple of times, waiting some seconds between every refresh
Click the "COPY DATA TO CLIPBOARD" button;
Go to http://pastebin.com and paste the debug output in the "New Paste" textarea. Leave the default options (Syntax Highlighting: None, Paste Expiration: Never, Paste Exposure: Public), give a name to il (e.g. RuneAudio debug info) and submit.
Copy the url of the submitted Pastebin (e.g. http://pastebin.com/dL1k9irT) and include it in your post here in the forum.


As for your experience, you can try this:
tweaking-the-audio-performance-rpi3-t4301-40.html#p19327

Now - Do YOU hear any difference?
dror
 
Posts: 140
Joined: 03 Dec 2015, 10:14

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby PhilHill » 16 Jan 2018, 11:53

Hi there,

yes I hear the difference,
especially with Joe Walsh - Turn to Stone
from his 1976 Album - You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind

Kind Regards,
Phil.
PhilHill
 
Posts: 17
Joined: 15 Jan 2018, 21:45

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby janui » 16 Jan 2018, 13:50

Hi PhilHill,

I am really intrigued with your findings. There are two pieces of information which I am interested in:
    1. Could you supply the mpd.conf file from your Volumio setup.
    2. Have you made any measurements comparing the output of the two? Or have you been able to carry out any blind testing (preferably by several people)?

Please answer #1 even if you cannot answer #2.

The reason that I ask the second question is that I have been regularly deceived by listening to comparative results. I no longer trust my own ears without some kind of verification (preferably measurement or at least a second opinion). But if there is a difference (and I agree you’re your comment concerning bit-perfect), I want to know why.

janui
User avatar
janui
 
Posts: 699
Joined: 20 Dec 2014, 12:55
Location: Ollanda

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby hondagx35 » 16 Jan 2018, 17:36

Hi PhilHill,

1. Could you supply the mpd.conf file from your Volumio setup.

I am also very interested in this.

Frank
User avatar
hondagx35
 
Posts: 3042
Joined: 11 Sep 2014, 22:06
Location: Germany

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby PhilHill » 16 Jan 2018, 22:32

Okay,

https://pastebin.com/QGhpP5HA
Pretty much stock, i guess .

a/b Hearing on same Hardware, same Position, same Volume.
Did no Measurements so far, just Ears.
No blind Tests with others.

How to read out Interpolation Filter Volumio uses?
http://www.ti.com/product/PCM5122/datas ... it35968629
Chapter 8.3.4.2

@Frank
I'd like to DSD native to pcm5122.
If I set this, only white Noise is heard.
How to add ?

Kind Regards,
Phil.
PhilHill
 
Posts: 17
Joined: 15 Jan 2018, 21:45

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby dror » 17 Jan 2018, 07:45

Hi
https://pastebin.com/QGhpP5HA
Pretty much stock, i guess .


You posted Rune's mpd.conf :D They asked for the file Volumio uses..

If Volumio was mentioned - From my tests with Volumio, which was about a year ago, I was never impressed by the sound quality. It somehow always sounded a bit dull in comparison to Rune. In the contrary, Moode on its former versions had the best sound to my taste (that was my impression from a very few listenings).
Yet Rune is still my choise as it really sound great, the differences from Moode where not THAT critical (although its an interesting issue), and Rune + sound tweaks + powering tweaks + Shairport-sync works great for my needs.

Dror
dror
 
Posts: 140
Joined: 03 Dec 2015, 10:14

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby PhilHill » 17 Jan 2018, 14:50

:lol:

https://pastebin.com/GFihCUbQ

soxr i see... okay.. that's the difference in sound ?
resampling doesn't add anything which is not there, does it ?

kind regards,
phil.
PhilHill
 
Posts: 17
Joined: 15 Jan 2018, 21:45

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby andfor » 17 Jan 2018, 17:14

Hi

I just want to weigh in here with an observation... I recently implemented Sox resampling with Rune 0.4b and was really pleased with the results. It made the world of difference. Or so I thought...

Janui tested the same implementation and had the opposite opinion, which got me thinking.... I decided to disable the resampling for a while to see if I really noticed a difference or if it was just a placebo.

During this time without resampling enabled I rearranged my living room, where the system is situated, and accidentally moved the speakers closer to the rear wall.

The result was an instant and significant change in the quality of the sound. That simple change effected the sound more than any amount of fiddling about with the audio source has ever done. In fact it resolved a specific issue I was having with the sound that I was contemplating all kinds of interventions to try and fix.

The moral of the story is: when you're down in the tiny details you miss the bigger picture. The fact is that no matter how bit-perfect and pristine your source is, the source is not the sound. The sound is fluctuations in air pressure coming out of the speakers, bouncing around the room and hitting your eardrums. Yes you can improve things with better equipment, but digging around for tiny improvements and arguing about the results as though they are anything other than subjective is just nonsense. Especially when speakers a few inches closer to a wall makes more of a difference.

I still love doing it though..... can't resist fiddling. :D
User avatar
andfor
 
Posts: 57
Joined: 26 Jun 2017, 15:48
Location: Birmingham, UK

Re: Sound Quality on Allo Boss Rev.1.2 between Rune / Volumi

Postby PhilHill » 17 Jan 2018, 19:18

Hi Andfor,

i followed your Conversation with Janui about SOX, but had no time to give it a try.
(to be honest, I don't know how MPD communicates with SOX, added
resampler plugin soxr etc. to my mpd.conf,
which returned with an error)
(I'm not sure if I'd to do more than telling MPD about SOX,
found this: https://www.musicpd.org/doc/user/resamp ... _resampler )
Luckily at this point, my dog heard nature's call, so i went for a walk :-D

According to Room Acoustics, you're absolute right.
Best Bang for the Buck is understanding Roommodes, damping Reflections and Basstraps.

Kind Regards,
Phil.
PhilHill
 
Posts: 17
Joined: 15 Jan 2018, 21:45

support RuneAudio Donate with PayPal

Next

Return to Raspberry Pi

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests