DIY streamer

[griffo58]

Has anyone had a go at making A raspberry pi streamer

 

[bencat]

Yep been using one for about eight years now just works .

 

[Tony_J]

Yes - easy to do.

 

[Paul68]

Enjoyed this thread on the AV. forums
https://www.avforums.com/threads/streamer-v2-diy-build-thread.2423620/

 

[bobovox]

The casework is pretty impressive. If I were going to that trouble I would be inclined to use a CM4 with a suitable carrier board. Booting from the on board eMMC or even an NVMe drive would be a bit more robust and sorting out a corrupted file system wouldn’t require opening up the casework.

 

[Tony_J]

I used to have a SBT and found that I just didn't use the touchscreen interface - always ran it from tablet/phone/pc. So all of my Pi-based streamers are "headless".

 

[Cool Dude Ted]

Has anyone had a go at making A raspberry pi streamer

Yep.
Built (well, put together) four streamers now. All slightly different inso far as how they connect up.
Is there anything specific you would like to know?

 

[t1no]

These look professional...
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/open...i2s-hdmi-lvds-pi-4-384khz-dop128-p-15239.html

 

[Southeastern]

Yes, it was s***e.

 

[Cambs12]

To the OP, I have removed your email address from the end of your username, it's safer for you this way, stop spammers etc.

 

[Strider]

Yep, got 3 on the go, a 3 3+ and a 4
The 4 with a Topping E30 ii running MoOde, 3B+ with SPDIF top hat into Cambrider Audio 840C running PiCore. Lastly the 3 into an SMSL Sanskritt 10th mkii running Volumio.

Once you've got your Pi download either MoOde or Volumio because they're the easiest to configure, pop the ISO onto a micro SD card and setup. MoOde would be my first choice it's more friendly amd the support on the forum is excellent, there's also some very knowledgeable and helpful guys here to.

 

[Strider]

Just for clarity, ignore derisory comment's about Pi based streamers, it might be that they lack both knowledge and actual experience when building home-brew streamers, they're also likely to throw vitriolic spew about some DAC manufactures , you can take that opinion with a pinch of salt too.

Building a Pi based streamer is not only rewarding but the additional accessories/adaptations/(upgrades?) Are almost limitless and you can fettle until your heats content.

 

[garn63]

Just for clarity, ignore derisory comment's about Pi based streamers, it might be that they lack both knowledge and actual experience when building home-brew streamers, they're also likely to throw vitriolic spew about some DAC manufactures , you can take that opinion with a pinch of salt too.

Building a Pi based streamer is not only rewarding but the additional accessories/adaptations/(upgrades?) Are almost limitless and you can fettle until your heats content.

Been fettling & indeed your right.

 

[Strider]

Been fettling & indeed your right.

The temperature is far to high, you'll burn the pastry on your Pi..

 

[griffo58]

Yep.
Built (well, put together) four streamers now. All slightly different inso far as how they connect up.
Is there anything specific you would like to know?

How to start what hardware to connect to Rega elex-r I'm a complete novice with time on my hands😄😄

 

[Cool Dude Ted]

How to start what hardware to connect to Rega elex-r I'm a complete novice with time on my hands😄😄

I’ll start by saying that there are many wammers who are more experienced than I am with the Pi and have far greater technical knowledge. So please have a good look at what others are saying too.
Starting with the basics;
What are you intending to stream? Something like Spotify?, internet radio or locally stored music? I guess it‘s sensible to make sure the Pi can do what you’d like it to do.
You’ll need a Raspberry Pi with an operating system. I use Moode, but have used Volumio. There are many others.
Op sys is loaded onto a microSD card (flashed). You’d normally use a PC or laptop to do this.
Decision as to how to get the digital signal out of the Pi. Main options are either USB out or add another circuit board to the Pi (called a HAT) which can take several forms - the main one being to provide either a co-ax or optical connection. There is a DAC option too, which we can come back to.
As you have an Elex-R (I own a Rega Brio), there is no DAC (Digital to Analogue converter) in your amp and so you have to have a DAC to be able to send a signal to your Elex (which is received via twin RCA cable).
As for a DAC - there are so many options here ranging from £100-ish new to many £-thousands. Obviously better vfm buying used. I am in no position to comment on higher priced DACS because I’ve never owned one, but I’m in the £100-300 bracket and have fair knowledge here.

I’ve built 4 Pis - So would I do if I started all over?
Get hold of a 2Gb Rpi4 (not a RPi3). Buy a cheap case, power supply and micro SD card. Use either Moode or Volumio (only because I’ve used both). Decide to take the digital signal out via USB. Buy a DAC which has USB in. Something like a Topping E30 (I think that’s the model number) or a Schiit Modi 3 or one of many others. Connect USB out on the Pi to USB in on the DAC. You’ll have to tell the Pi’s operating system that you’re using USB out. Buy a twin RCA cable (you probably have one) and connect RCA out on the DAC (assuming it has twin RCA) into appropriate inputs on the Elex.
Make sure volume on the Elex is turned right down to start with - just to make sure that you’ve told the Pi/software what type of volume control you want to use.
There is a degree of ‘faffing around’ setting up the PI, but once that’s done, things should run smoothly. For me, the only time they don’t seem to is when I remove the micro SD and do a software upgrade but that‘s a story for another time.
There are so many variables and options but also the Pi can be set up as a simple streamer if that’s all you want.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead. Feel free to come back to me - either on thread or by PM - and I’ll do what I can to help. But also I’ll be honest and tell you what I can’t help with and/or don’t know.
These are just my opinions. I’m very much in the camp of starting as reasonably priced as I can, accepting that I may need to trade up (I’ve had 7 DACs), rather than going all in and spending hundreds or more on a device that I don’t know how much I’ll use until I’ve started using it.

 

[griffo58]

I’ll start by saying that there are many wammers who are more experienced than I am with the Pi and have far greater technical knowledge. So please have a good look at what others are saying too.
Starting with the basics;
What are you intending to stream? Something like Spotify?, internet radio or locally stored music? I guess it‘s sensible to make sure the Pi can do what you’d like it to do.
You’ll need a Raspberry Pi with an operating system. I use Moode, but have used Volumio. There are many others.
Op sys is loaded onto a microSD card (flashed). You’d normally use a PC or laptop to do this.
Decision as to how to get the digital signal out of the Pi. Main options are either USB out or add another circuit board to the Pi (called a HAT) which can take several forms - the main one being to provide either a co-ax or optical connection. There is a DAC option too, which we can come back to.
As you have an Elex-R (I own a Rega Brio), there is no DAC (Digital to Analogue converter) in your amp and so you have to have a DAC to be able to send a signal to your Elex (which is received via twin RCA cable).
As for a DAC - there are so many options here ranging from £100-ish new to many £-thousands. Obviously better vfm buying used. I am in no position to comment on higher priced DACS because I’ve never owned one, but I’m in the £100-300 bracket and have fair knowledge here.

I’ve built 4 Pis - So would I do if I started all over?
Get hold of a 2Gb Rpi4 (not a RPi3). Buy a cheap case, power supply and micro SD card. Use either Moode or Volumio (only because I’ve used both). Decide to take the digital signal out via USB. Buy a DAC which has USB in. Something like a Topping E30 (I think that’s the model number) or a Schiit Modi 3 or one of many others. Connect USB out on the Pi to USB in on the DAC. You’ll have to tell the Pi’s operating system that you’re using USB out. Buy a twin RCA cable (you probably have one) and connect RCA out on the DAC (assuming it has twin RCA) into appropriate inputs on the Elex.
Make sure volume on the Elex is turned right down to start with - just to make sure that you’ve told the Pi/software what type of volume control you want to use.
There is a degree of ‘faffing around’ setting up the PI, but once that’s done, things should run smoothly. For me, the only time they don’t seem to is when I remove the micro SD and do a software upgrade but that‘s a story for another time.
There are so many variables and options but also the Pi can be set up as a simple streamer if that’s all you want.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead. Feel free to come back to me - either on thread or by PM - and I’ll do what I can to help. But also I’ll be honest and tell you what I can’t help with and/or don’t know.
These are just my opinions. I’m very much in the camp of starting as reasonably priced as I can, accepting that I may need to trade up (I’ve had 7 DACs), rather than going all in and spending hundreds or more on a device that I don’t know how much I’ll use until I’ve started using it.

Thanks will have a go over the winter and see where I get thanks for your advice

 

[Cool Dude Ted]

Thanks will have a go over the winter and see where I get thanks for your advice

Good luck.
Just to be aware that Pis are in very short supply at the moment and in my experience, the best way is to sign up for e-mail alerts from one or more of the 3/4 main UK resellers

 

[blueninjasix]

I’ll start by saying that there are many wammers who are more experienced than I am with the Pi and have far greater technical knowledge. So please have a good look at what others are saying too.
Starting with the basics;
What are you intending to stream? Something like Spotify?, internet radio or locally stored music? I guess it‘s sensible to make sure the Pi can do what you’d like it to do.
You’ll need a Raspberry Pi with an operating system. I use Moode, but have used Volumio. There are many others.
Op sys is loaded onto a microSD card (flashed). You’d normally use a PC or laptop to do this.
Decision as to how to get the digital signal out of the Pi. Main options are either USB out or add another circuit board to the Pi (called a HAT) which can take several forms - the main one being to provide either a co-ax or optical connection. There is a DAC option too, which we can come back to.
As you have an Elex-R (I own a Rega Brio), there is no DAC (Digital to Analogue converter) in your amp and so you have to have a DAC to be able to send a signal to your Elex (which is received via twin RCA cable).
As for a DAC - there are so many options here ranging from £100-ish new to many £-thousands. Obviously better vfm buying used. I am in no position to comment on higher priced DACS because I’ve never owned one, but I’m in the £100-300 bracket and have fair knowledge here.

I’ve built 4 Pis - So would I do if I started all over?
Get hold of a 2Gb Rpi4 (not a RPi3). Buy a cheap case, power supply and micro SD card. Use either Moode or Volumio (only because I’ve used both). Decide to take the digital signal out via USB. Buy a DAC which has USB in. Something like a Topping E30 (I think that’s the model number) or a Schiit Modi 3 or one of many others. Connect USB out on the Pi to USB in on the DAC. You’ll have to tell the Pi’s operating system that you’re using USB out. Buy a twin RCA cable (you probably have one) and connect RCA out on the DAC (assuming it has twin RCA) into appropriate inputs on the Elex.
Make sure volume on the Elex is turned right down to start with - just to make sure that you’ve told the Pi/software what type of volume control you want to use.
There is a degree of ‘faffing around’ setting up the PI, but once that’s done, things should run smoothly. For me, the only time they don’t seem to is when I remove the micro SD and do a software upgrade but that‘s a story for another time.
There are so many variables and options but also the Pi can be set up as a simple streamer if that’s all you want.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead. Feel free to come back to me - either on thread or by PM - and I’ll do what I can to help. But also I’ll be honest and tell you what I can’t help with and/or don’t know.
These are just my opinions. I’m very much in the camp of starting as reasonably priced as I can, accepting that I may need to trade up (I’ve had 7 DACs), rather than going all in and spending hundreds or more on a device that I don’t know how much I’ll use until I’ve started using it.

Some great advice here. I wouldn't skimp on a case for the Pi. They're all quite cheap anyway but a good one will cool passively. I never want fans spinning in the background.

 

[Cool Dude Ted]

Some great advice here. I wouldn't skimp on a case for the Pi. They're all quite cheap anyway but a good one will cool passively. I never want fans spinning in the background.

Good point.
In retrospect what I perhaps should have said is to look at something like the FLICR case. Although I don’t have one myself (only because my two PIs have HATS), the FLICR case has been my ‘go to’ case for the Pi streamers I’ve set up for family members.
If I get round to Pi number 5, I may try something from Argon.