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MDAC First Listen (part 00111001)

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jamjar784 said:
Paul, have you tried WTFplayer? Boot your PC from a memory stick into Linux and play tracks from your HD. SQ is at least as good as anything else. http://wtfplay-project.org/ It's worth a listen and doesn't install any crap on your computer.
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"SQ is at least as good as anything else", but also not better, so why would you pick this one instead one of the many other bit-perfect players that in addition to just being able to play from HD, also allow playing from a server, and allows playing streams?
 
timola said:
I'm a really big Camel fan (I think Latimer is the best(criminally) most-underrated guitarist/composer ever! Been to almost very tour since the late 80's)....What song are you referring to?....it's bugging me big time!
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987e925edd141fb0f46ada360f0084a6--collector-cards-pub-vintage.jpg
 
Thanks BigDog, I'll relax now (although I don't smoke).
I wonder how many other times I'm talking at cross purposes...probably all the time....:)
 
timola said:
Thanks BigDog, I'll relax now (although I don't smoke).
I wonder how many other times I'm talking at cross purposes...probably all the time....:)
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Gave up cigarettes 30+ years ago.
Wonder how many posters here recognize your avatar?! It suggests either that you know how to relax or enjoy being blown away!
Depending on your age, it is probably more of a generational context.
 
jadidih101 said:
Interesting! What are the two switches in the front? One marked filter.

Also, please confirm there are three USBs ports. One in front and two in the back. Any differences between them? What are the two connectors on the back at each end?

Cheers!
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jadidih,

The switches:-

1. Power

2. USB DAC output select :- External USB source (Detoxed USB bypass) or Streamer output

There is also a front panel USB for USB Thumb drives etc.

Rear Panel Left to Right:-

Micro USB input (From say PC, this is Detoxed and is selected via the front panel switch or remotely via the App.

18V DC power input (Center Positive)

1080P HDMI Video output

Ethernet

General purpose USB port (USB stick, Keyboard, HDD etc)

Audio optimized USB output (Detoxed and clean 5V power)

Force Bootloader button (press this with the power switch to force the CM3 into bootloader mode - to allow recovery from a bricked unit)

We have also added the ability for the hardware to monitor the DAC and USB devices power consumption - which can be displayed with the aid of a suitable App.
 
JohnW said:
jadidih,

The switches:-

1. Power

2. USB DAC output select :- External USB source (Detoxed USB bypass) or Streamer output

There is also a front panel USB for USB Thumb drives etc.

Rear Panel Left to Right:-

Micro USB input (From say PC, this is Detoxed and is selected via the front panel switch or remotely via the App.

18V DC power input (Center Positive)

1080P HDMI Video output

Ethernet

General purpose USB port (USB stick, Keyboard, HDD etc)

Audio optimized USB output (Detoxed and clean 5V power)

Force Bootloader button (press this with the power switch to force the CM3 into bootloader mode - to allow recovery from a bricked unit)

We have also added the ability for the hardware to monitor the DAC and USB devices power consumption - which can be displayed with the aid of a suitable App.
Click to expand...
OK, took a few readings but I think I got it. I can connect my PC running Windows/Linux to micro USB and flick the switch and the box will act like DETOX box. Or, I can flick back the switch and the streamer output is send out.

So really, you could have called this miniStreamer/Detox (without clock lock) then. Marketing man, marketing. :)

Have you done any listening test to see which is better?

OK, when can I have it? :)

Thanks.
 
JohnW said:
jadidih,
Micro USB input (From say PC, this is Detoxed and is selected via the front panel switch or remotely via the App.
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Does this mean there is no need to use a Lakewest Detox the USB audio input from PC / Mac (as in externally between the PC/Mac and the Streamer) ?.
 
jadidih101 said:
OK, took a few readings but I think I got it. I can connect my PC running Windows/Linux to micro USB and flick the switch and the box will act like DETOX box. Or, I can flick back the switch and the streamer output is send out.

So really, you could have called this miniStreamer/Detox (without clock lock) then. Marketing man, marketing. :)

Have you done any listening test to see which is better?

OK, when can I have it? :)

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well its not got the full Detox treatment (decorrelation, Multistage Jitter attenuation or clock-locked to the external USB source) but it offers as single stage of Jitter attenuation and RF filtering. It is however Clock-locked to the Streamer clock and offers two stages of Jitter attenuation for the streamer signal path .
 
stephengrenfell said:
Does this mean there is no need to use a Lakewest Detox the USB audio input from PC / Mac (as in externally between the PC/Mac and the Streamer) ?.
Click to expand...

The Ministreamer offers a basic level of USB Detox via the external USB bypass - essentially the same as an AQ Jitter Bug and an Uptone USB ReGen combined.
 
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JohnW said:
No, I mean "software buttons" in the streamer UI that communicate to the DAC to select the digital filters / DAC inputs. We can work with your students to add an APi between the CM3 (streamer) and the DAC board to communicate the relevant settings. We have various "hardware" communications paths between the CM3 to our audio system to facilitate this.
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John, is it appropriate to modify an existing Streamer UI to include DAC selection functionality? This goes against good software design principles.

Typically, a modular approach would be used. The Streamer UI would be standard (thus allowing user selection of a streamer of their choice) and the DAC selection functionality would be provided in a separate menu. Both would be selected from a home page, i.e. select DAC functions or Streamer UI.

To customise a Streamer for comparatively small numbers has several risks, e.g. no longer on main development path; obsolete if developer ceases upgrades for any reason, etc.

Just trying to help...
 
Discovery said:
John, is it appropriate to modify an existing Streamer UI to include DAC selection functionality? This goes against good software design principles.

Typically, a modular approach would be used. The Streamer UI would be standard (thus allowing user selection of a streamer of their choice) and the DAC selection functionality would be provided in a separate menu. Both would be selected from a home page, i.e. select DAC functions or Streamer UI.

To customise a Streamer for comparatively small numbers has several risks, e.g. no longer on main development path; obsolete if developer ceases upgrades for any reason, etc.

Just trying to help...
Click to expand...

Most likely the DAC's secondary functions (such as Digital filters) will be selectable via the streamers configuration page.

There will be no independent software to control the DevDAC - its functions will be embedded within the streamer software as we don't have the resources to write such a higher level software.
 
JohnW said:
Most likely the DAC's secondary functions (such as Digital filters) will be selectable via the streamers configuration page.

There will be no independent software to control the DevDAC - its functions will be embedded within the streamer software as we don't have the resources to write such a higher level software.
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I also like the idea of not having to rely on a specific UI like Volumio or moOde on the DevDAC.
Maybe one of us could make the simple configuration home page for the DevDAC and Streamer where you can control it's functions. It should not be a huge task if there are some code from the streamer software we can look at to see how it is done.
 
Rune said:
I also like the idea of not having to rely on a specific UI like Volumio or moOde on the DevDAC.
Maybe one of us could make the simple configuration home page for the DevDAC and Streamer where you can control it's functions. It should not be a huge task if there are some code from the streamer software we can look at to see how it is done.
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For sure we will do what ever we can to support 3rd party software additions to the streamers / DAC's that's the whole idea of releasing development kits ahead of the MDAC2's etc.

The little Ministreamer has extra features such as current and voltage monitoring of its USB output ports - this feature could be added to the streamer UI or as a separate App.
 
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Rune said:
I also like the idea of not having to rely on a specific UI like Volumio or moOde on the DevDAC.
Maybe one of us could make the simple configuration home page for the DevDAC and Streamer where you can control it's functions. It should not be a huge task if there are some code from the streamer software we can look at to see how it is done.
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Since the streamer (installed linux os) is running a web server we can have a web page on different port address than the streamer UI where DAC specific info can be displayed and DAC config stuff can be issues/handled. The web page part is relatively easy. This way we don't have to 'touch' the streamer software (i.e. no need for a fork).

The hard part (for me anyway) is how commands are send to the DAC and info is received from the DAC. Usually there is some sort of Software Development Kit (SDK) from the manufacturer with samples and documentation. JohnW, is there something like that for the DEVDAC?

Also, any DAC command that effects the Streamer must be appropriately communicated to the Streamer by a reset or change of config notification. For that we have to work with the Streamer developers. That is probably there already, I would imagine.

All do-able once we have the hardware, of course :)
 
We can start a GitHub repository with the APi info....

We will need to get the information together (alot of its exists to allow the programmers to develop the streamer software).

Lets get the hardware out - then we will work on refining the software side.

BTW the ministreamer chassis vendor Email today asking for details on "missing dimension" - so they are using the PDF documentation rather then the DXF / DWG files to make the chassis... go figure...

Not sure if its a good thing that they are asking so late in the day, but atleast somethings happening in China...
 
OK, Thanks for that John. Let's hope ministreamer vendor can get their act together in time.

On a different matter....

When I use my M-DAC with foobar on a PC I can use the M-DAC's remote to send command to foobar player (next, prev, pause, etc). I have been using my M-DAC with Volumio running on a PC (don't have RPi to use moOde) and I noticed that the M-DAC remote's commands are not responded to by Volumio. I assume the Linux USB driver does not support this as oppose to Windows USB driver. Or, the command sent back via USB is ignored by Volumio. Any idea why this could be?

I am asking as I want to use the miniStreamer with one of my M-DAC and I am wondering if this functionality would be available or can be developed.
 
In fact looking at how moode works (mainly PHP webapp) it could be relatively easy to include a DEVDAC special page without setting up additional software. Moode code is well written and understandable by any php developper.
The main part is to create I2S commands to control dac features then calling those features from UI is quite easy too. Moode seems offers an I2S kernel support. I will investigate when devdac+streamer arrives during xmas holidays.

Setting up a git repo could be a good idea. I'm not convinced that Tim would be opposed to add those features as an aditional package if it doesnt request to modify the original distro config.

bests
 
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