Best way of playing flac files

[Ruairi]

I had a DAC for my system and was waiting for something like Google Chromecast Audio to come out so that i could play flac files through my stereo. Eventually the world gave me the Wiim and it's been peachy ever since.

 

[eevo1969]

What OS/server are you running on the pi for these? I have a spare pi and big USB memory stick, so could try this out. Thanks.

Volumio, used a few times with no trouble whatsoever and there’s a walkthrough to hold your hand. I’ve tried a few different options and it’s always back to Volumio.
Heard a Raspberry Pi 4 was a better choice between the 4 and 5 a few times so that’s what I’m hoping to buy.

 

[ff1d1l]

Been playing flac off my phone with foobar to one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07BKXP326?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
With this power supply
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27288412...pid=5338728743&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
Into an fmj dac. The power supply makes a substantial difference. My phone is a oneplus 6.

This sounds very close indeed to my 6000 CDT with reclocker, and has huge soundstage, similar tonality, does perspectives well, isn't ragged in the treble. In fact, if your phone has plenty of storage, it could be all the source you need. And is, if you have a phone with storage and Bluetooth already and a capable dac, an absolute stone cold sonic bargain. Even mp3s sound very good indeed.

I liked it so much I bought a second pairing and am using it in the workshop system, into a Young dac. Also excellent results.

Edit - I think the aptX codec it uses is a completely different animal to normal Bluetooth. Just to clarify re my judgement of SQ, both systems are very capable. House system is bi-amped bi-wired large JBL 4430 clones (15" bass and the baboon butt horn pressure unit) with an Alegri +, Harmon Kardon PA2400 amps. Workshop system is silver traffo pre, a big Luxkit z504 power amp and Urei 811s using 18" Altec duals and some homebuilt subs. High end sound off your phone? Absolutely.

 

[x21]

I’d argue a Pi5 was less suited than a 4 as it needs active cooling.

Flirc makes a case with passive cooling for the 5. It uses the casework as a heatsink

 

[Tony L]

Flirc makes a case with passive cooling for the 5. It uses the casework as a heatsink

I don’t think you can use a hat with it, which means no optical or coax out.

This is a bit of a problem with the 5 really, and not the only one. Mine is in an Argon case like this (Amazon), which is fan cooled (so I’d not want it in the hi-fi room), but it can take a hat if you remove the top and add a spacer to give airflow. The other problem with it is with the PCIE card installed there is no access to the SD card slot, which is a bit dumb really. The Pi is at the stage the basic form-factor needs redesigning as it no longer works. In becoming a pretty useable day to day computer (my 8GB model with SSD does feel very decent) it has lost a lot of the original design elegance somehow. I suspect either the 3 or 4 is ‘peak-Pi’.

 

[tomek]

I have Pi 5 (passive cooling) with picoreplayer and LMS as a media server and few players with Pi 4 and Pi 3. I converted all my flacs (60.000) into waves (dBpoweramp can do it in batch mode). IMHO waves sounds very little better than flac. No flac decompression "on the fly" causes less jitter ? I don't know. No, I was not doing ABX blind tests to confirm it. I just have an impressin, that wav sounds better then flac and harddisk space today is very cheap.

 

[x21]

I don’t think you can use a hat with it, which means no optical or coax out.

A riser cable would be needed.

 

[timpy]

I run a Pi4 2Gb as the Streamer and a Bel Canto e.one Stream as the renderer. The Pi is running KODI and a stripped version of its OS. A Samsung Extreme 1Gb SSD is attached to the Pi. Works well.

Never tried running the Pi 4 as the renderer. I couldn’t live with a Novafidelity N15 or WIIM Pro even running both through a Mutec MC3+ USB and my usual DAC, so never tried it.