HI @Dan_Knight. Is it possible to stream DSD512 from a RPi3 DietPi to a Holo Spring DAC?
a. Using RoonBridge?
b. Using NAA?
I’m currently using the standard usb-dac soundcard.
Thanks.
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Actually, I’ve noticed that Roon is not providing a “Native” option in the DSD playback strategy, so perhaps that’s a related issue.
Edit: The Spring also won’t recognize 705k and 768k from the DietPi, but the DietPi audio stream says that these streams are playing. I verified that my Spring has the latest firmware which I am led to believe is 768k over USB capable.
I’ve never been able to play 705 or 768 even though the Spring appears to be telling the mR that it supports those resolutions:
XMOS xCORE USB Audio 2.0 at usb-ci_hdrc.1-1.1, high speed : USB Audio
Playback:
Status: Stop
Interface 1
Altset 1
Format: S32_LE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Interface 1
Altset 2
Format: S16_LE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Interface 1
Altset 3
Format: SPECIAL DSD_U32_BE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000
Data packet interval: 125 us
It talks the talk but it doesn’t walk the walk.
Guy (@MusicEar) do you know any way we might get in touch with Jeff Zhu and check if support of these resolutions is intended by future firmware ?
Hi @andybob, yes sometimes ago I did email to Jeff Zhu regarding on PCM 705/768k support but his reply required a firmware update and may need to send the unit back. According to him, this is not his top priority right now.
The USB XMOS chipset is indeed 705/768 ready as reported by Roon but not the internal DAC. The only think I can verify this DSD256 via DoP on ROCK, it works fine. DSD256 via DoP requires a PCM transport stream of 705/768k.
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I’ve emailed Jeff. Will report back with any news.
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Hi Joel,
Might be ALSA related? ALSA defines are increased to 384KHz in our kernel (192KHz for standard RPi kernel). 705KHz/768KHz is not defined (supported) currently.
When playing @ 7xxKHz, what does the ALSA stream report?
cat /proc/asound/card*/pcm0p/sub0/hw_paramsDSD512: Unsure if i’am honest. Users report DSD256 is stable on RPi 3, but not on RPi 2. Most likely hardware/performance limitation rather than kernel related.
I have some info from Jeff… (slightly edited for English and clarity)
705K and 768K via usb is not supported in current firmware. But it [is] supported by I2S. We may release some firmware update to support 705K and 768K via USB later. But it seems not [many] user[s] need that. So the current plan is to support this at Spring2.
So it looks like XMOS chip is advertising 768k (which is needed, of course, for DSD256 DoP), but 768k is not supported. If you want it, email Jeff!
For linux, there is a white list embedded in the kernel. Only the USB id[s] listed in that white list are treated as DSD native capable. So that white list need[s] to be updated. We have added into this white list last year. So if it has the latest linux kernel. It should be able to report it is native DSD capable. Some device[s] (like auralic aries) bypass this white list.
This one (for native DSD support) is one for you @Dan_Knight.
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Hi @joel did he mention there’s a need to send the unit back or we simply can flash it with ourselves? Thanks for info. Haha, the new Spring 2 coming!
No, but there is a firmware upgrade zip on the Kitsune website, so I’m sure it’s possible - in fact, I used the files therein to check my firmware version. I think any upgrade would be at the user’s own risk though, which is to say that if the unit get’s bricked, the courier expenses for the round trip to China and back are paid for by the user!
Can you point me to link to the Kitsune website I don’t seem able to find it. The current firmware for Spring is 16.29.
Correction: my firmware is 16.92
My Spring has 16.92…
It’s the orange link on this page (in the “DSD is natively supported for the first time on this R2R Discrete DAC” section).
Totally tearing my hair out at this point.
Discovered I was being a right Jessie (ALSA v1.0.28) and needed a Stretch (ALSA v1.1.3). But still no joy. Using the usb-dac soundcard.
Diagnostics playing DSD256 DoP:
root@DietPi:~# lsusb -d 20b1: Bus 001 Device 005: ID 20b1:3036 XMOS Ltd
and:
root@DietPi:~# cat /proc/asound/card1/pcm0p/sub0/hw_params access: RW_INTERLEAVED format: S32_LE subformat: STD channels: 2 rate: 705600 (705600/1) period_size: 14112 buffer_size: 28224
and
root@DietPi:~# cat /proc/asound/card1/stream0 XMOS xCORE USB Audio 2.0 at usb-3f980000.usb-1.4.1, high speed : USB Audio Playback: Status: Running Interface = 1 Altset = 1 Packet Size = 776 Momentary freq = 705613 Hz (0x58.33a0) Feedback Format = 16.16 Interface 1 Altset 1 Format: S32_LE Channels: 2 Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us Interface 1 Altset 2 Format: S16_LE Channels: 2 Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us Interface 1 Altset 3 Format: SPECIAL Channels: 2 Endpoint: 1 OUT (ASYNC) Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000, 705600, 768000 Data packet interval: 125 us
So somehow I’m not getting @andybob’s SPECIAL DSD_U32_BE.
As I quoted (from an email from Jeff Zhu) in my post above, the Spring is 705/768-enabled on its I2S input (which is fairly useless IMO as there’s nothing out there which will do low jitter 705/768 I2S at a sane price), but not on USB.
Jeff has considered new firmware to enable this, but he’s not sure the demand warrants it. If you want it, email him with a request: it’s the only way it will happen before the Spring2!
Have you manage to get anything from him? I emailed to him but no response from him so far.
You mean an email reply? He usually gets back to me within a day or so.
Hi @joel, does it require a linux driver from Holo Spring (Jeff Zhu) in order to support native DSD using ROCK? I assume latest ALSA is native DSD ready. I was asking as now I’m limited to DSD256 via DoP using ROCK. Thanks
Honestly, I’m not sure! I think it’s more likely to be a kernel/ALSA thing with specific patches needed.