According to ALLO:
“ Usbridge Sig/ Audiiophile SBC will send the standard i2s signal (rather cleaner) but not over 384Khz (with the right distri)”
Too bad
I guess…but I would suggest ordering a USBridge Sig Player anyway. Also pick up a stock Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. The latter will do 32-bit, 768 kHz and DSD512 over USB if your DAC is capable and supported. Run DietPi and Roon Bridge on both and compare for sound quality.
Find out if upsampling to DSD512 or 768 kHz makes a greater improvement than being limited to 384 kHz on the USBridge Sig. I genuinely don’t know the outcome since this is highly DAC dependent. Based on my experience with Allo’s original USBridge and DigiOne Players, the USBridge Sig should do very well in most setups.
Also…this page indicates that DSD512 and 768 kHz PCM are supported. I wonder which is correct…
https://allo.com/sparky/usbridge-signature-pcb.html
Update: the 384 kHz limitation seems to be with the GPIO interface. Most people will use the USB output…because the device is literally a USB network bridge!
If I buy one, I’ll almost certainly choose the DigiOne option since its useful to be able to evaluate some DACs via USB and S/PDIF. I think that’s really what the GPIO pins are for.
BoyZonderman wasn’t talking about the USB output though.
PCM768kHz/DSD512 is definitely supported on the USB audio output, as specified by Allo themselves…
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See post 61, too bad. I hoped for a higher sample rate GPIO output, so I could use IanCanada’s fifopi to output i2s to my (not decided new) dac. Looking for more than 384khz so I’m stuck with usb.
Still a nice piece of kit 
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I’m wondering about when the compute module 4 might become available. Would it be possible to replace the CM3 on the USBridge Signature Board with CM4?
You might want to contact Allo directly, alternatively @allo.com, @rahulkc_s, @ALLO_audio_boards might be able to comment.
RPI4 has a diffrent output and we expect CM (if they release it) to be different .
From our perspective , in audio , there is no advantage using RPI4. In fact RPI4 has higher power consumption and slightly noisier than rpi3B+ (tested on USB bus)
USBridge works at 384Khz on i2s and DSD 512 on USB
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I can’t get Hqplayer to work on my USBridge Signature without clicks and pops - but it works beautifully in RPi4 running Raspbian.
Try running Ropieee XL I believe, it also has support for HQ Player. So install Ropieee access web interface and slide option for XL upgrade I believe is term used. There is a user group for Ropieee here Harry is quick to offer fixes he and many others for support.
I also have problems with pops and clicks on USBridge sig connected USB to my RME ADI-2 DAC running Dietpi with upgraded Allo drivers. No problem running Ropieee with USBridge sig and its fine connected to my Window 10 pc which is also my Roon-core. BTW I only have clicks and pops with DSD files, not PCM files.
To me DSD playback with Asio drivers in Native mode on Win10 sounds better. Than the USBridge sig running Ropieee with DSD Over PCM V1.0 (DOP). Being more open and giving a better sense of depth to the sound stage. That being said for most it is probably easier to stick to a Pi based device to keep it simple. I don’t think this is a Ropieee problem strictly driver based and perhaps my DAC simply performs better in that mode. RME doesn’t seem interested in Linux development being their primary business is audio recording equipment that operates in Mac and Windows to be fair to Allo.
RopieeeXL works like charm with HQPlayer. All you have to do is to activate the NAA tab in the Advanced menu. When you go to the settings in HQPlayer on your Roon Core, it‘ll display the USBridge as the NAA player.
Works perfectly without any dropouts, at least PCM in my case, as I don‘t do any DSD upsampling.
Have DSD files so want to play them natively.
So PCM are played PCM and DSD played as DSD.
There used to be a spot or two you could get a free song or album to check out.
Now does HQ Player let me listen to my 5.1 and 7.1 files?
For me a Windows 10 PC is way to go. Playing right from Server in my case, can’t detect difference between separate Win 10 Nuc (as transport) playing back from Win 10 Roon-core (server). Either way I use Asio drivers and Native for DSD strategy.
1: I have tried USBridge Sig running Ropiee and Dietpi (which skips on DSD) Both a Shanti and LPS
2: Digione Sig via Coax SPDIF installed in Ras 3 connected to same low noise LPS and a Shanti
3: Raspberry Pi 4b running VITos from Silent Angel (4b connected to LPS) very good bang for the buck again powered by Low Noise LPS.
Sounding good but for each of the 3 above in order of preference returning to Win 10 with ASIO drivers in Native DSD mode the sound opens right up enveloping you making you wonder if surround speakers are on.
So,
I just ordered a USBridge Signature All in One with Shanti to do Roon. I have DSD and MQA capable DACs. Is this not a good solution to do Roon? Will I get DSD and 24/192? Seems like some are geeting it and others are not.
It’s a bridge, it will enable the resolutions your DAC behind it can handle (within the driverless Linux environment).
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I have the RME DAC and currently using a Nuc with Rock and a LPS as the endpoint. Is using the USBridge Sig a significant step up from a base raspberry pi with it as I found the pi and nuc to be the same sq wise. Just thinking it might give me a step up.
I think the RME DAC is designed in a way it won’t really matter.
This was my feeling but want to see what others say.
I sold my USBridge Sig and am using both Pi4b and Windows 10 computer with Asio drivers (my DAC a Bryston BDA-3 has two USB inputs). I would say I like the sound from the Win 10 Clone computer (i5 Nuc) running native (DSD Strategy) using Asio drivers better on DSD (.dsf) files. It is a valid comparison as my DAC is also supported for Native using 4b with Ropieee. We are not talking a huge difference though.
My core and bridge are on the same computer. With PCM files the nod still goes to windows computer. Both are connected USB of course. PCM files are not as noticeable. Like the way the chimes sound in Bob Dylan’s Man in the Long Black Coat. The way the subtle bass hits in Dead Can Dance DSD’s.
For some reason local playback from my Roon server sounds better than over network. Could be my POE network switches for security cameras.
I have a RME and have experimented a lot on the digital side and transport, network, power to transport and network etc all matters. Maybe not quite as much as to some other DACs though.
I currently run mine like this:
Vanilla ethernet switch with SFP port -> fiber -> opticalModule -> 1-inch homemade ethernet cable/adapter -> microRendu with Crystek clock -> RME
OpticalModule, microRendy and RME DAC all run on their own LiFePo4 battery cellls (20 ah), 8 cells in total, 4 to the DAC and 2 each to opticalModule and microRendu.
With the RME, I’ve not done that much experimenting. DigiOne, DigiOne Signature and RPi4 USB; since I had no doubt the RPi4 would do I got what I expected and run this now. The only “tweak” is an Audiophonics LPS (*) for the RPi, but only because it was already there and has a (real) power switch.
(*) From some hobbyist measurements with the DigiOne and on-line power supplies (SPS / LPS) I know I couldn’t see a difference in the numbers for the setup I was running - so I never tried to hear one.