Pi 2 Design - 502DAC - Pro Audio Shield

Shall do. I already did on your website btw :wink:

Just a question, since the 502DAC is already out (I have one, works beautifully), why is the there a new Indegogo campaign for it?

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@Michael_Kelly Any update on the 502AES release?

That has been pushed back a month. I am moving some connectors around so that the HDMI sits where the RCA jacks were. That way the board can go into the existing cases with minimal modification.

Michael

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Many thanks for the update @Michael_Kelly.

Hi Michael, how are things coming along with the 502AES? I’ve been keenly watching the discussion here and on SBAF looking forwards to the release! :slight_smile: Really think this could be a great product, there are many people looking for a barebones, high quality ethernet to AES Roon endpoint at the price point of a MicroRendu.

Are you able to offer any subjective comparisons of where the 502AES might stand on the ladder of sound quality of AES capable roon endpoints? (Aries, Bryston BDP1/2 etc)

No need to create miracles but I’m hopeful this may end up becoming a fantastic cost vs performance option for feeding my Yggdrasil!

Enjoy the weekend

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Kenneth,

Using the aes digital out on the 502DAC. How do you control volume? On the shiit dac or in roon setting the volume on the 502?

Roon is set to fixed output level. The schitt analog out feeds a McIntosh integrated amp. From there I use the old fashioned volume control on the McIntosh.

Ok. I’m looking at feeding active speakers with digital signal.

Volume can be controlled from a PC using the speakers software. But obviously it would be far more elegant to control in roon without the additional pc hooked up all the time using the speakers in stand alone mode.

Is it possible to set roon to variable output level and control the volume on the 502DAC in the digital domain ?

Yup, it will be just like any other Pi3 RoonBridge endpoint in this case. You just need to turn up the volume on your powered speakers and then reduce the volume via Roon’s digital volume control, and maybe use Roon’s auto volume levelling for added convenience.

You just need to be careful when Roon’s volume goes to 100% (e.g. acccidental) but the Roon v1.4 update really improved things there with safety features.

Thanks Sean, just the answer I was looking for.

Now time to audition and decide what size of Genelec “the ones” to go with. :sunglasses:

NICE. I’m jealous.

I recently received my 502DAC Pro after a few months delay. It is working well with the Rasberry Pi and the included perspex case was a useful addition.
I’m currently using the balanced digital out into an external dac and integrated amplifier with no complaints so far. On initial testing I couldn’t detect any great difference in sound quality between using the analogue outputs direct to the amplifier or using either of the coax or the balanced digital outputs into the external dac. But this is in a fairly modest system mainly used for the TV and I need the external dac for the TV audio so it is staying for now.

The 502DAC Pro is currently out of stock at pi2design.com. Are there plans for an additional manufacturing run?

Hello there, anyone tried to install roon server on this device? I dont need hdd/ssd for music, as i use tidal with roon.
My aim is to have only one device for digital music, i dont want to use some PC/Mac + 502DAC.

So my dream setup: router -> pi2 502dac AES output (with roon server) -> External DAC -> AMP -> Speakers.
And i will control it from iPad.

ps. @Michael_Kelly @Michael_Kelly1 there was a question about 502AES. There is a huge demand to have one device with AES output, as there is no competitors on the market, sonore/sotm provide usb output.
Is there any updates about it?

Roon Server will not run on a Raspberry Pi - no way no how - It does run Roon Bridge very well however…try Ropieee or DietPi or even other basic linux distros with the Roon Bridge installation script.

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The current 502DAC already has AES/EBU output via ¼” Connector (an XLR Adapter is provided).

So with a separate RoonServer on PC/Mac/Linux (which can be in a separate room), your solution already exists.

Instead of RoonServer on the Pi3, it will run RoonBridge (as @wizardofoz hinted above).

In addition to the last couple of posts, I would also say that, even if you understand that you cant install Roon server on this device, the reality is that you can’t install ANYTHING on THIS device. The Pi 2 Design 502DAC is a raspberry pi hat that is installed on a raspberry pi. The installing of software happens on the raspberry pi, not the 502DAC. Maybe you understood this already, but they way I read your post, it sounds like you thought software gets installed on the 502DAC.

Thanks guys for the answers, yes, i understand, that this is just extension to the Pi device.
Nothing is perfect in this world :smiley:
I was hopping to reduce boxes in my setup, but im ok to have custom PC + Pi as a digital source!

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We have strong community of 502DAC users here http://dastereo.ru/t/pi2-design-502dac-nas-vseh-spasla-arm-shpyapa/16304

502 is best availabe PI-hat on the market!

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