Sparky + Boss DAC | Compatible or Nah?

Audio Gear Talk DietPi
1

On the @Allo.com website, it says in several places that the Sparky is compatible with the @ALLO_audio_boards Boss DAC. But how does one get it to work with roon?

I have tried both the standard and GUI versions of @Dan_Knight’s DietPi on the Sparky, but neither one show the Boss DAC as an option in soundcard settings. If I open roon and check the audio settings, I can see the Sparky device, but I only see “atm7059_link” (presumably the HDMI output) available to enable.

The green LED on the Boss is lit, so it seems to be getting power. However, it is not easy to make the physical connection. The supercapacitor on the Boss hits the heat sink of the Sparky before the GPIO connector is fully seated, so I have a foam bumper between them to keep them from shorting.

Do I need to install a driver to make it work? Or should I be using a different version of Linux? Or is the Allo.com website incorrect in stating that these two products are compatible?

2

Hi,

Just confirmed with Allo (Sudeep). BOSS DAC is not compatible with Sparky as its a master DAC.

1 Like
3

Yes correct.
on the BOSS page we indicate:

Compatibility

  • Compatibility: RPI only. Isolator board (at 192Khz). Relay attenuator.
  • PSU: BOSS v1.2 can be powered independently after removing the jumper (see manual)
  • Not Working With: Sparky, Kali

But on the Sparky page , BOSS is mentioned as an expansion board.
I will correct that.

Regards,
Andre

1 Like
4

Thanks for checking, @Dan_Knight!

5

Thanks, Andre! There are at least two places on the website where it needs to be corrected. Also, you may want to put the word out to your distributors as well: Boss is also listed in two places on the Sparky page on the Chicago Electronics Distributors site:

I can re-purpose the Sparky to use a USB DAC, I just need to come up with a case of some sort. Do you happen to have any diagrams or drawings that show the dimensions of the Sparky and the relative locations of the mounting holes and ports? I could make a case using a 3D printer.

Thanks again.

6

hello Andy I will try to get the mechanical drawings form engineers by tomorrow.
if not, i will make one for you.
kindly email me directly andre at allo
thanks