Any recommendations for the DAC? I'm using a USB sound card right now on my Volumio Pi but haven't been thrilled about it. What I really want is SPDIF coaxial or optical output, on the cheap.
Before I got the Topping E30 DAC, I was using the Apple USB-C headphone jack adaptor, which is a great and cheap little DAC. You can read the review with measurements on Audio Science Review.
If you want SPDIF output, you should consider the Topping D10s, also reviewed on ASR.
I know somebody who got the spdif output working on the Quartz64 [1] with a minimally patched mainline Linux kernel. They needed some custom add on board, but it was cheap from what I understand (~$15).
You can ping CounterPillow in the quartz64 room on libera.chat if you want more info. They mentioned that they might be open to shipping boards to people.
I’ve been using a HifiBerry DAC (DAC+ DSP) with a RBP and their HifiBerry OS which comes with a bunch of streaming services built in, the DSP DAC also allows you to upload a profile to adjust for room acoustics.
If you want digital out like SPDIF--as opposed to a DAC (i.e., digital-to-analog converter)--try the HifiBerry Digi line, any of which should do the job just fine. Prices start at ~$25.
You can use the DAC on the pi itself; you will not be able to tell the audio quality difference on any equipment you own (your ears included).
There is a stereo mini jack audio output on the pi. Just use that and don't waste your money on audio woo.
(This is also a standing bet of $5000 to anyone who can pass an ABX in front of me to discern the difference between the two in headphones of their own choosing. You pay if you lose.)
Sorry, but I did try this, and it sounds absolutely awful. There's a ton of noise. I don't know if my Pis (and I've tried 3 of them) are different from yours, but a cheapo $20 USB sound adapter already has a much better noise floor than the built-in one. This is regardless of what I connect them to.
There's "audio woo" where you spend $1000 for a USB to SPDIF adapter that literally does almost nothing, and spending $50-100 for a decent DAC that doesn't have an audible hiss.
I've never heard the pi DAC... I wonder how good it is. I have some great headphones and great ears. But yeah I agree the built in DAC should be fine for what people seem to be using this for (playing music in a group setting, or while doing chores).
If you plug headphones into the Pi's minijack and turn the volume down to a comfortable listening level, the noise floor on the Pi DAC is very, very obvious. It sounds like hell. Try it yourself before you lose your $5000. :)
