Howdy from Dallas, Texas.
My name is Barnaby and I work in the high-end audio business as an importer/distributor for some excellent classic HiFi Lines.
I have experimented with computer-based audio for about ten years as a user, occasionally perhaps a “power-user,” but never a developer, a coder, an engineer, etc.
I had given up on ‘home-brew’ solutions based on lack of performance and difficulty in setup and maintenance, but a friend and colleague got a Raspberry Pi and a HiFiBerry DAC, and was very happy with the results. I’ve started my first project with the intention of getting it running and giving it to my parents as their first audio server, to replace their latest broken CD player.
While my personal proclivities run to high end levels of performance, for this kit I’m really looking to maximize reliability and ease-of use. As I get more experience, I will be wanting to experiment more with mods and other opportunities to enhance sound quality.
I’ve never used Linux, and my Unix days are more than twenty years behind me, so I’ve become pretty useless with handling the technical jargon.
Thanks to everyone who is contributing to this community, I find it very exciting!