Hi,
I’m Morgan from Belgium, I was listening music on my main system mainly from an AppleTV (easy for the family) or from an iPad Pro in USB on the DAC. I also tried Roon for libraries on my NAS. Aside, it’s lots of vinyls. At a point, I wanted to have a proper streamer, expecting it would be more convenient.
So I bought the Rivo+ and Lineo5, instead of Innuos or WattsonAudio products.
I received my Volumio Rivo+ two weeks ago. So this is a fresh and beginner feedback in the Volumio world.
And to be honest, I’m a little bit disappointed.
My hardware configuration with the Rivo+
Router >> IFI Lan iPurifier Pro >> RJ45: AQ cinnamon >> Streamer: Rivo+ with Lineo 5 >> USB: AQ carbon >> DAC: Chord Qutest >> RCA: AQ Sydney >> Amp: Rega Elex-R >> Speaker Cable: NAIM NAC5 >> Speaker: B&W CM8 s2
Streaming platforms used with the Rivo+
- Mainly using UPnP/DLNA with a NAS on Volumio
- Apple Music via Airplay
Application used
- Apple Music on iOS
- Rigelian (with Rivo+ and a Chord Mojo2+Poly)
- Volumio
My feedback on the hardware.
Not a big improvement in sound quality, it’s mainly the DSP that changes the most compare using an AppleTV / or from an iPad Pro.
Features Improvements:
Concerning the app, I would say that you could look at Apple Music and Rigelian (and probably others), it could be a good starting point. Volumio is not really intuitive, and lots of features are missing. I was expecting more for that price, and marketing messages.
- Installation was clearly bugged. The configuration assistant went back to the first screen again and again at each step. I finished the configuration via the menu. So not the best first impression.
- Quick menu shortcuts at the bottom to quickly go to configured access points (Libray, Radio, Settings, etc.). Instead of have to go back x time to have access to the menu. Globally, Volumio request too much clicks to reach the targeted menu.
- On the playback screen, the browse button above the timeline on the right should be the queue list. And the Queue button at the bottom left should be the browse / library button. With a quick access toolbar at the bottom could also help to clarify and avoid lots of clicks
- Alphabetical scroll: could be way easier to search an artist/album, instead of scrolling as a fool. For now the scroll on the right is difficult to grab, it could be wider. The addition of the alphabetical scroll could ease a more direct selection in the library.
- Add next or add last in the queue (not clear for now / icons don’t facilitate the understanding)
- A kind of stacking history in the library navigation and search add a lot « back » click to come back to the root screen of the library
- Sliding window for the current playback song screen that can be close by a slide down (Rigelian / AppleMusic)
- In the library screen, to have an option « tracks » to list the complete collection
- To launch a random playback on this list trough all the library.
- Improve the search engine
- Prioritize the quality of the results (i.e. when I type « Harry » I expect to have Harry Styles as an artist or “Dirty Harry” song from Gorillaz in the top results, and not after dozen of tracks on which a sound engineer named « Harry xxx » worked on and has been listed in the credits.
- The AI search doesn’t work. When typing « Jazz » it returns nothing found (with hundreds of jazz tracks in the library).
- Fusion DSP available with other apps or Airplay (maybe a technical limitation)
- Discovery tool by using the music genres, instead of a random on the whole library (AppleMusic search displays all genres tiles)
- Lyrics could be interesting, with Apple Music on the TV, it’s interesting sometimes to read at the same time
- Possibility to pause the scan/update of the library. Or at least to don’t automatically launch it
- Recently added tracks and albums could be highlighted or displayed on top in a swimlane, if I add an new album to the library, it’s probably that I want to find it back easily to listen it in the coming days
- « Most listened » category to have a view on what we like
- Genres should regroup the kind of « genres » [Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Electronic, etc.] and then having a display with the sub-genres [Jazz, Soft Jazz, Live Jazz, Modern Jazz, Fusion Jazz, etc.] instead of a long list of genres and sub-genres
- Geographic selection (not sure this kind of info is available in the metadata) but it could be interesting, if I want to listen Spanish, Italian, Irish songs.
- A kind of homepage based on the library (New (based on release date), Recently added, Recently listened, Playlist, Favorite Radio, Genres random albums proposal)
- Configuration menus could probably be also improved
Maybe more to come after using it more.
Sorry if not really positive, but at that price, I have to be honest with you.