Rpi3 + Allo Kali+Piano 2.1 vs Rpi 3 + Allo Boss

In case anyone is interested I would like to comment on my experience comparing Rapsberry PI 3 + Allo Kali + Allo Piano 2.1 and Rapsberry Pi 3 + Allo Boss

My impressions are just mine, but it is true that my Neumann 120A speakers are very flat, very detailed and in fact their function is that, the editing, therefore be detailed and able to reveal faults or virtues. My only reservation is if these results are extrapolable to what is not near field, and I am sure that in other systems the differences that my system shows can be very subtle and even irrelevant.

Before entering the hardware, the first clear conclusion is that via streaming I do not perceive the difference between Volumio and PicoReplayer in terms of sound quality (I would say it sounds better Volumio, but I think it’s psychological because I really like Volumio). I prefer Volumio because it is easier to configure and agile in handling large libraries through dlna, with applications like Jriver, which is worse understood with squeezebox, for example. What it does have very superior squeezebox is the speed to pass in streaming from one track to another, is immediate, with Volumio takes several seconds (about 5). The tests with Piano 2.1+ kali and Boss have been done with both operating systems.

Another thing that has already been commented is that the music in an MicroSD card much better (it does not matter if it is in a usb pen). And there is little difference, it translates into a more analog sound (more realistic timbre if you prefer), more serious and better scene.

One point, I prefer the sound of the PCB Odroid C2, but it is not compatible with the dac Boss. Another, the power supply is linear, for me is basic, there are those who do not give so much importance, it could be that my power line is very bad and linear power is a must.

And now entering the detail on the hardware, my clear conclusions are these, of others I’m not so sure so neither commented:

  • Rapsberry Pi 3 + Allo Boss.

Musicality in pure state. It stands out neither by detail nor by seriousness, neither by naturalness, nor by scene. Yes because of its depth, you can really distinguish the different layers of the recording in different planes, as I have rarely heard. I could be hours listening to Boss without any kind of fatigue, knowing that there are better dacs (more realistic, better scene, better serious) but the sound is really sweet and addictive. It reminds me of the difference between tubes and transistors, not to say that it is a tube dac, but it reminds me a lot, even in the slight grain that the voices present. I will say the biggest nonsense I said in an audio forum, and I said many: this dac caresses your ears and mind, and it is as if the music floats around you and you submerge in it. To have a timbre (especially the voices) more realistic would be an experience very similar to the live music. In a concert you get all the music as a unit and not with the separation and detail that we have in our equipment (except chamber music or acoustic concerts heard very closely). This set would not recommend it for fans of the micro detail, the almost unreal scene and the crystalline voices. It is a dac for music lovers.

  • PI 3 + Allo Kali + Allo Piano 2.1

It is almost the opposite of the previous one. Until I heard the Boss I thought that few things could sound better. Compared to the Boss who is sweet and very musical Kali + Piano 2.1 sounds more aggressive (if the Boss enters the ears like a caress kali + Piano 2.1 sounds sharp, although rather less aggressive with Odroid C2 than with Rpi3). More serious and better with this combination (some people are talking about the opposite, I think that my linear feeding does a lot here). The scene admits no comparison, it is not wider, but all the instruments are better dintinguen, you do not all come at the same time as the Boss but separately, on the contrary, does not have the depth of the Boss. The voices are cleaner, more realistic, but can be a bit aggressive (with Odroid C2 this does not happen). There is more detail, not that with the Boss you miss things, is that to be cleaner this sound the details perceive better. This dac is ideal for those who not only want to enjoy the music but also the details of a recording or mastering. Listening for hours can cause hearing fatigue if we are really aware of the amount of detail.

They are two dacs perfectly compatible and very different, in fact I am going to stay with the two, a pity that you can not use the Boss with the Odroid C2.

What is already incomparable and beyond all parameters is the double mono of Piano 2.1 that finally Allo will not support (I still do not understand). Possibly one of the best audiophile experiences of my life and I have had many, very good and very expensive. The immersion in the scene, the amplitude of the scene, the detail and the bass frequency so real deserve better luck. Allo, do not stop working the dual mono in your future projects, the improvement is remarkable. And I will not stop asking you to reconsider giving dual mono support to Piano 2.1.

Greetings.

Hi you just answered a question i had in mind.,

I have the RPI3 /Sparky -Kali and the Piano2.1.

Heard various combinations using

RPI as base as well as sparky as base.

Now i have the Sparky-Kali-Piano2.1 in its Case i am quite happy with it. but would definitely want to try out the Boss with Rpi or maybe the mamboberry

Could you also share which song you used for reference

Thanks

Use different tracks with all kinds of very different music. Mostly from the sampler disc: Absolute sampler on te fly.

I haven’t been following this more than occasionally, and was wondering whether the Piano2.1 could do proper dual-mono (don’t want sub-woofer output). From what you say, Allo could do it but won’t; is that the case?

thanks,

Chris M

Hello, Allo has said in the thread of Piano 2.1 that will not support dual mono, at least for now, in addition there is some error in certain frequencies that should be solved.

Best regards

Ah, thanks for that,

Chris M

I update my previous opinions. This weekend I’ve been testing these three combinations:

-Odroid C2/Allo Kali/Allo piano 2.1
-Rapsberry Pi 3/Allo kali/Allo piano 2.1
-Rapsberry PI 3/Allo boss

To my surprise the news of Allo, after the filming and some adjustment, have surpassed the C2.

The boss needs a patient shooting of between 50 and 100 hours to give the best, and it gives. It is the best option quality price and simplest, in fact to my ears is better than the combo Kali/Piano 2.1 in stereo with the C2 and of course with respect to the Rapsberry Pi 3.

But the thing changes when we reproduce the piano 2.1 in dual mono, loses some of the musicality of the boss, but is won in spectacular (serious, scene, depth, detail) not an outrage, but is significant. C2 still has a very interesting analog point, and it still seems superior to Pi, but neither is compatible with the boss nor supports the dual mono mode of the piano 2.1, so the improvements of Allo have relegated to a background, unfortunately, because it is much better and more powerful than the Rapsberry pi or the sparky of Allo.

Let’s say that the final result has been, by order of better to less better:

-Pi3/Kali/Piano 2.1 dual mono.
-PI3/Boss
-Odroid C2/Kali/Piano 2.1 stereo
-Pi3/Kali/Piano 2.1 stereo

Best regards

Ok, can the Allo PSU power RPi+Kali+Piano 2.1 successfully? I’m looking at that bundle up on the shop…

Thanks

Chris M

Ok, can the Allo PSU power RPi+Kali+Piano 2.1 successfully? I’m looking at that bundle up on the shop…

Thanks

Chris M

Ok, can the Allo PSU power RPi+Kali+Piano 2.1 successfully? I’m looking at that bundle up on the shop…

Thanks

Chris M

Yes it does work without issues

Yes it can…is my actual setup and is working good.

However the best results are achieved with linear power supply, and I prefer to power Rpi and Kali apart.

Best

Is that a limitation of the Allo PSU or some interaction between the Kali and the RPi?

I can not give you a technical explanation, I can only explain what my ears prefer.

Any recommendations on a linear power supply suitable for RPI/Kali/Piano2.1 and maybe the new alloy isolator.

All components the same feed, of separately powered? With multiple LPS or are there multi-power LPS’s?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi.
My linear power supply is made by me, but it’s exactly the same as this http://www.audiophonics.fr/en/hi-fi-power-supply/stabilized-power-supply-2x-5v-625a-100w-p-9575.html, only that I can have three 5V outputs because my transformer has three outputs. Is more power than you need, but maybe that is the reason that sounds better with other simpler sources of slimming, I do not know. The cables are also custom-made by me with high-purity single-wire copper wire.

After more tests to several ears I have to add some observations and I have drawn some interesting conclusions.

First, the best way to play music is by recording it on a microSD card. Otherwise you lose a lot of dynamics in fast or complex recordings.
Well the Allo Isolator, well the battery (no matter what the item is as it is not worth to feed the Isolator without the battery) also decrease the dynamics, not so much as reproducing the music without the microsd, but something is noticed.

I have recently added a subwofer to my system, and I have done the tests again, many tests, and in the end my ranking is this, always with Raspberry Pi 3:

  1. Allo Kali reclocker / Allo piano 2.1 double mono. Linear power supply.
    The serious that brings this solution is incomparable in digital, and equals to any analogue system of reference in this aspect, there are analog grain (body) and at the same time sharpness, something very difficult to achieve. The scene is very open, more than in any of the other two combinations. There is also more depth and dynamics.
    I discard this combination with isolator because it saturates me at all levels.

  2. Allo Isolator / Allo Boss. Powered by lifepo4 and rpi batteries by a 3 amp powerbank.
    Has all the above, but a little less. I’m sure there will be systems that will not even notice the difference. The Boss is more generous with the recordings, and the isolator brings more air around the instruments. Listening is not as detailed as with the previous combination, so it can be less tiring.

  3. Allo Boss. A little less than all of the above, but an unbeatable solution for simplicity and price. The ideal would be a linear source, but it is not essential, I advise a powerbank or the feeding of ifi to feed it.

regards

Thank you for sharing your listening observations, they are very valuable.

Tapatalkkal küldve az én Redmi Note 3 eszközömről

… How do you manage your FLAC collection? The capacity of SD cards is still very low.

Even (affordable) USB sticks are to small for my collection. Do you have experience SD card vs. USB Stick vs. USB HDD?