So, I have been a Volumio subscriber for about 5 years after my Techie friend said I should try Volumio with something called a Raspberry Pi. And boy was he correct. He bought me a Raspberry Pi 3b with some weird DACHAT as my DAC and I started to learn. Soon thereafter, I was in the 4B and learning about Audiophonics and then external DACS. My love for music coupled with my love for tinkering with computers just took off.
Over the next year or two, I have purchased many Raspberry Pi’s and many Topping and SML DACs as my hoppy exploded with the quest to get the best possible music out of a streamer.
Currently I am running a Rasberry Pi5, (which in my experience takes all the kinks out of the Volumio software) and feed it into my 150wps Peachtree Carina Amplifier with Sabre DAC which in turn feeds my KEF R3Metas and KEF KC62 subwoofer and boy is this thing smoking.
Today
Always looking for more, my studies continued. I have studied the Peachtree Carina X (new amp) vs the Volumio Rivo vs the Rivo + and ultimately concluded that the RIVO will give me the best bang for the buck. And the Black edition sealed the deal for aesthetics. I was not convinced that the USB out on the RIVO Plus would be superior to the RIVO into my ESS Sabre’s dual 9068 chips sitting in my Peachtree Carina150.
So, moments ago, after a drink or two, I pulled the plug and purchased the RIVO!!!
Just wanted to share this with this group how excited I am. All Comments are welcome!
And just want to thank The Volumio team for making this journey possible.
Sounds great, eventually I may look for a rpi replacement for greater aesthetics and stability.
Have never liked cables spewing out from the sides and top, and just vtouching the cables can cause the player to stop or disconnect.
Let us know if the there is any improvement on sound quality. I don’t really need the small 7" screen for now playing (however the next player I want a HDMI out for that purpose).
A$1800 is a lot compared to ~$150 for the rpi4 though, wondering do these go on sale and how much better the sound actually is. Running it via USB to a RME ADI-2.
@G-rig While your point is still valid, I actually bought the RIVO which does not have a screen and retails at $1,100. with no tax or shipping costs. It’s a standalone streamer. So, it is a big financial commitment up from the Pi5 plus case. Really hoping I hear dramatic differences. Hard to believe it could be better but am hopefull. .
Be sure to upgrade the power supply as well. Maybe you already have a good 5v supply. For me the IFI iPower X was already an upgrade from stock. The Zerozone 01-a (going by S.S-LPS-1706A) was another level. (And there is the Lineo5)
I must have missed these. Is there a quick comparison table between the Primo and Riva? Obviously just more of an entry level streamer but not sure what is meant by ‘Analogue’ in this context.
Having to upgrade power supplies is getting pretty pedantic and aimed at bored audiophiles but does it add another 5% SQ improvement? I have a mess of cables behind the tv cabinet and my active monitors already have some feedback (noticeable if you put your ear very close to them). Does this filter all your devices downstream in the chain? Good equipment should have this built in (I don’t notice any degradation on my RME Adi2).
@G-rig In short, The Primo is the Volumio entry level streaming/Dac solution, whereas the RIVO is a high-end streamer only. This allows you to select your own DAC if you already have one or prefer your own. While there may not be a comparative table, you can view their descriptions and differences here: https://shop.volumio.com/
Also I would say adding the power supply would subjectively get you 5 - 15% better. It was noticeably better when I initially plugged the IfI elite power supply into my Pi5.
Yeah the Rivo seems like the one to get. As mentioned I already have a good DAC (RME Adi2) so not interested in that, would be handy for some people starting out though.
Will have a sus but already have the premium lifetime sub. Be nice if they did a bundle up or something, none of it is very cheap! Still, I wouldn’t mind doing some mild upgrades down the track.
@backenst If I may insert myself into this conversation, I felt that the purchase of the LHY LPS-50 linear power supply for my Rivo + provided a more solid and refined sound, with more authority on the bass end than the stock supply. I can’t put a percentage on it, but it was noticeable enough to increase my listening pleasure. Apparently the LPS-25 would have been more than adequate at $100 less as the Rivo + is happy with 3A.
