Volumio RiVO Review (vis-a-vis Raspberry Pi5 with iFi Power Elite)
Intro
My set up is now the Volumio RIVO (formerly Pi5) with Ifi Power Elite power supply running to my Peachtree Carina150 amp and ESS dual 9068 Sabre DACS. The amp in turn feeds my Kef R3 Metas standalone speakers and Kef KC62 sub. I thought I would share my RIVO review from the standpoint of users currently using a Rasberry Pi and wondering how much the high end RIVO improves, if at all, the overall experience. I also considered the PSAudio Airlens streamer, but settled on the RiVO, since it is all based on the Volumio hardware/software configuration. I have been running RIVO for about 24 hours.
Boxing/Construction/Aesthetics
I purchased the RIVO Black. All good here, taking the device out of the Box feels like you purchased a high-end product. Appearance and build are solid. Connections are all firm and well labeled. The manual describes the purpose of each element. Additionally, after several hours of operation, there does not appear to be any heat emanating from the unit, unlike the Raspberry Pi, which tends to become quite warm. The RIVO looks nice in my set up. Love the three status lights.
The USB 2.0 port the back of the RIVO
I had programmed the Pi5 USB port using the FLIRC software and it worked great with my Pi5 using the Peachtree amp remote. Alas The Peachtree amp remote works sporadically the RIVO, but surprisingly, the Samsung TV remote controls the RiVO perfectly. I have no idea how this is possible, and I am going to try to reprogram the Peachtree remote because that has volume, obviously, and I just want the one remote. But interesting. This seems fixable to me with a little effort.
Software
The RIVO Immediately connected to my Peachtree Carina ESS Sabre DAC and plays all my sources as expected. No problems with music stored on network drives, or Qobuz for example.
The Standby Feature
The software adds in a standby feature by which you do not have to turn the RIVO off, rather it goes into Standby. This is very nice as when you return you can just hit play and RIVO status turns blue and just starts playing. The On-Off button on the front of the RiVO is actually an On/Standby button. To truly turn off the RIVO you need to select the Off button on the back of the RIVO. Well done here.
FUSION DSP
I believe the Fusion DSP technology is a must for Volumio and is one of the finest features. I I was able to install the plugin easily and it only took a few minutes to update the settings.
Stability and Usability
Both the Pi5 and the RIVO are very stable. Much better than the prior versions of the Pi.
Speed
Ok, this is one area where the Pi5 surpassed the RIVO. When searching for songs, or selecting a song, fast forwarding to a song, etc., the Pi5 is noticeable faster than the RiVO. I would say the RIVO is as fast or faster than prior iterations of the Pi, but not the 5. I confirmed this by running the System Information plugin on the RIVO and if features a 1.2 Ghz processor while the Pi5 offered a 2.4Ghz processor and you do notice it.
On the other hand, the Wi-Fi is faster on the RiVO as I am hitting speeds of over 600 whereas on the Pi I was hitting in the 300’s. So, when I play songs off my network drive, that is quite fast and as fast or faster than the Pi5.
With the Pi5, if I walked away for several hours, then returned, to continue with the same playlist, I would need to back out and then reselect the playlist and pick a song. With RIVO in standby, I hit play and it starts immediately. Well done!
Display Settings
The RIVO comes preloaded with the HDMI display included. Simply turn it on or off, and add the pointer, if desired. I also use the Now Playing plugin which allows you to customize the on-screen display with colors, fonts and other widgets. I was able to copy my Pi5 settings into the RIVO internal storage data folder and it all came over perfectly.
Sound Quality
Ok the Big One,
The first thing I noticed is changes in the sound stage. I noticed the sound stage provides more depth front to back. As I listened further, I heard more separation in the instruments. This was especially true in the JJ Cale song “Close to You” which before I thought to myself “this could be great if I had a better recoding or something.” Well now, the distinction between the bass guitar and the standard guitar notes are now quite clear and noticeable, thanks to the RIVO device, which has effectively separated the sounds. The entire sound stage is more pronounced. That is what I would say is the biggest improvement over the Pi, everything that was there before is just more pronounced. The stereo image and the stereo itself just seem bigger. Keep in mind I have only had this thing for a day.
So, is it worth it?
It appears so. I am not a person who drives expensive cars or plays a lot of golf. So, I have some funds for my audiophile hobby. I really enjoy music and tinkering with various components. I often wondered if a good streamer could improve the sound quality. And now I know. It can and the RiVO does it generously. I love that the RiVO is a standalone streamer and can be the source of my music for years to come as I switch out DACs, AMPs and speakers. The RiVO looks great whether you have it out front or tucked away. I can still tinker with the DIY elements of the software, with all the plugins and settings etc., Also, I like the feeling that I am part of the Volumio community and the Volumio team and user community has treated me well. RiVO is a darn good product!
