Yes, then a soundcheck is probably due at the end of April, beginning of May!
@matzemedia I like the idea of getting the data onto the I2C bus without any detours. That’s why I do the soundchecks with these devices. Besides, the market is much clearer than the one with devices using USB.
You are welcome to join us for the next soundcheck. Exactly which Hifiberry do you want to hear?
The https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dacplus-rca-version/ ?
I currently use the HIFIBERRY DAC+ STANDARD. So it would be exciting to hear it in relation to the others.
Update… I have a DAC going to a reviewer in Serbia, once they are finished I can have them ship to you.
i am eagerly awaiting the new board from orchardaudio. Unlike other boards, it is based on AKM’s VELVETSOUND™ flagship AK4499EXEQ and AK4491EQ chips.
To make an interesting comparison I would like to compare it in a first round with 7 current boards.
Round 1 ‚new Boards‘
Pecan Pi +
Boss2
Nanosound Dac one
Hifiberry Dac+ RCA
Hifiberry Dac2 HD
DACBerry NTB
AUDIOPHONICS ES9038Q2M
Melopero Dac Zero
After that I would like to compare it with the best boards of my Souncheck events. Those would be:
All time favorites:
orchardaudio Pecan Pi
audiophonics EVO Sabre
collybia Mamboberry HD+
Volumio Primo
Abacus AroioDAC
allo piano 2.1 with kali
the PecanPi+ board should be on its way. A soundcheck will be organized at the end of may, beginning of june…
What a nice return!!!
Let me know if we can contribute in any way 
I am not sure if the PecanPi+ will get to you in May. Please wait to schedule the event if you can until I can confirm shipment from the current reviewer that has it.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a week earlier or later. Surely then we can say that the long wait was worth it.
Thank you for your support Michelangelo. I really appreciate it. Since I will be comparing via RCA again, I would assume I can continue to use your first Primo. Or would you like me to send your current Primo into the competition? By the way, I really like the fact that it now has balanced output!
They just finished their review and should be shipping the DAC to @judydudi next week.
Here is the link for those interested:
If the PecanPI+ is a great upgrade, I can’t wait to finally hear it!
Apparently the device is now on its way to us in Hamburg. Time to take a closer look at the devices to be tested.
The PecanPi+ will compete against these boards in the first round:
Boss2, Nanosound Dac one, Hifiberry Dac+ RCA, Hifiberry Dac2 HD, DACBerry NTB
AUDIOPHONICS ES9038Q2M and Melopero Dac Zero.
The Boss2 is the evolution of Allo’s Boss DAC which was a good mid-range car, I would say. The Boss2 is now certified in the audiosciencereview to jump into the upper league.
The Nanosound Dac one from nanomesher comes with a great compact Raspberry4 metal case and remote. Here I especially like the total package, which is also sold at a very atractive price!
The Hifiberry DAC’s are new in my soundcheck. How they sound I can not yet say. For them speak availability and a wide range of housings.
The Dacberry NTB is an Analog Nutube 6P1 soundcard with a PCM5142 DAC in master mode from OSAelectronics. Oriol from OSAelectronics in Spain develops electronic devices with a lot of enthusiasm. Highlighted are his extremely high quality Ultra low noise power supplies and a considerable range of DAC boards.
The Nutube board produces a warm, unique tube sound and delivers excellent linearity.
The AUDIOPHONICS ES9038Q2M is an in-house development of AUDIOPHONICS from France. audiosciencereview writes in its summary:
‘The AUDIOPHONICS DAC I-Sabre ES9038Q2M finally brings good performance to HAT DACs. It rivals the performance of the higher priced DACs from Allo and Orchard Audio but at lower cost.’
The Melopero Dac Zero I found in a store from Italy. A board for the Raspberry Pi Zero. A good Zero board for a mobile volume player on the road is always nice to have. Let’s see what the Melopero does for a figure.
The following ‘Best of’ round consists of
orchardaudio Pecan Pi, audiophonics EVO Sabre, collybia Mamboberry HD+, Volumio Primo, Abacus AroioDAC, allo piano 2.1 with kali
It’s fair to say all these boards play ‘insanely’ well!
The allo piano 2.1 plays with two dedicated 384 kHz/32bit high-quality DAC PCM5142 for best sound quality. The Kali reclocker was a real gamechanger in its time and has raised the soundstage even further.
The German made AroioDAC was a real surprise in our soundcheck how precise it brings the tones - and at a very reasonable price. The manufacturer just told me that some boards should be available again soon!
collybia’s Mamboberry is the result of the love of the developer Vasilis Tounas
for the ESS Sabre 9023p DAC chip. To the distinct audiophile sound is paired an extravagant choice of electronic components. (e.g. NICHICON’s “Muse” capacitors and Crystek clocks).
The Volumio Primo was the first music streamer from Volumio itself. Unpack the package and enjoy music via Volumio is the motto here! The sound of the device is convincing and we also liked the stable casing. The used Tinkerboard made volumio faster than from the Raspberry. In the current version even balanced output for ‘big’ amplifiers are available.
The EVO Sabre board is the flagship of audiophonics. With two ES9038@2M, balanced out, SPDIF/USB/RPI4,BT two displays, remote control and aluminum case it leaves nothing to be desired. Meanwhile there is also a plugin which simplifies the installation at Volumio.
… and then the PecanPI. Orchardaudio’s last trump. Big, precise, sovereign. Dual flagship Burr-Brown PCM1794As in monaural mode. Balanced and RCA output, steel case and a volume control knob. Hats off and chapeau!
I think we can look forward to an interesting evening!
I will keep you updated.
Looking forward to the findings, enjoy the adventure and the music.
ok people, the board is there.
Next Soundcheck event will be on 22 of June 2023 8PM in Hamburg!
it’s free to come. just write an PM register …
I am happy to join this event! See you there.
Cheers
Christian
Have fun!
Here is a playlist that I use for demos, maybe you find something good on there:
https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/3288137
Pecan Pi+, Boss2, Nanosound Dac one, Hifiberry Dac+ RCA, Hifiberry Dac2 HD, DACBerry NTB, AUDIOPHONICS ES9038Q2M, Melopero Dac Zero are prepared for now!
Thanks Leo!
Playlist is ready Volumio Soundcheck no. 14 on TIDAL
All 14 devices are set up with latest volumio image, playlistfiles and autostart plugin. 
the boss2 has the quietest maximum sound volume. therefore, all devices are adjusted to its loudness.
Thanks for the great event. You’ve build such a great setup to test all the different dac modules.
Best Matthias
Thank you for coming, Matthias 
Not an easy thing, but we accepted the challenge!
Right in the first round we noticed that it is not easy to find differences.
No device played remarkably badly. That’s already a thumbs up for all devices!
We had to examine in the fine difference. So just the ‘quiet’ parts of the tracks were interesting to feel what the feeling made when listening there. Does the sound threaten to become shrill if it were to rise further or does something tend to sound dull? It’s just subtle nuances. Still, all participants found one device to be ‘unusual’: The PecanPi+. The device stood out a bit from the others in some areas. Sometimes more sexy, sometimes a bit velveter, the bass more sovereign, yet not stronger, sometimes the sound was a bit confusing or sounded wrong. We asked ourselves during the break: Do you dare to put this ‘unusual’ sound at home or rather take one of the many same - not to do anything wrong? Is this the ‘Velvet’ sound?
The DacberryNTB, the Hifiberry Dac+ and the Nanosound one were also voted into the final round, all of which also played very well.
In the ‘Best of’ round we noticed that here the differences are smaller. These devices are in the upper league! In the end we had two Lager. One Lager found the PecanPi the best, followed by the PecanPi+. Second place for the PecanPi+ because, again, they didn’t dare interpret what they heard as ‘correct’ throughout. In other words, the PecanPi+ would have been the best on points, since it was really cool in some places, such as the bass precision with a warm undertone (Velvet?), but in some places it was just insignificant. The PecanPi was reliably very good in the individual disciplines.
The other Lager found the DacberryNTB and the EVO Sabre best. These participants virtually preferred to hear each instrument of the orchestra equally. I think this taste can be described as neutrality, balance and contenance.
The Nanosound one and the HifiberryDac+ were also praised for their accuracy and balance.
We always have to realize that tastes are different.
I really enjoyed the ‘come together’ again.
I find it totally enriching and interesting what the participants say about their music experience.
