I am obsessed with my RPI5 running as a streamer for Qobuz and more!!!

[dlovesmusic]

Hi Folks, RPI5 is a significant jump in performance over RPI4 and really opens up for a lot of possibilities to be used whether as a audio streamer or a network audio end point.

I got to admit I am obsessed with playing with the RPI5 and amazed at what it can achieve for $100.

Overclocked stably at 2800Hz with this bad boy CPU fan, I am currently running Hqplayer deskop app in Debian bookworm headless (without keyboard/mouse/monitor).

It is capable to process upsampling on the fly to PCM24/1536 or DSD256 (so Chord dacs users will no longer need a Mscaler), process audiolense full frequency convolution filters. Hqplayer even has a built-in Qobuz streaming app, and has network audio end point capabilities, so I can process qobuz streaming and direct it to any one of my 4 music systems at home with preset convolution filters and other settings specific for each room.

Can you ask for anything more for $100???

YES YOU CAN, I also have IMMICH server set up with the RPI5, so after midnight, it automatically backs up my iphone photos and videos then onto my wife's google pixel 8 and do machine learning processes for photo identification, sorting, face detection/recognition ...... So no longer have to worry about paying for icloud/google cloud storage. My wife absolute loves it.

My kids love it for retro gaming with us on the weekend too!!!

Cheers

 

[formdissolve]

I love Pi's! I have 8 of them (three 4's, three 3's, and two super old first gen). Two of them are being used as Roon Bridges with DAC Hats, one is being used for OpenMediaVault with a 12TB drive connected as a server, and one of the 3's I was using as a GPS clock for fun.

I really want to get a 5 to mess around with, but would love to wait until they make into the format of the RP400 (since I love AIO machines like the 80s Atari ST).

Glad to see HQplayer works that well too.. I might go that route at one point too.

 

[dlovesmusic]

I love Pi's! I have 8 of them (three 4's, three 3's, and two super old first gen). Two of them are being used as Roon Bridges with DAC Hats, one is being used for OpenMediaVault with a 12TB drive connected as a server, and one of the 3's I was using as a GPS time generator for fun.

I really want to get a 5 to mess around with, but would love to wait until they make into the format of the RP400 (since I love AIO machines like the 80s Atari ST).

Glad to see HQplayer works that well too.. I might go that route at one point too.

I also have about 7-8 pi’s (2 rpi5 l, the rest are rpi4s) 1 rpi4 as hqplayer network endpoint for each of my 4 systems. I have a p400 for my kid’s google class and general browsing. 1 rpi4 is set up as a samba drive connected to a 12TB external hdd, 1 rpi 4 as a vpn, adblocker, antivirus for the entire network.

But it was not until launch of rpi5 that it becomes quite a capable and snappy audio device that can run qobuz streaming, hqplayer dsp and audiolense convolution filters all in one box!!!

 

[dlovesmusic]

I know not many people like the diy nature of rpi and having to tinker with settings but there really isn’t much tinkering involved other than screwing on 4 screws, turn on the bookworm os (it’s all graphics just like windows) download hqplayer, double click to install, click qobuz then start streaming!!!

 

[Anton D]

So cool!

Happy to see such pleasure!

 

[kchap]

Hi Folks, RPI5 is a significant jump in performance over RPI4 and really opens up for a lot of possibilities to be used whether as a audio streamer or a network audio end point.

I got to admit I am obsessed with playing with the RPI5 and amazed at what it can achieve for $100.

Overclocked stably at 2800Hz with this bad boy CPU fan, I am currently running Hqplayer deskop app in Debian bookworm headless (without keyboard/mouse/monitor).

It is capable to process upsampling on the fly to PCM24/1536 or DSD256 (so Chord dacs users will no longer need a Mscaler), process audiolense full frequency convolution filters. Hqplayer even has a built-in Qobuz streaming app, and has network audio end point capabilities, so I can process qobuz streaming and direct it to any one of my 4 music systems at home with preset convolution filters and other settings specific for each room.

Can you ask for anything more for $100???

YES YOU CAN, I also have IMMICH server set up with the RPI5, so after midnight, it automatically backs up my iphone photos and videos then onto my wife's google pixel 8 and do machine learning processes for photo identification, sorting, face detection/recognition ...... So no longer have to worry about paying for icloud/google cloud storage. My wife absolute loves it.

My kids love it for retro gaming with us on the weekend too!!!

Cheers

I'm disappointed in the RPI5. I bought one to compare with my RPI4s. I'm not critical of the performance, but I think the RPI foundation missed the opportunity for some basic improvements. Everybody has their on list of improvements and dislikes. Not all could be implemented while maintaining the objectives of small and cheap, so I'll just give my top 2.

Power. The use of a custom 5V 5A PSU is ridiculous. Trying to maintain low voltage drops across a USB C at 5A is just about impossible, especially after a bit of wear and tear. If the RPI foundation had followed the USB C PD guidelines, which tries to keep the max current under 3A, they would have gone for a 9 to 15V supply.

WiFi. After all the problems with the RPI4 regarding WiFi performance, both with interference and using an all metal case, you would think the RPI foundation would have gone for an external antenna. This does make regulatory approval a little harder, but it can be done. Approval was granted to the CM4 which does have an external antenna option.

These suggestions would no doubt increase costs, but only by a few dollars.

I have one project where I would like to use a RPI5 to boot from an M.2 SSD, but in most cases I will stick with the RPI4.

 

[dlovesmusic]

I'm disappointed in the RPI5. I bought one to compare with my RPI4s. I'm not critical of the performance, but I think the RPI foundation missed the opportunity for some basic improvements. Everybody has their on list of improvements and dislikes. Not all could be implemented while maintaining the objectives of small and cheap, so I'll just give my top 2.

Power. The use of a custom 5V 5A PSU is ridiculous. Trying to maintain low voltage drops across a USB C at 5A is just about impossible, especially after a bit of wear and tear. If the RPI foundation had followed the USB C PD guidelines, which tries to keep the max current under 3A, they would have gone for a 9 to 15V supply.

WiFi. After all the problems with the RPI4 regarding WiFi performance, both with interference and using an all metal case, you would think the RPI foundation would have gone for an external antenna. This does make regulatory approval a little harder, but it can be done. Approval was granted to the CM4 which does have an external antenna option.

These suggestions would no doubt increase costs, but only by a few dollars.

I have one project where I would like to use a RPI5 to boot from an M.2 SSD, but in most cases I will stick with the RPI4.

I kinda hear you but I guess its just hard to come up with a model that pleases everyone and sometimes you might just have to work around it.

For my use its totally fine (obviously if I can get oc'd it stable to 3000hz the better)...

 

[formdissolve]

Did you get the 4GB or 8GB model? I might buy one of both to mess around with.

 

[dlovesmusic]

Did you get the 4GB or 8GB model? I might buy one of both to mess around with.

Both of mine are 8gb.

But I have read from a few articles that the 4GB version of RPI5 actually is faster in some processes while significantly faster in other processes, compared to the 8GB version, and generally more tolerable for OC.

https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/1854

 

[Multicore]

Pis are fun. We no longer use one as a streamer since we got the WiiM but still use the other one as media server. It has a large USB SSD, runs Plex. We can play videos on my Roku, audio on the WiiM, video photos on phones and tablets. It's impressive what a little chip like that can run.

I also use it to run PiHole to provide ad blocking at the DNS level for the whole network and dnscrypt-proxy so Verizon doesn't get to sell our DNS lookups to data brokers.

A few years ago I tried using an RPi Zero as streamer and it was entirely up to the task so long as I wasn't looking to do very high sample rate stuff.

The point of Raspberry Pi, as I see it, is to bring back hobbyist computing, like we had in the late 70s and early 80s. We used to build our own home computers then, sometimes from kits, one of my school friends designed his own. We had fun and learned a lot. I think the Raspberry Pi has been a success in this.

 

[dlovesmusic]

Pis are fun. We no longer use one as a streamer since we got the WiiM but still use the other one as media server. It has a large USB SSD, runs Plex. We can play videos on my Roku, audio on the WiiM, video photos on phones and tablets. It's impressive what a little chip like that can run.

I also use it to run PiHole to provide ad blocking at the DNS level for the whole network and dnscrypt-proxy so Verizon doesn't get to sell our DNS lookups to data brokers.

A few years ago I tried using an RPi Zero as streamer and it was entirely up to the task so long as I wasn't looking to do very high sample rate stuff.

The point of Raspberry Pi, as I see it, is to bring back hobbyist computing, like we had in the late 70s and early 80s. We used to build our own home computers then, sometimes from kits, one of my school friends designed his own. We had fun and learned a lot. I think the Raspberry Pi has been a success in this.

The performance of the rpi5 is a significant jump over any of the previous versions.

I started out with a rpi4 running moode and volumio and thought while it worked, it always seemed to me it’s not snappy in the interface that negatively impacted my overall enjoyment.

With the Rpi5, it is the first time I feel like it is fast enough I can use it as a everyday mini desktop computer and as I mentioned it’s capable to run an audio system with complex dsp, upsampling/downsampling, full frequency correction …

 

[Multicore]

The performance of the rpi5 is a significant jump over any of the previous versions.

I started out with a rpi4 running moode and volumio and thought while it worked, it always seemed to me it’s not snappy in the interface that negatively impacted my overall enjoyment.

With the Rpi5, it is the first time I feel like it is fast enough I can use it as a everyday mini desktop computer and as I mentioned it’s capable to run an audio system with complex dsp, upsampling/downsampling, full frequency correction …

I didn't use the web UI except for initial config. Web UIs are really not acceptable in my opinion for playing music. And given that the RPi 4 Zero was quite enough for the actual streaming function, it seems like bad engineering to need a Pi 5 for UI when I have a phone or tablet for that. (I never liked Volumio principally for this reason.)

 

[dlovesmusic]

I didn't use the web UI except for initial config. Web UIs are really not acceptable in my opinion for playing music. And given that the RPi 4 Zero was quite enough for the actual streaming function, it seems like bad engineering to need a Pi 5 for UI when I have a phone or tablet for that. (I never liked Volumio principally for this reason.)

Yup, if you see my initial post, I run my RPI 5 headless as well. With Hqplayer, it comes equipped with a few different ways to streaming services as well local content.
I am basically saying a RPI 5 is fast enough to be your everyday general desktop PC.
I did not think the RPI4 was fast enough even for moode audio. Controlling it with my iphone feel lagging at times

 

[DLS79]

Both of mine are 8gb.

But I have read from a few articles that the 4GB version of RPI5 actually is faster in some processes while significantly faster in other processes, compared to the 8GB version, and generally more tolerable for OC.

https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/1854

Having read that, my initial gut reaction is that the person who opened the bug doesn't fully know what they are doing. I'm betting they are not cooling the memory controller and while running the stress test they overheated the memory controller. Doesn't mater if its a pi, a desktop, a workstation, or a server, mor memory always works the memory controller harder.

This is one of the reasons why a good case is important for a pi, and its getting more and more important with each generation.

for example I've used this case for Pi 4s because it cools the cpu, memory, PMIC, and USB controller.

Amazon.com

 

[dlovesmusic]

Having read that, my initial gut reaction is that the person who opened the bug doesn't fully know what they are doing. I'm betting they are not cooling the memory controller and while running the stress test they overheated the memory controller. Doesn't mater if its a pi, a desktop, a workstation, or a server, mor memory always works the memory controller harder.

This is one of the reasons why a good case is important for a pi, and its getting more and more important with each generation.

for example I've used this case for Pi 4s because it cools the cpu, memory, PMIC, and USB controller.

Amazon.com

It could very well be having to do with cooling, hence my "giant" fan cpu cooler with heatsinks to the memory and the USB controller connected to the "giant" fan.

With RPI5, you will likely need active cooling for heavier tasks. I initially had one of those passive cooling aluminum case and its simply not sufficient!!!

 

[DLS79]

With RPI5, you will likely need active cooling for heavier tasks. I initially had one of those passive cooling aluminum case and its simply not sufficient!!!

I haven't seen many good pi 5 cases yet. I expect that just like with the 4 several manufactures will have multiple revisions of their case, because they rushed the first version out the door without doing proper thermal testing.


A lot of people will probably scoop up one of these as it was a very popular case for the pi4, but this version only cools the CPU and PMIC.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I haven't done inventory in quite a while but I have at least one in each model starting with the 2B. I got a 5 8GB last month and have it set up to boot from an SSD. The idea of a 1 TB disk on an SBC is mind boggling to me. I remember when my Atari ST with no hard drive and 1 MB of RAM was a powerful desktop. I'm currently using it as a DLNA renderer to play both local music from an NAS and Qobuz. It's a waste of computing power but I love the quick boot. I'm a retired programmer so doing stuff on the command line doesn't bother me. I never used NIX at work but to me it's just another command line. I worked in an AS/400 shop and remember a little over 20 years ago when we got a 1 TB disk for the 400. It was a specialty retailer with stores, mail order, and internet. The 400 supported all of them. I think my Pi 5 is a little slower.

 

[dlovesmusic]

I haven't seen many good pi 5 cases yet. I expect that just like with the 4 several manufactures will have multiple revisions of their case, because they rushed the first version out the door without doing proper thermal testing.


A lot of people will probably scoop up one of these as it was a very popular case for the pi4, but this version only cools the CPU and PMIC.

Actually I was looking at this and thought it's really cool/cute.

https://www.amazon.ca/GeeekPi-Raspberry-Cooler-Module-Expansion/dp/B0CQYTN94R/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=KSWnE&content-id=amzn1.sym.d588ac7e-55d7-47a6-ba73-cac810bf2c84%3Aamzn1.symc.40e6a10e-cbc4-4fa5-81e3-4435ff64d03b&pf_rd_p=d588ac7e-55d7-47a6-ba73-cac810bf2c84&pf_rd_r=198CX1MBSQA8EP5EYAVR&pd_rd_wg=B43Fn&pd_rd_r=611ea4f7-0274-4988-a2d7-08e8471d7ab3&pd_rd_i=B0CQYTN94R

But seems like I will have to do some manual modification to stick a NVME there!!

 

[dtaylo1066]

I'm still quite happy running my original Tinker Board -- a Pi alternative -- with Volumio as a streamer. There are a lot of good HATs and enclosures out there for the Pi. Audiophonics in France carries a ton of them.

 

[dlovesmusic]

I haven't done inventory in quite a while but I have at least one in each model starting with the 2B. I got a 5 8GB last month and have it set up to boot from an SSD. The idea of a 1 TB disk on an SBC is mind boggling to me. I remember when my Atari ST with no hard drive and 1 MB of RAM was a powerful desktop. I'm currently using it as a DLNA renderer to play both local music from an NAS and Qobuz. It's a waste of computing power but I love the quick boot. I'm a retired programmer so doing stuff on the command line doesn't bother me. I never used NIX at work but to me it's just another command line. I worked in an AS/400 shop and remember a little over 20 years ago when we got a 1 TB disk for the 400. It was a specialty retailer with stores, mail order, and internet. The 400 supported all of them. I think my Pi 5 is a little slower.

I use a P400 connected to a 12TB external HDD and set up as a samba drive and also running nordvpn, adblocker, anti-virus. I use jellyfin on the P400 as well for my media server for the house. That work out pretty well you may not actually need a RPI5 for the task.