Coming SATURDAY – April 29, 2023, 10:30 a.m (CEST) – we have another great multitest for you. Live from the Alpha Audio listening room. This time we have the FIIO R7, Volumio Primo, Audiolab 7000N Play and the Cambridge Audio CXN V2. Maximum price is 1000 Euro. In short: a very affordable selection this time!
We received a request from the Patreon community to take a look at some affordable streamers. Good idea! Because an extraordinary amount is happening there as well in terms of development, progression and overall quality. We recently reviewed the Volumio Primo and were pleasantly surprised by its musicality. Reason enough to put about three of them next to it in a multitest.
We will have these streamers next SATURDAY :
- Volumio Primo
- Cambridge Audio CXN V2
- Audiolab 7000N Play
- FIIO R7
We hope to see you online on Saturday at 10:30 am!
Is the bits are bits argument the 5 min argument or the full half hour?
Not sure what you mean
Apologies Jaap, it was a Monty Python reference 😊
*shame* – I never watched Monty Python… :-(.
Just wanted to say hi as I’ve joined the Alpha Audio patreon. I’ve been following your investigation into the digital audio transfer rabbit hole for several months now and have greatly admired your “Sherlock Holmes” attention to detail in the switches/streamers thread. My own ears, albeit not as good as Martin’s, have convinced me of the benefits of this path and I’m keen to see what paths you follow. Take a look at my profile to see what steps I’ve already taken along these lines. I was wondering if you were interested in delving into the lithium battery power solution as a means of cleaning supply?
Hey Adrian,
Really appreciate the support! Thank you and enjoy the Patreon Perks! :-).
Most battery packs are low voltage and low current, which means you can power a switch and maybe an external board for something like a DAC or digital output board for a Raspberry Pi solution with it. So, their applications are rather limited, apart from the annoyance to have to charge them in time. I’m not convinced that any sound quality benefit cannot be replicated by a good designed power supply.
Welcome as a Patreon member 🙂
I was very pleased that you voiced your concern about the app permissions. I am equally, if not more, concerned that these smart devices can compromise the security of devices on the same network. So, it would be wise to isolate them on their own network. I did check the Volumio app, and it contains no tracker, so far as I can tell. However, I would be concerned about connecting the FiiO device to my home network, given its connection to the CCP. The FiiO app also contains a tracker, Umeng Analytics (owned by Alibaba), that analyzes behavior, collects data, and is an advertising platform. Whether or not the FiiO android device uses this particular tracker, I would be extremely cautious about connecting an android device that is manufactured by the CCP to my home network that is shared with other, more sensitive devices. Equally concerning is the Platin devices, by Hansong(Nanjing) Technology Ltd. Some of the active speaker companies offer inexpensive Platin hubs that use hansong apps.
I think you should not confuse privacy invading (and questionable) permissions and the compromising of equipment. The first I agree on, the second is unproven fear.
Music used in this stream:
Chris Whitley – Spanish Harlem Incident, from the album “Perfect Day”
Joan Osborne – Crazy Baby, from the album “Relish”
Bill Withers – Ain’t No Sunshine, the 16 bit version from the collection album “Ten Songs for You”
For the power demo:
Marianne Faithfull – Sister Morphine, from the live album “Blazing Away”.
You can find the songs in this playlist: https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/14834772