Allo BOSS2 DAC vs XMOS external USB DAC

[romain]

Hello Mike,

............. snip............with the USB/XMOS setup, is power source as important as with the RCA setup ? Do I still need a quality PSU or a standard one is OK ?

I also have a pi 3 A+ and a pi 3 B+, is USB output as good qualitywise as with pi 4 B+ ? Is there any reason to use an USB 3.0 port for sound output on pi 4 B+ rather an USB 2.0 one ?

Thanks,
Romain

Hello Romain,

First of all... I stand corrected in relation to the two TAS5754 'raison d'etre' in the A100 active speakers: in fact one of them is connected in bridge mode for the left and right channel woofer and the other amp is connected in bridge mode for the left and right channel ribbon tweeters.

Now... if you use the direct USB set-up:
- the SHANTI psu is overkill (unless you are amongst the people taking the daily lunch at 'The Ritz'), if you have a standard RPi PSU handy a comparison test with the SHANTI will give you the info you may need
- I don't think that you need to use a USB 3.0 port for delivering data to the A100 active speakers (the 'simpler' RPi 3A stands out for being the lowest power-hungry)

My favourite set-up for the daily intake of music is composed of:
- RPi 3A
- USB hub
- USB-to-LAN converter (as I prefer LAN over Wifi connectivity)
- USB DAC
- headphone amplifier + over-ear headphones

May the Force help you find the right set-up for enjoying your favourite music 

Thanks Mike,

on my pi 3 A+, for the while, I use wifi connectivity for LAN and USB port for sound output but your setup is interesting. Dare I ask you which USB hub and USB-to-LAN converter you use please ? Is USB to LAN connectivity managed the same way as the ethernet one in moOde ? Is it possible to have a static IP address in this configuration ?

Romain