When I reviewed the Allo DigiOne SPDIF board for the Raspberry Pi, I was impressed by the
high quality SPDIF signal it offers.
Allo also has a board that supposedly outputs comparable audio grade signals to USB DAC's.
If so, that would be the solution for owners of a DAC that only has a USB input.
The Allo USBridge differs from the DigiOne in
that it doesn't work with a Raspberry Pi but needs a Single Board Computer made by
Allo, called the Sparky.
There are a number of differences between the Sparky and the Raspberry Pi.
It has a slightly different processor but that's hardly interesting.
An important difference is that where the Raspberry Pi shares the USB bandwidth between
the 4 USB ports and the network adaptor, the Sparky uses separate lanes for the 2 USB ports
and the network adaptor.
A second difference is that it can hold an eMMC memory card that is about 75% faster
than a comparable microSD cards.
But if you want to use a microSD card, there is a slot for that too.
Furthermore an adaptor to use the eMMC card in a microSD card slot is provided for if
you want to install a different image on it.
Obviously the Sparky is less widely supported than the Pi, but if you buy it for this function
only, that is of no consequence.
Allo offers a complete set that includes the Sparky computer, the USBridge interface, a
16 Gigabyte eMMC drive, an acrylic case and a simple 5 volt switching mode power supply.
On ordering you can specify what software you want: Volumio or DietPi.
For Volumio see my review for more information, the link is in the show notes.
DietPi is software that installs you choice of optimised software for this hardware.
The list of programs to choose from is immensely long and contains amongst others Squeezelite,
Shairplay, Plex, Kodi, IceCast and Roon Bridge.
But you could also have it install all kinds of desktops, bittorrent programs and so on.
Since I am about music, I had Roon Bridge, Squeezelite and Shairplay installed.
This way I can play from Roon, from Logitech Media Server and over Airplay from my iPhone
- which I do for podcasts.
To set things up you need to temporarily connect a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
You also have to permanently connect the network cable and then connect the power supply.
You could use a power supply connected to the Sparky, to the USBridge board or to both.
Check the manual for instructions about setting a jumper.
Since I don't like cheap switching mode power supplies near my stereo set, I used
the iFi iPower 5V wall wart.
This is also a switching mode power supply but since it is properly filtered, it is just
as silent as an affordable linear power supply but at a lower price.
It was connected to the USBridge board.
The next thing you see on the screen is a lot of alphabet soup.
Wait until the scrolling stops and you see a message telling you the user name and password.
Type the user name, give an enter, type the password and enter again.
You're now logged in and can start diet-launcher by simply typing dietpi-launcher.
That will open an old fashioned looking menu.
Select DietPi-Software and you will be presented a long list of programs you can install.
You select them by typing the space bar and then choose OK using the arrow left or right
key.
Then select Install, followed by OK and your selection of software will be installed.
After a reboot a slim version of Linux will run the programs you chose.
It admittedly is not the most elegant user interface but it does the job and it does
it easier than manual installation, unless you are a Linux geek.
As said I installed Roon Bridge so I had to enable the USBridge in Roon.
It named itself after the DAC that was connected to the special audio USB on the USBridge.
In my case Meridian Explorer2 and Mytek Brooklyn.
If you are a Squeezebox fan and have installed Squeezelite, the USBridge will pop up automatically.
Shairpoint will advertise the USBridge on the network as DietPi and you can easely reroute
the sound of any iOS device or Mac in the network to it.
Have you installed a DNLA client, that will pop up in the DLNA controller soft (or hard-)
ware.
If your stereo only has SPDIF inputs, you should use the Allo DigiOne.
Let me stress again that it is impossible to give absolute advise.
That's why I use the three reference sets to give a course indication.
The USBridge sounds enormously better than the USB output on the Raspberry Pi.
Since I now have the SOtM sMS-200 Ultra in my reference set 1, I no longer have the standard
SOtM sMS-200 so I can't make a direct comparison.
But the USBridge must be close to it.
It is especially in the lows that I remember the sMS-200 to perform even better.
Having said that, the USBridge would have made me very happy only 18 months ago and
I would have described as 'the best I have heard up till now".
That much has happende over the last 18 months.
Sure, the sMS-200 is better, though that comes at a cost.
The complete USBridge will set you back about 180 euros, two and a half times less than
the sMS-200.
In both cases I would at least add the iFi iPower supply, costing 50 euros.
For my setup 1 I wouldn't go for the USBridge, not even with an sBooster power supply.
But there the sMS-200 was even surpassed by the sMS-200 Ultra that costs seven times the
price of the USBridge set.
Having said that, if I had to, I could absolutely live with it in my 20 k costing reference
set 1 for it is free of nasties.
It just doesn't achieve the resolution I now know is possible.
It's not that detailed, has less well defined lows and sounds less free, less relaxed.
But it's so much better than the HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro that preceded the sMS-200.
In my reference set 2 I will certainly use the USBridge.
This set more or less represents the average stereo of a music lover at about 3000 euros.
It also means that it will certainly be great in Reference set 3.
See the link in the show notes for details.
The USBridge is about the quality of the DigiOne but a warning is in place.
Some DAC's sound better with SPDIF while others sound better using USB.
That has to do with the quality of the digital input circuits in the DAC.
The better the quality of the digital signal, the less difference between SPDIF and USB.
I prefer the USBridge on the Mytek Brooklyn DAC and the DigiOne on the Chord Hugo.
Please allow me to reiterate the the quality of digital audio has immensely improved over
the last years.
This partly has to do with the transition to networked audio since real time reading
of a cd or SACD is not without its problems.
Bits are better handled by information technology, provided the last part of the signal path
is isolated from the noisy IT environment.
That is wat devices like this do: they use IT technology that can easily handle the job
at hand and filter the remaining noise and provide a cleanly clocked digital audio signal.
It is mostly known technology now and Allo is the first to understand that people will
pay for higher quality digital signals coming from a small board computer.
Talent and persistence of the developing team does the rest.
The Allo developers did a very good job here, as they did with the DigiOne.
According to my contact with Allo there is more to come, so if you want to stay informed,
subscribe to this channel or follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
See the show notes for the links.
If you have a question, post it below this video but please don't ask me for buying
advise.
See my About Questions video to find out why.
If you liked this video, please consider supporting the channel through Patreon and see super
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The link is in the show notes.
And don't forget to tell your friends on the web about this channel.
I am Hans Beekhuyzen, thank you for watching and see you in the next show or on theHBproject.com.
And whatever you do, enjoy the music.
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