[SOLVED] Zidoo still don't have an XMOS licensed driver

I've had my time with Linux audio systems, a lot of them. It's good and solid. But the extra juice on sound quality for me is only achievable with Windows unfortunately (JPLAY + lowest buffer size on driver control panel)

 

I am sorry. Here you got a huge fail. Windows will never achieve the zero-latency a Linux box can, natively, without any additional drivers. I'm sorry, but as a 30+ years Linux exploiter I just cannot let you go on with this idiocracy. Again, my friend, sorry BUT NO.
Open your eyes, give (AGAIN?!?) a Linux box a try, and then talk, I'm sure we both agree.

 

Once in a while I keep trying Linux for audio. I'm very experienced with it. I work with Linux servers every weekday for 20+ years.

I can give it a try once more, just tell me how to do this on Linux: Kernel Streaming + minimum buffer size (8 samples fora 44.1 content) + 1000 hz DAC link.

As far as I know, there is no way. Kernel Streaming achieves the lowest latency possible, lower than any other protocol: ASIO, WASAPI, ALSA, Core Audio.

Low latency kernel for Linux has nothing to do with USB audio driver latency and buffer size.

Real time kernels and low latency kernels for Linux indeed helps audio quality comparing to regular multitasking systems. Regarding this, the same can be achieved on Windows with simple tunnings + process/thread priority strategies (thread basic priority, thread dynamic priority, fixed process priority) + core isolation + multimedia class scheduler tuning. The scheduling mechanisms have evolved a lot on recent Windows releases - it wasn't so good 15 years ago.

And regarding USB audio driver latency, nothing can beat Kernel Streaming. So, Windows is my only option, even though I don't like Microsoft.

Keep your abolute (and incorrect) truth for you, including your unpolite idiocratic statements.

"A closed mouth catches no flies"

 

You have almost no idea what you are bringing to the table here.

1. real-time kernel does not make audio better, it just limits to the minimum the possibility that the thread in charge of audio streaming / handling gets interrupted in case the system is very loaded.

2. I have already told you, there is no such a thing as LATENCY in a one-way process like D-to-A, except the time to decode the very first audio frame (and this is sample-rate dependant, and possibly close to few ms at most) eventually, otherwise you'd hear glitches and/or interruptions. There is latency, indeed, in a two way process, like A-D-A:
capturing audio of an instrument (A-to-D => applying some DSP => converting it to analog again => playing it to your headphones; all this while you play the instrument. My Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 was capable of something between 3 and 30 ms, depending on sample rate and buffer sizes (of course, as we need buffers, since we are capturing audio and need to store data)

3. you don't need kernel-streaming (or, wait... maybe in Windows this is a thing? due to the 300ms non-RT kernel latency?), just a simple program (like MPD - Music Player Daemon, for example) running with root privileges (but then again, this is not mandatory).

4. ASIO is just a Windows thing, to overcome the abominion that is the 300ms latency between the bare-metal (the microphone in the sound card, no matter what tipe it is, MB, or USB etc) and the audio-layer itself.

I don't understand the "minimum buffer size ... 1000 Hz DAC link" thing, what do you mean? When you play audio you don't deal with buffer sizes, apart from that necessary, eventually, to pre-load in memoty a big chunk of the file.

It looks to me (please, allow me the benefit of doubt) that you are making a little bit of confusion between audio-playback, and audio-capture (here yes, buffer sizes DO matter, and latency IS a thing)

Anyway, as you said, I may have better keeping my knowledge for myself.

I'll try that.

 

I have a spare mini pc that I am not using for anything, I will load linux on it, and see how the eversolo plays on it. I have the Z6 which is going to be sent back, as soon as my dmp-a6 shows up. With it, I don't have to worry about the driver for native dsd playback. Is there any specific linux distro you recommend that will take the least amount of fiddling? I say fiddling because it seems any time that I get back involved with linux, I end up doing alot of fiddling.

 

You won't have to worry about the driver with both the Z6 and the A6, for that matter, if you use Linux.

I hope the PC is not just a bunch of old hardware... anyway, I'd recommend you the Linux Mint distribution (it's based on Ubuntu and very friendly); doenload the Cinnamon release live ISO, make a bootable USB stick of it, boot your PC with that, and then, on the desktop you'll find a shortcut to install it on the hard-drive of the PC.

 

Okay, will give it a try. And no it's not particularly old. It is a mini pc purchased this year, but even my version of what I consider old stuff, is better than most peoples new stuff. Come to think of it, I also have an Asus Chromebox with an intel chip, that might work out as well.

 

A Raspberry Pi 4 with its moOde image would have been far better, but also a PC like you happen to have should be no problem.
Once you're done with the distro, install also MPD and also an MPD controller (probably there are also apps for smartphones), or at least a decent media player, such as VLC.

 

Lo and behold, looking thru my miscel stuff I have bought over the years, I found a brand new unopened raspberry Pi 4, that I had intended for some project or another. ( I am a packrat I know, its a sickness). So I will use that instead, I have seen several online sites with install instructions. Are you using one? If so how is yours setup, and what dac do you use?

 

moOde looks very exciting, and I would actually like to run Linux, but there is no possibility to integrate Qubuz into it?, and yes, I really like both roon & Audirvana

 

you need to install the Raspberry Pi flash application, then from it you can chose the moOde image, add a username + password, setup a wifi lan, and you are done.
If you need some help I am here.
I also suggest, eventually, that you subscribe to the moOde's forum, but this is another story.

 

Unless Qobuz releases their "connect" application / service / whatsoever to the public domain, it will not be integrated in moOde.
Currently moOde supports AirPlay 1 and 2, BT and Spotify; and it is Roon Ready Endpoint

 

I have already imaged the sd card using rufus. I booted and added my new user name and password to moOde on raspberry pi 4, then screen went black. Going to see now if I can see it on network, or maybe it is just slow to boot up with that sd card that came with Pi 4. Yep, got to the web setup page so its on the network. Will now go to the MoOde forum, and take a look around.

 

I got moOde working and playing dsd native files at dsd64 2.8mhz, playing the files directly off a usb 2tb hard drive. But it does not index those same files that I have on my Nas, when I set the path to it. It see's the nas but not the folders or files. Will continue to explore. Thanks for the advice.

 

It would be so nice if there was a little more openness about the work being done to obtain the license for the right Thesycon driver for Windows

Right now I'm clinging to my own modded driver so I have the option of native DSD, but it's a fairly old version (3.38) when you consider that the new version is called 5.58

 

You have always to rescan the library, or at least update it when you add a source, such a shared folder of your NAS, or another external USB drive.
I have never heard of anybody having problems indexing music on their NAS. Anyway, you can always post a comment in the "support" thread, describing what your setup and problem is, and you'll get quick help.

 

The Z6 is going back as I have gotten a dmp-a6 yesterday, and will be installing my music library local to it on an nvme ssd. The a6 also did not have any problem seeing my Synology on network, or indexing files.

 

Yes, a little update from the company would be good. Still waiting patiently

 

Hello @Markswift2003 , can you please ask the team what's the current status? It's been a month since they went for a quote, so maybe we should already have an answer wheter it's going to happen or not. Thanks

 

Since I moved my DAC Z6 from my living room to work next to my PC, I can't play the proper DSD files anymore.
Apparently, for this, I need an extra driver. The one installed from the Eversolo website doesn't do the trick.

Is this driver to be expected soon?