Instructions for connecting USB DAC to Touch

[diego]

Thanks - and some more questions to John...

Dear John!

Thanks a million for that useful advice!

I will give your tips a try. However, I guess I will nevertheless buy a DAC, given the fact that for practical reasons, it would be difficult to cable-wire a server-pc to my "Touch". And secondly, a nice DAC will serve me for other purposes, too.

However, replacing the USB-Disk is certainly a good idea, as it probably uses up a lot of power that lacks at other places in this tiny device, more so given the fact that the power supply is not actually very impressive.

About the DACs:

Thanks for that address. Theses Audio-GD devices really look nice, and it seems that there is a handful of real freaks manufacturing them, and this is already a good start (in particular for me, because I am not at all into those technical things like comparing chips used... and therefore in this respect I just have to rely on other experts).

However, the price tag is a bit high... so I dare asking you an additional question:

- Would you prefer the Audio-GD DAC 19 over a Musical Fidelty M1 DAC that has about the same price? (http://www.musicalfidelity.com/produ...1DAC/M1DAC.asp). And if yes, is the DAC-19 DSP really that much better than the DAC-19 DF, that is about 150 $ cheaper?

- Is the NFB-3 (http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/dac/NFB-2/NFB2EN.htm) any worse? It costs "only" 300 US$...

Thanks a million again, Diego

[guidof]

For me the number one things are:

Run external server, not a USB drive plugged into the Touch.
Use a wired connection to the server (not WiFi)
In the server transcode any format you play to PCM

John S.

John, please forgive my complete ignorance of how the SB server works, but at least as far as FLACs are concerned, doesn't it decode them to PCM by default?

If not, how does one set it to do so?

Thank you.

Guido F.

[guidof]

John, please forgive my complete ignorance of how the SB server works, but at least as far as FLACs are concerned, doesn't it decode them to PCM by default?

If not, how does one set it to do so?

Thank you.

Never mind my stupid question!

I looked it up and found the answer in soundcheck's - audio@vise

Guido F.

[MEdeVries]

conversion to USB out

Hi,

I have a question reverting back to the original subject of this thread: when I follow all of the instructions, my touch does not play back any music at all... The songs just won't start.

Any suggestions as to what I have done wrong?

I'm trying to connect a Furutech DAC which I've borrowed from the dealer for a trial.
when I do the aplay -l command I get: card 1: DAC [GT40 USB DAC].

what exactly do i write for <name>? only <DAC> or should I put the part between te square brackets in as well? Should I mention the card number?

Thanks alot...

I have to return the DAC tomorrow...

Michiel

[JohnSwenson]

Hi,

I have a question reverting back to the original subject of this thread: when I follow all of the instructions, my touch does not play back any music at all... The songs just won't start.

Any suggestions as to what I have done wrong?

I'm trying to connect a Furutech DAC which I've borrowed from the dealer for a trial.
when I do the aplay -l command I get: card 1: DAC [GT40 USB DAC].

what exactly do i write for <name>? only <DAC> or should I put the part between te square brackets in as well? Should I mention the card number?

Thanks alot...

I have to return the DAC tomorrow...

Michiel

The name you use is DAC. The rest of it is just more information about the device. If that still doesn't work, post the entire file that you have created and I can look at it and see if it looks good.

Just remember that it crucial to always have the DAC plugged in when you reboot. The name will be different if you hotplug. My original instructions said you could either have the DAC plugged in at reboot or hotplug, but it turns out some DACs will hotplug properly, so just always have the DAC plugged in when booting the Touch.

Its also a good idea to check that the file actually made it through the reboot. After creating the file and rebooting, login,then type:
cd /etc
cat asound.conf

Make sure its the same file you typed in. If you didn't do the "sync" after creating the file you can end up with an empty file in which case you won't get any sound out of anything.

John S.

[JohnSwenson]

Dear John!

However, the price tag is a bit high... so I dare asking you an additional question:

- Would you prefer the Audio-GD DAC 19 over a Musical Fidelty M1 DAC that has about the same price? (http://www.musicalfidelity.com/produ...1DAC/M1DAC.asp). And if yes, is the DAC-19 DSP really that much better than the DAC-19 DF, that is about 150 $ cheaper?

- Is the NFB-3 (http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/dac/NFB-2/NFB2EN.htm) any worse? It costs "only" 300 US$...

Thanks a million again, Diego

The DAC 19 uses 1704 DAC chips which are my favorite. They even use a really good IV conversion stage with the 1704s that get the best out of them. The power supply is superbly designed and built. This is extremely close to the DACs I build myself. Just the parts for my DAC costs more than what this costs to buy.

The DSP version is way better than the DF. The DF uses a cheap off the shelf digital filter which is not very good. The DSP1 has a digital filter implemented in an FPGA which allows you to implement a much better digital filter. Its also adjustable, there are switches on the board which allow you to choose different filter implementations, including no digital filter at all.

The NFB is quite a good DAC but the DAC19DSP1 is an over the top amazingly good DAC at a price that is far lower than it has any right to be.

John S.

[MEdeVries]

conversion to USB out

The name you use is DAC.
Its also a good idea to check that the file actually made it through the reboot. After creating the file and rebooting, login,then type:
cd /etc
cat asound.conf

Make sure its the same file you typed in. If you didn't do the "sync" after creating the file you can end up with an empty file in which case you won't get any sound out of anything.

John S.

Hi, thanks alot. this is what I have after typing the line you suggested:

# cd /etc
# cat asound.conf
i

pcm.usbdac {
type hw;
card DAC;
}
pcm.plugusb {
type plug;
slave.pcm "usbdac";
}
ctl.plugusb {
type hw;
card DAC;
}

pcm.!default plugusb

[end of cut/copy from SSH]

It bugs me that I can't figure it out!

Thanks again,

Michiel

PS I tried and retried, but neither music from my server nor the radio will produce any sounds. The timer for playing songs won't run either, so it really isn't playing at all... Had the same problem after resetting to the original config file following your instructions, only hard reset resolved it.

[johnnydarko]

This is a wonderful hack/mod. I've reposted it here with some terminal screenshots:

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/news-blog-and-showcase/john-darkos-blog/item/150-how-to-enable-usb-audio-output-on-the-squeezebox-touch

Obviously, I have fully credited John Swenson's hard work: "Credit where credit is due, and the credit certainly isn't mine. The details of this software modification were originally posted by John Swenson on the Slim Devices forum here. My aim here is to make John's original instructions clearer still."

Please yell out if I've made any errors or omissions. (Getting the "gkcode" tags to work on Joomla was a bitch.)

[MEdeVries]

Thanks!

Thanks both to John and Johnny,

With a fresh start this morning I got it working! Just in time for the trial of the Furutech (ADL) DAC.

Michiel

[mdm]

Don't like USB SQ...

Never was happy with SQ streaming music from my laptop via USB interface of my DAC. It was one of the main reason to buy the Touch with its S/Pdif.

Mike.

[JohnSwenson]

Thanks both to John and Johnny,

With a fresh start this morning I got it working! Just in time for the trial of the Furutech (ADL) DAC.

Michiel

GREAT! So how does it sound?

John S.

[MEdeVries]

Furutech DAC

Hi,

It sounds great - I have a tube amplifier and this DAC provides/restores the detail and placement that sometimes gets lost with the tubes. I ended up buying the DAC.

I have one remaining question: The Touch only plays songs (at all) after rebooting. When I turn it off with the screen/remote and then turn it on again, it still refuses to play anything until reboot.

Is that normal/part of the effects of this mod? Or is it avoidable?

I have no issue leaving the Touch on all the time, but then I would also have to leave the DAC on all the time as well. I'm not sure whether it is designed for that (I'll check our distributor here).

Michiel

[johnnydarko]

Hi,

I have one remaining question: The Touch only plays songs (at all) after rebooting. When I turn it off with the screen/remote and then turn it on again, it still refuses to play anything until reboot.

Is that normal/part of the effects of this mod? Or is it avoidable?

It is normal and (most probably) unavoidable. The Touch needs to boot to see attached USB devices.

[JohnSwenson]

Hi,

I have one remaining question: The Touch only plays songs (at all) after rebooting. When I turn it off with the screen/remote and then turn it on again, it still refuses to play anything until reboot.

Is that normal/part of the effects of this mod? Or is it avoidable?

I have no issue leaving the Touch on all the time, but then I would also have to leave the DAC on all the time as well. I'm not sure whether it is designed for that (I'll check our distributor here).

Michiel

If all you are doing is pressing the power button (NOT unplugging it) and leaving the DAC turned on, it should play after "waking up". All the "power button" does is stop anything thats playing and invokes a special "power off" screensaver, it doesn't really power down anything. (it uses less power because its not playing anything, but that it)

If you are turning off the DAC then you will have to reboot whenever you turn the DAC back on. The best bet is just to leave the DAC on all the time. My experience has been that all DACs sound better after they have been on for awhile (some can take several hours to "warm up") so I always just leave the DACs on all the time.

John S.

[MEdeVries]

Furutech DAC

Hi,

The guys at Furutech also advise to leave the DAC on, so I'll just leave both on. The Touch won't play songs after using the power button (so not pulling the plug out), but this workaround is just fine.

Thanks again,

Michiel