IQaudIO.com

1,647 orders since Mar 29, 2014

Cricklade, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Ships from United Kingdom.

Custom Work Available

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Sorry, we're no longer selling on Tindie. Come over to www.Pi-Shack.com to buy IQaudIO products.

Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.89)

Documentation: (4.37)

Shipping: (4.56)

Communication: (4.66)

All Reviews

Cor | Dec. 1, 2016

Great sound

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

The Pi-DAC+ is easy to fit on the Pi. I also bought the Pi-Case and it all fits nicely in the box.
The Pi-DAC+ gives you a lot of value for the money. The sound is great. Previously I used the audio output of the Pi, but now with the Pi-DAC+, it gives a much higher sound quality.

Cor | Dec. 1, 2016

Simple and easy to build

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

I bought the Pi-CASE+. It's easy to assemble and looks nice. My Pi and DAC+ are well protected now..

Martin | Aug. 8, 2015

The Best Sound per Pound possible!

For Pi-DigiAMP+ up to 2x35w PowerDAC for the Pi

I bought one of these to try in my bedroom system, where I normally use Pi coreplayer with a Pidac into either a Tube Technology Unysis or Cayin Sp10a integrated valve amp, or sometimes various digital amps I have amassed over the years. I've got a bit of a problem in that I hate getting rid of Hifi! I was also aware of the amount of power the valve amps were using for non-critical listening, so I thought I would give the Pi DigiAmp+ a try, having already been very impressed with the sound quality from the PiDac, and also keen to give one of the non-Tripath chip amps a try.
Installing the board to the Pi B+ was easy, and I also bought the IQaudio case for it too which is very smart indeed. I did struggle to unmute the amp initially, but it was down to my lack of linux knowledge and I had got the spacing wrong in the commands. I ended up entering the unmute commands into the startup tab in picore player, so now it automatically unmutes upon startup, which is really handy.
The first time I powered it up the first thing I noticed is the complete lack of any background hiss or noise through my 90db sensitivity speakers, even at high volumes. This means I now use it as my alarm clock which I couldn't do previously.
Anyway, the most important thing is obviously the sound quality, and in this respect, the DigiAmp+ is unbelieveably good! Bass is really taught, deep and tuneful, and the clarity right across the full frequency range is exceptional. It just doesn't seem right that such a small thing could sound so good. Vocals are open and airy, although fractionally less sweet than with my valve amps, but certainly not harsh or sibilant in any way. I had a friend over for a listen, and he was equally impressed. Volume-wise, there is ample power available, although I haven't tried it with any less sensitive speakers.
Overall, for me, the Digiamp+ has rewritten the book on sound-per-pound. To get this level of performance for less than £100 including the Pi is remarkable so hats off to IQaudio for achieving this!

Response from IQaudIO.com | Aug. 8, 2015

Martin, we're very pleased you like the Pi-DigiAMP+ as much as us. Thanks for your custom.

Gordon

Stuart | July 14, 2015

DAC+ AAA+

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

Perfect I2S DAC for the RasPi
Works like a charm with minimal fuss to setup, quick config for ALSA and we're in business
Using with Pi 2 running Squeezelite and Shairport
Very very happy with the results and would highly recommend

Pierre | July 11, 2015

Qaudio Pi-dac+ ans runeaudio

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

Hey, i bought this product for listen my music with à Hi-Fi quality. I have a raspberry 2 with à hdd where is m'y music ans thé pi dac+ ans all on runeaudio make by qaudio. I'm very happy about thé quality of sound of this. Thanks!

Chris | June 5, 2015

The best piece of audio kit I've ever bought!!!

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

This wonderful DAC has revolutionised my listening experience. I bought it to replace a Roku M1001 Soundbridge as I needed something to stream FLACs. Paired with a RPi B+ running PiCorePlayer with audio streamed from another RPi B+ running Logitech Media Server it performs brilliantly. I was really blown away by the quality of sound.... it far exceeded my expectations. Even lower bitrate MP3s have an added depth and improved overall sound. It's quite simply amazing - do not hesitate in buying one - it will make you smile!!

Mladen | May 31, 2015

Perfect

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

The sound is great. Using it with Volumio and everything just works. The shipping was very fast to Sweden.

Mark | May 30, 2015

Incredible, up there with high end hifi dac/streamers.

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I bought the PiDAC+ after reading a few interesting and positive threads on various forums and im so glad i did.
I set it up running RuneAudio to stream flac files from my NAS, connected to a classic 1980's marantz pm4 amp and a pair of tannoy precision 6.4 floorstanders, the sound produced is nothing short of astounding. For the price, you cannot go wrong with this little gem !!

Mark | May 30, 2015

Excellent quality case !!

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

An excellent quality case that really adds the finishing touch to the pi-dac+. The smoke/tint effect shows off the circuits & led's nicely.

Keith | April 5, 2015

Simply Stunning Audio and Product

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I received my Pi-DAC+ from Gordon on 10/31/14. I built my Pi that day, tried Volumio first, then switched to RuneAudio.

First off...if you're going to get a Pi-DAC+ RuneAudio provides by FAR the best support out of the gate for the Pi-DAC+. Bar none. Period. Use it. I've been so happy with RuneAudio I've contributed a total of $100 since starting to use it. Aside from a power outage in January and an unexpected need for a reboot last month the Pi has run continuously with the Pi-DAC+ and RuneAudio, and that's with multiple hours per day of streaming. One thing, If you are going to stream 24/192 don't fight it...just go wired Ethernet. Trust me. Gordon will tell you the same.

My point of comparison sonically for the Pi-DAC+ is my Denon DVD-5900 reference disk player...cost $2000 in 2002 or so. Multiple Burr Brown PCM1704 DAC chips...a truly stellar piece of equipment on so many fronts. I have to say that the Pi-DAC+ gives it a true run for it's money. I can setup for the Pi and the Denon on two different inputs and synchronize FLAC and CD. If there is a difference it's VERY slight...and honestly probably inaudible to my ears. The one thing that would shift me back to a Denon product would be if I could come across a DVD-9000, which has digital *inputs*...I would stream from the Pi to it. I do love the sound of my Denon :)

The Pi with the Pi-CASE+, Pi-DAC+, power supply, and SD card all totalled cost me $130. Combined with RuneAudio I simply can't imagine a better playback system for the money...or several times it honestly. If you're on the fence about a Pi-DAC+ don't be. Just order the DAC and the Pi-CASE+, install Rune Audio and don't look back. Seriously.

Thanks Gordon...for your support and the products. I couldn't be any happier with them.

Victor | March 31, 2015

Phenomenal audiophile experience

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I purchased two sets of the PiDAC+/ PiAmp+ /PiCase+ (using two Raspberry Pi B+ boards) for two separate locations driving floor standing speakers (Denon SC T33 and my old faithful Musical Technology Kestrels).

Unpacking the IQAudIO boards and mounting them onto the Pi was satisfying and enjoyable, it all fits together beautifully and the case gives it a very solid feel. Make sure your speaker cables are thin enough to fit into the PiAmp's tiny connectors. It's strangely beautiful to see large floor standing speakers connected only to this tiny box - and it takes a while to get used to not seeing a huge amplifier and separate components.

The software installation and configuration was a breeze too. IQAudIO's provided images of Rune Audio and OpenElec (Kodi) are pre-configured to utilise the PiDAC+, so there's no need to be a Linux expert to get these working. There are plenty of instructions on the support page should you need to tweak the device at the command line, and Gordon is incredibly helpful if you have questions (thanks Gordon!). I've settled on Rune Audio as my software of choice, it's simple web interface is a joy to use on a wide variety of devices. Max2Play (connected to my LMS Squeezebox server) also works well at my second location and can be controlled easily with a Logitech controller.

The true enjoyment was sitting back and listening. Or should I say sitting back and feeling? The sound quality is jaw dropping. Every genre I played though this silicon sandwich sounded astounding: progressive rock, acoustic guitar, electronic dance, classical, jazz. I don't even like jazz! But the PiDAC+ has an ability to open up your ears to music you never thought you'd like ! Even my daughter's Taylor Swift album sounded unashamedly delightful! Sigue Sigue Spuntik anyone? Before I could congratulate myself for having over the years ripped all of my albums to FLAC, I discovered that even my lowly downloaded MP3s sounded astonishingly good! Calvin Harris' Sweet Nothing (Dirty Loud Remix) threatened to stretch and pull this tiny device to infinity and back, but never once did this tiny powerhouse lose it's footing whilst delivering a beautifully detailed wide, deep and clean sound scape. My Kestrel's are seemingly enjoying the workout from their new instructor as Primal Scream (another great Scottish invention) take music to unimaginable places on Vanishing Point. My oh my....that bass! My speakers haven't sung so sweetly since the good old days of the Linn Sondek LP-12 turntable. Could this mini-digital setup finally trump vinyl? It certainly gives it a run for it's money. Hearing your favourite albums on the PiDAC+/PiAmp+ is like hearing them again for the first time on a newly pressed 180 gram vinyl LP (sans crackles).

This setup looks great too, with it's sturdy bolts and transparent case, LEDs winking inside, you'll not want to hide this away behind your TV - it has to be seen and heard. It's unfathomable that something this tiny, for this cost, can produce such joyous sound quality across all genres. Kudos Gordon and long may your success continue!

Vic

Giorgos | March 27, 2015

Amazing sound, good construction.

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

This is my first dac, for raspberry pi or otherwise. It has amazing sound both on headphones and speakers. It's also very well built. I would buy again. Thanks iqaudio!

Tamás | March 26, 2015

Perfect, very good looking box.

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

The Pi-CASE for DAC+ is an absolutely professional box for Pi-DAC+ and Raspberry Pi 2. It is very easy to assemble, it takes about 10 minutes. Every slot is perfectly matches to the connectors on Pi-DAC+ and Raspberry Pi 2. Highly recommended.

Tamás | March 26, 2015

Oustanding DAC for Raspberry Pi 2

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I am using the Pi-DAC+ together with Raspberry Pi 2 and Moode audio player. I connected the output of Pi-DAC+ to my old NAD amplifier. The sound quality is incredible good. I have never thought that it could be so good. The setup with Moode audio player is very easy. You simple need to select the IQaudIO Pi-DAC+ device from the System menu at the very first boot and then after a reboot you need to select the hardware volume control from MPD menu. I can recommend this product to anyone who wants to create a good music player on affordable price.

Thomas | March 21, 2015

EXCELLENT - Much Better Than I Expected

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

Using R-Pi B+ with iqaudio Pi-DAC+ as music server which takes FLAC files from a USB exHDD. Sound is clear, detailed and authentic. A big improvement over R-Pi USB out to external DAC; maybe it's the I2S interface. The Pi-DAC+ has the sound of a MUCH more expensive stand alone DAC, and it's just right for my system. (Primare CD31 CD player, Primare Pre30 preamp, a pair of Bryston 7B ST monoblocks and a pair of Vienna Acoustics Mahler loudspeakers. Control is headless via Nexus 7 android tablet. Chose this DAC over the hifiBerry based on reviews. Was going to try Wolfson, Sabre or Durio, but I am so satisfied with the iqaudio product that I will just stay with it for now. BTW, I listen almost exclusively to Classical music. Highest personal recommendation.

Thomas | March 15, 2015

Life changer...

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

Took 12 days from the day I ordered it to the day it arrived in Connecticut. It's great. Sounds really good. Wonderful detail and clarity. I got the case for it and was happy with how nice the construction/precision is. Very solid once its put together. The sound is really incredible. I've got a few DAC's and this one makes the others look silly in some respects. Using Volumio, it actually plays purchased iTunes music files (AAC) from a connected hard drive. I couldn't believe this. Totally stoked with this thing. I love it!!! Want to make up a few for friends and family. Can't praise this enough.

Leo | March 10, 2015

Great Product - Great Support

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I have now got the Pi-DAC+ & Pi-Amp+ working as a standalone music player with a Pi A+.
Great product, lovely sound. Going to use several around the house in the near future.

I previously had bought a Woolfson card from Farnell - what a mistake. Support was nil. Needed to compile the Kernel to include drivers.

Support here is superb. New Images available for download. Updated documentation etc.

Thanks

Leo

John | March 9, 2015

excellent product, amazing customer service great communicat

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I really don't know what else to say. for its money pi dac+ is more than superb. it is heavenly sent. the support is excellent i really like the faq which gets updated all the time (and i know it will get updated again soon), i love the preconfigured images as it saves time, and the customer servioce and communications are excellent. i am very very happy with my purchase!!!!!

Ioannis | March 9, 2015

excellent case and support

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

I got the case. it was excellently packed. it took me some time to assempble it, and that is my own fault because i didnt read the faq. if you read it then the assembly is very very easy!!! i was unlucky as some screws were missing. i contacted them for a replacement, they replied within the hour and they sent me the screws very very fast without any hassle. after very few days the screws are with me and i can enjoy my raspberry pi with my pi dac+
thank you iq audio for everything

Duncan | March 8, 2015

Awesome

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I've had coax, toslink and USB Dac's and none match up to the sound quality of this I2S dac😄
Very good sound with fantastic micro details and timing of leading edge.

Mike | March 3, 2015

Great little DAC!

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I bought this DAC specifically to use with Volumio 1.5 after weeks of failing to beat the Wolfson DAC into submission (it works fine with Raspian, but I need a headless music streamer and it just wouldn't play (as it were)). I'm very happy to say the Pi-DAC is literally plug-and-play with Volumio, and the performance and sound quality is every bit (:D) as good as I was hoping for after reading all the reviews! Build quality is great, too, and delivery time to New Zealand was outstanding! Highly recommended.

Dennis | March 1, 2015

Great Products, Great Sound, Wonderful Design

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

Hi:
I purchased a DAC+ and a PI Case. With a brand new PI2 I had it all up and running in about an hour.
Fit and finish on the case and the Dac+ were perfect.
Only a minor setup glitch in Volumio which was resolved with one click.
IQaudio sent the product expeditiously and even though it came from across the pond the shipping speed was great.
Thanks so much for the quality products and service.
Regards,
Dennis

Allan | Feb. 25, 2015

Redefine your music listening experience.

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

They have a compiled .img that works with their DAC.
Download, save to SD, connect Pi to network,
and start listening to your music over WiFi!

I am now seriously considering their amp as well!

Emmanuel | Feb. 22, 2015

IQaudio DAC+ and AMP+ with Q 2010i speakers

For 19v POWER BRICK (65w)

I purchased from Tindie a Pi-DAC+ and a P-Amp+ with its power supply and installed Picoreplayer with the latest Squeezelite version (1.8) which allows to use DAC+ Alsa hardware to change the volume.

I am very happy with the sound by this amazingly small all in one device through my Q Accoustics 2010i speakers.

A good surprise is that as a alternate use of your streaming device, you can amplify a line-in signal coming from your PC or whatever source : you can just plug it into the RCA plugs of the DAC+ and it works !

Please note this is not officially supported by Gordon at IQaudio, but considering the low voltage of a line-in signal, this should not cause any dammage to your set-up.

Have fun !

Emmanuel | Feb. 22, 2015

All-in-one device with IQaudio DAC+ and Amp+

For Pi-AMP+ Class D amp for the Pi-DAC+ (up to 2x35w)

I purchased from Tindie a Pi-DAC+ and a Pi-Amp+ with its power supply and installed Picoreplayer with the latest Squeezelite version (1.8) which allows to use DAC+ Alsa hardware to change the volume.

I am very happy with the sound by this amazingly small all in one device through my Q Accoustics 2010i speakers.

A good surprise is that as a alternate use of your streaming device, you can amplify a line-in signal coming from your PC or whatever source : you can just plug it into the RCA plugs of the DAC+ and it works !

Please note this is not officially supported by Gordon at IQaudio, but considering the low voltage of a line-in signal, this should not cause any dammage to your set-up.

Have fun !

Kenneth | Feb. 16, 2015

A great bit of kit with 2 fantastic surprises!!

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

I already used an older model B raspberry pi/Hifiberry Mk1 as a music player playing through a big older NAD C320BEE Hi-fi amplifier - the Hifiberry Mk1 only had a software volume control that ruined the detail in the music at lower volumes (when controling the volume in MPD) so i thought i'd get a RPi B+ & an IQaudio Pi-DAC+ to see if its hardware volume control would improve things.

Replacing the software volume control with a hardware one did improve the sound quality as i'd hoped, but there were 2 other massive bonuses:

1 - The Pi-DAC+ can feed it's output straight into a power amplifier. If you've got an amp where you can bypass the preamp & feed straight into the power amp stage it's well worth a try. For me this has MASSIVELY improved the amount of character & detail in the music and the soundstage is much bigger than it's ever been (to me it seems twice as big as with the Mk1 Hifiberry fed through the preamp first), YMMV but give it a try if you can!

2 - The headphone amp is stunning - once burnt in (I played mine continuously for 20 hours), listening with headphones is breathtaking.

Ontop of everything Gordon (the guy that runs IQaudio) was incredibly helpful and i wouldn't hesitate in recommending the Pi-DAC+ to anyone - it's a truly stunning bit of kit & inexpensive to boot, a bit of a 'no brainer' - oh and the Pi-CASE+ is superb too.

Kenneth | Feb. 16, 2015

The perfect partner to the Pi-DAC+

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

The Raspberry Pi+ and the IQaudio Pi-DAC+ makes a stunning sounding music player, this case is perfect for it too - it'll make it look as good as it sounds.

John | Feb. 15, 2015

A wonderful system for Raspberry pi

For Pi-AMP+ Class D amp for the Pi-DAC+ (up to 2x35w)

I purchased two DAC+, one AMP+/with power brick, and two smoked cases; one for the pi/dac+ combo and one for the pi/dac+/amp+ combo. Everything arrived on time and in perfect condition. The assembly is straight forward and easy.
In both instances, I'm using piCorePlayers which are Raspberry pi boards running Sqeezelite player software.

The PIDAC+ is feeding an Audioengine B2 active speaker, with great results. I have tested the AMP+ on a set of B&W 805 speakers, which are rated 8 ohm and 88 spl. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the results!
I plan to build a set of Mark Audio Alpair 7.3s and power them with the AMP+.

Gordon is great to work with. I recommend IQaudIO to all the Raspberry pi users out there. Review Image

Andrew | Feb. 14, 2015

One of the best sounding DACs out there

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

This product is fantastic. I have a highly tuned set of ears due to my profession and can't find fault with this DAC. The fact the manufacturer leaves options for the user to expand it is fantastic. Documentation expands the usability and it also has great software support. I can't reccomend enough..

Tim | Feb. 8, 2015

Simply fantastic and hope this will encourage others

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

Objective was to have my music files ripped to FLAC format play through my amplifier, although Sony have a device that caters for this it costs over a £1000, I did all what that can do for £80.
OK, I’m old school and have listened to my music for the last 40 years when it used to be a celebration playing an album. You would read the sleeve from front to back and place the vinyl on a state of the art turntable connected to a quality amp pumping the sound out of speakers that you had lied to your wife about the cost of. Those days have gone and the compulsion seems to be listening to tracks and not albums, it was in the early days of this technology listening to Bowie converted to MP3 format I could not understand why instruments were missing and the sound was very basic, I could not believe how much MP3 strips out so now only play FLAC lossless formats and I tend to listen to albums not just tracks.
So how was I going to playback all this stuff stored on my hard drive.
What I wanted was to see all my albums listed on my phone, select an album and playback starts through my amplifier, so this is what I did to achieve this

Listed Components:
• Raspberry Pi DAC+ HAT Full-HD audio card by IQaudIO.com (tindie)
• IQaudIO.com Pi-CASE+ (For Pi B+ and DAC+) (tindie)
• Raspberry Pi B+ Desktop (700MHz Processor, 512MB RAM, 4x USB Port) (Amazon)
• Raspberry Pi UK Micro USB Power Supply (Amazon)
• Edimax EW-7811UN 150Mbps Wireless Nano USB Adapter (Amazon)
• HDMI Cable (Already got)
• Ethernet Cable (Already got)
• Samsung 32 GIG Micro SD Card (Already got)
• Voyager Air 1TB powered Hard Drive (Already got)
• Audio Phono Cable (Already got)
• HTC One Android Phone (Already got)

Software:
• Operating system image flashed to memory card ‘5_OpenELEC-RPi.arm-5.0.0_iqaudio’
(Free and supplied by IQaudIO.com with support written in for Pi DAC+)
• SD Formatter
(Free and used to format your card correctly)
• Win32DiskImager
(Free and used to flash image to memory card)
• Yatse Remote Control app for XBMC/Kodi
(Free but paid for pro version to support developer)

Process Steps:
1. Build your Raspberry PI and Pi DAC+ HAT Full-HD audio card enclosing all in the case (help from IQaudIO.com and tindie is fantastic)
2. Download all relevant software listed above
3. Insert memory card to PC and format with SD Formatter
4. Flash operating system image using Win32DiskImager to memory card
5. Now insert the card into your pi, connect to a monitor with HDMI, USB a powered hard drive holding all your media, attach Wireless Nano USB Adapter, attach Ethernet cable straight from router.
6. Now connect the power to the pi and turn on, just sit back and wait, in my case it took less than 30 seconds to boot up, I’ve read while researching that in some cases it can take a long time.
7. Once booted up you will see the XBMC/Kodi home page and this will now need setting up, loads of good Youtube videos showing how to do this, such as telling the system where your media is, setting up a wireless connection, setting the sound output to Pi DAC. As I’m running a blind system (no monitor) I double checked everything before removing from TV display. Install Yatse on your phone and it should detect your pi automatically, make sure your connected and use the app to shut down the system.
8. Now connect the pi to your amp and turn hard drive on first and then the pi and wait 5 mins or so, boot up Yatse on your phone and press and hold the Music icon and it should update and display all of the media, done

Tips:

• Set up the option to scan media library on boot up from within XBMC/Kodi

• Make sure all you music folders are properly tagged as this stops media software flirting tracks out of folders and also help’s display album art work on your phone, I used TagSanner free to download and use

• If like me you only wish to play music from your system choose to not show weather, video, photographs menus from within XBMC/Kodi and the Yatse app, this will give everything a cleaner interface

• If your hard drive is not powered use a powered USB hub

Hope this has been some help to anyone thinking of doing all this and may I stress the service and quality of hardware from both ‘tindie’ and ‘IQaudIO.com’ was great!

tj

Tim | Feb. 8, 2015

Looks very hi-tech

For Pi-CASE+ for Pi-DAC+ or Pi-DigiAMP+

Once built it looks very good quality and reminds me of the old hi-tech very expensive Hi-Fi components sold in the 80's. Review Image

Mikael | Feb. 7, 2015

Working well

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

We are using it for a potential new client. Will keep you posted :)

Niels | Jan. 14, 2015

Great sound, good fun, small money

For Pi-DAC+ Full-HD audio card

The Pi-DAC+ HAT audio card is dead-simple to install onto your RaspberryPi+, very fairly priced and excellent fun for your DIY-hifi-system-project.
I own a Lead Audio LA-100 DAC/amp wich was rated 'Product of the year" by the swedish magazine 'Hi-Fi & Musik' in 2010. It cost me about 500 dollars back then, at it was (and still is -if you can get it) a bargain, in my opinion.
Priced at less than a quarter of the LA-100, the Pi-DAC+ compares favorably to the LA-100, in terms of detail and soundstage. Not so favorably in terms of what I subjectively would describe as 'overall roundness of the sound'. I miss the smooth bass and the mellow midrange that I get from my LA, but these days I prefer, and enjoy, the Pi-DAC+, in spite of the very dry (could actually be 'more precise' bass) and the somewhat harsher treble, because it can reveal details in the music I listen to, that I have not previously been aware of. And that's great fun! Note though, that the LA-100 also sports an asyncronous usb, a coax and an optical connector, making it a very versatile hifi component.
Thanks Gordon.

Alan | Jan. 6, 2015

Forms an amazing all-in-one system, potent for the size!

For Pi-AMP+ Class D amp for the Pi-DAC+ (up to 2x35w)

Please read my review of the Pi-DAC+ for my thoughts on it, as to use the Pi-AMP+ you'll be using the DAC as well.

The amp is dead simple to install and use, like the DAC it just plugs in and four 12mm standoffs brace it very securely. Attach your speaker wires and you're set. To avoid popping through your speakers on power up it starts muted, and an LED on the board shows this clearly. Either bridge two pins on the board with a jumper/switch, or run the commands provided on the support pages to unmute it and then the amp will sing whatever the DAC outputs.

I am frankly amazed with the quality of the output. Previously I ran the Pi-DAC's output to a Topping TP-21 amplifier and I was very happy with the sound, but there is a world of a difference with this amplifier. Most obvious is the power on tap, there is plenty for my floor standing speakers, enough so that I hope the RuneAudio software has a maximum volume setting implemented in future!

After getting past the power level, the quality of the sound impresses. Bass is defined and controlled, gaining proper detail and "texture". Through the mids and treble, everything sounds detailed and smooth, with none of the harshness that has put me off the bulk of the mid level consumer HiFi amps I've heard previously. Vocals sound amazing. I'm spending way too much time just digging through the old collection to listen to favourite tracks again.

The combination of the Pi, Pi-DAC+ and Pi-AMP+ forms a "perfect source unit" for my needs. It is tiny with a single power supply required. In the right enclosure and with a $10 USB wifi adapter plugged into the Pi, this will disappear on a shelf and produce sound that would otherwise take multiple components, power bricks and interconnects to provide. Instead of sacrificing sound quality to do this, it will likely sound better. While admittedly not having much other gear to compare it to directly, I would expect it embarrasses most entry level and mid level consumer audio components.

Obviously I'm happy with the purchase, best dollars I've spent for a long while!

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