Guides

Answers to the questions audiophiles ask about Raspberry Pi and Linux streamers — DACs, libraries, streaming, Roon, HQPlayer, DSD — checked and dated.

Getting the DAC to work

• A DAC HAT on a Raspberry Pi: why it is not detected, and the line that fixes itWhy a HiFiBerry or other DAC board on a Raspberry Pi is not detected, the config.txt line for each common board, and how to check it is seen. 5 min read
• What your USB DAC accepts on Linux, and how to read itWhere Linux lists what a USB DAC accepts — formats, rates, DSD — how to read it, why it may stop at 96 kHz, and which forum settings still count. 4 min read
• “Undervoltage detected!” on a Raspberry Pi: what it does to a streamer, and how to check the supplyWhat “Undervoltage detected!” means on a Raspberry Pi, how to tell if it happens, what it does to the processor and to USB, and which supply to use. 7 min read
• A streamer into an amplifier with DIN inputs: the cable, the level, the volumeHow to connect a DAC or streamer to an older amplifier's 5-pin DIN inputs: which pin carries what, the cable, the level and the volume. 5 min read
• “Device or resource busy”: two players, one DACThe error message two players get when they share one DAC on Linux, how to find which program holds it, when each lets go, and what to do instead. 3 min read

Your music and the network

• Your NAS music on a Raspberry Pi streamer: mount the share, or use a UPnP serverMount your NAS share on a Pi streamer, or use a UPnP server: the steps on Raspberry Pi OS, Debian and DietPi, and what each error means. 8 min read
• Your streamer on the network: how much bandwidth music takes, Wi-Fi or cable, and VLANsThe bandwidth music takes, Wi-Fi or cable for a streamer and an NAA, and how AirPlay, UPnP and NAA devices find each other across VLANs. 5 min read
• Lossless internet radio: which stations stream FLAC, and how to check what a station sendsWhich internet radio stations really stream lossless FLAC, how to check what a station sends in one command, and why station directories get it wrong. 7 min read
• AirPlay to a Raspberry Pi: what quality actually arrivesWhat an iPhone, iPad or Mac really sends to a Pi over AirPlay and AirPlay 2, what Debian's shairport-sync receives, and what it does to the sound. 4 min read

Streaming services and players

• Qobuz, Tidal and HIGHRESAUDIO on a Raspberry PiThe ways to play Qobuz, Tidal and HIGHRESAUDIO on a Pi — upmpdcli, Volumio, moOde, Lyrion, HQPlayer, Roon — what each costs, offers and needs. 5 min read
• Roon on a Raspberry Pi: Roon Bridge, and Roon through HQPlayerWhy a Pi is a Roon endpoint and not a Core, how to install Roon Bridge on it, and how to listen to Roon through HQPlayer and its NAA. 4 min read
• HQPlayer Embedded on a Raspberry Pi 5Signalyst's image or its package: installing HQPlayer Embedded on a Pi 5, what to set by hand, and what the board can handle. 5 min read
• HQPlayer NAA on a Raspberry PiWhat an NAA does, how to install it on a Pi, which NAA your HQPlayer accepts, and Pi 4 or Pi 5 for a USB DAC. 5 min read
• Audiogravi^ty, Volumio or moOde: which to choose?A sourced, dated comparison by the maker of Audiogravi^ty: price, streaming services, Qobuz and TIDAL Connect, HQPlayer, Roon, DSD and apps. 3 min read

Signal and volume

• DSD on a Linux streamer: native, DoP, or converted to PCMThe three ways DSD reaches a DAC on Linux — native, DoP or PCM — how to check yours, and the setting in MPD. 5 min read
• How to check bit-perfect playback on a Linux streamerThree checks to see whether a Linux streamer sends your files to the DAC untouched, and what MPD's software volume does to them. 4 min read
• Software or hardware volume on a Linux streamer: what each does to your musicWhat a player's software volume, a DAC's own volume and the amplifier each do to your music: MPD's settings, its slider in decibels, and DSD. 4 min read
• Real-time priority and reserved CPU cores for audio on LinuxReal-time priority, pinned and reserved CPU cores for audio on Linux: what each does, how to set it, and what it changes in measured latency. 6 min read