1. I've heard your interest in Pi2AES loud and clear. I've contacted them for a review sample, if not I'll purchase it myself. 2. It's Moode OS (not Mood, that was a typo). 3. Enjoy your music, and see you next time! 🎶
Do you have a photo or can provide exact details how to connect the grounding copper wire from USBridge player to the Shanti. My order yet to arrive and am confused where aa d how to connect the ground wire exactly. Do you wrap it around the gold BNC connector on both devices? Also did you connect another ground wire from USBridge to dac too?
Gold connector is not BNC but binding post that can accept bare wire or banana plug or spade (same as speaker connector). I just use a simple wire, bare on both end, and screw it to those binding post. Once you see it for yourself it will all be clear, don't worry.
@@iiWiReviews thank you. I didn’t know the DigiOne Signature player sounds better than the USBridge player. I don’t see an ethernet or usb input on the DigiOne Signature. Did I missed it or is there one? Needs to get the source feed in somehow.
DigiOne signature is a HAT for Raspberry Pi, you stack them together. So Ethernet and USB ports are on Raspberry Pi board. You can buy boards separately or pre-assembled called "DigiOne Signature Player".
@@iiWiReviews hey man! Nice info on budget solutions! I actually have the pi2aes and I bet it's one of the best solutions in the market. Mine is actually powered with 5V sbooster over 1,3 pins on the board (not recommended by the developer, but it's definitely much better than powering it with 24V MeanWell SMPS) and sounds pretty cool! I'm considering buying usbridge sig as a platform. It's a pity that you didn't try a hat on the usbridge, but, I guess, I'll try it soon)
I have a USBridge Sig and this review prompted me to try the DigiOneSig. I am very glad I did this because my experience is that the DigiOneSig is a major step up in sound quality - richness of sound, definition, 3D soundstage and dynamics are all improved. The DigiOneSig is one of the best improvements I can remember trying and cheaper than many other upgrades I have tried. It is a revelation - thanks very much!
I am pleased. I built my streamer with a Pi4 and DigiOne Signature. I liked the idea of a DIY project and that it performs like products that cost much, much more.
The advantage of the USBridge is that the RPI is on a card (compute model) that fits on the Allo designed USBridge board. This allows Allo to make the unit much more quiet. Now, the amazing thing is that you can order the USBridge with a case that is tall enough to fit the DigiOne Signature board, allowing the benefit of the quieter RPI to be used with the outstanding s/pdif board - a winning combination! I bought the original DigiOne and have upgraded several times (to the Signature an then adding the USBridge board/housing). Thanks for the review!
Very curious: Do you prefer the Digione Signature mounted on the USBridge Signature (vs. on normal PI)? Also, do you also prefer the Coax out to the USB? I have the USBridge Sig. and considering buying a Digione Signature player (and selling the one I like the least) vs. just getting the board. Cheers!
@@RigVader Yes, I prefer the compute solution (Allo built the main board and the Pi is on a small plug in board. It it designed by Allo for audio and is much quieter than the regular Pi board.) By the way, I started with the original DigiOne, then upgraded to the Signature then put it in the USBridge and added aShanti. Each was better than the last. I also prefer coax s/pdif to USB. Less expensive - I compared a $30 coax to a $400 USB and the coax was better in every way.
@@rickruffin7336 Great thanks 🙏 I have the shanti and USBridge sig (and even the version of the housing that fits the hat) so the adding the Digione Sig. seems like no brainer! 😁
@@RigVader After all this time you probably have this already figured out, but you may need both devices anyway. If you are only going to stream, then Allo DigiOne Signature with spdif is likely better and all you need. But if you also want to play DSD files from an external drive connected to the Pi, then you need USBridge because you cannot send DSD through spdif to your DAC.
Great honest review. I haven’t heard these devices, but your review gave a great understanding of the differences between the players. I have used a Pi2aes with ifi power x and linear power supply. It sounds great. A friend said he thought my Pi2aes sounded better than his allo digione signature….. thanks
Two important things to consider. If you want to play DSD files, you need USBridge since DSD cannot be played through SPDIF. And if you need both, you can have them, USBridge allows attaching the DigiOne Signature and offer a proper cage for that setting! And if you want the best of the best, get the Shanti power supply that will work for both ;)
No nativr dsd or >dsd64 files playback though .. I have both and agrees digione signature on non dsd playback sounds better with my denafrip terminator plus. Cheers.
Methodical and detailed is how I would describe your reviews. Thank you for always circling back to similar items that you previously evaluated. It helps put the current equipment in perspective. Yes please, a comparison of Pi2AES vs Allo Digione Signature. Hopefully you will be able to get your hands on a 24V LPS (eBooster perhaps) to make it fair. Also you mentioned the RBPi 4 has a better USB sound abilities in this review any thoughts on Kadas’s VIM SBC??
Sir, First of all I like to thank you for extremely precise and useful reviews in the subject. I am from India. A review of Allo BOSS2 Player will be great and much helpful for beginners like me. Thanks in advance!
Will you upgrade to Allo Digi One Signature? That seems the one to beat. Very honest comparison. This hints spdif still has an edge to usb, usb is better technically but a good clocked spdif signal is simpler to drive than usb, and may sound better with dacs which is surprising, because the dac has to sync to spdif, while usb is asynchronous these days and yields less jitter in charts than spdif in most dacs.
I wonder how USBridge would compared when paired with a Schiit DAC. Perhaps something to try as an outlier because of UnisonUSB. I’ve been very impressed by Unison compared to SPDIF so pairing it with a lower noise source may bring the USBridge on top. Just a thought
I would be very curious to hear how the USBridge would compare against the Digione Signature when using Schiit's Unison USB. I believe that founder Mike Moffet made Unison USB to compete against I2S.
Finally a nice comparison of usb bridge signature and digione signature ... I have both to my Denafrip Terminator plus dac and shares the same conclusion. If not playing native dsd or >dsd64 files which digione signature cannot do so without down sampling, indeed it bested the usb bridge signature. Guess separate psu and isolation really helps. Tks !
I have this and I love it, I use the Shanti too and it powers the Allo unit, and my Chord Qutest DAC. I installed Ropieeexl which works well with Roon. I also use a Flirc USB with this which lets me control the music with my Logitech Harmony Elite.
I wish they had a small 2 line OLED or some small 2” display so one can see what’s being played? Also I wish they had a second USB port in the rear for a USB Hard disk. Can one connect a USB Hard drive to the front ports in the USBridge Signature? Also is there a way to stream from an iPhone? I do not have Android
I have loved my USBridge Signature for a couple years now but it stopped working recently and it seems as if Allo is not providing support for their products anymore. Has anyone else heard or experienced that? They have always used a forum approach but none of their support team is responding anymore.
Your conclusion is one is better than the other. What about having them both? I believe you can have the digione signature mounted on the usbridge signature in the same box? Will this double the spif quality or does it simply make a more versatile unit, where you can use either usb or spdif? Will both signatures act as double filter?
Hi. Yes, you certainly can stack any of the Digione products, therefore I actually asked something similar directly to the folks at Allo. They were quite scare in their responses about the three or four questions I asked (including a description of differences between the three products compared in this video), and with regards of your questions "Will this double the spif quality or does it simply make a more versatile unit, where you can use either usb or spdif? Will both signatures act as double filter?" Their reply was simply: "Digione addition will change nothing to USB output of USBridge" Which I interpreted as an emphatic NO, you get two stacked devices that do similar things, but do not interact with each other and only offer alternative outputs.
I'm soo surprise about this. Paul from PS Audio was clear. The spdif do multi-plex the 3 signal in order to go in the spdif. Then the dac have to deplex it. I'll wait for a I2S then :-p
Good review! Thx. I own the Allo USBridge Signature and have as well the Shanti LPS. I use moOde as OS and the mpd is sounding very good. But !!! 1.) The Shanti is not the best LPS for this unit. I replaced it with a DIY LPS I build for approx the same price and this LPS is lifting the level of the USBridge to the next level. More dimensional and clearer sound. 2.) Furthermore the Shanti is extremely sensitive to power cords and the supply electricity. Changing power cords makes a big difference. Bigger than different USB cables. 3.) The USbridge Sig is sensitive for the incoming ethernet signal. Using a good ethernet cable makes an audible difference. I build a DIY Ethernet cable for approx 25€ using Sommer CAT 8 cable (2,-/m) and Telegaertner RJ45 plugs (10,-/pcs). 4.) I use the Allo unit with a RME ADI2 DAC. And despite RME is saying its USB input is very good and "immune", (so better USB cables wont make a difference), this is just not true. The soundstage and clarity in the sound is depending on the USB cable and its matching to the 2 devices connected. 5.) Using the Allo USBridge as UPNP streamer with moOde OS and mconnect App to stream Qobuz is ok, but not better than using my MacBookPro. Only doing all the above items to lift sound quality and using the Allo only as player/renderer and streaming from my MBP as server with Audirvana player will give you a satisfying streaming quality. So final conclusion: It is a good unit, but you need to put a lot of effort (and money) into it to get it to "sing". But the potential is there. Just my 2Cents
We can agree on basically everything you said. No matter how much manufacturers claim that cables don't influence their devices, it's almost never proved to be the case in my experience. So I'm also using some decent cables. LAN is silver-plated Viablue with Telegartner connectors. Two USB for this test were Neotech with pure silver conductors and exotic Marohei USB cable (I believe the name of the model is Maduro). And finally I use some DIY power cables made of really high purity monocrystalline copper wires and connectors (tested favorably against some very expensive brand cables). It all makes a difference in a revealing well tended system. But I try to keep out of that topic most of the time since it's extremely flammable. But, I do have some interesting AB recordings regarding cables planned and that will speak more than words. :) Cheers!
Surely if a comparison is to be made, it should be between the usbridge signature and the raspberry pi alone, as both take ethernet input and stream into usb? Digione signature is an additional filter to spdif output that can be added to either the usbridge signature or the raspberry pi. I understand the comparison was sound difference. But the comparison should be between raspberry pi/Digione signature and usbridge signature/Digione signature.
Very good review and keep up the good work. I like to ask if all three units are using the same OS and PSUs? Volumio, Moode and RupieeeXL do sound different which may be led to a different conclusions. Also, you have mentioned that the DAC maybe at play here wihich may favour the digione sig with the SPDIF over the USB. I have ran the same kind of experiment with USB SIGNATURE PLAYER and DIGI ONE SIGNATURE and found them the same. Pls comment. Thanks
Same OS-es (RoPieeeXL) and PSUs (Allo Shanti). Tried with several DACs (Denafrips Ares II, Chord Qutest, Loxjie D30) but I mentioned in the video that depending on the DAC this conclusion might not be the same for everyone and if somebody is sure his DAC has better USB input thia might still be a good choice.
Hi! Thanks for the great video. The question the allo digit one Signature hat. What was the model of the rasberyPI there?? 4, 3b+ or 2? Was it the same is like moode? Thanks!
So what files did you A/B? DSD? Flac? What level DSD? If you had 128 or 512 DSD you’d have to downsample for spdif…. Thoughts? I have the digi2 pro from hifiberry on my rpi4…and am running usb to a Cambridge dac magic 200m. I think I’m only hearing less resolution on spdif if I go to higher level dsd. I’m hearing more details over spdif of the file is 192 and below. Thoughts?
Now the real question is; How does the Digione Signature sound mounted on the USBridge signature vs. mounted on the RP3/RP4 (also I now need to have a cry 😂)?
@@Burevestnik9M730 The USBridge Signature is Allo’s custom designed Raspberry PI hardware, built around the RPI compute module. The Digione signature is a HAT. They fit together like hand in glove, same as any hat on a regular RPI 🙂
@jovan jelic Ahh :-) I think would argue it would be one bridge, with two types of output. 1. To have both a coax and USB output (flexibility, which one sounds the best with a given DAC/Cable). 2. Maybe the Digione Signature sounds better, attached to a PI that is itself optimised to for low noise and better power.
Ive tried the topping e50 dac with the allo us bridge signature and it wont Connect to the usb . This is also with the ifi zen signature V2. Both have a usb 3.0 dac chip and the back of the allo have a special usb 2.0 Port Don’t work with this new generation dacs . I hope there Will come Solution for this . I m afraid this is a hardware problem
Question, on the Allo website you can bundle products for some savings. I already wanted their Shanti PS, so looking at streamers was next on the agenda. On viewing the Allo USBridge Signature Player for a base price of $249, you can add on DigiOne Signature bringing the total to $469. Does this mean they are putting the DigiOne Signature player offered at $315 into the USBridge case with added inouts/outputs? So for $469 you are getting perhaps a better sounding player in a metal case? Plus, for $3 more you can get an additional DigiOne case (presumably the clear case) in addition to the metal? I'm just not clear on all the hardware upgrades they offer and what they mean. Additionally, in choosing among the operating systems, which could work best and offer the best SQ if the intention of use is more via computer rather than phone? Aren't too many reviews comparing what is offered against each other as to strengths, weaknesses and flexibility. Already have the amp, speakers and dac. Dac has BT but not wireless. I figure an aftermarket wireless device could be added. Any ideas appreciated.
I completely agree here. I’d love to better understand the options on this product. It’s just not clear on the page. I’m curious what decision the writer above, made..
hi Srboljub, I want to ask, did you try to connect Intona USB to USBridge Signature? Do you think this would have a positive effect on improving the sound?
iiWi do you think USB (or similar digital computer protocol) will eventually replace all the audio connections? It seems to me that’s the way it’s headed. We will eventually have just one universal interconnect for all devices that will carry video, audio, data, network, etc.
Who knows, but I don't see that happening any time soon. First of all, digital and analog signals have different technical demands since voltage and frequency of the signal varies a lot.
Yes, one of the cables is great silver wire USB from Neotech, the other is Marohei that costs more than USBbridge itself. But don't feel unhappy, it's still a great device.
Hi, will you try out the new more expensive model from fx audio, the d01? There seems to be a drought of reviews on it so it would be nice if you could review it
@@iiWiReviews aight man thanks, feature and hardware wise, it seems pretty promising for the price, but fx audio sometimes have batches of products which have shoddy soldering and fake chips, so it’ll be nice to see how they did with the d01 considering it’s a higher end model
If they had put a small OLED display on it, I would have been much more interested. Other than that this is a fantastic sounding device. Thanks for your review.
Even if the USB out from the sig is cooked nice, most USB inputs, especially on the budget friendly DACs are not as good as even cheap coax inputs. So no surprise here.
There is most certainly a regular USBridge. Seems they stopped making it though. Probably because it didn't work with a regular Raspberry Pi. You had to use the Allo board I think. I'll look when I get home from work, and tell you if I'm wrong about that. I should also add that a used Pro-ject Streambox S2 Ultra is a much better way to go IMO. It has more features, and sounds better then any of these. No linear power supply needed. ✌️
How big a difference between usbbridge signature player and digione signature player? I'm asking cos I own the first one. Also, doesn't it depend on the DAC as well? Which DACs did you use for comparison? Some DACs can be good in usb/RCA audio and some on spdif/RCA audio based on their SINAD measurements. I am a bit disappointed but it's ok I guess since the Allo Digione signature player is also expensive than the usbbridge signature player.
Yes you are right about interfaces and implementation. Indeed I read reviews comparing both and favoring the USBridge Signature. One thing, the USBridge sig is the more expensive device. Cheers
Is more like: RPi 3B+(USB) < RPi 4B(USB) < RPi 3B+ DigiOne(Optical) ≅ USBridge (USB) < DigiOne Signature(Optical) ≅ USBridge + DigiOne Output (Optical) I see USBridge Signature value... going USB and if you put the Digi Addon, you get the Optical performance, now you can have two options, differents inputs for find the best on any DAC
NEOTECH NEUB-1020 that a friend was loaning to me is probably one of the best USB cables I've heard. It holds its own even against few times more expensive ones that we compared it with. If I was using a USB streamer, I would go for that one.
Great video!. I have the USBridge with the DigiOne Signature and it is fantastic! However, I didn't like the aluminium USBridge chassis and I share your opinion of the open plastic frame. So, I designed my own enclosure (skip to the end of this video to see the completed unit ... th-cam.com/video/fjhqGoWC28c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Pt4Brm5hC3owq9-U). I used my own low-noise PSU internally for the DigiOne Signature and considered building a full 4A + 1A PSU for this, but what's the point given the price of the Shanti. So, thoughts turned to create a decent looking enclosure to align the Shanti with whatever Allo streamer/DAC you have in a neat hi-fi rack friendly enclosure (th-cam.com/video/gVITcuny7Co/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qK6a-C_4WFPNufSn). This project is on the back burner at the moment, but will surface again if there is interest.
USB and Spdif inputs are very dependent on DAC itself! You can NOT draw conclusions comparing those on low-cost DAC-s that usually don't have the good USB inputs
I don't consider Denafrips Ares II and Chord Qutest that low cost, considering these are affordable streamers not likely to be paired with more expensive DACs in most realistic use case scenarios. That said, I did mention that dependency and input variations in the video, and if someone is sure that their DAC has better USB input, this might be a right choice.
@@iiWiReviews I apologize for being too quick in my comment. I did not listen to your conclusion near the end of the video... I agree that Ares II and Qutest should have a pretty good USB implementation
@@IvicaMarusevic FWIW I was debating whether to get a USBridge Signsture or a Digione Signature for my Ares II, so I asked Alvin from Vinshine who said he “slightly” preferred USB in on Ares II. Still curious to find out for myself, but waiting for the Pi2 review, before shelling out for the Digione Sig 😁
1. I've heard your interest in Pi2AES loud and clear. I've contacted them for a review sample, if not I'll purchase it myself.
2. It's Moode OS (not Mood, that was a typo).
3. Enjoy your music, and see you next time! 🎶
Do you have a photo or can provide exact details how to connect the grounding copper wire from USBridge player to the Shanti. My order yet to arrive and am confused where aa d how to connect the ground wire exactly. Do you wrap it around the gold BNC connector on both devices? Also did you connect another ground wire from USBridge to dac too?
Gold connector is not BNC but binding post that can accept bare wire or banana plug or spade (same as speaker connector). I just use a simple wire, bare on both end, and screw it to those binding post. Once you see it for yourself it will all be clear, don't worry.
@@iiWiReviews thank you. I didn’t know the DigiOne Signature player sounds better than the USBridge player. I don’t see an ethernet or usb input on the DigiOne Signature. Did I missed it or is there one? Needs to get the source feed in somehow.
DigiOne signature is a HAT for Raspberry Pi, you stack them together. So Ethernet and USB ports are on Raspberry Pi board. You can buy boards separately or pre-assembled called "DigiOne Signature Player".
@@iiWiReviews hey man! Nice info on budget solutions! I actually have the pi2aes and I bet it's one of the best solutions in the market. Mine is actually powered with 5V sbooster over 1,3 pins on the board (not recommended by the developer, but it's definitely much better than powering it with 24V MeanWell SMPS) and sounds pretty cool! I'm considering buying usbridge sig as a platform. It's a pity that you didn't try a hat on the usbridge, but, I guess, I'll try it soon)
I have a USBridge Sig and this review prompted me to try the DigiOneSig. I am very glad I did this because my experience is that the DigiOneSig is a major step up in sound quality - richness of sound, definition, 3D soundstage and dynamics are all improved. The DigiOneSig is one of the best improvements I can remember trying and cheaper than many other upgrades I have tried. It is a revelation - thanks very much!
@Steve Taylor which RPi model did you use with your DigiOneSig?
Thank you Steve, that's very helpful oh, I'm just considering those choices right now
What was the output you sent via USB from the USB bridge signature?
I am pleased. I built my streamer with a Pi4 and DigiOne Signature. I liked the idea of a DIY project and that it performs like products that cost much, much more.
Thanks for this video! Fortunatelly i have the Digi One Sig installed four weeks ago :-)
The advantage of the USBridge is that the RPI is on a card (compute model) that fits on the Allo designed USBridge board. This allows Allo to make the unit much more quiet. Now, the amazing thing is that you can order the USBridge with a case that is tall enough to fit the DigiOne Signature board, allowing the benefit of the quieter RPI to be used with the outstanding s/pdif board - a winning combination! I bought the original DigiOne and have upgraded several times (to the Signature an then adding the USBridge board/housing). Thanks for the review!
Very curious: Do you prefer the Digione Signature mounted on the USBridge Signature (vs. on normal PI)? Also, do you also prefer the Coax out to the USB? I have the USBridge Sig. and considering buying a Digione Signature player (and selling the one I like the least) vs. just getting the board. Cheers!
@@RigVader Yes, I prefer the compute solution (Allo built the main board and the Pi is on a small plug in board. It it designed by Allo for audio and is much quieter than the regular Pi board.) By the way, I started with the original DigiOne, then upgraded to the Signature then put it in the USBridge and added aShanti. Each was better than the last.
I also prefer coax s/pdif to USB. Less expensive - I compared a $30 coax to a $400 USB and the coax was better in every way.
@@rickruffin7336 Great thanks 🙏 I have the shanti and USBridge sig (and even the version of the housing that fits the hat) so the adding the Digione Sig. seems like no brainer! 😁
@@RigVader After all this time you probably have this already figured out, but you may need both devices anyway. If you are only going to stream, then Allo DigiOne Signature with spdif is likely better and all you need. But if you also want to play DSD files from an external drive connected to the Pi, then you need USBridge because you cannot send DSD through spdif to your DAC.
@@carlosalvarez7445 Great point! I kept the USBridge Sig. and added the Digione Sig. on top. Reverted to my Old. On DSD DAC though 😊
Great honest review. I haven’t heard these devices, but your review gave a great understanding of the differences between the players.
I have used a Pi2aes with ifi power x and linear power supply. It sounds great. A friend said he thought my Pi2aes sounded better than his allo digione signature….. thanks
Two important things to consider. If you want to play DSD files, you need USBridge since DSD cannot be played through SPDIF. And if you need both, you can have them, USBridge allows attaching the DigiOne Signature and offer a proper cage for that setting! And if you want the best of the best, get the Shanti power supply that will work for both ;)
I was relieved at the conclusion, as I ordered a DigiOne Signature Player about three weeks ago, and in fact it arrived today.
No nativr dsd or >dsd64 files playback though .. I have both and agrees digione signature on non dsd playback sounds better with my denafrip terminator plus. Cheers.
Methodical and detailed is how I would describe your reviews. Thank you for always circling back to similar items that you previously evaluated. It helps put the current equipment in perspective.
Yes please, a comparison of Pi2AES vs Allo Digione Signature. Hopefully you will be able to get your hands on a 24V LPS (eBooster perhaps) to make it fair. Also you mentioned the RBPi 4 has a better USB sound abilities in this review any thoughts on Kadas’s VIM SBC??
Sir,
First of all I like to thank you for extremely precise and useful reviews in the subject. I am from India. A review of Allo BOSS2 Player will be great and much helpful for beginners like me. Thanks in advance!
To my ears it's quite a bit better.
Will you upgrade to Allo Digi One Signature? That seems the one to beat. Very honest comparison. This hints spdif still has an edge to usb, usb is better technically but a good clocked spdif signal is simpler to drive than usb, and may sound better with dacs which is surprising, because the dac has to sync to spdif, while usb is asynchronous these days and yields less jitter in charts than spdif in most dacs.
I wonder how USBridge would compared when paired with a Schiit DAC. Perhaps something to try as an outlier because of UnisonUSB. I’ve been very impressed by Unison compared to SPDIF so pairing it with a lower noise source may bring the USBridge on top. Just a thought
I would be very curious to hear how the USBridge would compare against the Digione Signature when using Schiit's Unison USB. I believe that founder Mike Moffet made Unison USB to compete against I2S.
Finally a nice comparison of usb bridge signature and digione signature ... I have both to my Denafrip Terminator plus dac and shares the same conclusion. If not playing native dsd or >dsd64 files which digione signature cannot do so without down sampling, indeed it bested the usb bridge signature. Guess separate psu and isolation really helps. Tks !
Nice review .
Nice one Srboljub, but we want Pi2aes review. :)
Does it do DSD64 as DOP over spdif coax and HDMI i2s?
I have this and I love it, I use the Shanti too and it powers the Allo unit, and my Chord Qutest DAC. I installed Ropieeexl which works well with Roon. I also use a Flirc USB with this which lets me control the music with my Logitech Harmony Elite.
I wonder if anyone has compared it to a Aurelic Aries, or optical rendu? cheers
Hello. When starting ALLO SPARKY USBBRIDGE, what password and login must be entered? Thank you.
I wish they had a small 2 line OLED or some small 2” display so one can see what’s being played?
Also I wish they had a second USB port in the rear for a USB Hard disk.
Can one connect a USB Hard drive to the front ports in the USBridge Signature?
Also is there a way to stream from an iPhone? I do not have Android
If compare to other STEAMER BLUESOUND? SOUND IS IMPROVE OR NOT
You shoud put the all HAT inside the player. There is a full 40 pin gpio inside. Im curious if it would sound better this way.
I have loved my USBridge Signature for a couple years now but it stopped working recently and it seems as if Allo is not providing support for their products anymore. Has anyone else heard or experienced that?
They have always used a forum approach but none of their support team is responding anymore.
Your conclusion is one is better than the other. What about having them both? I believe you can have the digione signature mounted on the usbridge signature in the same box? Will this double the spif quality or does it simply make a more versatile unit, where you can use either usb or spdif? Will both signatures act as double filter?
Hi. Yes, you certainly can stack any of the Digione products, therefore I actually asked something similar directly to the folks at Allo. They were quite scare in their responses about the three or four questions I asked (including a description of differences between the three products compared in this video), and with regards of your questions "Will this double the spif quality or does it simply make a more versatile unit, where you can use either usb or spdif? Will both signatures act as double filter?" Their reply was simply:
"Digione addition will change nothing to USB output of USBridge"
Which I interpreted as an emphatic NO, you get two stacked devices that do similar things, but do not interact with each other and only offer alternative outputs.
@@carlosalvarez7445 Thanks for your research, makes sense 👍
Pi2AES vs Allo would be fantastic!!!
I'm soo surprise about this. Paul from PS Audio was clear. The spdif do multi-plex the 3 signal in order to go in the spdif. Then the dac have to deplex it. I'll wait for a I2S then :-p
Good review! Thx.
I own the Allo USBridge Signature and have as well the Shanti LPS. I use moOde as OS and the mpd is sounding very good.
But !!!
1.) The Shanti is not the best LPS for this unit. I replaced it with a DIY LPS I build for approx the same price and this LPS is lifting the level of the USBridge to the next level. More dimensional and clearer sound.
2.) Furthermore the Shanti is extremely sensitive to power cords and the supply electricity. Changing power cords makes a big difference. Bigger than different USB cables.
3.) The USbridge Sig is sensitive for the incoming ethernet signal. Using a good ethernet cable makes an audible difference. I build a DIY Ethernet cable for approx 25€ using Sommer CAT 8 cable (2,-/m) and Telegaertner RJ45 plugs (10,-/pcs).
4.) I use the Allo unit with a RME ADI2 DAC. And despite RME is saying its USB input is very good and "immune", (so better USB cables wont make a difference), this is just not true. The soundstage and clarity in the sound is depending on the USB cable and its matching to the 2 devices connected.
5.) Using the Allo USBridge as UPNP streamer with moOde OS and mconnect App to stream Qobuz is ok, but not better than using my MacBookPro.
Only doing all the above items to lift sound quality and using the Allo only as player/renderer and streaming from my MBP as server with Audirvana player will give you a satisfying streaming quality.
So final conclusion: It is a good unit, but you need to put a lot of effort (and money) into it to get it to "sing". But the potential is there. Just my 2Cents
We can agree on basically everything you said. No matter how much manufacturers claim that cables don't influence their devices, it's almost never proved to be the case in my experience. So I'm also using some decent cables. LAN is silver-plated Viablue with Telegartner connectors. Two USB for this test were Neotech with pure silver conductors and exotic Marohei USB cable (I believe the name of the model is Maduro). And finally I use some DIY power cables made of really high purity monocrystalline copper wires and connectors (tested favorably against some very expensive brand cables).
It all makes a difference in a revealing well tended system. But I try to keep out of that topic most of the time since it's extremely flammable. But, I do have some interesting AB recordings regarding cables planned and that will speak more than words. :)
Cheers!
Thx for the vid. Can I ask did you use glvanic isolation via USB when testing?
Surely if a comparison is to be made, it should be between the usbridge signature and the raspberry pi alone, as both take ethernet input and stream into usb? Digione signature is an additional filter to spdif output that can be added to either the usbridge signature or the raspberry pi. I understand the comparison was sound difference. But the comparison should be between raspberry pi/Digione signature and usbridge signature/Digione signature.
Very good review and keep up the good work. I like to ask if all three units are using the same OS and PSUs? Volumio, Moode and RupieeeXL do sound different which may be led to a different conclusions. Also, you have mentioned that the DAC maybe at play here wihich may favour the digione sig with the SPDIF over the USB. I have ran the same kind of experiment with USB SIGNATURE PLAYER and DIGI ONE SIGNATURE and found them the same. Pls comment. Thanks
Same OS-es (RoPieeeXL) and PSUs (Allo Shanti). Tried with several DACs (Denafrips Ares II, Chord Qutest, Loxjie D30) but I mentioned in the video that depending on the DAC this conclusion might not be the same for everyone and if somebody is sure his DAC has better USB input thia might still be a good choice.
@@iiWiReviews Yes, I definitely read a USBridge Signature review, that ruled in favor of the the USBridge :-)
Hi! Thanks for the great video.
The question the allo digit one Signature hat.
What was the model of the rasberyPI there?? 4, 3b+ or 2?
Was it the same is like moode?
Thanks!
Are there any DACs fully decoding Tidal Master MQA files via coaxial? Most probably only decode via USB.
So what files did you A/B? DSD? Flac? What level DSD? If you had 128 or 512 DSD you’d have to downsample for spdif….
Thoughts?
I have the digi2 pro from hifiberry on my rpi4…and am running usb to a Cambridge dac magic 200m. I think I’m only hearing less resolution on spdif if I go to higher level dsd. I’m hearing more details over spdif of the file is 192 and below. Thoughts?
Do you think the khadas tone2 pro is better than the Lotoo paw S1?If not,which DAC/Amp would you consider the best under $200?.
Is the USBridge Signature very good to reduce noise from a laptop USB output? Thank you.
How can we add WiFi functionality, does a USB WiFi Card can do the job without messing with audio?
Now the real question is; How does the Digione Signature sound mounted on the USBridge signature vs. mounted on the RP3/RP4 (also I now need to have a cry 😂)?
why would you mount a bridge on top of another bridge?
@@Burevestnik9M730 The USBridge Signature is Allo’s custom designed Raspberry PI hardware, built around the RPI compute module. The Digione signature is a HAT. They fit together like hand in glove, same as any hat on a regular RPI 🙂
@@RigVader the function is bridge. why do you need two bridges?
@jovan jelic Ahh :-) I think would argue it would be one bridge, with two types of output. 1. To have both a coax and USB output (flexibility, which one sounds the best with a given DAC/Cable). 2. Maybe the Digione Signature sounds better, attached to a PI that is itself optimised to for low noise and better power.
@pikithekid ok, so I'll buy another Chord 300w amplifier and connect it to the existing one to improve my audiophoolishness
Hi! What dongle to have WiFi on the USBridge?
Ive tried the topping e50 dac with the allo us bridge signature and it wont Connect to the usb . This is also with the ifi zen signature V2. Both have a usb 3.0 dac chip and the back of the allo have a special usb 2.0 Port Don’t work with this new generation dacs . I hope there Will come Solution for this . I m afraid this is a hardware problem
Question, on the Allo website you can bundle products for some savings. I already wanted their Shanti PS, so looking at streamers was next on the agenda. On viewing the Allo USBridge Signature Player for a base price of $249, you can add on DigiOne Signature bringing the total to $469. Does this mean they are putting the DigiOne Signature player offered at $315 into the USBridge case with added inouts/outputs? So for $469 you are getting perhaps a better sounding player in a metal case? Plus, for $3 more you can get an additional DigiOne case (presumably the clear case) in addition to the metal?
I'm just not clear on all the hardware upgrades they offer and what they mean.
Additionally, in choosing among the operating systems, which could work best and offer the best SQ if the intention of use is more via computer rather than phone? Aren't too many reviews comparing what is offered against each other as to strengths, weaknesses and flexibility.
Already have the amp, speakers and dac. Dac has BT but not wireless. I figure an aftermarket wireless device could be added. Any ideas appreciated.
I completely agree here. I’d love to better understand the options on this product. It’s just not clear on the page. I’m curious what decision the writer above, made..
hi Srboljub,
I want to ask, did you try to connect Intona USB to USBridge Signature?
Do you think this would have a positive effect on improving the sound?
I haven't tried it but I think it probably would. Can't claim for sure though.
have you try very great LPS on this ? I got ALLO LPS, wonder if there is any difference between very very good LPS or ALLO LPS
like JCAT LPS or sBooster or others
No I haven't. They're quite expensive.
Does the owner need to renew his os license yearly like with say, raspberry pie and voluminous?
If you choose a free OS like RoPieeeXL or Moode, then you don't have to pay for it. They sound better than Volumio anyway.
Would you recommend this go with SMSL M400 or rather with something of equal price?
Yes I would, it's a nice match.
Can one connect a laptop (with Groove Music as music source) to the USBridge Signature, without loading any OS on the SD card?
No you can't do that. OS has to be loaded for USBridge to function.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you very much. Very helpful.
I have both and i prefer usbridge signature with curious usb cable. Better results than digione.
Nice Honest and good review.
You mentioned tidal and qobuz music services,will stream youtube also?
Thanks! I don't think it can stream YT music with any of the OS-es I know. If someone has more info on that, please share.
@@iiWiReviews thanks
Have a look at piCorePlayer. I use it as my streaming software and it has plugins for Qobuz, Tidal and TH-cam :-)
@@derricktoppert8145 thanks
I think the latest version of volumio can stream YT as well (3.0 onwards).
iiWi do you think USB (or similar digital computer protocol) will eventually replace all the audio connections? It seems to me that’s the way it’s headed. We will eventually have just one universal interconnect for all devices that will carry video, audio, data, network, etc.
Who knows, but I don't see that happening any time soon. First of all, digital and analog signals have different technical demands since voltage and frequency of the signal varies a lot.
I have this and Allo Shanti. How do I ground it?
Just connect ground binding posts on both Shanti and USBridge with any kind of wire.
What software you prefer for sound quality for upnp.
Moode or ropieeexl?
Personally I prefer the sound of RoPieeeXL
Those side pans such as at 2:38 make the text on the case and the ports themselves completely blur out, a simple still photo would be better, please!
Yes i am now a less happy usbrigde signature owner.
Did you use an audiophile grade USB cable?
Yes, one of the cables is great silver wire USB from Neotech, the other is Marohei that costs more than USBbridge itself. But don't feel unhappy, it's still a great device.
Hi, will you try out the new more expensive model from fx audio, the d01? There seems to be a drought of reviews on it so it would be nice if you could review it
I'll take a look at it and if it seems interesting maybe I'll try it.
@@iiWiReviews aight man thanks, feature and hardware wise, it seems pretty promising for the price, but fx audio sometimes have batches of products which have shoddy soldering and fake chips, so it’ll be nice to see how they did with the d01 considering it’s a higher end model
If they had put a small OLED display on it, I would have been much more interested. Other than that this is a fantastic sounding device. Thanks for your review.
Even if the USB out from the sig is cooked nice, most USB inputs, especially on the budget friendly DACs are not as good as even cheap coax inputs. So no surprise here.
There is most certainly a regular USBridge. Seems they stopped making it though. Probably because it didn't work with a regular Raspberry Pi. You had to use the Allo board I think. I'll look when I get home from work, and tell you if I'm wrong about that.
I should also add that a used Pro-ject Streambox S2 Ultra is a much better way to go IMO. It has more features, and sounds better then any of these. No linear power supply needed. ✌️
"I found these two sounds very similar "... so the best value is a RP3+ and Allo Digione... in a box.
How big a difference between usbbridge signature player and digione signature player? I'm asking cos I own the first one. Also, doesn't it depend on the DAC as well? Which DACs did you use for comparison? Some DACs can be good in usb/RCA audio and some on spdif/RCA audio based on their SINAD measurements. I am a bit disappointed but it's ok I guess since the Allo Digione signature player is also expensive than the usbbridge signature player.
Yes you are right about interfaces and implementation. Indeed I read reviews comparing both and favoring the USBridge Signature. One thing, the USBridge sig is the more expensive device. Cheers
Hi, What is the maximum size of hard disk it can read?. Thanks.
So basically we can say: RPi 3 < RPi 4 < USBridge < DigiOne < DigiOne Signature?
Is more like:
RPi 3B+(USB) < RPi 4B(USB) < RPi 3B+ DigiOne(Optical) ≅ USBridge (USB) < DigiOne Signature(Optical) ≅ USBridge + DigiOne Output (Optical)
I see USBridge Signature value... going USB and if you put the Digi Addon, you get the Optical performance, now you can have two options, differents inputs for find the best on any DAC
@@gregwx Thanks for the reply :)
Everything you review is interesting and informative, my wallet hates you though. Have a good weekend.
"Moode" has an "e" on the end :)
My bad. :)
Btw, moode OS sounds better than volumio.
Was the digi one signature you listened to running on Pi 3b or Pi 4?
It was running on Pi 4. I didn't have a time to change to Pi 3B (that I also have) and check for the differences.
i think Pi2AES vs Allo would be fantastic:)
What’s your favourite USB cable?
NEOTECH NEUB-1020 that a friend was loaning to me is probably one of the best USB cables I've heard. It holds its own even against few times more expensive ones that we compared it with. If I was using a USB streamer, I would go for that one.
Great video!. I have the USBridge with the DigiOne Signature and it is fantastic!
However, I didn't like the aluminium USBridge chassis and I share your opinion of the open plastic frame. So, I designed my own enclosure (skip to the end of this video to see the completed unit ... th-cam.com/video/fjhqGoWC28c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Pt4Brm5hC3owq9-U). I used my own low-noise PSU internally for the DigiOne Signature and considered building a full 4A + 1A PSU for this, but what's the point given the price of the Shanti. So, thoughts turned to create a decent looking enclosure to align the Shanti with whatever Allo streamer/DAC you have in a neat hi-fi rack friendly enclosure (th-cam.com/video/gVITcuny7Co/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qK6a-C_4WFPNufSn). This project is on the back burner at the moment, but will surface again if there is interest.
USB and Spdif inputs are very dependent on DAC itself! You can NOT draw conclusions comparing those on low-cost DAC-s that usually don't have the good USB inputs
I don't consider Denafrips Ares II and Chord Qutest that low cost, considering these are affordable streamers not likely to be paired with more expensive DACs in most realistic use case scenarios. That said, I did mention that dependency and input variations in the video, and if someone is sure that their DAC has better USB input, this might be a right choice.
@@iiWiReviews I apologize for being too quick in my comment. I did not listen to your conclusion near the end of the video... I agree that Ares II and Qutest should have a pretty good USB implementation
@@IvicaMarusevic FWIW I was debating whether to get a USBridge Signsture or a Digione Signature for my Ares II, so I asked Alvin from Vinshine who said he “slightly” preferred USB in on Ares II. Still curious to find out for myself, but waiting for the Pi2 review, before shelling out for the Digione Sig 😁
troppo parlare
And where and when will this small equipment fleet end?
A completely irrational waste of resources.
Madness.
I get off there.