Streamer Alert!

Not trash, an honest assessment of some manufacturer's products.  I use a Raspberry Pi 5 running Volumio into a LAIV uDAC.  I'll put that against any multi-kilobuck streamer.

I really do wonder if headphonesty is the dystopian future of audio-related content. Nearly every article is written by AI or heavily assisted by AI, which ironically, is easily able to be detected by AI. 

For the curious: web traffic for headishonesty.com is 1.2 million visits per month, which dwarfs Audiogon’s 560,00 per month.

trash website aside. yes our streamers aren't that esoteric as some of their prices suggest. What irks me even isn't the parts; it is the fucking software being terrible for many of these products. 

So yeah truth to what may be discussed in the article but I am not giving it a click just because it is a headphonesty article 

On that website they make some interesting and unintentionally funny statements. Below is a quote and a similar comparison I provided to them.

"In many systems, a Raspberry Pi–based streamer is functionally equivalent to far more expensive options."

On many roads a Toyota Yaris is functionally equivalent to a Rolls Royce

I have a RPI4 4 meg version

https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Model-2019-Quad-Bluetooth/dp/B07TC2BK1X/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=1228154798036179&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4wZGiZcG7IfVeIs8ylcbr4hvbDQZqu7RRWhQBresV0gg7YjROLRuZVAMszikZxWaZwN_0SRzIOayyD_DM04linRdpuhR5l1F8PG4TPsT7rmATkz6OrMycJRDrRyIgrX_xfQnBCgLEfepN2zsQwC4EVXJQm_ny5XvVjAxLvEXzPlg9xSOedA1Pe7B-o3vRCS2J29NPvc8oPsbEZu52oM4a8DTSj2kHTM5i3hh-83yIdc.L_qiFsOVuf1Du-hJZwagQQ09CulSvwWbiRRtvr4FK-g&dib_tag=se&hvadid=76759841394234&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=115825&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-76759909148528%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=25549_13593476&keywords=raspberry+pi+4+model+b&mcid=b4a57e6ef83a34f88524bac74407facc&msclkid=64b1e3d005f21350d4f78aa7fe3a36b0&qid=1769470925&sr=8-1

PurePi II 5V+3.3V ultracapacitor/LifePO4 battery power supply combo ( for wall power clean up )

https://iancanada.ca/products/48b-purepi-ii-5v-3-3v-ultracapacitor-lifepo4-battery-power-supply-combo-with-ultracapacitors-battery-holders-pre-installed-86-00

A PI2aes board  provides I2S HDMI output 

https://www.pi2design.com/pi2aes-980244.html

The RPI 4 uses the Mood audio Player.  Moode Audio has the right drivers for the PI2aes board

https://moodeaudio.org/

So I have a Player/Streamer with clean power/ and I2S out put which I send to my Pontus 12th Dac's I2S HDMI input

Out to a Schit Freya ( non tube) Preamp

RCA out of preamp to a Decware Torii Jr V2  then braided cables out to Klipsch La Scala's

With My system there is a difference. This difference is even heard with MP3 music files ( 90% of my music is 16/44.1 Flac files)  I would describe this difference similar to when your Dac up scales music files, not dramatic but definitely noticable 

Here is a AI response to my system

🔹 How Pi2AES + Pontus II behave with I²S
1. Pontus II DAC architecture
* Internally runs on I²S before hitting the R2R ladder.
* Taking I²S in avoids the S/PDIF/USB receiver stage and hands the stream more directly to its FIFO buffer + reclocker. ✅ This puts it in the “likes I²S” camp.
2. Pi2AES transport quality
* Pi2AES 2.0 is well-regarded for ultra-low-jitter clocking and clean power.
* Its I²S over HDMI output is one of its best features — way lower jitter than its coax or optical outs. ✅ Strong source = I²S advantage.
3. Cable considerations
* Keep your HDMI I²S cable short (0.5–1 m, well-shielded).
* Avoid fancy “video” HDMI cables that aren’t impedance-consistent. ✅ Short + solid cable = stable, clean I²S.
4. Compatibility / Pinouts
* Pi2AES follows the PS Audio I²S pinout.
* Denafrips also uses the PS Audio convention. ✅ Plug-and-play match (no DIP switch headaches).
5. USB vs I²S on Pontus II
* USB input is good but depends on the Pi → USB stack, which isn’t audiophile-grade.
* Pi2AES bypasses that and gives Pontus II an I²S stream with much better timing. ✅ You’ll usually hear tighter bass, wider staging, and more precise imaging with I²S vs Pi USB.

🎯 Verdict for your system
* Best input for Pontus II from Pi2AES = I²S over HDMI
* Second best = AES/EBU (XLR digital) — still very strong, sometimes smoother sounding.
* USB from Pi = weakest link (noisy, higher jitter).
So in your setup, I²S isn’t just “different” — it’s very likely the best sounding connection.