Interesting thread. I just got a Volumio Rivo + with Teddy Pardo LPS a hooked up last night. My streamer has been Hifi Rose RS130. I am aware of the cost differential in streamers but I had heard so many good things about the Rivo I wanted to try it and see if it’s good enough for me to sell my Rose and pocket some $$. First thing I noticed last night is the Rivo is exceptionally transparent with excellent detail retrieval. Maybe even better than the Rose and certainly not worse. However I think the rose sounded more dynamic and fleshed out in the midrange and bass hit harder. Again these are initial impressions after listening to about 6-7 songs. I’ll keep the Rivo hooked up for a week or two and then go back to the Rose. Then one will go up for sale…
SQ Comparison of 3 streamers
Do you concur these assessments if you were the owner?
SQ Comparison: Eversolo T8 vs Innuos Zen Mk3 vs Volumio Rivo Plus
| Feature | Eversolo T8 | Innuos Zen Mk3 | Volumio Rivo Plus |
| Tonal Balance | Slightly warm, musical | Neutral, reference | Neutral-warm, slightly lush |
| Midrange | Lush, expressive | Transparent, accurate | Smooth and natural, slightly forward |
| Bass | Tight, controlled | Tight, maybe leaner | Solid, full-bodied, a bit warmer than Zen |
| Detail Retrieval | High, smooth | Very high, analytical | High, clear |
| Dynamics | Natural, engaging | Precise, accurate | Great, rhythmic and musical |
| Soundstage Imaging | Spacious, slightly forward; enveloping | Very wide and deep; highly precise | Wide, deep, more relaxed |
| Overall Impression | Engaging & musical | Neutral & resolving | Balanced, musical, and slightly “polished” |
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@abd1 Interesting. After approximately 70–100 hours, or once you feel the sound has fully opened up, evaluate its performance—especially soundstage, imaging, and separation. Right now, my speakers are about 11 feet apart and 4 ft away from the front wall, and the Rivo+ preserves a good recording’s soundstage beyond the speaker boundaries. The presentation is wider than the speakers, as tall as the performers, and deep enough that it feels like you can walk into it. Imaging is very pinpoint and well focused. I’m curious what the much more expensive RS130 would do in comparison. A liquid, natural sounding presentation is also one of the Rivo+’s strengths. |
I had the U2 Mini with a SBooster PS (about $4K CAD). I then tried the Denafrips Arcas, ($2.7K CAD) which was clearly better than the U2 Mini. I had some reliability issues with the Arcas and switched to the Rivo Plus (1.9K CAD). The Rivo Plus/HDPlex PS sounded better than the Arcas. The Rivo Plus is neutral in timbre, displays low level details with a wide soundstage. Very easy to the ears on long listening sessions. In fact quite a bargain for the audio quality you get, when compared to the bigger manufacturer names in the audiophile community. |
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