Posh Raspberry Pi Solutions

[tino]

I was amazed to find out that Bryston are basically boxing a Raspberry Pi, HiFi Berry SPDIF board and small screen into a posh case and charging $1295 for the privilege (http://www.whathifi.com/news/bryston-introduces-bdp-pi-digital-music-player). I thought there must be cheaper / better solutions for the Pi at much more reasonable price and lo and behold I stumbled upon this (see below). When my Squeezebox Touch gives up the ghost I think this would be the perfect replacement .. one that doesn't look like someone built it in a shed or out of lego. It's the most professional looking Pi audio solution I have found ... Bryston BDP Pi included.

You can read up about it here ... http://rasptouch.audiophonics.fr

 

[Dave_]

A bit expensive for a shiny case and/or a bundle of off the shelf parts.

Plus I never really got the need for a touchscreen on a Streamer. It's just inconvenient.

So don't really see the need for the Fugly case or touchscreen.

I'd also like to know what, if any contributions they're making or have made to the open source projects and communities they're riding on the back of...

 

[nopiano]

I was amazed to find out that Bryston are basically boxing a Raspberry Pi, HiFi Berry SPDIF board and small screen into a posh case and charging $1295 for the privilege (http://www.whathifi.com/news/bryston-introduces-bdp-pi-digital-music-player). I thought there must be cheaper / better solutions for the Pi at much more reasonable price and lo and behold I stumbled upon this (see below). When my Squeezebox Touch gives up the ghost I think this would be the perfect replacement .. one that doesn't look like someone built it in a shed or out of lego. It's the most professional looking Pi audio solution I have found ... Bryston BDP Pi included.

You can read up about it here ... http://rasptouch.audiophonics.fr

Interesting, but seems to be a bit like Olive streamers, they don't actually exist, but you can pledge money and hope they build one someday!

I saw the prers release on the Bryston, and also wondered about the added value element. But as a manufacturer, I'm sure they do actually have real products, not cyber-promises!

 

[chebby]

HiFiBerry Digi+ = £22.90 or £32.90

Raspberry Pi 3 B = £30

Brryston = $1295 (and probably the same in £s when launched here).

They are gauging you.

 

[Dave_]

Also from their Kickstarter bio

We are a 10 years old French company making and selling Hi-Fi products and parts.

During this time we have built partnerships with several suppliers to be able to conceive and produce high quality module boards and chassis.

Personally I have issues with established entities (or those that keep going back to well eg Pebble for that matter) using crowd funding.

 

[steve_1979]

Before you ask, yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA a computer).

 

[Al ears]

Here's a Niam HDX.

Before you ask yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA cheap computer).

There is.... it does exist

Then again their are others.

 

[spiny norman]

Before you ask, yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA a computer).

No wonder Niam never got anywhere. But apparently the Samsung engineers tried the unit in question and said they had never heard their drive sounding so good, etc. etc. And apparently a man in India owns one, too.

 

[spiny norman]

Naim must be laughing at every customer who buys a HDX.

Oh, Naim – I thought we were talking about Niam.

I doubt they laugh at their customers – and I don't think they've sold many HDXs of late, as the technology has moved on to NAS drives and the ND, Uniti and Mu-so ranges. That's probably how they manage sales of £20m (ish) a year.

How much does Dad do, and what do you think most other makers of disc-players use to read/write discs? With very few exceptions, who make their own drives or have them made for them, most use off-the-shelf solutions.

Bit like not making your own cabinets, drivers or amplifiers, really...

 

[Infiniteloop]

Before you ask, yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA a computer).

No wonder Niam never got anywhere. But apparently the Samsung engineers tried the unit in question and said they had never heard their drive sounding so good, etc. etc. And apparently a man in India owns one, too.

Brilliant.

 

[Infiniteloop]

Naim must be laughing at every customer who buys a HDX.

Oh, Naim – I thought we were talking about Niam.

I doubt they laugh at their customers – and I don't think they've sold many HDXs of late, as the technology has moved on to NAS drives and the ND, Uniti and Mu-so ranges. That's probably how they manage sales of £20m (ish) a year.

How much does Dad do, and what do you think most other makers of disc-players use to read/write discs? With very few exceptions, who make their own drives or have them made for them, most use off-the-shelf solutions.

Bit like not making your own cabinets, drivers or amplifiers, really...

"Bit like not making your own cabinets, drivers or amplifiers, really..."

..... or a real marketing department, prompting the daily appearance of directors of HiFi companies on free HiFi forums where some business might be drummed up.

 

[rainsoothe]

Before you ask, yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA a computer).

This is actually really funny )))

 

[steve_1979]

I was amazed to find out that Bryston are basically boxing a Raspberry Pi, HiFi Berry SPDIF board and small screen into a posh case and charging $1295 for the privilege

Why the suprise?

The rip-off hifi industry has been doing this sort of thing with CD transports and DACs for decades. Why would things be any different with streamers?

 

[steve_1979]

Before you ask, yes that is a £15 Samsung DVD writer in a £5000 music server (AKA a computer).

No wonder Niam never got anywhere. But apparently the Samsung engineers tried the unit in question and said they had never heard their drive sounding so good, etc. etc.

Naim must be laughing at every customer who buys a HDX.

I wonder how many mugs they've found willing to pay £5000 for what is basically a computer in a fancy case.

 

[tino]

Interesting, but seems to be a bit like Olive streamers, they don't actually exist, but you can pledge money and hope they build one someday!

I saw the prers release on the Bryston, and also wondered about the added value element. But as a manufacturer, I'm sure they do actually have real products, not cyber-promises!

Apparently it launches in Sept 16, so not long to wait. They also have real hardware for sale in the form of DACs etc.

I don't think I would pay $1295 for the Bryston BDP-Pi real or imaginary.

Shame about the scarcity of the Olive One as it looks like a nice piece of kit.

 

[tino]

Why the suprise?

The rip-off hifi industry has been doing this sort of thing with CD transports and DACs for decades. Why would things be any different with streamers?

Because in this case it's quite easy to work out the value proposition because you know there are only say £100 of electronics in the box (retail prices) and where they come from.

 

[tino]

A bit expensive for a shiny case and/or a bundle of off the shelf parts.

The price is not unreasonable for the aluminium chassis with or without screen compared to some HTPC boxes and some of the nasty plastic PI cases out there.

Plus I never really got the need for a touchscreen on a Streamer. It's just inconvenient.

The touchscreen is a nice touch (pardon the pun) - sometimes you just want to go the device an press play instead of dragging out a smartphone, launching the app etc. A 7" screen is big enough to see what's playing across a room.

So don't really see the need for the Fugly case or touchscreen.

Compared to some Pi DIY SOS projects, I think it looks quite good and pretty professional

I'd also like to know what, if any contributions they're making or have made to the open source projects and communities they're riding on the back of...

You could ask the same question of a lot of companies developing Pi based solutions. They seem to specialise in hardware and have developed cases, power supplies and DAC boards for the Pi. From what I can make out, in all but one of their offerings (where they have pre-installed some software) the software is up to the customer to choose and install.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Whilst I agree some manufactures charge the earth to our eyes (but they have invested in promotion over many years) these guys are taking a big risk. Pi £30 DAC board £35 screen £90 Case £50 bits cables etc £10 packaging £5. £220 + + + rent rates telephone softaware computers printers, accountants etc etc. a very small profit unless they sell a 1000odd a year. Dont think you realise how long and how much it takes to develop somthing like this for a commercial offering. How much did the website cost? Have you stopped to consider how you can spend a decent proportion of your disposable income on HiFi? The company you work for have taken risk, invested and been succsesful for themselves and team GB this allows them to pay you a good wage so you can spend time on HiFi forums.

I'm in the process of developing a Pi solution very early stages and I doubt it will come to fruition, they sound pretty damed good and the software I used Volumio is streets ahead of my Cambridge CXN software. Regarding payments to open source providers this was somthing I was going look at into to useing on a commercial basis.

I certainly know how many hours over the last 9 months I have poured into my new Nord project. I did the website from 11-3 in the morning for about 5 months! Only this weekend I finished a pair of speakers for Nativebon for hime to collect on Sunday. Im constantly answering emails all evening, weekends. Ask my family. Yes I'm reaping the rewards now but it was a huge risk.

I take my hat off to these guys looks a fantastic product at an amazing price I wish them very well.

 

[spiny norman]

They are gauging you.

Clarely they believe that measurement is important.

 

[tino]

Found another one ... this one's interesting ... a nice aluminium box that has support for mSATA hard drive and SPDIF optical output. Also includes WiFi, iR interface and headphone amp. Would look good in the living room.

http://www.suptronics.com/miniPCkits/x3000_instructions.html