I am interested in sharing experience and exchanging ideas on how to tune Linux/MPD for best possible sound quality on an ALIX processor.
I had very good experiences with CMP/CPLAY sound quality following the rather radical stripping of XP and the hardware down to the bare essentials. I moved to USB2 DAC via the WaveIO XMOS board. This prompted a look at Linux based on the native drivers.
I started with VoyageMPD on the Alix. Standard configuration of distributed processing with ALIX running mpd/alsa. The ALIX has no hard drives using a compact flash card to store the OS. The music is on a NAS. In my case a 1TB WDMYBOOKLIVE. An old laptop runs the GMPC client and a dedicated router/wireless access point completes the picture. Only the client is connected wirelessly. A tablet or iphone is a nice client platform as it provides a rich GUI from the listening chair.
I use separate linear power supplies on all the TDA1541a consumers. The WaveIO benefited from a nice PS. The ALIX board seems to be fine with a simple wallwort, but I gave it a branch off the WaveIO supply.
I have now moved on to use mpdpup as the ALIX OS. This puppy distribution is specifically built for great music, containing just enough OS to run mpd, usb and the ethernet link. While not real time, the linux core is optimized for low latency. Sound quality of this setup is very good. To my ear quite a bit better than my best CMP setup which was very good indeed.
Now my quest is to tune all the alsa buffer parameters for best sound. Then I'll go on to the real time patches.
All ideas welcome.
Now I am looking for a community of interest for tuning the platform.
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Topic - Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 19:52:01 06/13/12 (43)
- USB cable - wlowes 18:38:51 06/18/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - ted_b 19:56:31 06/16/12 (3)
- RE: Tuning ALIX processor Power Supply - wlowes 09:47:47 06/17/12 (1)
- Update - Tuning ALIX processor Power Supply - wlowes 17:41:57 06/18/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 21:54:17 06/16/12 (0)
- RE: Buffer - wlowes 18:17:38 06/16/12 (16)
- RE: Buffer update - wlowes 10:08:10 11/9/13 (15)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 11:34:10 11/26/13 (14)
- RE: Buffer update - wlowes 18:09:12 11/26/13 (13)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 04:41:11 11/27/13 (12)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 14:33:26 11/28/13 (11)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 01:22:20 11/29/13 (10)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 13:40:11 11/29/13 (9)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 14:47:50 11/29/13 (7)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 05:41:20 11/30/13 (6)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 09:11:09 11/30/13 (5)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 02:00:17 12/1/13 (4)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 13:02:45 12/6/13 (3)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 02:13:10 12/7/13 (2)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 08:09:59 12/7/13 (1)
- RE: Buffer update - Linefader 07:08:43 12/18/13 (0)
- RE: Buffer update - lgroli 14:10:14 11/29/13 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - soundchekk 08:03:01 06/16/12 (0)
- Could you be more specific in your set-up for those of us ... - rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com 07:16:31 06/16/12 (2)
- RE: Could you be more specific in your set-up for those of us ... - wlowes 08:48:03 06/16/12 (1)
- Thanks .... - rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com 09:48:03 06/23/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - Ryelands 06:20:42 06/16/12 (4)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 07:28:43 06/16/12 (3)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - Ryelands 09:52:27 06/16/12 (2)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 17:08:19 06/16/12 (1)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - Ryelands 03:05:41 06/17/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - phofman 01:28:03 06/14/12 (11)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 06:32:26 06/16/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 20:15:41 06/15/12 (8)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - phofman 00:29:28 06/16/12 (7)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 09:07:29 06/16/12 (6)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - phofman 10:02:32 06/16/12 (5)
- nrpacks=20 turns out to be the best - wlowes 21:10:06 06/23/12 (4)
- RE: nrpacks=20 turns out to be the best - phofman 01:10:25 06/26/12 (3)
- RE: nrpacks=20 turns out to be the best - wlowes 05:57:17 06/26/12 (2)
- RE: nrpacks=20 turns out to be the best - phofman 03:19:47 06/29/12 (1)
- RE: nrpacks=20 turns out to be the best - wlowes 06:27:42 06/29/12 (0)
- RE: Tuning Linux/MPD/Alsa for best sound on ALIX processor - wlowes 21:37:22 06/14/12 (0)