GIGAPORT HD/HD+

[FairPlayMotty]

This is my first post on here, I will start by first thanking Fredrik for his inspirational work!

Having bought all of the initial components but awaiting delivery of the motherboard, I loaded Volumio onto a laptop with impressive results. On receipt of the GIGAPORT HD+ this pm, I am getting an error on Volumio with the DAC (pic attached). Does anyone who has built the full Hakai know if the Gigabyte GA-N3150N-D3V needs to have the ESI Linux drivers installed (https://kb.esi-audio.com/?goto=KB00231EN) or whether it's plug and play?

rps20180830_211043.jpg

[lejonklou]

Hello and welcome FairPlayMotty!

(May I call you FPM or are you opposed to the whole brevity thing?)

No Gigaport drivers need to be installed, it should be plug and play!

[David Neel]

I've had similar messages with the N3050N-D2P motherboard. It seems to relate to the communication between Volumio and the NAS as a session is started, and normally disappears if I try again after a couple of minutes. Once Volumio is playing nicely with a NAS, no further messages.

[FairPlayMotty]

FPM is absolutely fine and many thanks for the rapid response!

[FairPlayMotty]

I think it's worth mentioning that a number of DAC vendors have said that the ESI Gigaport HD+ is either being or is already discontinued - it's still widely available, for now.

[matthias]

I think it's worth mentioning that a number of DAC vendors have said that the ESI Gigaport HD+ is either being or is already discontinued.

I phoned with the manufacturer today. This is not true.

Matt

[Lego]

I think it's worth mentioning that a number of DAC vendors have said that the ESI Gigaport HD+ is either being or is already discontinued.

I phoned with the manufacturer today. This is not true.

Matt

Do think if you phoned Linn and asked them about a product they were planning to discontinue they would tell you 'Yes we are planning to discontinue that product'

[matthias]

I think it's worth mentioning that a number of DAC vendors have said that the ESI Gigaport HD+ is either being or is already discontinued.

I phoned with the manufacturer today. This is not true.

Matt

Do think if you phoned Linn and asked them about a product they were planning to discontinue they would tell you 'Yes we are planning to discontinue that product'

Linn would give no comment in such a case. But to say we will surely continue the product when this is not the case would apply the axe at the credibility of a manufacturer.

[FairPlayMotty]

I think it's worth mentioning that a number of DAC vendors have said that the ESI Gigaport HD+ is either being or is already discontinued.

I phoned with the manufacturer today. This is not true.

Matt

Matt,

I'm a little confused by your comment. If one music store had told me that the product would be discontinued I could doubt the veracity of the information. However, when several very large music stores and websites tell me the same story about the DAC, I tend to believe them. Perhaps ESI plans to "upgrade" the product as they have before. Fredrik's advice was wise - use the products listed by him. Highlighting to this community the danger of the DAC (exact model) being discontinued seems like quite helpful information to me. If you want to take risks so be it but I have my DAC bought. Your faith in a single source of data is surprising - why would several huge music vendors tell me that it was either discontinued or about to be? The first large vendor tried to order it for me and couldn't do so. People being helpful to this community seems is very refreshing. I hope you're not a journalist ;)

[jewa]

When trying to buy one about a month ago, when the HAKAI was announced, I was told by a reseller that it would be available in September. It could be that they just ran out of stock. But it is only speculation!

[matthias]

Sorry for confusion, I talked just with a coworker of thomann.de, one of the biggest seller in Europe.
He told me that the ESI is available in their shop and as far as he knows not discontinued.

https://www.thomann.de/de/esi_gigaport_ ... arch_prv_4

Matt

[FairPlayMotty]

Matt,

If you accept that there is any doubt at all over the availability of the recommended DAC, would you agree that it would be wise for any potential Hakai builder to buy one quickly?

[matthias]

Matt,
If you accept that there is any doubt at all over the availability of the recommended DAC, would you agree that it would be wise for any potential Hakai builder to buy one quickly?

Yes, though for me so far is no evidence.

Matt

[Lego]

This is my first post on here, I will start by first thanking Fredrik for his inspirational work!

Having bought all of the initial components but awaiting delivery of the motherboard, I loaded Volumio onto a laptop with impressive results. On receipt of the GIGAPORT HD+ this pm, I am getting an error on Volumio with the DAC (pic attached). Does anyone who has built the full Hakai know if the Gigabyte GA-N3150N-D3V needs to have the ESI Linux drivers installed (https://kb.esi-audio.com/?goto=KB00231EN) or whether it's plug and play?

rps20180830_211043.jpg

I too had this error when I plugged in the HD+ into the laptop. Later worked out it was the USB port that couldn't see the DAC as it worked in other port

[FairPlayMotty]

Maybe having worked as a head of actuarial statistics and head of risk I'm more inclined than Matt to be risk averse or consider sample size to be important. I'm not naive either, one large company I worked for regularly discontinued products without admitting that to our distributors - that's common commercial practice.

My advice to potential Hakai builders is go buy a DAC asap, reduce your risk.

[jewa]

I have been emailing some with ESI, and since there are no drivers for the Gigaport on linux or OSX – you will only get 16/44.1 kHz.

Don’t know how this impacts the musicality but it would sure be nice with 24/96 kHz.

from email with ESI:

Because of your inquiry by using 24-bit/96 kHz. I mean the GIGAPORT HD+ will be recognised as a 8 channel device under Linux because there is not special driver available, therefore only 16-bit/44.1 kHz is possible, like under macOS!

[matthias]

I have been emailing some with ESI, and since there are no drivers for the Gigaport on linux or OSX – you will only get 16/44.1 kHz.
Don’t know how this impacts the musicality but it would sure be nice with 24/96 kHz.
from email with ESI:

Because of your inquiry by using 24-bit/96 kHz. I mean the GIGAPORT HD+ will be recognised as a 8 channel device under Linux because there is not special driver available, therefore only 16-bit/44.1 kHz is possible, like under macOS!

IIUC, the restriction 16/44.1 is for 8 channel only. For two channel you have 24/96 for Mac without driver and for Linux with the special driver.

Matt

[jewa]

There is no special drivers, therefore you will always use all eight channels and get 16/44.1 kHz. Only when using windows you can get 24/96kHz on two channels.

[matthias]

There is no special drivers, therefore you will always use all eight channels and get 16/44.1 kHz. Only when using windows you can get 24/96kHz on two channels.

jewa,
I phoned with ESI, you are right.

Matt

[FairPlayMotty]

The development of the ALSA drivers to match the Volumio instance Linux kernel is all that prevents the Gigaport HD+ supporting 24/96.

I didn't call ESI because I can read :)

[FairPlayMotty]

Here is the DAC specification data from ESI:

The ESI GIGAPORT HD+ use the AKM AK4358VQ as DAC.

THD+N:-94dB

Dynamic range: 112 dB A-weighted (typical)

SNR: 112dBA (0dB @ fs=48kHz)

frequency response: 20 ~ 22 kHz (@ fs=48 kHz)

resolution: 24-bit

sample rate: 44.1, 48 and 96kHz

For what it's worth I own two Pono players that outclassed the Linn Ikemi, both using a Sabre DAC. The Hakai outclasses the Pono. Evidently using a DAC from around 1999 doesn't make a big difference to the sound quality!

[lejonklou]

True.

The DAC is like the cartridge of a turntable. What's driving it is far more important. Same as what Ivor taught us about turntables 45 years ago.

Took me a while until I understood digital works in very similar ways.

[FairPlayMotty]

I get that from you Fredrik. Prior to the Hakai journey I was trusting the snake oil salesmen more than my ears. As a teenager our physics teacher assured us that our ears would be finished before we could afford a HiFi that we would obtain any benefit from. I'm pleased to report he was wrong, that sentence was almost a career challenge as well as a HiFi challenge! Both Hakai's sing!

[Sopper]

Volumio and ESI gigaport HD+ still refuse to run stable, no matter what I try.
It can play an album, but I have to leave it that way; still troublesome with switching song or adding songs, etc.

It really is the ESI dac causing problems; my RME ADI-2 dac runs flawlessly

[Lego]

Volumio and ESI gigaport HD+ still refuse to run stable, no matter what I try.
It can play an album, but I have to leave it that way; still troublesome with switching song or adding songs, etc.

It really is the ESI dac causing problems; my RME ADI-2 dac runs flawlessly

Which one is musically better Sopper and can you just not use Linns app instead?