HIFI Diary: LHY Audio Raspberry Pi Streaming Media Bridge Review

I. Introduction

This time, the evaluation of the "LHY Audio Raspberry Pi Streaming Media Bridge" is conducted by the same person who previously sent in the Titan Bird filter =W= Thank you for your trust. In recent years, digital streaming/networked streaming has been thriving, and almost everyone has accepted the idea of using an Ethernet cable to isolate noise from PCs/cores. After all, Ethernet cables do not transmit timebase signals, only digital signals, so they can indeed eliminate 100% of the jitter generated by PCs/cores. Additionally, networked streaming allows for better power supply and isolation design based on actual needs, further enhancing the quality of audio signals, offering numerous benefits. The Tigerfish RPI network bridge tested this time uses a relatively conventional construction of Raspberry Pi + clock board, and is a newly produced digital streaming/networked streaming device with a not-too-high price.

II. Preparation for the Evaluation

This review focuses on the LHY Audio Raspberry Pi Streaming Media Bridge RPI (referred to as LHY RPI in the following text). The testing system used is the BLOG owner's own monitoring setup, and the audio tested is 100% genuine CD rips or purchased legitimate audio. The comparison is made against the BLOG owner's main PC, with the specific configurations of both as follows. Excluding components like the CPU and GPU, the pure audio quality investment on the PC is comparable to the cost of the Tigerfish RPI (calculated to be approximately 2558 RMB, although it includes some second-hand prices, the Tigerfish RPI is also connected to the BLOG owner's roughly 2K MOD-priced switch, making the overall investment not insignificant). The PC is connected directly to the DAC via USB, while the Tigerfish RPI is connected to the same PC, wired into an isolated switch, and then connected to the DAC via USB.

	PC（CORE System）	LHY RPI
Power supply	Antec HCG650	TALEMA+3042
Filter	Jinglesi ATX Filter Kit Motherboard + CPU + GPU	EMI filter
Power cord	BlackWire Power Cord	Original power cord
CPU/GPU	7800X3D+3060TI	BCM2711
USB	Matrix ELEMENT H LHY Audio Linear Power Supply + Cadis DC Wire	Raspberry Pi 4B
Clock	CCHD-575	SC-OCXO
Software	HQPLAYER	HQPLAYER
Switch	/	NETGEAR GS105 MOD Linear Power Supply+SC-OCXO
Network cable	/	CelAudio NC100
USB cable	Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7	Wireworld Platinum Starlight 7

PC System: PC (CORE) - USB - DAC
LHY RPI System: PC (CORE) - Ethernet Cable - Switch - Ethernet Cable - LHY RPI - DAC

III. Evaluation Pieces/Scoring Method

The tracks selected are those frequently listened to by the BLOG owner, with a listening preference that is approximately 70% Japanese music and 30% large-scale orchestral works. Therefore, the selection of tracks will lean significantly towards Japanese music. The scoring criteria are derived from a simplified version of Liu Hansheng's "Twenty Essentials for Audio," with a maximum score of 10, though the highest score typically given is 9 (ultra-flagship). An 8 indicates outstanding performance in the scoring category (flagship), a 7 signifies excellent performance in this category (mid-range), a 6 means it can be normally appreciated (entry-level), a 5 indicates it can be normally listened to, and scores below 5 are not commented on. For a more detailed evaluation scheme, please refer to this link.

IV. Test begins

项目	PC（CORE System）	LHY RPI
Integrity	6.5/10	6/10
High frequency	6/10	5/10
Medium frequency	6/10	5/10
Low frequency	6.5/10	5.5/10
Analysis, separation	6.5/10	5/10
Sound field, density	6.5/10	5.5/10
Drive, dynamic	7/10	5.5/10
Total score	6.5/10	5.4/10

1、Song：Travelers' encore，Singers：Andrew Prahlow，Album：Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye

The iconic track from "Outer Wilds," composed with great skill, seamlessly integrates both sadness and hope, echoing the themes of the story. The music employs a rich variety of instruments, starting with the simplest guitar and banjo, and continuously incorporates new instruments to enrich the expression, providing us with a good opportunity to appreciate different instruments. Overall, the overall quality of the Tigerfish RPI is not high, with lower resolution and density compared to the PC CORE made by the BLOG owner. The sound is overall warm, with ordinary highs and mids, and not deep lows, but the overall sense of form is acceptable. The timbre of the instruments is not particularly outstanding, and while the string performance is overall acceptable except for some regrets in the highs, there are some piano pieces that feel a bit harsh and dull, which is indeed hard to describe.

2、Song：Unfinished，Singers：秦勇（QinYong）/Game Science/8082Audio，Album：Black Myth: Wukong OST

Before even turning on the sound, the blog owner had already prepared themselves mentally, as they knew that the density of the LHY RPI was not high, and it might struggle with the deep, rich male vocals. As expected, once the sound was on, the male vocals from the LHY RPI sounded dry and weak, lacking the necessary depth. While it wasn't unpleasant to listen to overall, it certainly didn't capture the intended mood and sorrow of the song. Upon closer listening, it became apparent that the LHY RPI lacked many of the details that should have been present, such as the roughness of a smoky voice or the trembling of the vocal line. These details, which could have deepened the resonance of the lyrics and melody and conveyed the singer's emotions, were smoothed over by the LHY RPI, resulting in a loss of authenticity. This is the kind of processing that the blog owner finds hard to accept.

V. Conclusion

Overall, the LHY RPI appears to be an entry-level product rather than a mid-range or flagship product. Its overall quality is not particularly high compared to other products in the same price range. Theoretically, as a network bridge-based network player that sacrifices the convenience of direct PC connection, it should theoretically achieve better sound quality. However, in reality, the LHY RPI does not surpass the sound quality of DIY PC COREs in the same price range. What's more, this PC CORE can even handle 3A games… which makes things quite awkward. In terms of materials, Tigerfish seems to have provided everything it could, except for the lack of USB pass-through, especially with the inclusion of an SC-OCXO clock and a CNC aluminum case, which shows a lot of sincerity. However, it's unclear whether this is due to the Raspberry Pi's limitations, issues with LHY's product design, or just a peculiarity of this particular unit. In any case, the blogger is very dissatisfied with the sound quality of this network player.