Volumio Primo & Rivo – Good Sound marred by buggy Volumio software program

What are they?

Volumio Primo & Rivo Review: Volumio hail from Italy and began creating streaming software program for Raspberry Pi based mostly streamers as a pastime and have comparatively not too long ago been promoting their streamer choices.

Volumio’s remote-less Primo and Rivo are DAC and transport-based streamers which retail for £679, €799 and $849 for the Primo, and £849, €989, $1049 for the Rivo, which in Italian means stream. These aren’t advisable retail costs the model has given me however these which I’ve discovered on-line. These models present helpful comparisons as transports as a result of they each have digital outputs.

The DAC in
the Primo is an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M which outputs as much as 192/24 PCM from its
analogue outputs and coax digital output, and as much as 768khz PCM 32-bit from the
USB audio output. Maximum pattern charges output from the Rivo are the identical over
USB too.

The Primo is in its second iteration and has XLR balanced and RCA single ended analogue outputs in addition to digital outputs (Coax and USB). On the opposite hand Rivo has the identical analogue outputs however moreover an AES-EBU digital out to be used with XLR cables and connections.

Volumio Primo & Rivo Review – Primo rear connections

The entrance panels of each streamers are wood-effect plastic to permit the Wi-Fi alerts in, which might in any other case not be potential with each models, comparable high quality, steel circumstances. This wooden impact does connote one thing totally different and to this extent I just like the design. Attention to element in construct high quality is OK, if not wonderful. The circumstances are properly made however you discover variations within the gaps within the entrance plastic panels and the case, between the highest and sides. Whether meant or not, I’d say Primo feels it’s constructed proper for worth however personally I couldn’t assist wanting extra for the pricier Rivo variant, given it’s close to to the £1000 worth level and contemplating what streamers like Eversolo’s DMP-A6 will get you with a completely machined / slabbed case. The machined Eversolo feels extra luxurious to the Volumio’s one piece industrial aluminium moulded case too.

These streamers use Volumio 3 which is accessible through an iOS or Android app or browser interface of a Mac or Windows PC. Version 3 is extra characteristic laden than the outdated model 2 and in some respects, it might be perceived to be a less expensive challenger to Roon in some circles. More on comparable options in a minute, however should you purchase both the Primo or Rivo you get the premium Volumio software program model free. Cost for loading the complete premium model onto a Pi based mostly streamer, for which Volumio was initially developed, as a result of the Software got here earlier than Volumio streamers I perceive, will set you again €5.85 a month or €70, $80 or £60 in a single upfront cost for the 12 months. These costs give an concept of the value of the premium model in shopping for the Primo or Rivo.

Both have an HDMI output to reflect the Volumio interface on a bigger display. I by no means obtained round to making an attempt this and, in any occasion, it isn’t a characteristic I’d use, however I do understand the characteristic is a feather within the cap of those streamers, significantly because it outputs to a 4K / 60 frames per second commonplace, and many individuals do now use TVs between HelloFi audio system and need a greater visible illustration of music being performed. Of course, a hard and fast ethernet connection is feasible with the rear RJ45 connections on each streamers.

The Rivo has 3 USB A connections – one is a USB 3.0 for high-speed drives for connection of SSDs and CD drives. Another USB 2.0 is for connection of keyboards, different thumb drives, and mice and keyboards for interacting with Volumio. Finally, a USB 2.0 drive, serving as a low noise filtered kind, for connection to a DAC. The Primo doesn’t have such a connection however its two USB drives serve the aim of connecting to a DAC and high-speed drives within the case of USB 3.0 and different peripheral connections for USB 2.0.

Volumio Primo & Rivo Review – Volumio interface

If you do join a CD drive, as is proven in a video on Volumio’s YouTube channel, then deciding on the CD icon from the primary record of sources enables you to rip or play CD’s. Because you possibly can hyperlink Volumio units – you can ship music over the community to every participant concurrently, very similar to you possibly can with the analogue inputs of Bluesound or WiiM Streamers. In-built music recognition software program inside this CD performance in Volumio permits recognition of tracks and I consider that you may, though once more I didn’t attempt, retailer these to both the interior reminiscence or USB storage drives. Both the Primo and Rivo have an Armlogic Quadcore CPU working at 1.9GHz and 2GB of RAM for processing, however the RAM clearly permits some music storage. You can develop the interior reminiscence by use of rear panel Micro SD playing cards and since you should purchase playing cards with 1TB, and even 2TB reminiscence, it in idea offers these streamers server functionality. That mentioned I’d premise this by saying I didn’t get to the stage of making an attempt or ascertaining, if for pragmatic functions this could be a dependable or quick technique to incorporate such server use. Judging by the perfomance of the software program, as I’ll come onto, that is maybe of moot problem.

The entrance
orange button acts to show the unit on with a crimson LED denoting stand-by standing,
inexperienced for booting up and blue for lively/prepared.

The guide is just not massively properly written – why not describe what drives the ripped music information could be saved too so individuals know the complete specs of the unit? How about storing to community drives too? Also, it states you possibly can entry Volumio’s net browser interface with Mac’s and PC’s by typing in http://volumio.native, nonetheless this didn’t work – it’s truly http://primo.native within the case of the Primo. This isn’t a biggie for me as I’d know to kind within the IP handle of the unit, seen in Volumio’s community settings, however for streaming novices it’s precisely the kind of factor that would begin to infuriate and separates a properly thought out simple to make use of product, from a trickier one. Particularly as it’s considered one of numerous points that I may select this fashion. Volumio should certainly put themselves within the place of novices and consultants alike.

Volumio can deal with DLNA music shares and drives for entry to native music on Network Attached Music Drives, plus Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify and HiResAudio Services are constructed into and built-in into the Volumio app and Operating System. Spotify is exclusive on this sense as often the Spotify OS has to work in Spotify join configuration – i.e. utilizing the Spotify App to seek out your unit and playback from the Spotify App. In Volumio 3 you possibly can browse Spotify tracks domestically as soon as you put in the Spotify plug-in. Volumio is Airplay succesful through an inbuilt plug-in throughout the Volumio OS known as Shairport. Obviously this might be used for the AirPlay taking part in of music inside apps like Apple Music. The lack of means to play streams in a bit excellent vogue for such music streaming providers is a draw back of Volumio being that Apple Music is just not constructed into the Volumio OS (on the time of this evaluate). The identical, it seems from perusing the app plug-ins obtainable for Amazon Music too. There are further plug-ins for YouTube Music, Soundcloud and Radio Paradise as different generally used music providers. The Internet radio plug-in constructed into Volumio is I consider TuneIn radio and there’s Google Chromecasting assist too.

Two
options in Volumio 3 and obtainable for the premium model, stand out. One is
known as ‘Infinity Playback’, which is akin to ‘Roon Radio’ in Roon. Essentially
just like the in-built AI of the Tidal app too, the place in case your music que ends,
the app begins selecting music for you and including tracks to your playlist. I’m
unsure if Volumio works off of each DLNA music and your streaming
providers to make such choices. Roon does…. But the primary time I turned it on
and had completed my playback que, it wouldn’t load new tracks into the que –
music simply stopped even with the characteristic turned on. After that, use was extra
dependable. I’d say that such playback in Tidal and Roon, that I exploit, is extra
intuitive at discovering distinctive and quirky music, with out bugs too.

Volumio Primo & Rivo Review – Primo entrance panel

Another helpful characteristic is Volumio’s ‘Supersearch’ which lets you kind in a search time period for music akin to ‘Italian funk’ or ‘Chill out electronica’, for Volumio to record a collection of such music. I discovered it not as helpful as infinity playback – there’s a restrict to how AI could be pleasing to human style in spite of everything and naturally it depends on correct meta-tagging from all sources.

Volumio is able to Room EQ utilizing a plug-in known as ‘FusionDsp’ which is searchable from the plug-in part of Volumio’s major hamburger icon. Volumio apparently permits entry to permitted or licensed plug-ins which suggests that not only one kind of DSP plug-in is or might be, probably obtainable. Upgradeability is an effective factor, however this all mentioned I didn’t go trying to discover out alternates since FusionDsp appears to do what I wanted for evaluate testing functions… from a Parametric EQ setting and numerous selectable graphic equaliser varieties of various numbers of bands. I did discover once you allow it, it appears to upset reliability of the Rivo and Primo being chosen as Roon Ready end-points in Roon – maybe no problem to some…simply disable it as Roon has its personal EQ anyway.

Sound
Comparisons

Sound Quality of those Volumio Streamers is usually above par in opposition to the competitors. For occasion the Primo sounds higher than a £550 Bluesound Node 2021, premised with the actual fact after all these adjustments will at all times be slight. It ought to sound higher because it prices £130 extra although! Midrange pops in opposition to the Node, there’s a nicer outlined bass and perception into soundstage improves. Conceivably this might be a operate of the XLR inputs into my Hegel H390 however that’s maybe educational as you generally get this enchancment with balanced connections, which include pricier gear, so it’s a feather within the Volumio’s cap that it has these outputs at this barely greater worth and the Node doesn’t.

Against the Eversolo DMP-A6 the treble and midrange is extra effusive, transient dynamics enhance and feminine vocal tracks, or any vocals for that matter, are extra open within the Primo’s favour – with the Eversolo the vocal is just not projected as ahead within the soundstage. With the Primo the vocal is extra multi stranded – harmonics of the voice conveys extra layers – just a little sibilance, breathiness and the tone, in contrast comparatively to the extra one layered strategy of the Eversolo. There is extra treble with the Eversolo within the higher registers too. Again I’d give it to the Primo.

I felt the digital USB out of the Node and Primo is just about of the identical high quality in sonic phrases. As regards to the take a look at of why you would possibly purchase the Rivo on transport duties – is the Rivo’s greatest USB noise filtered output the improver over the Primo’s much less properly specced USB out? The reply is sure. There is a little more immediacy and nuance and subtlety with the Rivo than the Primo, staging is best, a cleaner general sound. It is sort of apparent after a while that the Rivo as a transport performs higher than the Primo, but it surely isn’t big.

I in contrast the Rivo, Node 2021 and Eversolo DMP-A6 as transports into an Aune S9c DAC with paired Aune SC1 Clock, throughout digital USB connections. The different digital outputs of those streamers as transports are a lot of a muchness. However these variations with USB connection had been too, a lot nearer than the DAC comparisons earlier than. Against the Node I felt the Rivo has extra dynamic heft in transients, extra pleasing decay and sound is a bit more separated and organised, and resolving too.

I felt the DMP-A6 has just a little additional mid bass heat than the Rivo. It’s very very shut. The Eversolo initiatives a barely deeper soundstage and stronger muscular bass to the Rivo’s wider soundstage. It’s a cleaner airier sound with the Rivo and the distinction right here is nearer than the Rivo Vs Node. I barely most popular the Eversolo as I felt the sound is a bit more balanced and with that pretty bass too and never fairly as edgy and ethereal with treble because the Rivo, however equally as pleasing sound in most different sonic areas. This is in distinction to a evaluate I watched by iiWi opinions who takes the other view which struck me as odd as as to whether he had put within the listening time. Put it this fashion, and in credit score to him, as a result of we’re speaking small fry, presumably opinions may go both manner.

Keen although to see if I agreed with iiWi
opinions near to including a Allo Shanti Linear PSU ($160) to bettering the
sound of the Rivo, and having such a PSU myself, I do agree along with his
opinions…The Rivo comes alive with digital music, and the ethereal edginess of
some feminine vocalists is extra pure than when not utilizing the Shanti. Switching
again to the Eversolo the treble is just not fairly as balanced and the sound is a
little much less centered at you.

The
Bugs

The downside with these streamers is the software program may be very buggy, a problem considered one of my Patreon’s was discovering too, which is ironic when they’re based mostly round Volumio and Volumio maintain themselves out as a streaming software program firm. Initially I didn’t undergo any points however it is just once I began to delve into options in a extra concerned manner did I face issues. This is a rarity of most streamers I evaluate. I run my system off a Netgear WiFi extender which communicates with my major BT router over WiFi after which I exploit a community change related to one of many extenders LAN Ethernet ports. The Primo and Rivo had been plugged into the change. I additionally configured the streamers off my major router in one other room the place my major PC is routed to a FiiO R7 streaming pre amp and SP3 lively audio system. I agreed with Volumio assist I’d do this alternate community, however comparable points arose.

Initially issues included not discovering the Rivo and Primo over the community, not permitting you to kind in passwords within the Volumio interface. Both Streamers would hold dropping out as Roon gamers. There had been problems with the album art work glitching as soon as throughout an replace. Also the gamers not discovering any wired community sign requiring turning off and re-booting. Use in switching between one supply – say deciding on music utilizing the Roon app after which deciding on DLNA music through the Volumio app, was not seamless. Often making choices in a single app would result in no playback change. It would generally take 7-8 seconds to refresh album art work in such circumstances the place such cross-app choices did work. There are additionally bugs within the textual content of the app I observed with textual content generally overwritten over different textual content. Additionally urgent play and pause buttons within the software program which don’t reply. I used to be utilizing an iPad and Volumio advised me that these points are identified to exist with Apple units which dramatically reduces their enchantment. I by no means examined Volumio with Android so conceivably use might be way more dependable there. In the fullness of time I’ll attempt.

The system turns into significantly unstable once you use the DSP and Spotify plugins. Galling when utilizing Spotify in Volumio to change audio with DSP, in addition to doing the identical with Volumio in-built Tidal playback, as a result of this characteristic has been a giant promoting level of utilizing these streamers (Darko Website). Using Spotify join didn’t work and generally I skilled audio stuttering taking part in over AirPlay, very similar to with the ifi Zen Stream which is seemingly constructed across the identical Volumio platform and makes use of Khadas inner parts. I did search Volumio’s assist however they had been reasonably non-committal and resigned in how they might resolve all issues being that they weren’t that pro-active and I felt the problems had been too quite a few and widespread to be resolvable. That they had been the norm too in step with their feedback about utilizing Apple units.

The issues weren’t confined to my very own HelloFi community utilizing the extender however in use related instantly with my major router too. In this regard I examined the models on two networks.

I additionally consulted others who’ve comparable points. The reality considered one of my Patreon’s had simply purchased a Volumio streamer, was the primary individual I made enquiries with, and was having the identical points, mentioned all of it to the chance of buggy Volumio software program being widespread! Also confirmed in chatting to others. I’m certain if you’re utilizing few sources and you retain Volumio app use to a minimal, you may need a great expertise however doing so makes the merchandise dearer. The ‘infinity playback’ and ‘supersearch’ options are good, however a giant cause to purchase these streamers is Volumio app options and plug-ins and should you don’t get all these self-professed marketed options in dependable use, you then miss out on a big a part of why you purchase a Volumio streamer within the first place – the software program. It’s as if this streaming platform is regularly in beta testing when the software program is ‘reside’, and that you simply very recurrently don’t know the way the software program is behaving when it comes to connecting to the community and making music choices. I used to be, to be blunt, loosing the desire after every week of making an attempt to get it to all work correctly.

Quite presumably the sheer variety of updates Volumio have accomplished to model 3 – 616 by the final replace model I put in to each streamers, tells a narrative as to the general reliability of this platform. It is unquestionably not a Roon, not a BluOs, nor does it work as seamlessly as Sonos or WiiM software program. These are all Turnkey streaming options which is what we anticipate…. Volumio in distinction requires an understanding of what’s taking place after which a modification in behaviour of use, piggybacking one other app on prime maybe (I observed that Volumio refer individuals to utilizing different apps), or some request to Volumio possibly for yet one more bug replace. I don’t have the endurance or time!….Its use goes to be advocated I’d anticipate by those that don’t thoughts identical, mirroring their feedback on-line that Rivo/Primo are good merchandise, or as per my aforementioned level are utilizing its app options sparingly….however I’d reiterate that defeats a big a part of shopping for. Software of which is so featured packed they appear to have aimed it at difficult Roon. But it doesn’t get shut in dependable use. In reality it was solely the actual fact the iFi Zen Streams downside is especially sound drop outs (stuttering), and many them, that made it the extra annoying product. I very doubtless consider the reliability of this platform or software program kernels used, is why I’m having comparable points once more.

The
Verdict

It’s all reasonably regrettable that these streamers do sound actually good and are decently, if not amazingly, constructed. The Primo particularly has a worth that matches its sound high quality, should you had been simply to think about sound alone, and is a small enchancment in opposition to the Bluesound Node. But when let down by the software program and bombproof use of BluOs software program on Bluesound, the Primo is nowhere close to the worth (or ease of use) proposition of the Node 2021 and is uncompetitive. You’d simply put up with the small change in sound for the decrease priced Node if utilizing the analogue outputs and if utilizing the Node as a Transport then apart from favouring some smallish choosy use advantages within the Primo, the Node is the equal sounding with manner nicer software program.

Volumio Primo & Rivo Review – Rivo & Primo

It’s the identical for the Rivo when you think about it’s after all marred by the Volumio software program too. The cause for getting the Rivo for sound high quality, if in any respect, is the upper pattern price USB output, however the identical output of the Eversolo DMP-A6 sounds barely higher and the Eversolo prices much less. Also the DMP-A6 has higher construct high quality and extra options like using the Android interface for bit excellent streams of Apple Music for instance, the stunning show, full server design functionality, and glitch much less app use. To boot Rivo is almost £100 dearer and also you’d must spend extra on the facility provide to enhance its sound past the Eversolo. Why would you do this when the DMP-A6 is so good? Conceivably the Rivo might be of worth with a great PSU, in a sound high quality sense, whether it is in comparison with some very costly digital transports that generally sound no higher than these half the worth, however then the Eversolo DMP-A6 nonetheless will get in the way in which. The Lumin U2 mini on all accounts, or the unique Auralic Aries G1 I reviewed (admittedly now an outdated mannequin) are very expensive transports outdone by cheaper competitors.

It has left me scratching my head as to why different opinions have praised them – the Rivo obtained an EISA award??? Although I suspect cash talks with that outfit. If cash is much less of a priority (however sound high quality is what you need) and also you want to play the models again by extra dependable software program like Roon, then I can see how the Primo might be a alternative over the Node. However if you’re contemplating them as a primary foray into streaming and wish to use the software program, or are contemplating a change to Volumio which motivates you, or only a new streamer to make use of the inbuilt software program, then I can’t suggest them in any respect. As they at present stand I personally wouldn’t purchase both – the Node is so shut utilizing its DAC and the identical as a transport to the Primo and I felt the Eversolo sounds just like the Rivo as a transport for much less cash and with higher construct high quality, options and presents a significantly better manner of integrating together with your music. There is a mess of turnkey streamers in the marketplace that may do the job higher and infuriate you a lot lower than the Volumio software program. Notably the DMP-A6 app integration, nonetheless one other which springs to thoughts is the Primare NP5 mk2 (now left me to check and I can’t recall its sound), which gave me the same impression of nice sound to the Node however which simply works higher than the Volumio streamers too. Maybe one thing like the brand new Cambridge Audio CXN100, which replaces the outdated CXN V2, may need it over the Rivo too. Watch this area.