Verdict
develop an audio scheme you like , one with digital inputs but no stream platform ? assistance is at hand in the shape of the Volumio Rivo Plus . It ’s far from your average piece of audio equipment , and it ’s sound to be of relatively limited collection – but for those to whom it does appeal , it will do so mightily . disgrace about the style it ’s put together , though …
Pros
Cons
Introduction
Volumio look to be establishing a nice fiddling recess for itself . The Italian brand has developed a number of stocky solutions to your digital audio needs , create an osmium that ’s useful for newbies and experts likewise , and has even made its software free to those who want to Raspberry Pi their way to audio nirvana . And so far , it all seems to be going smoothly .
You wo n’t be stagger to learn that this Rivo Plus is a refinement of and an rise on theRivo medicine well out transportEd Selley reviewed on this site towards the destruction of last year . He visit it “ a very cunning product indeed ” – so what is the ‘ summation ’ treatment , and how has Volumio justified the increase in the asking price ?
Design
Like all Volumio products , the Rivo Plus is of very handy dimensions . At just 50 x 270 x 150 mm ( HWD ) it ’s not much more than half as wide as a veritable piece of audio equipment , and given that it has no remote control you do n’t even need to have melodic line of sight .
So it can be place fairly much anywhere you like , as long as it has access to mains baron and is close enough to the sleep of your system to be wire to it .
Not only is there no remote control , the forcible controls begin and end with the on / off button that ’s front and centre on the otherwise - featureless fascia . Everything that happens with the Rivo Plus happens via the Volumio app that ’s loose for Io and Android . So it ’s just as well that the app itself proves to be unchanging and elementary to navigate , as well as incorporating a very great deal of functionality .
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Of especial note are the multi - room readiness ( available in co-occurrence with other Volumio ‘ Stations of the Cross ’ in your home ) and the AI - powered ‘ supersearch ’ function that seeks to optimise your music discovery based on your hearing habits . Volumio ’s computer software has become established as a very credible full point of difference , and the ascendency app makes it easy to exploit it .
Rather than being in any way uncollectible or even deficient , the quality of build and finish that ’s on pass here is just , well , rather foreign . The joints in the folded metal casework are obvious and relatively big , which makes the Rivo Plus seem a bit like some shtup might necessitate tightening .
And the fascia panel itself is n’t flush to the casework – put yourself correctly and you could look right through your Rivo Plus . The net issue is a product that does n’t so much see modular as a bit slipshod . It follow that its perceive value is n’t as high as its actual request monetary value .
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Specification
Anyone who ’s familiar with the Volumio Rivo might , at a glance , don the feature of speech - set is identical . It ’s not , although it ’s very similar – the differences , though , are fair significant .
Like its more low-priced sib , the Rivo Plus use threefold - set Wi - Fi andBluetooth 5.0for wireless connectivity . It ’s the physical outputs that have taken a step or two forwards .
The major rising slope are a dedicated ASIC ( program - specific integrated electrical circuit ) to allow for cleaner output from the S / PDIF and AES - EBU outputs than having the CPU take charge of the job can provide , and promote MEMS ( micro - electro - mechanically skillful scheme ) clocks to power the ASIC and provide a miserable - jitter timing reference . There ’s a 12V induction to superpower attached components on or off , and I²S - over - HDMI connectivity for usance with appropriate digital - to - analogue convertor .
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Otherwise it ’s Rivo business as usual – which is a skillful thing . There are a duet of USB - A slots for attaching material like gamey - amphetamine solid res publica or atomic number 48 driving force , and a USB DAC output ( 32bit/768kHz and DSD256 ) for connection to aDAC . An Ethernet socket offers rock - solid connection connectivity .
There ’s a microSD identity card slot to permit expansion of the Volumio ’s memory and to store digital audio files locally . There ’s a regular HDMI output for connection to a monitor , if you ’d like to display the drug user interface that way , and the I²S / DSD - over - HDMI socket ( 32 - bit/768kHz and DSD256 ) – its pinout is configurable to match that of the DAC it ’s connected to .
The AES - EBU and S / DIF sockets ( both 24 - bit/192kHz and DSD64 ) discharge the audio outputs , leave just the 12V initiation socket and an input for mains great power .
Spotify and Tidal reader have the ‘ Connect ’ versions of their services uncommitted . The Rivo Plus is compatible with Indian file formats admit AAC , ALAC , DSD , FLAC , MP3 , Vorbis and WAV . It supportsQobuz , andAirplayvia Shairport Sync . cud - inch for Fusion DSP , Mixcloud , Pandora , Radio Paradise , SoundCloud , Squeezelite and YouTube , among others , are available .
And the Rivo Plus can be a Roon endpoint via Roon software ( as long as you ’re happy to cover Roon ’s subscription monetary value , that is ) .
So yes , for a product that ’s just a digital audio transport and has no decipher onboard , it ’s certainly pretty adaptable and well - specify .
Performance
You make out what your audio system sounds like , correct ? Well , the good news here – and itisgood newsworthiness – is that the Volumio Rivo Plus does n’t stick its oar in where that sound is concerned in any observable way .
All it does ( and all is to understate thing somewhat , I appreciate ) is to bring high - timbre , stable and dependable streaming smarting to those scheme that currently do n’t have it . Or , in the case of those systems with less - than - telling streaming capabilities , offer a worthwhile improvement .
No matter where you get at your digital audio frequency subject matter from – and during this test I mostly used 24 - bit/192kHz PCM and DSD64 salt away on a microSD card and variously sized stuff via Tidal Connect – the Rivo Plus passes it on to your decoding without any audible debasement .
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In fact , when doing a like - for - like equivalence using a 24bit/96kHz FLAC single file of Frogs by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds , the commodiousness and three - dimensionality of the intro is just a little more evident when it ’s come from the Volumio .
With the Rivo Plus tie via its S / PDIF output to aNaim Uniti Star(which is then decipher and amplifying ) or connect to aniFi iDSD Diablo 2DAC via its USB - A yield ( with the iFi then decrypt before sending an analog signal to the Naim ) , the outcome are a mite more satisfying than using the Naim to reach the tune via Tidal Connect . And they ’re incontrovertibly better than link up an Apple MacBook Pro ( with Colibri software running ) to the iFi and listening that way .
So while the Rivo Plus is undeniably a recession product , it ’s an effective one . If your amplifier has a DAC but no pelt platform , here ’s a very capable front end just look to be plugged in .
Should you buy it?
Or even if it does … because where pure performance is concerned , the Volumio will put the frighteners on streaming choice costing plenty more than this
Why does n’t the facia entirely fit out the front of the casework ?
Final Thoughts
Turning a standalone DAC or a system with digital inputs but no streaming platform into a streamer is n’t ever going to be a mainstream concern – but for those audio enthusiasts who operate outside the mainstream , the Volumio Rivo Pus is a moderately compelling option . A slightly carelessly build option , I ’ll grant you , but an choice notwithstanding .
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How we test
I link up the Volumio Rivo Plus to a Naim Uniti Star using its S / PDIF output in order for the Naim to act as DAC and amplification , with audio recording issue via USB - A , microSD visiting card , and the Qobuz and TIDAL euphony streaming services .
It was also connected to an iFi iDSD Diablo DAC using a USB - A / USB - C connection , with the iFi connected to the Naim ( just acting as elaboration in this illustration ) via analog 3.5 mm / stereo RCA . Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 theme song were the loudspeakers .
medicine was of many different style , several different file cabinet format and a fair few resolutions , from 320kbps MP3 to DSD64 and 24bot/192kHz FLAC . On and off , I listened to the Rivo Plus for more than a working week .
FAQs
Not right now – the only finish currently available is the one you see here .
There ’s just the Volumio app – so it ’s a good occupation it ’s very decent . Apart from the power on / off button , everything is app - based
Full Specs
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