Streaming music is part of our daily life. A helpful filter that can untangle the debris of so much noise. I use a Digital Audio Player (DAP), the iBasso DX180; this small component is a cool toy. I can spend hours searching for music that can parallel my mood, in my office, coffee shop or walking—portability is its purpose. However, like countless others, I stream from my main audio setup, whether in our living room or desktop. The tone and outcome of the musical experience change dramatically when you have speakers in a room and not just headphones.

When complete immersion into music and audio is the goal, a favourite word for audiophiles comes to mind: separates. So, if you have an integrated amp with all the fixings (DAC, Preamp, Streamer), yes you’re set. But this is audio, friends, you pay-to-play, where the fun begins. If you dare to change your “audio game” and seek a sound tonality that fits your need for audiophilia, you will probably have separate audio components. This is a review of a separate component: the Rivo+ Transport Streamer (USD 1399) from Volumio. And just a quick reminder the Rivo+ is a streamer/transport, which means you need a DAC.

The streamer is coming to the fore. Their market keeps developing and it doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon. Where DACs already have a steady market stream (which is the meaning of Rivo in Italian) with audiophiles, streamers are beginning to have their place at the audiophile table. There’s a lot of tech stuff to comment on in this review, and I’ll try to keep it to a minimum, I know I’ll fail miserably at this, but I’ll try to leave the sound performance and connectivity of the Rivo+ as my main goal.

Specifications

Digital Coaxial S/PDIF: Audio Output, up to PCM 192kHz/24bit and DSD64 via DoP

Digital AES/EBU: Audio Output, up to PCM 192kHz/24bit and DSD64 via DoP

Digital I2S over HDMI Output: Audio Output, up to PCM 768kHz/32bit and DSD256

USB Output: Audio Output, up to PCM 768kHz/32bit and DSD256 (via USB DAC)

USB DAC Port: 1x USB 2.0

USB: 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0

LAN: Gigabit 10/100/1000M

Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2X2 MIMO with RSDB

Bluetooth: 5.0

Supported Formats: DSD, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, Vorbis, Mp3 and others.

UPNP DLNA: Renderer with Open Home support.

Supported Services: Airplay via Shairport Sync, Spotify & Spotify Connect, TIDAL & TIDAL Connect, QOBUZ.

Available Plugins: Youtube, Squeezelite, Radio Paradise, Podcasts, Pandora, Fusion DSP, Roon Bridge, Soundcloud, Mixcloud.

CPU: Amlogic S905D3, Quad Core 1.9 GHz

RAM: 2 GB DDR4

Internal Storage: 16 GB EMMC

Power Supply: 5V, 3A

Volumio

Volumio is an open-source Italian software company that started back in 2015. Their OS is a favourite of the DIY enthusiasts who like Raspberry Pi and PC formats. Volumio can be downloaded for free or with a premium subscription. Volumio has been hard at work in the streaming game, they have several options from which to choose.

Volumio first came out with the Primo, a streamer and DAC, then the Integro, a cool looking Class-D amplifier that even has a headphone jack and HDMI, followed by the first-generation Rivo, and their flagship, the Motivo a touch-screen streamer transport and headphone amp (hopefully Audiophilia will get a chance to review it soon) and now, the Rivo+.

So what’s new in this Rivo+ Streamer?

Volumio comments on their upgraded tech: MEMs clocks (Microelectromechanical system oscillators) in the USB hub and enhanced reclocking and signal integrity at the USB-DAC port for jitter stability. Also, upgrades for the S/PDIF, and AES-EBU outputs (in the form of ASIC-Application Specific Integrated Circuits) for a cleaner/pure sound, better temperature regulation, and a 12V trigger. However, perhaps the most important addition is their I2S/DSD connectivity (over HDMI interface). High-resolution files from 32-bit/768kHz, as well as DSD256. The Rivo+ being UPnP/DLNA (allows your devices to communicate/connect in your network) can have access to your stored music through the Volumio app. Built-in antennas for Bluetooth wireless connectivity also reveal the flexibility of the hardware.

Design

It’s a nice design, clean, and minimalist, with a small, horizontal aluminum chassis. It reminds me of a book set on its side. It’s simple and not flashy, it feels (and looks) well-built, with an aluminum frame and no display (this might be a turn-off for some). There’s a square-shaped button in the middle, with a red dot that’s always on, even when turned off (the only thing I disliked in the design, actually), and that’s it. The main goal for Volumio was functionality and clarity in sound, and this they did superbly.

In the back you have Ethernet (my main connection; I connected it through an iFi LAN signal noise filter ethernet isolator for a cleaner connection). Also, USB, Micro SD (to expand internal storage), USB-C, and HDMI (if you want to display the Rivo+ on your TV). For your DAC there’s a Coax, USB, AES/EBU and hold your applause, an I2S/HDMI connection. So, a lot of connectivity from which to choose. I used the I2S almost exclusively (with the Coax as my other output to connect another DAC).

Finally the the trigger out and the 5V power supply. A quick note here on the power supply, Volumio just came out with the Lineo5 power supply (€349,00) and I wish I had used it with the Rivo+. In researching the Lineo5, I’ve seen reviewers raving about it, but alas, I only tried it with the factory-sent power supply, which held its own.

App and Functionality

My main complaint is not with the hardware of this great product but with the Volumio app. The user interface is fine, it’s not Roon, but I liked its easy access to my files and Tidal Connect, Apple Music, and Qobuz which were my main streaming services. However, the app kept lagging in the beginning days of my using it. I went online and researched this issue, it seems others had a similar experience. I did not know their OS, yes, I am an Apple person (sorry, not sorry) and it sure sounds like there’s a lot to enjoy with the Volumio-Raspberry Pi DIY game. But as far as getting the Volumio app to work, that wasn’t happening the first days. Some bugs and glitches kept occurring, and it would crash, sometimes I had to try to start it several times until I got it to work; it was slow at the beginning but I got the hang of it after a couple of weeks. Maybe there was a firmware update that happened, I am not sure, but in the end, I was fine with the Volumio OS and its user interface. Volumio has done a great job with the easy-to-access files and being Roon-ready was a wonderful thing to have.

The app is pretty cool once you get it to function properly, I ran a memory card with some CDs on it, had no issues, made playlists, listened to several services, and used the Volumio AI tool, which gives an in-depth search to the app. However, I decided to do most of my listening with the Roon app. And you know what? I had the best time streaming with the Rivo+ and my Roon setup. Truly felt like a kid in a candy-store vibes. So I’d say if you have Roon, the experience flows, and the sound, well, that is where the magic happens.

Sound

There’s nothing I enjoy more than playing with different gear, and you can have a lot of fun mixing and matching and trying combinations to better suit the sound you like the most. My main listening setup was two DACs: the StellarGold DAC from PS Audio (review forthcoming) and the Geshelli Dayzee DAC (with the Sparkos Op-amps). Two sets of speakers: The Galion Voyager TL speakers (review forthcoming) and the Alyssa speakers (Alta Audio). And two amps: The PS Audio Stellar Strata integrated amp and the Margules I-240 Tube Amplifier. For months, this gear was the chain I was working with, and the Rivo+ did not disappoint.

The best way to describe this streamer is its natural tone. Yes, a streamer has a signature sound. How can I know the Rivo+ sound? Well, with an A-B comparison. I compared the Rivo+ to the PS Audio AirLens , and the WiiM Ultra (at the lower end of the cost-ladder). All three sounded different.

The DAC comparison helped me get to know the Rivo+ signature sound. The Geshelli Dayzee and the PS Audio StellarGold are fantastic DACs, each has its signature as well, and paired with the Rivo+ just blew me away. So my findings were interesting: the AirLens streamer, has a more silky tonality, that is, a more imposing sound, a fuller-neutral signature with the StellarGold DAC. The Rivo+ on the other hand has a natural just easy to listen to signature. However, the Rivo+ coupled with the Geshelli Dayzee DAC, was another story, it had a monster sound, heavier, no finesse, but a flowing, smooth, and unconfined sound. Imaging was better with the Rivo+ and the StellarGold DAC, but the soundstage was an even battle.

Some albums surpassed my expectations while listening through this streamer, Alicia Sara Ott’s Echoes Of Life piano playing sounded full of life, like Chopin through a lens, each note filled with warmth. Gary Peacock and Bill Frisell's newest venture Home On The Range was similarly well received, the playing of these two masters lifts the musical experience to a self-reflective space, just wonderful. The Rivo+ gave me an enjoyment with streaming that was very new, a kind of reconnection. You may think that the DAC does most of the work, and you may be correct, but the idea is that the streamer’s signal for noise reduction needs to be spot-on as well. The Rivo+ gave a needed boost to the experience of the whole.

Conclusion

If you want to have a pure sound, no colouring to the music, no EQ, just a natural flowing wave, then get this streamer. Yes, it’s USD 1399, and has no DAC, but I can assure you that your experience of streaming will improve significantly. I had no issues with this hardware (save for that red light that doesn’t turn off). If you use Roon, there’s nothing under two thousand that will beat this streamer. As I mentioned, I compared it to the AirLens from PS Audio, and the difference is there, but at double the price. I would say that the results have a lot to do with the DAC used.

I tried the Rivo+ with other DACs that are under $500, and, well, you get the experience you paid for. Yes, the streamer flowed, but the complete audio chain is the most salient structure for the desired sound. The StellarGold is an amazing DAC; you should save up and get it for your birthday or something. The Rivo+ is a set-it-and-forget-it device that sounds great and has excellent functionality. Highly recommended.

Further information: Volumio