Review Volumio Rivo streaming bridge – Ultimate Upgrade Path!

USB

Performance with the USB output is clearly better than with the SPDIF output. The music sounds coherent and rhythmically correct. There is nothing that particularly stands out, so we connect the Dodo to the Rivo. In Anne Müller’s cello piece, the cello is richer sounding, the reverb increases and in dying notes you keep hearing structure in the sound from the bow stroking the strings for a very long time. The wood of the cello itself is also more audible. But above all, the serenity in the sound is immediately noticeable.

We take it a step further and connect the DLink to the Rivo. In Anne Müller’s track, the cello comes forward in the soundstage, but the sound is also rendered more 3D. The resolution takes a huge step forward. You can hear details in the onset of the bow on the strings that were not audible before.

It is not necessarily better than with the Dlink connected to the iFi power supply. When the Dodo power supply is connected to the Rivo but not to the Dlink, the listening experience is more relaxed. It is more of a stage experience: the music is at some distance and you can pinpoint exactly what sound is coming from where in the soundstage. A soundstage that is spaced out from left to right before you. When the DLink is also attached to the Dodo, that stage becomes a 3-dimensional space of sound that imposes itself a bit more on the listener. The music literally reaches out forward to your listening position.

Rivo over USB with its own power supply versus Ambre

With the Ambre we hear less depth in the soundstage with the Nits, the focus is different. Henk Hofstede’s voice is placed next to the instruments, it changes position in depth. Fay Lovsky’s backing vocals are placed next to Henk, instead of behind him as we clearly hear with the Rivo. There is more tranquility in the soundstage with the Ambre, and the bass is better defined. Less can be heard of the recording room, compared with the Rivo.

With Laura Marling, the focus in the soundstage is clearly centered in the middle with the Ambre. The lyrics are clear to follow, but do not have the same impact that the Rivo gives us.

With Rain Tree Crow, it is confirmed that the Ambre renders less acoustical information, but more detail is audible in each instrument. The bass in particular makes a big difference; it has more detail, but it is less tight. The bass hums a little more under the music and the deep sub basses are too much of a thud. On this aspect, the Rivo has more control. The high notes, as in cymbals and snare drum, are a bit sharper with the Ambre. In the high notes the Rivo passes the Ambre, even though the result of the Rivo in the high notes is not completely clean.

Anne Müller’s track confirms what we hear: compared to the Rivo, the Ambre has some sharpness in the highs, the stereo image is smaller in width and depth and much less acoustics and reverberation is audible. With the Ambre, the bass is less defined and a bit boomy. Overall, though, there is more tranquility than with the Rivo. As a result more detail is audible, such as a stroke of a bow on a cello string. When the pluses and minuses are added up, the Rivo reproduces this track better, but the Ambre wins out over the cello sound in calmness and richness of sound.

The conclusion is that the Rivo is the better streamer of the two, but not in all areas. Right out of the box, the Rivo has a larger soundstage, with more depth and aftertone. You can hear the recording space, information that is missing from the Ambre. The reproduction of the bass is considerably better with the Rivo and the highs are a bit less bright. The Ambre has more tranquility in the sound though and renders more detail, which is the result of the much better power supply in the Ambre. The standard supplied power supply leaves Rivo’s capacity unused, which is a shame. Replace the power supply with a better one and the Rivo steps up in all areas.

Rivo over USB with Dodo power supply versus Ambre

We reconnect the Dodo power supply to both the Dlink and the Rivo. The difference using the Dodo as a power supply versus using the included power supply is significant. In “Nescio” by the Nits, it is as if a veil is drawn from the music. The bass becomes defined and tighter, the piano sounds even richer. The transient response gets much better. It feels less quiet, but that’s because you are closer to and in the music. It is quite difficult to evade the music coming to you.

The difference with Laura Marling’s track is that you are no longer listening to a recording, but rather the singer pouring out her heartbreak in front of you. The lyrics have the impact of a sledgehammer blow.

Rain Tree Crow is a track where transients demand much attention and it gets very busy with many built up layers of sound. With the Dodo, the spaciousness is great, the layering in the music is maintained through the track. There is not a moment where you get the feeling that the DAC is struggling with anything.

The Rivo attached to the Dodo plays much better than the Ambre, mainly because the music experience is on a different level. The cost of this combination is twice the price of the Ambre, but the result is more than double.