Roon

[gld3gld3]

Jul 20, 2018 5:19:11 GMT -5 audiobill said:

I'm still not getting Roon...

Seriously, If you don't subscribe to "hi-res" (rates over 16/44), and your listening is 99.5% Tidal hifi (16/44) or Tidal MQA, is there any point to Roon?

Or is it mostly about integration of your own collection with Tidal?

Thanks,

I am one of those that listens to Tidal HiFi 99% of the time and I still see value in Roon. One thing that Room does for me is it allows me to use my phone as a remote to control playback and brows the catalogue. I know there are plenty of other software packages out there that do this, but only some that integrate Tidal and few that match Roon in terms of usability and functionality. Previously I had used BubbleUPNP and Volumio. Both worked, but not as consistently as Roon. I think RAAT just works better for my use case than UPNP/DLNA. Another thing Roon does now is unfold MQA (first unfold), but honestly I don't really care much about that (some might see that as a plus for Roon though). Honestly, if I just played back music directly from a laptop that was permanently connected to my system then u wouldn't bother with Roon. But Roon allows me to control a dedicated music server from my phone, meaning I don't have to physically touch my PC at all and I can send music to other endpoints around the house, all from my phone...cool stuff!

[audiobill]

Thanks. Just fyi, if an Apple user, the Airserver app allows an iPhone or ipad to act as a remote over an imac or mac mini, and use Tidal as you describe.

Bill

[novisnick]

Jul 20, 2018 10:13:53 GMT -5 audiobill said:

Thanks. Just fyi, if an Apple user, the Airserver app allows an iPhone or ipad to act as a remote over an imac or mac mini, and use Tidal as you describe.

Bill

Im pretty sure your limited to 44.1 or 48 when using airplay. 

[wilburthegoose]

Correct - I was using Airplay until I discovered how good Roon sounded with a RaspberryPi. The audio quality thru Airplay wasn't very good.

[Loop 7]

Jul 20, 2018 11:28:53 GMT -5 wilburthegoose said:

Correct - I was using Airplay until I discovered how good Roon sounded with a RaspberryPi. The audio quality thru Airplay wasn't very good.

My issue with Airplay is how it moves through a device (phone, tablet, laptop) but if that device is turned off the streaming stops. I guess I like the other models where the endpoint gets the stream from the server. Spotify Connect, Chromecast, Roon, etc.

[spom409]

Hello

I have been tracking a few good threads with regard to ROON and have a few questions.
I have installed ROON Core on my MACbook Pro and can play music ( TIDAL and NAS) on Apple TV, Logitech Duet and SONOS Connect.

Looking to bump up the streaming quality.
If I purchase either the SMS 200 or Sonore UltraRedu, will I achieve higher quality by connecting the device into the XMC-1 USB audio input or do I have to connect the device to an external DAC?

Thank you.

[DYohn]

Jul 24, 2018 9:59:54 GMT -5 spom409 said:

Hello

I have been tracking a few good threads with regard to ROON and have a few questions.
I have installed ROON Core on my MACbook Pro and can play music ( TIDAL and NAS) on Apple TV, Logitech Duet and SONOS Connect.

Looking to bump up the streaming quality.
If I purchase either the SMS 200 or Sonore UltraRedu, will I achieve higher quality by connecting the device into the XMC-1 USB audio input or do I have to connect the device to an external DAC?

Thank you.

If the XMC-1 has a USB input then it will serve as the DAC. But yes, both devices you mention require a USB DAC of some sort.

[sahmen]

John Darko of Darko Audio on his experiences with Roon (linked below) :


1.  What are Roon endpoints?

2. Roon Nucleus.

3. Roon Software.

[klinemj]

Jul 24, 2018 9:59:54 GMT -5 spom409 said:

Hello

I have been tracking a few good threads with regard to ROON and have a few questions.
I have installed ROON Core on my MACbook Pro and can play music ( TIDAL and NAS) on Apple TV, Logitech Duet and SONOS Connect.

Looking to bump up the streaming quality.
If I purchase either the SMS 200 or Sonore UltraRedu, will I achieve higher quality by connecting the device into the XMC-1 USB audio input or do I have to connect the device to an external DAC?

Thank you.

I recently experimented with the microRendu and ultraRendu, and I found each was a nice bump in sound quality vs. running USB out of my PC to my DAC. Regarding your question of "will I achieve higher quality by connecting the device into the XMC-1 USB audio input or do I have to connect the device to an external DAC?" - the answer is "it depends".

As dyohn notes, you can run USB into the XMC-1 and use it's DAC. It's a fine DAC. That said, there are even better DAC's out there...for example, I prefer my LH Labs Geek Pulse x-infinity to the XMC-1 DAC. So, I use that as the DAC from my ultraRendu. And, there are many others which others prefer over the XMC-1's DAC.

Mark (PS - if you have not seen my ultraRendu review, here's a link which also includes a link to my review of the microRendu: ---> CLICK HERE!<---)

[novisnick]

spom409 . If you already own an XMC-1 and it has a USB input then I believe you will experience an much better sound then the end points you are currently using. The XMC-1 is a wonderful piece of gear and I do like the sound of her DACs but for strickly listening to two channel music I would do as klinemj suggests and find a DAC to your liking. By doing so youll be Taking out much of the other noise pollution from the sources within the XMC-1 with it.
I purchased the Mytek Brookly to go with the SOtM sms-200 Ultra and Ive been thrilled with the results.

[novisnick]

An Introduction to Streaming Audio


youtu.be/_la3-kISA8A

[spom409]

Thanks guys.
I have tested using XMC-1 USB with my Mac.

As mentioned in another thread, I'm testing out the Project Pre Box S2 DAC. Currently on a 2 channel set up with a USP-1 and will try it out on the XMC-1 over the weekend to do the A/B comparison.Wanted to take a listen to MQA which this box does support.
For 399.00 I thought it was worth a try. So far, so good.

[Loop 7]

I don't foresee Emotiva releasing any "Roon Ready" nor "Roon Tested" components in the near future.

I love Roon but I assume it's not ubiquitous enough for Emotiva to invest the effort at this time. Sure would be nice, however.

Link: Roon Ready and Tested

[KeithL]

The USB Stream input on the XMC-1 is equivalent to the Asynch USB input on a good quality two-channel PCM DAC.

Note that the XMC-1 also has three Coax S/PDIF inputs and three Optical S/PDIF inputs (all of which handle two-channel PCM up to 24/192k.

The XMC-1 also supports direct input of single-rate DSD (but only via HDMI).

Jul 24, 2018 9:59:54 GMT -5 spom409 said:

Hello

I have been tracking a few good threads with regard to ROON and have a few questions.
I have installed ROON Core on my MACbook Pro and can play music ( TIDAL and NAS) on Apple TV, Logitech Duet and SONOS Connect.

Looking to bump up the streaming quality.
If I purchase either the SMS 200 or Sonore UltraRedu, will I achieve higher quality by connecting the device into the XMC-1 USB audio input or do I have to connect the device to an external DAC?

Thank you.

[Casey Leedom]

Hey KeithL , I think you mentioned that the optical and copper S/PDIFs do not do Asynchronous reclocking, right? Just curious.

Casey

[Casey Leedom]

Aug 10, 2018 14:09:04 GMT -5 Loop 7 said:

I don't foresee Emotiva releasing any "Roon Ready" nor "Roon Tested" components in the near future.

I love Roon but I assume it's not ubiquitous enough for Emotiva to invest the effort at this time. Sure would be nice, however.

Link: Roon Ready and Tested

Well, it "depends". For instance, if Emotiva were to create a "Streaming Module" expansion module for the RMC-1, that would probably have its own RJ45 Ethernet jack and a complete small computer in it. Such a module could in theory run a Roon Endpoint, a Squeeze Client, and/or a DLNA Client since they wouldn't have to worry about the effects of that software interfering with Core Functionality. (I can't remember if it was Lonnie or KeithL who mentioned that concern with respect to running any of the streaming client servers on the main RMC-1 cores.)

Casey

[klinemj]

Aug 10, 2018 15:02:11 GMT -5 Casey Leedom said:

Well, it "depends". For instance, if Emotiva were to create a "Streaming Module" expansion module for the RMC-1, that would probably have its own RJ45 Ethernet jack and a complete small computer in it. Such a module could in theory run a Roon Endpoint, a Squeeze Client, and/or a DLNA Client since they wouldn't have to worry about the effects of that software interfering with Core Functionality. (I can't remember if it was Lonnie or KeithL who mentioned that concern with respect to running any of the streaming client servers on the main RMC-1 cores.)

Casey

This is what I have been saying on this topic for a while now. And, given my experience, I would hope it's Roon Ready and not just DLNA. Tidal doesn't work well with DLNA (at least I've not found a way), but Roon has it all worked out.

Mark

[novisnick]

Point of clarification;
I just wanted to make clear that when I’m talking about interference I’m speaking about noise and audio pollution and not operating functions or control programs.

[novisnick]

I agree with many here, make it Roon ready OR,,,,,

 😋

[audiosyndrome]

Aug 10, 2018 14:56:27 GMT -5 Casey Leedom said:

Hey KeithL , I think you mentioned that the optical and copper S/PDIFs do not do Asynchronous reclocking, right? Just curious.

Casey

ALL XMC inputs are asynchronous if that feature is enabled.

Russ