Roon Endpoint (transport only) – Cost No Object – options?

Streaming Audio
183

Ah, the endless debate between USB, AES/EBU and S/PDIF… a sterile debate really, as often what matters most is the implementation (at both ends). :sweat_smile:

Just like the debates between locally stored music and streaming. :joy:

Well, as a matter of fact Taiko Audio is planning to release a network card and a switch in the near future. The aim is to solve the network problems once and for all.

To be added to the Extreme Server, the network card has been designed to work hand in hand with the switch.

The switch will probably be a Layer-3, so a tad more than a “standard” switch. It will therefore operate as a router or filter traffic. No clear information has been released yet.

Announced goal: sound quality as good in streaming as locally.

The network card will apparently be for Taiko Extreme owners only. The switch can be purchased by anyone.

The good thing is that boutique network cables will no longer matter. On the contrary, they could be counterproductive.

I don’t know what I’ll do with my luxury network cable. Either sell it or leave it connected to my PC! :sweat_smile: :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

The Taiko Extreme will be connected to the DAC via USB, anyways :wink:

But it is possible to use older interfaces like AES/EBU or S/PDIF.

3 Likes
184

Don’t quite understand why internet streamed music files don’t sound as good as locally streamed files all else being equal ie. same files.

185

Bits are bits, of course!

I use this slightly provoking expression to say that the files stored at Qobuz or locally are the same.

To put it simply, what changes is the path, not the bits.

It’s the path through which the files travel that changes. Hence the fancy switches, the boutique ethernet cables, the magic USB cables.

Each path brings its own set of problems.

Those problems do impact sound.

As the problems impacting the sound are different, the system sounds different.

It is that simple.

Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to mitigate.

EDIT : by path I mean, of course, the connexion interface/protocol used to feed the DAC (USB, Ethernet, AES/EBU or S/PDIF)

2 Likes
186

@jsaudio

Check the following link, you might be interested.
It has to do with noise that could pass through an Ethernet network.

→ https://www.ieee802.org/3/cg/public/adhoc/Graber_3cg_05a_0417.pdf

This gives a small idea of the fact that a signal often, if not always, comes with environment-related noise.

And that’s just a taste of the problem…

This is a reality that many companies take advantage of to sell us ridiculously expensive cables. :money_mouth_face:

What bothers me is their so-called R&D and the pseudo-scientific blabla they use to sell them :lying_face:

Although I’m not fooled, I confess being the first to buy them (look at my profile…)

2 Likes
187

Definitly matches its product name :slight_smile:

A very nice example of overengineering - but if cost is no object as stated - it looks like a nice piece of gear.

2 Likes
188

It is indeed a great piece of gear.

The incloser is quite something. It is more impressive in reality than in the picture, with a perfect finish. All the copper and aluminium parts are unexpectedly thick.

And it nicely matches the rest of the electronics, which is quite pleasant :star_struck:

190

NUC to DAC is not problem if you use one of these:

iFi_iPurifier3
iFi_iPurifier31024×773 32 KB

1 Like
191

Internet cloud served music can indeed sound as good or better than locally served music.
There are many considerations… and best use some sort of proxy to remove network dynamics and media codec differences (FLAC vs wav) from the equation.
The most likely causes for differences are the LU settings… streaming providers are usually quite specific on LU levels… if a supplied master exceeds LU levels they may modify it.

But if LU levels are mastered the same and it is the same distribution master, I suspect you won’t be able to determine any difference…(if using a suitable proxy)… I can’t…. And indeed on the line the data is identical.

2 Likes