Roon Transport

Mike, whilst that would work, you might want to check on the capabilities of the ATV as a Roon endpoint as I think it’s limited to 16bit/48KHz ?

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Many thanks @Tamarin.
Yesterday, I played around with with my UQ2 and rooUPnP which seems to be a similar concept like the Sonore UPnP bridge. The software is still in beta phase but it works reasonably well.
But for some reason, I have a preference for a dedicated hardware device like the WStreamer. It seems a bit pricey for what it is but I hope the sound quality is a noticeable improvement over my current RPI solution. I should have a WStreamer here for testing over the weekend and am looking forward to comparing it against the RPI and the rooUPNP bridge.
How do you find the WStreamer from a sound quality perspective?

Thanks @William. I will have a look at the Metrum Ambre.

Thanks @anon23154165. I have looked at the Sonore products but unfortunately they only have a USB output and my Naim DAC does not have a USB input and I am a bit reluctant to add another device like a USB-> SPDIF converter.

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Yes, that’s true, but as I use Tidal and local streaming, I’m not sure that’s too much of an issue for a second system. It will be easy enough to try A/B anyway, once I have the 252/250.

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Hi check this thread Roon Endpoint (transport only) – Cost No Object – options?
Lots of options for a Roon transport feeding a DAC discussed.

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Makes sense Mike. You can compare at your leisure and see what works best :+1:

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One advantage of using the Apple TV - DAC - SN2 is that it can be set to run on one input to the SN2 and I can use Roon via the iOS app or Apple TV app. I can see / hear that working quite well for Mrs Mike, who currently plays music through You-tube on the Apple TV app.

Certainly the amp side of things with the SN2 will have more slam and grunt for the Totem Hawks. It’s just a question of how the transport/DAC side of things at the front compared to the Nova will go. I’ll give it a go when the other gear arrives.

I suppose, if I wanted to get really crazy, I could bi-amp with the Nova and the SN2 in power amp mode - I have a spare set of NAC A5…

I should add that the designer Cees Ruijtenberg has since left Metrum and formed a new company. Their Roon streamer is called the Sonnet Audio Hermes.

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@toscana As good as the N-DAC is, it’s getting a bit old now, and can’t be purchased new anymore.
I was wondering if Naim may bring out a replacement? Not sure if the DAC-V1 was the replacement? But like me, that’s also getting on a bit now! :grinning:

I’m told that the newer DACs, the USB connection is now pretty good.

Thanks. I had a look at this thread and I believe that’s where I stumbled over the Waversa WStreamer. Most of the other suggestions were outside my budget, unfortunately.

I bought the Naim DAC second-hand at a reasonable price and like it for the sound quality but also for its usability (remote control, number of inputs etc.). The only downside is indeed the absence of a USB input which restricts the choice of transports a little bit unless you add a USB/SPDIF converter which I am reluctant to do at the moment.

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The Waversa WStreamer seems to be an interesting option.

But if you want it to work optimally you’ll need to add a good linear power supply. Which adds quite an amount.

Perhaps another option would be the AudioPhilleo 1 MkII SE with its Pure Power.

New it’s about $1500, but used it’s quite less.

Add to it a Raspberry Pi based streamer and you’ll have a VERY nice streamer for a reasonable cost.

[nDAC]—[AudioPhilleo]—[Raspberry Pi]

I had the nDAC and used it with an AudioPhilleo 1 MkII SE and… an iPhone as a Roon Endpoint!

*EDIT : *

The good thing about the AudioPhilleo 1 MkII SE with its Pure Power is that you may use whatever you like : computer, tablet, iPhone, Raspberry Pi, etc.

It’ll handle the noise and the jitter.

Thanks Thomas.
The AudioPhilleo seems like an interesting option that I had a quick look at based on a thread here in the forum. However, I am not sure it is still being produced and I was not able to find anything on the used market.

Right, the AudioPhilleo 1 MkII SE which was their flagship, is no longer produced.

But there is a used one online.

I recently orderes a PI2AES board to test out to see how it compares to my Pi4 usb to RME DAC. Its supposed to be very good but I have yet to hear any differences in transports on the RME usb or Spdif thus far.

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I am based in Germany and they do not seem to come up for sale very often here. One of the search engines listed one in the UK but it seems already sold. And I am not even sure I want to go through the adventure of ordering something from the UK nowadays (but that is a separate topic).

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Hi Toonartist,
I use optical between the EtherRegen and the opticalRendu. Do you have any particular recommendations for SFP optical modules that would be compatible with these? This is an aspect of network tech that is a mystery to me.

Best regards, BF

The SFP that I’m using in the StarTech FMC is…

StarTech Cisco GLC-SX-MM - 1000BASE-SX 850nm 550m (SFPGLCSXMMST)

I haven’t had any problems with it or the FMC and sounds great combined with the Cisco Meraki switch and the OR. Would this be an improvement over the one you currently have!??!? I wouldn’t like to say.

The StarTech FMC & SFP came up as a recommendation at Audiophile Style and I haven’t done any A/B comparisons myself.

My advice would be… if it sounds great as it is with no issues, don’t change it. But, if you want to experiment, buy a pair of them from Amazon so they match in the ER & OR and if there is no improvement, send them back!

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@toscana, thanks for making me aware of rooUPnP! I might give it a go once it supports Roon Radio and the shuffle stoppage w/PCM/WAV output issue is resolved. The Sonore ultraRendu is stellar, but it only supports one UPnP streamer at a time. It’s going nowhere as far as my main system is concerned. However, I’d like to add Roon support to my other legacy Naim streamers (multiple UnitiQute 2’s), but don’t want to buy and maintain a microRendu or ultraRendu for each and every one of them.

Regarding your question, I’ve only used the WStreamer with my vintage Naim chrome bumper system (NAC62/HiCap/NAP140), with a Schiit Modi Multibit DAC. In that system I’m getting superb sound quality, with PRAT, air and soundstage *. This little, vintage system as a whole, has exceeded my expectations by no small measure!

Mind you, I have not tried the WStreamer on my main system, so I do not know how it would fare there (main system is Sonore ultraRendu/NDX/NDAC/NAC252/NAP250DR).

* BTW, I power the WStreamer with an iFi iPowerX low-noise power supply. I also use an iFi SPDIF iPurifier 2 between the WStreamer and my DAC. The latter is powered by an iFi micro iUSB Power (with the ground lift engaged). It’s subtle. but I think these contribute to the sound quality.

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