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Highest Possible Sound Quality from Roon
#1
My own thread regarding highest possible sound quality from iTunes & Dr Tone's rather more specific thread regarding Roonready devices with AES digital output have both received posts on the more general topic of devices for running Roon through a Devialet.

So here is a specific thread to start to pull together ideas for Roon implementation, and also to pull together details of suitable Roon compatable hardware for use with a Devialet.

The quest is to find the ultimate solution, with the finest sound quality.

As things stand, the obvious solution is to use a computer, PC or Mac.  The normal approaches apply here, you could have a fairly standard machine with running AIR, or perhaps run through the options to a fully audio optimised machine with trick sound cards, power supplies, SSD's, then add a Mutec, and so on.  I guess you could add niche products like the Sonic Orbiter, Hifi Berry, etc. into this mix 

In terms of 'off the shelf' solutions, I think it is fairly slim pickings at the moment.  Also, Roon themselves are not providing much clarity with respect to their Roonready program.  Just a list of partners, but nobody seams to know what those partners are doing, or even if those partners will ever actually achieve a Roonready product.

Then there is the Microrendu widget, which does look promising, but until someone actually tries one against known opposition, then who knows. 

In terms of available products outside of the niche / hobbyist type solutions , there are computer based 'Caps' style machines, one example being the CAD CAT, basically a tricked up PC, but with someone else doing the hard work.  (and requiring a potential purchaser to part with lots of hard cash)

There is also the Antipodes music server range, but not much else of this type.

So what else is out there, and to finish where this started, what is the ultimate sound quality solution for running Roon with a Devialet?
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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#2
I'm using Roon on a NUC/Win10/AIR with JPlay and Fidelizer.
Before: Le200, KEF LS50, AQ Type4, NUC 5i5RYH/8GB/128GB M.2SSD, Roon, Win8.1/AIR2.1.3/RoonBridge, MM/AIR3/RoonBridge, QNAP TS-212P 5TB NAS, AQ NRG-X3

Now: KEF LS50W, NUC5i5RYH/8GB/128GB M.2SSD, Roon, QNAP TS-212P 5TB NAS,iFi iSilencer3.0+DC iPurifier+iPurifier2, Sonos ZP80+SPDIF iPurifier


Location: Cyberjaya, Malaysia
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#3
I'm betting my money on a powerful computer running Roon far away from the Devialet feeding a microRendu or SotM sms-200 Roon endpoint over an (optically) isolated network link. The microRendu or SotM is powered using the highest quality linear power supply one can afford.

Probably this can be made even better using the Mutec MC-3+ USB (http://www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php) as a USB to S/PDIF/AES-EBU converter, USB isolator and re-clocker or the similar Acousence AFI-USB solution (http://www.artistic-fidelity.de/index.php/en/usb-module) to circumvent the USB circuitry inside the Devialet.

2016 will again be an interesting year! Smile
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
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#4
(16-Apr-2016, 09:36)Antoine Wrote: I'm betting my money on a powerful computer running Roon far away from the Devialet feeding a microRendu or SotM sms-200 Roon endpoint over an (optically) isolated network link.

One more aficionado of this never heard product Wink

The least one can say is that their teasing campaign on CA has been very successful !
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#5
(11-Mar-2016, 11:50)Confused Wrote: I must admit that I particularly like the "isolation platform" below the streamer. I presume this is constructed using the latest (and very expensive) unidirectional carbon nanotube technology? Or maybe it's a slice of left-over carpet underlay?

(16-Apr-2016, 14:49)SwissBear Wrote:
(16-Apr-2016, 09:36)Antoine Wrote: I'm betting my money on a powerful computer running Roon far away from the Devialet feeding a microRendu or SotM sms-200 Roon endpoint over an (optically) isolated network link.

One more aficionado of this never heard product Wink

The least one can say is that their teasing campaign on CA has been very successful !

Haha, of course you're right but I do think the concept is the right one. Smile

We'll all have to wait and see so that's why I used the term 'betting' as of course me neither knows how good it'll be. In the past I've experimented with a Cubox i4Pro and an Anker battery and that sounded quite good as well, it wasn't far removed from my PC server back then. Of course a lot happened since and I continued improving the server and everything around it but I genuinely think that removing the noisy PC from the system and using a lean and mean, optimized for audio renderer (optimized in both hard- and software) using a high quality PSU could prove better than my current solution.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
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#6
(16-Apr-2016, 14:49)SwissBear Wrote:
(16-Apr-2016, 09:36)Antoine Wrote: I'm betting my money on a powerful computer running Roon far away from the Devialet feeding a microRendu or SotM sms-200 Roon endpoint over an (optically) isolated network link.

One more aficionado of this never heard product Wink

The least one can say is that their teasing campaign on CA has been very successful !

This is true of course, but... I use a Regen in my system. It does wonderful things to the signal so if the microRendu does the same or better + adds flexibility I'm happy. In reality I think the microRendu is even better than that - just how good it is remains to be heard.
*
Devialetless!
Roon, ROCK/Audiolense XO/Music on NAS/EtherRegen/RoPieee/USPCB/ISORegen/USPCB/Sound Devices USBPre2/Tannoy GOLD 8
250 Pro CI, MicroRendu(1.4), Mutec MC-3+USB
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#7
A dedicated clean Windows 10 machine. Make sure the machine has an Intel NIC. An SSD is the only hardware optimization I would do to it.

Disable everything you can on the Windows 10 box manually. Firewall, apps, defender etc. No Fidelizer crap. Fixed IP address.

RoonBridge only and Devialet AIR. Configure the Devialet ethernet port to be a fixed IP address as well not DHCP.

I have to eat Crow because I've gotten AIR working in the above scenario using my HTPC machine clean installed. Knock on wood no anomalies in 2 days. Just wait now that I opened my mouth everything will start breaking!
Roon->HQPlayer->McIntosh C47->McIntosh MC301s>Transparent Super->Wilson Audio Sabrinas w/ Shunyata Denali, Rega RP8, Rega Apheta 2


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#8
AIR is good but hardly the finest. It is a bottleneck; no matter how far you go in tweaking the OS or the hardware you'll reach a ceiling soon. USB can easily surpass it's quality if you apply the right optimizations.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
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#9
(16-Apr-2016, 20:58)Antoine Wrote: AIR is good but hardly the finest. It is a bottleneck; no matter how far you go in tweaking the OS or the hardware you'll reach a ceiling soon. USB can easily surpass it's quality if you apply the right optimizations.

My PC is optimized and I use a SOTM USB card, I also used a USB regen device for a while. So far AIR ethernet is kicking the crap out of it.  God I hope it stays stable.
Roon->HQPlayer->McIntosh C47->McIntosh MC301s>Transparent Super->Wilson Audio Sabrinas w/ Shunyata Denali, Rega RP8, Rega Apheta 2


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#10
I've used AIR for years but that's not an experience I share and I know others who've extensively tweaked their system have similar experiences to mine. But whatever works for you, works for me. Yours is not my system! Wink
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
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