Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Trying to achieve HiRes Streaming on Phantoms
#1
Hello, I recently got a pair of Golds and now I'm in the search of the best way to stream music wirelessly via Tidal or Qobuz, through either Roon (UPnP - LMS) or UPnP, and I too await the upcoming RAAT certification. Regarding Tidal, the experience from Roon has been great, although I noticed that music is streamed using "FLAC 48kHz 24bit 2ch, MQA 192kHz", so I suppose that although the MQA file is 192kHz, Tidal provides to Roon only the 48kHz FLAC (Correct me if I'm wrong). My first question would be, if what mentioned above is true, will this be "fixed" with the RAAT certification wih 2.12, or would it reamin the same?

Now, coming to Qobuz, I have tried it both with Roon (LMS - UPnP), and from the Qobuz app, using the beta UPnP feature. In both cases, when streaming HiRes files, either at 192kHz or 96kHz, the sound was completely broken, distorted and laggy, constantly dropping out. If this was due to the phantoms' DAC being limited to 96kHz, then it should not be a roblem when I limited Qobuz to 96kHz, but it was. Only CD quality recordings (not downscaled from HiRes to CD) could be played. Is there a fix for that? Will this be fixed by the upcoming RAAT certification?

Thank you very much
Reply
#2
Welcome to the forum...

Who knows what RAAT will bring to the Phantoms?  Unfortunately, Devialet had a poor record with the introduction of RAAT on the Expert Pro....

There is no problem with playing HiRes, up to 24/192.  But with Tidal and dodgy MQA (may have better master recording, often louder than the CD tracks), the resolution is determined by Roon.

If you want to improve streaming, look at getting an Uptone  EtherRegen.
Reply
#3
(21-Jan-2021, 21:15)Snoopy8 Wrote: Welcome to the forum...

Who knows what RAAT will bring to the Phantoms?  Unfortunately, Devialet had a poor record with the introduction of RAAT on the Expert Pro....

There is no problem with playing HiRes, up to 24/192.  But with Tidal and dodgy MQA (may have better master recording, often louder than the CD tracks), the resolution is determined by Roon.

If you want to improve streaming, look at getting an Uptone  EtherRegen.

Thank you for your reply!
Is there however a specific reason that the streaming from Qobuz in HiRes is consistently awful?
Reply
#4
(21-Jan-2021, 22:06)lkjam Wrote: Is there however a specific reason that the streaming from Qobuz in HiRes is consistently awful?
Sorry, but I do not use Qobuz. Maybe a poor server in your country?
Reply
#5
(21-Jan-2021, 14:27)lkjam Wrote: Hello, I recently got a pair of Golds and now I'm in the search of the best way to stream music wirelessly via Tidal or Qobuz, through either Roon (UPnP - LMS) or UPnP, and I too await the upcoming RAAT certification. Regarding Tidal, the experience from Roon has been great, although I noticed that music is streamed using "FLAC 48kHz 24bit 2ch, MQA 192kHz", so I suppose that although the MQA file is 192kHz, Tidal provides to Roon only the 48kHz FLAC (Correct me if I'm wrong). My first question would be, if what mentioned above is true, will this be "fixed" with the RAAT certification wih 2.12, or would it reamin the same?

I’ve been curious on this as well.  I’m a newbie to Roon, but I have pairs of both Phantom II 95 and 98 and I am keen to have an MQA optimized setup.  Here’s what I’ve learned thus far.  Note I am on the latest DOS, app, and Roon 1.8 783, with my Core an iMac Pro.  I am connecting the Core to the Reactors via RAAT (wifi).

The Roon app is great for clarity as to what is happening to the sound files.
- the MQA files are typically 24 bit, 44 kHz or 48 kHz.  Decoding them (the first unfold) within the Roon app takes the files to 88 or 96 kHz respectively.
- the Phantoms of course cannot do the second unfold of the MQA (the render step) but they accept the files and the playback sounds great.
- Internally, the ADH on my 98’s resamples all files to 48 kHz. I suspect Golds and Phantom I speakers resample to 92 or 196 kHz but I can’t find that information anywhere.  Perhaps someone with Roon and a set of new Phantom I can confirm.

I plan on reaching out to Roon and Devialet this week.  I’d like 24/192 MQA, so I believe I need:
- a Core (I’m considering a Nucleus, though I will only be streaming from Tidal - no local files)
- a BlueSound Node 2i (which can decode and render, I believe)
- Toslink from the 2i converted to the 3.5 mm input of the Speakers?
- importantly, a pair of black Phantom I 108’s.  Wink

Aaron
Reply
#6
(12-Apr-2021, 02:03)Charcharius Wrote:
(21-Jan-2021, 14:27)lkjam Wrote: Hello, I recently got a pair of Golds and now I'm in the search of the best way to stream music wirelessly via Tidal or Qobuz, through either Roon (UPnP - LMS) or UPnP, and I too await the upcoming RAAT certification. Regarding Tidal, the experience from Roon has been great, although I noticed that music is streamed using "FLAC 48kHz 24bit 2ch, MQA 192kHz", so I suppose that although the MQA file is 192kHz, Tidal provides to Roon only the 48kHz FLAC (Correct me if I'm wrong). My first question would be, if what mentioned above is true, will this be "fixed" with the RAAT certification wih 2.12, or would it reamin the same?

I’ve been curious on this as well.  I’m a newbie to Roon, but I have pairs of both Phantom II 95 and 98 and I am keen to have an MQA optimized setup.  Here’s what I’ve learned thus far.  Note I am on the latest DOS, app, and Roon 1.8 783, with my Core an iMac Pro.  I am connecting the Core to the Reactors via RAAT (wifi).

The Roon app is great for clarity as to what is happening to the sound files.
- the MQA files are typically 24 bit, 44 kHz or 48 kHz.  Decoding them (the first unfold) within the Roon app takes the files to 88 or 96 kHz respectively.
- the Phantoms of course cannot do the second unfold of the MQA (the render step) but they accept the files and the playback sounds great.
- Internally, the ADH on my 98’s resamples all files to 48 kHz. I suspect Golds and Phantom I speakers resample to 92 or 196 kHz but I can’t find that information anywhere.  Perhaps someone with Roon and a set of new Phantom I can confirm.

I plan on reaching out to Roon and Devialet this week.  I’d like 24/192 MQA, so I believe I need:
- a Core (I’m considering a Nucleus, though I will only be streaming from Tidal - no local files)
- a BlueSound Node 2i (which can decode and render, I believe)
- Toslink from the 2i converted to the 3.5 mm input of the Speakers?
- importantly, a pair of black Phantom I 108’s.  Wink

Aaron

Actually, I wonder if I can go right from the Nucleus to the Phantoms.  I don’t know if it can decode/render by itself.
Reply
#7
Phantoms does not handle MQA so you'll depend on a player software that do. Roon will do MQA "first unfold" to 96kHz from a 48kHz MQA file or 88.2kHz from 44.1. If you use RAAT directly from Nucleus to Phantom Roon will downsample to 48kHz (or 44.1 depending on the source rate and how you've set up Roon). Why the downsampling? Because Phantoms handles max 48kHz. One can send higher rez to Phantoms (via UPnP for example), but Phantoms would internally downsample to its own working rate.
*
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
Reply
#8
I have been listening and A/B testing Tidal on Roon/RAAT/PhantomII vs Tidal+ExternalDAC/Phantom II(via RCA) vs Tidal Streamer/PhantomII (Via Toslink) and i am a bit underwelmed with RAAT directly on the Devialet so far. Will do some more testing once i can compare with another RAAT endpoint as input to the Phantom II.
Reply
#9
Another option is Audirvana. Uses UPnP direct to Phantoms. Supports both Tidal and Qobuz. MQA too of course. I think there is a free trial. I'm a Roon lifetime user myself so sort of "tied up" Smile
*
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
Reply
#10
Yes. I have Audirvana also, but the UI is a bit spartan compared to Roon Wink Just started testing with another RAAT endpoint (RPI3) connected via DAC RCA and TOSLINK (using the Phantom DAC). My conclusion is that both options sound just a tad better layered than directly using the Phantom as RAAT endpoints. Could have something to do with the downsampling, not 100% sure as these are different audio profiles altogether, but to my ears it defintely sound better using something else as Roon endpoint. My guess is that with a little bit of EQ tweaking in Roon the sound profile will come very close.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)