Which Devialet devices support Roon ?

[Jean-Marie]

There are several ways to use Roon with a Devialet Expert amp.

First of all, in any case, you will need a computer to run the Roon Core - this can be a PC or Mac.  Don't be confused by the word "Core" in Devialet's "Core Infinity" moniker, because that has nothing to do with the Roon Core.

Once you have a computer running the Roon Core software you can choose one of several methods to stream output from Roon to an Expert series amp.  For example:

1) USB
2) Devialet's AIR streaming protocol
3) Roon's RAAT streaming protocol
4) Apple Airplay

The USB option works with any Expert model, Pro or otherwise, with or without Core Infinity.

The Apple Airplay option requires an Expert Pro model with Core Infinity.

This is where it starts getting a little complicated...apart from wired or wireless, there are two different methods for using AIR.

The "old school" approach uses Devialet's AIR driver software on a computer (PC or Mac), which works by creating a "virtual sound card" that Roon can output to.  This virtual sound card then sends the audio data over the network to the Expert amp.  As well as streaming via Roon, this supports other desktop music players such as Qobuz, Audirvana, to pick a couple at random.

The newer approach uses Roon's built-in AIR driver.  In this case you don't need to install Devialet's AIR driver on your computer, because Roon can output directly to the Expert using the same AIR network protocol.  There is no virtual sound card visible on the computer, so no audio players apart from Roon can used this method to talk to the Expert.

AIR is supported by any Expert model with a network card installed - in effect, all of them.  Despite its name, it works over wired Ethernet and wi-fi.

(Only) Expert Pros fitted with the Core Infinity board and running the current 13.x firmware support the Roon Advanced Audio Transport (RAAT) streaming protocol; this is essentially what the "Roon Ready' terminology means.  In this case Roon sends the audio data direct to the Expert over the network, but uses its own in-house streaming protocol (RAAT) rather than Devialet's in-house protocol (that is, AIR).

One very useful - and not always obvious - benefit of using either Roon's implementation of AIR, or RAAT, is that one can remotely turn the amp on and off and control its volume using the Roon UI.

To answer one of your specific questions: if you have the Roon Core running on a NAS, I think you should be able to use Roon's AIR driver to stream to an Expert that doesn't have the Core Infinity board fitted.  (My hestitation is that I've not used Roon Core on a NAS and can't be 100% confident that it's the same build as what would run on a more general-purpose computer.)

To throw another variable into the mix, it is probably still possible to upgrade the 440 Pro with Core Infinity boards.  I may be wrong, but I recall that the cost of the upgrade to Core Infinity was factored into the price of the Pro models so the upgrade might perhaps still be free of charge.  Maybe you could get your dealer to look into that.  (Or if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me.)

In the meantime, I'd choose the Expert model based on what you think sounds better driving your speakers in your room, because whichever you choose I'm sure there will be a way to use it together with Roon.

I hope that's helfpul and reduces rather than adds to the confusion...

^___ Exactly!

Including the fact that yes every pro not having its core infinity card fitted yet is entitled a free of charge upgrade. 

Jean-Marie