Roon and Sonicorbiter SE = The Spark Killer

[Hifi_swlon]

Just to answer a few questions here.  First we have fixed the output rates on the SPDIF port of the Sonicorbiter SE.  It now supports 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz both in 16 bit and 24 bit.

Next the supported rates of the Devialet Phantom and Bridge.   Devialet does not list what sample rates they support in any of their literature or their web site. But the Devialet users I have talked to have determined through testing that Devialet also supports all of these rates.

Now on to DSD. Devialet does not support DSD so it's important to convert DSD to PCM if you want to play DSD on the Devialet.

DSD 64 is 2.8224 mHz at 1 bit which would be the same as 176.4kHz at 16 bit. Since 176.4kHz is a multiple of 2.8224 mHz you get a very good conversion to 176.4kHz. This is what Roon does.

As for volume control. You can do software volume control in Roon. Roon Server uses a very good resampling algorithm for this. You get the advantage of controlling both the volume and music played from one app. If you want the Devialet to do the volume control you will need to use their app. You should make sure you are only useing one app for control and have volume disable (set to 100%) in the other.

Only listening tests will determine if fidelity of Roon or Devialet volume control is better or the same.

If you are using Roon you get some advantages using a RoonReady certified endpoint, such as the Sonicorbiter SE.A certified endpoint has been tested in Roon's lab and guaranteed to have the highest quality connection. You can see, in the attached image, the Roon Advanced Audio Transport light is on at the Sonicorbiter SE end of the chain.

Couple of questions for you -

1.  Brian, the CTO of Roon, implied that the lack of 88.2 and 176.4 were a limitation of the iMX6 processor used in the Sonicorbiter.  - from his post on the Roon forums -

"The SonicOrbiter SE's s/pdif port has a unique (and unfortunate, IMO) quirk: It only supports the following rates:
44.1, 48, 96, 192
This is extremely unusual in the world of audio products--it's customary to support rates in pairs--meaning that a device that supports 96k should support 88.2k as well, and 192k support should imply 176.4k support. As I recall, this limitation comes from the iMX6 itself, since the S/PDIF interface used on the SonicOrbiter SE is built into the SoC."

Obviously, as stated in your post, 176.4 is v. important for DSD playback.

Are you saying you've managed to get the processor to do something it wasn't designed to do?   Or was it not a limitation of the processor and just a software issue in your program?

2. What are the advantages of the Roon Advanced Audio Transport over Squeezbox (upto 192k, as this is the max that's relevant in this discussion)?  All the audio processing is done in Roon regardless of the transport, so why is RAAT better than Squeezebox?

Thanks

Atter

Since both questions relate specifically to Roon/RoonReady device, perhaps fire the q's over there too?

[ogs]

SonicOrbiter SE is now confirmed to work properly on all sample rates via SPDIF (toslink) after a firmware update: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz both in 16 bit and 24 bit, according to Andrew (agillis) at Small Green Computer. Roon can now do DSD/PCM correctly via conversion to 176.4.

[McChicken]

Hi Guys,
Volume adjustment in Sonos vs Spark ?
Done a forum search but did not find what i was looking for and I do know I have seen it in some of the threads here regarding Bit rates and that that if you lowered the volume Sample / Bit rates were reduced.
Seen that some of you that use an external source like sonos have put the volume in Spark at 70-80 and then adjusted at the source.
What is your take on this ?

[jonstatt]

Hi Guys,
Volume adjustment in Sonos vs Spark ?
Done a forum search but did not find what i was looking for and I do know I have seen it in some of the threads here regarding Bit rates and that that if you lowered the volume Sample / Bit rates were reduced.
Seen that some of you that use an external source like sonos have put the volume in Spark at 70-80 and then adjusted at the source.
What is your take on this ?

Depends on the source very simply. Some sources have volume controls that compromise the sound quality the more you lower the volume. Remember the volume adjustment is happening in the digital domain. You have a certain number of "bits" that MUST be modified if your volume is anything except max (unchanged). As the data must be changed, and you only have a certain number of bits to do this, the lower the volume the less bits you effectively use. However, the reason I say it depends on the source, is that Sonos I believe, has "extra" bits that are used for for the data bus ( I believe 24 bits). This means that volume can be adjusted over a wider range without impact to the sound. I think someone figured out that Spark at 70-80 was close to "0 dB" on a reference scale of volume. And then because of Sonos using a 24-bit data bus it was safe to adjust volume via Sonos. There is ZERO advantage to adjusting volume from Sonos or Spark other than the convenience of being able to adjust everything in one place rather than two. However some sources will suffer detrimentally if the volume is lowered a lot.....Sonos should be fine.

[McChicken]

Hi Guys,
Volume adjustment in Sonos vs Spark ?
?

Depends on the source very simply. . There is ZERO advantage to adjusting volume from Sonos or Spark other than the convenience of being able to adjust everything in one place rather than two. However some sources will suffer detrimentally if the volume is lowered a lot.....Sonos should be fine.

THANKS, that was EXACTLY what I wanted to know

[stevec]

I am using Roon/Tidal into the Squeezebox Touch > via Optical to Phantoms. Has anybody compared Squeezebox to the Sonicorbiter SE?

Just curious if it would be an upgrade but not so sure given it's all optical and I don't care about DSD etc.

[trashken]

A quick look at Sonore from CA. Not specific for Phantom though.
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/conten...rbiter-se/

[mdconnelly]

I am using Roon/Tidal into the Squeezebox Touch > via Optical to Phantoms. Has anybody compared Squeezebox to the Sonicorbiter SE?

Just curious if it would be an upgrade but not so sure given it's all optical and I don't care about DSD etc.

I'm doing the same to my Dev 200 and am also quite interested in sound quality of the SonicOrbiter SE (or microRendu) compared to the Touch.

For what it's worth, AIR (when it works) to my Dev 200 does sound better than the Touch.

[midi]

I am using a Raspberry Pi Digi+ as ROON endpoint, connected optical with the Phantom - very nice. First time Phantom makes fun !

[kjj11]

Planned to buy Sonicorbiter SE - but what version I must choose?
On Sonicorbiter SE site I'll see first:

'special edition with USB and optical output'

But in end of the page I'll see buyng option

'Primary usage - usb / optical selection'

I think one Sonicorbiter SE I may use whith my Devialet Expert systen via usb and whith Pantom Dialog via optical - is that possible? Or I need two Orbiters - each for one system?
And for Phanoms I need choose Orbiter primary usage optical?

Thanks