I agree. Just saying Roon does not do any DSP or other manipulation of the files.
I havenāt really noticed a difference in my setup between Qobuz and Tidal but I have noticed Qobuz has a lot more hires versions of albums and they are uncompressed versions without MQA. I know itās a controversial topic but Iām very unimpressed with MQA because I donāt see any improvement with MQA listening. In some cases I actually much prefer my locally stored 16 bit WAV file of the same album. I suppose it is possible that the newer MQA versions have been struck by the curse of poor mastering (including too much dynamic range compression).
FWIW, I think good quality local files/recordings and āstreamedā good quality files/recordings pulled from the internet are āapples and oranges.ā
IME, my ripped and down loaded files generally have the edge in sound quality; but I canāt yet claim to have accounted for every possible variable when comparing the experience.
Regards.
1 Like
Yes that is probably true - although with specialist switches (AQVOX, sNH-10G etc it should be a lot closer). I was just hoping that MQA would live up to the hype (especially in regards to the timing corrections) but it never did for me even when compared to the 16 bit streaming versions. Would be interesting to see how MQA discs sound - I believe these are available in Japan although I donāt think they would be compatible with the DMP/Directstream Dac.
Man, I have not read a more accurate and concise summary of the state of the art and why Octave will exist. Thank you. Youāre very preceptive.
I would add to that the problem with them all is the need for a computer. Computer change sound quality and updates to them change sound quality even further.
Octave solves both problems once and for all.
1 Like
I think if you want the best SQ from Roon you really need to use Nucleus + (which is a silent NUC with extraneous hardware and software components removed) with a linear power supply (which you have to buy separately although the included switch mode is OK). Unfortunately that is not cheap or practical. The power supply I have for mine is the size of one of those half width monoblock amps that some companies make, it is really heavy and gets quite hot. I think most people are not nuts enough to spend the best part of $4-5k for a Roon Core and the optimisations.
With a $4K - $5K investment, Iād likely head in the Aurender (or Octave) direction instead. I do like Roonās library system, but it also has a lot of extra attributes I donāt use, and in that regard, is somewhat bloated. I never got into their magazine approach, I listen to music to get away from intellectual things like reading.
And one thing that annoys me to no end, is that I like to group perhaps 50 CDās into a playlist and then peruse that list and play a particular CD. Roon only provides a track view, thereās no album view in playlists. Because of how I use a music library, I actually did less exploring with Roon they I dd with iTunes. The Roon āFocusā feature never spoke to me.
I do like the ālyricsā feature in Roon, as well as the āplay favoritesā option at the top of each CD, and how their EQ works with DSD in real time. And I totally get why Roon is so popular as the competition is very weak.
Iām concerned Octave is going to be too expensive for mere mortals, which is why I suppose the UltraRenduās exist to separate computer from DAC. Hopefully there will be a āStellarā level version of Octaveā¦
Well it depends how much you like Roon - otherwise it is not worth it. For me Roon is the best out of every management tool Iāve tried so it makes sense for me. I also like that they listen to their community and add new features as people request them so I would ask them to add album view for playlists if I were you.
The problem for me with something like Octave is that it will be yet another management tool to get to grips with. I would be more interested if it had the capability of being a Roon Core and brought all its (presumed) advantages to that library management solution as it seems every man and his dog has a proprietary solution of their own for doing things and they are never that great.
Being a hardware company is a different skill from being a software company, particularly when it involves designing a simple to use and functional UI.
1 Like
Well, my new DAC arrived a couple of hours ago, just got it all connected and I have no sound. I am planning on calling PS Audio in the morning, but I thought that perhaps someone on here may have gone through the same thing and may have a suggested fix. I connected my ethernet cable to the Bridge 2, but I couldnāt figure out why my laptop (on wireless) couldnāt find the Bridge. So I connected the USB directly from my laptop to the DAC, just to see if I could get any sound at all. I am running the Desktop Qobuz, and I do have the PS Audio USB driver installed, and it had worked fine going directly to the preamp previously. I am unsure of which speaker output to select on the Qobuz app, tried them all and for a few it said āProduct is unavailableā. The DAC is connected to my Stellar preamp with XLR connections. I am not sure which analog input I should use, 1,2 or 3, but tried them all and still no sound at all. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Huge bummer, my sympathies to you.
I certainly donāt have any answers off the top of my head.
Two initial ideas though:
-
Power up the start screen and post a picture for other folks here to stare at. Maybe we can figure something out from the screen.
-
PS Audio Customer services is reputed to be very good at trouble shooting over the phone when there are glitches. If you donāt get it sorted this evening, I would give them a call first thing.
Hopefully some others will chime in with some ideas.
Good luck.
If you plugged the USB cable into the laptop with the laptop already booted up and the Qobuz app open then try shutting the Qobuz app and restart the laptop and re-open the Qobuz and let the app discover the Bridge. As to the Bridge and wireless the Qobuz app on a Mac OS or Windows 10 machine will not āseeā the Bridge as it works using Android or IOS and a proper control app like mConnect.
PS: @jschander, make sure you take the time to peruse the manuals for the DAC and the Bridge, if you have not already. I am always surprised by how many folks donāt take the time at the outset. āComputer Audioā, like computers, is a literal endeavor. There is no almost getting something right and having the computer figure it out. One setting being off or break in the signal chain somewhere, andā¦bupkis.
Regards.
I would try another input to see if the problem is with the dac or an issue with set up.
Thanks, I did read the QuickStart guide as well as the manual her on the website. I think that my biggest issue is that my laptop has not recognized the DAC. Itās not showing in my devices on my office computer either; if itās connected to the same ethernet and/or wireless network, shouldnāt it show as an available device? Or perhaps I am missing a step somewhere? (is the DAC ādiscoverableā just by connecting it to the Bridge2?)
Are you trying to run the DAC directly connected by USB from your laptop or using the Bridge through your network with the appropriate software and control device. Two separate things entirely. If you plugged the Bridge into an already active and operating network you may have to re-boot the network and the DS/Bridge for it to be assigned an IP address.
I think it would help would-be troubleshooters if you were a little more specific about what connections you have tried. The Bridge is an Ethernet card and requires an internet connection, and Ethernet connection and the DAC to be set for the Bridge as the input. For example, I donāt think you can connect a computer directly to the Bridge via an Ethernet cable. Donāt mean to be insulting, just trying to make sure we have the basics covered.
@scotte1 is right and some more details would defintely help @jschander - A direct ethernet connection from a computer would require a crossover cable rather than a regular ethernet patch cable (even then it might not work), normally you would need to connect your computer to a network switch/router and then connect your Bridge to the same network via a switch or directly to the router.
Sure, I have connected an Ethernet cable directly to the Bridge 2 from my Network Switch. I have the DAC input set to āBridgeā. (I have disconnected the USB cable for now, I was just trying that to see if I could get IT to work) I updated the Bridge firmware. I have rebooted my Router, and rebooted both my laptop and desktop computer, but neither one is showing the DAC as a device. Again, I am certainly not an expert, but shouldnāt the DAC show as an available device?
Have you tried a coaxial or XLR?
That is the right way to do it but Iām not sure your computer will be able to see the bridge unless you are using an app such as Roon that is able to access it. Just as an experiment I went to see if my desktop could see either of my Dacs via Bridge and they donāt show up. Roon can see them though, as can Spotify. Neither the Qobuz desktop app or Tidal desktop app can see them. (Iām using a Mac).