I agree to a degree, but have difficulty imagining a Pi could sound good compared with anything better on the front end.
Oh, I agree. I was just pointing out that was my journey with Roon. I started out with the Core on a Dell workstation and a Pi during the trial period. Over the past three years I’ve gone from ROCK on NUC to a Nucleus Plus. A similar journey with endpoints as well. Pi, microRendu, ultraRendu, opticalRendu, and now Signature Rendu SE.
Plus various power supply and network options.
From my POV, that is an unfortunate expenditure on the back end, as Roon still seems to do something sad to the audio, even though it is a database. WTF🤷🏻♂️ Would that it were not so.
I hasten to mention that as always, if you want Roon/can’t live without Roon - you work with what you got. So comparing sonics is sorta pointless.
I decided to go all in once I heard how good the Signature Rendu is with our modded DS. I am interested in setting it and forgetting it with little to no worry that I will run out of compute. Once the MKII is here I’ll probably be done with our digital chain for a while.
I’ve got my eye on a VPI Avenger Direct Drive or a Linn Akurate LP12. Both are totally different. The VPI is all but done out of the box and the Linn has it’s own rabbit hole of upgrades. The Linn may be more in keeping with my tinkering nature.
But first I am going to start learning pottery. From what I have seen and read, kilns are another rabbit hole. I can’t imagine having just one… or two… or three 
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That’s funny. I worked at a high end Hi-Fi store many years ago and became the go-to-guy to set up the LP12.
I wasn’t the best salesman but I could make that turntable sing. A tweaker’s dream. Might be the one for you.
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Hopefully we see other protocols supported by Octave Streamer.
Not just Roon and the usual UPnP and Airplay 1 emulator and Spotify Connect.
Hopefully you can add proper official Airplay 2, Chromecast Built-in (up to 96kHz) and Tidal Connect.
For expensive hardware in 2022, it needs to be up to date, not launch outdated , cc @jamesh
I settled with BluOS, reading my iTunes library with 95% ALAC lossless ripped CD’s from my iMac to the NAD C658 in the home office and NAD M33 in the living room. Direct access to Qobus, TIDAL, Spotify and all kind of internet radio stations. Now supported by other hardware manufacturers too.
Everything is Apple AirPlay 2 compatible which now streams lossless too.
I love buying and spinning discs.
For me streaming is not worth to spend thousands of dollars in Roon Software, “audiophile” switches and filters, clock generators, power supplies, Ethernet cables etc. Streaming is done through my existing IT infrastructure and it is good enough for exploring new music, background music and ease of use.
I rather spend my money on CD transports and turntables.
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I wish Roon sounded better but, with the gear I’ve used with it, I still find it lacking. I have a lifetime Roon sub and still find the interface, metadata, tagging, etc, to be incredible.
Audirvana is the best sounding software I’ve ever heard.
However, for the last few months, I’ve been using BlueOS (with NAD and Bluesound) and I’m impressed with the sound. BlueOS supports a vast array of streaming services and, in my experience, incredibly stable.
I am eager to hear the PSA product.
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In my understanding only Octave SW is shelved, not Octave Server HW.
But it would definitely be more than interesting now to know what else than Roon is supported and especially if uPNP! I can’t think of any streamer without an own SW not supporting uPNP, but not sure if that’s correct.
Makes no sense to me to offer a streamer which is just supporting the worst sounding SW.
As you know many streamers support all sorts of protocols. The Sonore products are a good example. They are configured with a very simple Web interface.
Let’s wait and see what the specs look like. I have a feeling there’s going to be a little bit for everyone.
@jamesh Given Paul’s update on Octave SW not coming, please also let us know what options there will be for playing music. And not just for the Roon users. Also for the non-Roon users please. I was hoping the app would have the functionality of the Bluesound app, just with DSD playback added.
Well this all makes sense now why PSA didn’t answer months ago when I twice asked in this thread what the software stream interface control options would be besides roon.
People are still asking.
Anyone thinking this product is going to be released anytime soon when that question remains unanswered is probably kidding themselves (because that is fundamental). This is of course based on an assumption that if they knew and if that implementation was looking promising that they’d tell us.
I think I suggested two years ago licensing an interface probably best option but I feel for the team, must be bitter pill to swallow and kudos for giving it a run. Just such a different ballgame to get newly into the software game in an already mature space for a hardware company (across any electronics industry),. That is for sure a bummer.
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I know the dCS unit.
My take: if you don’t have a dCS stack, you would probably be better off somewhere else.
Two main reasons:
- USB output does not work. You are limited to dsd64, unless you use dual aes to other dCS, when you are able to go dsd128. So if are into heavy up sampling, this won’t work
- since USB won’t work, you are tied to spdif protocol, which is synchronous. dCS heavily relies on external clock to sync spdif output to spdif input devices. Without the external clock, you would be subpar using the unit.
All in all it is a beautiful unit, as with everything dCS. But I know people that have sold this unit to be with EMM ns1 (also beautiful) and even innuos.
Best of luck in your search.
Thanks for the information.
FWIW:
- As a general rule, I prefer quality recordings to up sampling.
- Looking to improve upon Ethernet into Bridge II on DSD Sr. DAC
- The new PSA DACs, if I understand directly, will allow for dual AES inputs
- I eschew USB - have never used it as a segment of the digital chain in my main system
So, thinking the dCS Network Bridge might be an interim upgrade and a good bridge to the future, when the PSA DACs (pun intended) are available.
I am not familiar with the EMM ns1. I’ll take a look.
Cheers.
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The reality is that there are a lot of very good streaming options out there, but not with a direct I2S connection compatiable with PSA.
I’m perfectly happy with Roon. The software is miles ahead of anything else, but with 20 years of experience and a team of 50+ engineers, it’s hardly surprising.
I have a very simple setup and I have no issues with the sound at all:
Modem > CAT8 > Netgear SFP switch > 15m fibre optic > TPlink media converter > 1m CAT6a > Innuos server > 1m CAT6a > DAC.
Perhaps $200 of cables and two switches. Network audio is inherently cheap and many times better value compared to physical media. I do wonder how many audiophiles can get their head around such good quality being very affordable. The problem for manufacturers is the software development cost and it requires a lot of hardware units to be sold.
Are you using Bridge II with DS Sr. for your network audio via your Innuous server?
The AirLens certainly supports UPnP/DLNA. No worries about that. It’s also a Roon End Point and it unfold MQA. It is also 100% galavnically isolated from input to output, hence it’s ability to really sound correct regardless of what’s being fed to it.
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One reason for choosing the Innuos is that it has an RJ45 socket for data output, the other option being usb. So I plug that into my Devialet Expert’s RJ45 socket and I’m done.
The Devialet Expert streamer card (a bit like a Bridge) is very powerful and reclocks using a separate processor.
For most of the last 13 years I’ve used a combined streamer/DAC, except when I had a PS Audio DAC and had to use usb.
Innuos had a backdoor switch to use their excellent streaming software (Innuos Sense) via uPnP. Their latest software update makes uPnP a front door option, but it doesn’t work! I need to give them a call.
One advantage of Sense over Roon is that it’s much ‘lighter’ software.
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Have you tried feeding it uPNP from your Zenith Mk3? It should be possible over a CAT cable connection (see reply to @scotte1 above).
This now was a buying decision for me!
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