Roon is pretty idiot-proof. Spotify is the best, given their resources Amazon HD is very poor.
It’s making the set-up idiot-proof that’s the tricky bit. Roon is good, I thought Auralic Lightning excellent and I found it a joy to use.
One streamer after another just to use the latter‘s I2S out doesn’t seem to make sense…
The G1 is the same product as the AirLens. You can take the G1 into a PS Audio DAC but I don’t believe there would be any benefit (or really any way unless AirLens did digital-to-digital) to plug them in back-to-back. You already own a digital transport / streamer and a good one at that. If you’re happy with the Lightning Software then you’re set. Put the money into a better DAC.
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And what system is that?
Hi Mike,
In my system BluOS perfectly coexists with Apple AirPlay. As a matter of fact Apple Music and BluOS use the same library of ripped files. My iOS mobile devices stay synced due to the Apple Music (iTunes) library structure. For streaming I use Apple Music and indeed wished that it was integrated in BluOS.
Beest regards, Rudolf
That’s not completely correct. As good as it is, the G1 does not have I2S out (which is why I use a Matrix with it), is not (as far as I know) galvanically isolated, and does not have the equivalent of the digital lens. You are correct that it does function as a streamer, so it is hard to see how the two would work together, but then we haven’t gotten much information on exactly how the Air Lens will work.
It’s a sound and light system I have throughout my house. 50 units. A world class group of product designers, speaker designers, lighting and software people spent 5 years developing it. Very new and very good. The software was a challenge, even with a track record of products like the Naim MuSo Qb2, B&W Zeppelin, B&W and Vivid speakers. Brings a new dimension to hifi. Not yet available in the USA.
Now the Octive SW/server is not an option, I searched for music servers out there and there is a sea of them from all different price points. One product called Innuos Zen/Zenith Mk. 3 looks interesting. It can run as a Roon core, but also has its own app that manages music files, Qobuz, Tidal, and others. Some say the SQ from their app is better than Roon.
I know some of you have Innuos, how do you like it? I do not have to subscribe to Roon with this unit apparently.
The G1 does have a jitter-reducing memory playback system for CD playback, which is what the Digital Lens was designed to do. The G1 also has an extremely well implemented usb output, very clean. So do Innuos streamers from Zen and above.
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From what Paul says, much of the benefits of the Air Lens are due to its air gap technology, so it wouldn’t be just one streamer after another. My hope, based on prior hoped-for and hinted-at features, had been to replace what I had been using with the Octave unit (the Aries could go into my second system). Since the Air Lens is just a streamer, now it looks like that won’t be feasible, unless I also switch to Roon, or whatever else might work (some UPnP server or other, apparently). It would be helpful if PSA would be more forthcoming on the features and capabilities of the Air Lens. For example, support for Logitech Media Server (which has been open-sourced) would be nice (I like iPeng better than most other control points I’ve used and LMS runs on all kinds of operating systems, works with Qobuz, and is free (iPeng costs a few bucks)).
I’ve had one since my system went Roon Ready in February 2019.
My decision was based on their experience, these are I think actually fourth generation products, and their low-noise design philosophy. Roon is a big piece of software and the Roon Nucleus+ uses a noisy Intel i7 processor. Innuos use a much quieter N4200 processor and everything is optimised for low noise, data buffering, including the usb output with dedicated linear power supplies (2 in Zen, 3 in Zenith and 8 in Statement). It has a minuscule operating system, no video or wireless processing and a special HD format for low noise. An RJ45 data output option offers galvanic isolation (offered but one or two other manufacturers).
They also include their own streaming software, none of the Roon DSP, but allegedly quieter in operation.
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Preach it Father Paul!
From my perspective, once I moved to a fiber connection to the Rendu, I couldn’t tell the difference between i2S (through a KTE SU-2) or USB direct out of the Rendu into the DS. Cleaning up the ethernet chain was one of the single biggest positive changes to my digital sub-system.
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This unit checked all my boxes, so far! I really like their own streaming software without subscription. I will wait until the AirLens debut. I am sure there will be a ton of input on it, then I will make a final decision. Thanks!
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Auralic are one of the very few who say their wifi implementation should be used over cabled ethernet. That makes the network galvanically isolated. Although, ethernet by spec, is galvanically isolated. But if you’re not using wifi with the G1 you should try. I’d be interested if you can hear a difference.
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This is a Pi.
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That’s a thousand-pound pi. I was thinking of the little raw boards people cobble stuff together from.
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There looks to be a bone stock Pi3 under the daughter board (I assume this is the I2S clock and isolation board) back left of the picture inside picture. In the close-up you can see the HDMI and microUSB for power.
Perhaps you missed this:
Some devices aren’t meant to be something for everyone. I don’t expect my Volvo XC70 to be a convertible. That’s not why I bought it.
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I do use wi-fi with the G1, as I did with the Aries Femto. It made a significant difference with the older unit. I haven’t tried to compare it with wired ethernet with the G1.
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Paul, can you include support for Logitech Media Server? Many streamers (even the cheapest Sonore unit, for example) include Squeezelite as an alternative to Roon or UPnP/DLNA. Since LMS is open source and thus free, runs on many different platforms, has an excellent control point app (iPeng for iDevices), can integrate Qobuz, etc., it would be an excellent alternative to Roon and UpNP for many users.
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