Most likely yes, you will lose control. The Bridge II is the Roon Ready device sending those commands via Ethernet to your Roon Nucleus. I don’t believe there’s a handshake via I2S from the MKI to the AL sending your transport controls.
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The easiest way to stream on the side to a DS MK2 is to attach a WiiM Mini to the optical in of the DS MK2. Just remember to dial it down to 24-96 since that is the max in for optical on the DS MK2. Yes, the $100 device has higher spec than the $8000 device. You can even power the WiiM Mini from the Firmware USB of the DS MK2 if you are not a power purist. And with other WiiM Mini’s in the house, you get multiroom sound without buying Roon-compatible devices.
Alternatively, go with two threads:
- Ethernet > ROCK : cables end there
- Ethernet > AirLens > DS MK2 via I2S over an HDMI cable
You should be able to Roon to the AirLens as well as stream to it from apps on your phone.
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I remember when the dCS Bridge came out and was priced at £2,300, when their next cheapest product was about £20,000. That convinced me that streaming devices should always be cheap, there’s not a lot going on that’s expensive to implement. I bought an Auralic Aries Mini, £350, still in use, and the slightly more posh Aries for £900. At the time I had two systems.
You have to remember development costs. PS Audio have spent a lot of time over 5+ years working on streamer/server projects and have one product. Auralic have developed numerous products on the same platform and sold in huge quantities. EverSolo are a large, well established business (it’s a brand of Zidoo). So I suspect a significant chunk of the AL price is recovery of development costs.
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I have no doubts that the AL is a good product, but is more a niche product for PS Audio end users. Currently I have my eyes on the HIFI ROSE RS130 Network Transport, but waiting to see the reviews.
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markus48 great explanation many thanks.
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Yes, thank you.
You would replace the Matrix which is a USB cleaner upper, and add the AirLens instead. The output of the AirLens would go directly into
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Into what? Don’t leave me hanging, Paul. 
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DSD Mk I I2S input I believe is what he meant. Airlens is perfect fit for MK1
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Hah! Sorry about that. I was just answering a question about whether they should keep the Matrix in the system and add the AirLens. Of course, the Matrix (unless it’s just their DAC) is a USB cleaner upper and with the AirLens you wouldn’t use the USB input. Instead, the AirLens goes into either the coax or I2S input (depending on the DAC).
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I may not be able to remember much but do remember what I heard, readily remembering what I focus on, eg delicacies, dry/warm tonality, stage depth and height, individual spaces for each performer, drums and bass, vocalist richness…basically making it easy to compare components and setups
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Thanks for the answer Paul.
Allow me to ask this: Is there a big difference between the coax and I2S outputs to the DAC in terms of SQ?
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I have a question about the WiFi on the AL. I am not sure if this is the right thread or the AL review thread is the right place. I will ask it here and please move this if it is not the right place.
Is there a way ( using the 1 - 8 tabs or something else ) that I can turn off the AL WiFi. I use the AL as a DDC only, no streaming. My NAS is connected to the AL using an Ethernet cable and the AL is connected to my DS DAC Mk2 by an I2S HDMI cable. My NAS has a “Standby” / “On” button. When I put it in standby the AL behaves as if it has no input connection. The WiFi router that brings an Ethernet connection to the NAS ( so that I can control the NAS using a tablet ) is very close to both the NAS and the AL. I am concerned that the AL WiFi could pickup WiFi commands to NAS and that would cause a malfunction of the AL. I would prefer to turn the AL WiFi off.
none whatsoever.
ok, if paul were gonna answer, he’d say i2s all the way.
But the correct answer is to try both and see what you think.
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Not a concern - devices only take note of packets intended for them (or “broadcast” packets, which are benign), being on WiFi is the same as being on an ethernet cable, except for the radio hop.
EVen tho a WiFi link looks like a point to point connection, it is the same as the AL being plugged into a network hub/switch with the NAS and the Tablet (if tablets had wired ethernet ports).
Technically (and actually) you are still streaming there - the NAS pushes an asynchronous stream of the music data wrapped up in IP packets, the AL then extracts the audio data, puts it in order, and clocks it out synchronously to the DAC (via coax or I2S), so it is not a “stream” until the AL has created the stream. Minor point though 
Some folks worry about the interference from radio receiver and transmitter being inside the streamer and I have some sympathy with that.
I don’t believe the AL has a way to disable WiFi, though I am happy to be corrected!
TL;DR
Bump. Anyone know if the AL WiFi can be disabled?
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My understanding is it is disabled when Ethernet cable is inserted.
Hopefully someone can independently confirm…
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Perfect - just like a Raspberry Pi 
Does anyone here have experience replacing the SoTM sms200 ULTRA NEO streamer with the Airlens ?
I had in mind having a go at the wifi connector with these:
I understood that wired Ethernet works much the same way in that the packets are flying around all over the network waiting to be detected by the device that recognises the header. They dont know where they’re going until someone opens their door and asks to use their bits.
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I think some people have they wrong idea as to what I am doing here. My fidata NAS has two RJ45 ports on it. One is labeled Network and one is labeled Audio. The Network one is connected to the Ethernet network where all the little IP packets of data are flying around. The Audio one is NOT connected to the network in any way. It is connect by a 0.5 meter Ethernet cable to the AL. That cable is not connected to my network switch and is well isolated from the network at both ends of the cable. The only IP packets on that cable are the DSD music files from the NAS.
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