Pardon my ignorance, but if I were to buy a DSD with bridge and connect it to my router via ethernet cable, how would I then stream Tidal and Qobuz? I have both a MacBook pro and iPad, and both have the Tidal and Qobuz apps on them.
I currently have a Roon subscription, but I am not a huge fan as I found I am too lazy to put all my CDs on a server (I would rather stream), so I was not planning on re-upping my subscription. I use an Oppo 205 for multichannel bluray audio and SACDs.
Download mControl HD to your iPad and then log on to Tidal and Qobuz from inside the app. No need at that point for the MacBook other than to use the desktop app to browse and add favorites as it is easier than on the iPad. As you will see Roon is not necessary to just stream no matter how many try to convince you otherwise. So if you have found you don’t use it then just cancel as you intended.
Thank you all so much for your help and advice. I had a DSD and DSMP and BHK pre and sold them when I bought a pair of Dynaudio XD60s which include dac and amps. I have now gone to active, but not digital speakers (Elac Navis) so I again need a dac. I have used an Aurender and like their control app, but all their streamers are also servers, which I have decided to give a miss. I was intrigued by the Auralic Vega G2 (and I read their app is good as well), but then they hint that the streamer included is not their best, and you should really combine it with the Aries, then there is the Leo clock…ack! Also spoken well of is the Lumin T5, but I remain a fan of PS Audio (made in USA, exemplary customer service, continuous evolution, etc). I had initially read many less than flattering reviews of the Bridge, but if it is sorted and I can make it work without pain and bloodshed, I would certainly consider jumping back in. Besides, I haven’t heard Snowmass…
I have found nothing about the Bridge that annoys me, and unless you have a $50K system and ears to match, sound quality is very hard to fault.
Roon (Mac), BubbleUPnP (Android), and Audirvana (Mac) can intermix Tidal and Qobuz tracks in a playlist.
Personally I prefer Roon with Qobuz over the alternatives, and if you buy the lifetime Roon deal you won’t have to pay annually. I also like the ability to control it from multiple devices.
BubbleUPnP works well, but there are no reasonable alternatives for controlling it remotely from a Mac.
IMHO Audirvana has been medium buggy, and it is limited to 1000 tracks in a playlist, but it does have an iOS Remote available.
hi mark, i think you can use your Oppo 205 as a Roon End Point - then simply connect the 205 to the DSD and you’re in business. You can skip the BridgeII if desired.
Sully.
I don’t know but I thought I remember reading that the Bridge II sends the digital stream to the DAC via an internal I2S interface, but I’m not sure. Whatever it uses, it sounds fantastic.
tj-sully, you are a genius and I am a dope! I knew the Oppo was MQA and Roon ready, but it never occurred to me to put it together. I had a Roon Nucleus that I thought sounded lousy and sold. All I had to do was switch the Roon core from the Nucleus to my MacBook pro, authorize the Oppo, and Shazam! Music! Now I have a while to listen and decide if I really need to spend $4-6k for an additional streamer or streamer + dac. While I literally just got it playing, I will say that the Oppo 205 is often confoundingly good, even though it goes against our high end audiophile OCD impulses to admit it. So I think I am going to listen for a while before I rush into spending more and adding more components. For the moment, I have finally achieved (relative) simplicity…Oppo 205 +/- Bel Canto Pre 6 Gen ll (jury still out re Oppo direct vs preamp), 5 Elac Navis ARB-51, 2 Salk/Rythmik 15" subs.
Thank you all.
Okay, so now I’m messing around with Tidal via Roon, and it seems no MQA. I am using my laptop as the core but I am not wired to the Oppo with USB so I assume the Oppo is getting the signal from the CAT cable from my router? Anyway, it seems that the Oppo only decodes MQA if you are wired into the USB input, so does this mean I should set up the Oppo in Roon as not MQA enabled? Rosanne Rosannadana was right…it’s always somethin’.
Yes I had seen it, thank you, and a very early post by douglasmouer confirms that MQA does not work via ethernet, only USB, so I would have to have my laptop on the stereo cabinet, rather than its preferred position (in my lap, of course). My initial impression of SQ via ethernet on both Tidal and Qobuz is that it is uninspiring. I’m off for the next few days so I will have a chance to listen extensively, but I’m guessing there is a dedicated streamer +/- dac in my future. I am a bit doubtful of the PSA claim that DSDs won’t ship until May “due to high demand”. Really? Dealers seem to have them in stock. It does make me wonder if changes are afoot, which makes me hesitant to buy, even used, before clarification.
DS is currently out of stock at the factory but, as you suggest, they are available through dealers. The reason we are out of stock is because we had a sale and sold quite a number - far more than we had anticipated - and the lead times for parts are 12 to
20 weeks out. We should be back in production this May.