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Suggestion Streamer/DAC/PreAmp as Roon endpoint

lealoureiro

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Hello All,

Any suggestions of good DAC/Streamer that works as Roon Ready Endpoint ?
One of the important things for me is that volume could also be controlled via Roon so avoid playing with volume in multiple places.
Also balanced analog outputs would be good. I'm planing to connect to a DIY Power Amp without volume control or maybe a Integrated Amp because of my Turntable.

My budget is about 1000 dollars.
I was thinking of Cambridge Audio CXN V2, not sure if anybody here has experience with it.
Or maybe Matrix Audio Element i.

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Leandro
 

Dj7675

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Do you need room correction too? If so, a bit out of budget, but the Minidsp SHD or the NAD 658.
 

JoachimStrobel

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Hello All,

Any suggestions of good DAC/Streamer that works as Roon Ready Endpoint ?
One of the important things for me is that volume could also be controlled via Roon so avoid playing with volume in multiple places.
Also balanced analog outputs would be good. I'm planing to connect to a DIY Power Amp without volume control or maybe a Integrated Amp because of my Turntable.

My budget is about 1000 dollars.
I was thinking of Cambridge Audio CXN V2, not sure if anybody here has experience with it.
Or maybe Matrix Audio Element i.

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Leandro
I see a lot of these Roon endpoint questions lately, and wonder where the critical audio challenge sits. I assume a Roon endpoint means a RAAT conversion unit that converts to USB/SPDIF/HDMI/I2S for further DAC processing or a complete package from RAAT to analog. I have not seen an analyses where what becomes important. What audiophile problems can be introduced by the RAAT to audio-digital conversion, does jitter play a role there, what else? And what is the advantage of an integrated system with integrated clocks?
Depending on that analyses, you might want to split RAAT-AudioDigital and DAC. For the DAC there are the usual discussions, for RAAT-Audiodigital the Raspi4 solution comes to my mind or any PC running the RoonBridge.
I would cross my fingers and hope that Dirac will be integrated into RoonCore one day...
 
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lealoureiro

lealoureiro

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Do you need room correction too? If so, a bit out of budget, but the Minidsp SHD or the NAD 658.
Not super important but it would be cool to experiment. The NAD 658 seems to be very cool option. But both don't advertise as Roon Ready, but maybe works either way.

I see a lot of these Roon endpoint questions lately, and wonder where the critical audio challenge sits. I assume a Roon endpoint means a RAAT conversion unit that converts to USB/SPDIF/HDMI/I2S for further DAC processing or a complete package from RAAT to analog. I have not seen an analyses where what becomes important. What audiophile problems can be introduced by the RAAT to audio-digital conversion, does jitter play a role there, what else? And what is the advantage of an integrated system with integrated clocks?
Depending on that analyses, you might want to split RAAT-AudioDigital and DAC. For the DAC there are the usual discussions, for RAAT-Audiodigital the Raspi4 solution comes to my mind or any PC running the RoonBridge.
I would cross my fingers and hope that Dirac will be integrated into RoonCore one day...
Hum... i don't care much if "audiophile" not. The thing is want things to be handy, like control the volume in one place, or when changing the volume in one place you also change in another. And that happens when normally the device is a RoonReady endpoint.
I have a couple of PIs with HATs or whatever as RoonBridge but then becomes super messy when I change Volume in Roon, then in device etc. As i use multi-room that is kind of important for me. Is not about the that things need to be super perfect etc in terms of audio quality.
Also when a Device is Roon ready is easier for me to control with my Home-Automation and I don't have to learn new API to program for it. And most of DACs don't even have an interface that i can interact.
I'm sure using a DAC as Roon Tested device connected to a PI via USB will be equally goo das using RAAT/Roon Ready device, or not have an audible diference, but I loose some of user friendly features I believe.
The point I'm trying to make is that I'm not super critical about the audio but more trying to find a balance...

Cool suggestion as well, thanks :) The RCA in is nice to connect my Turntable, which is great!! I will have a look into it!
 

Jimbob54

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I can vouch for the cxn. Works fine with roon. Not seen measurements though. You could get very good performance for that money hooking up a raspberry pi 4, running one of the roon compatible builds, going out to a very good dac (take your pick) and know you are good for years.
 

Kachda

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Not sure if roon ready but i found the bluesound node 2/2i app to be quite good
 

Dj7675

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I see a lot of these Roon endpoint questions lately, and wonder where the critical audio challenge sits. I assume a Roon endpoint means a RAAT conversion unit that converts to USB/SPDIF/HDMI/I2S for further DAC processing or a complete package from RAAT to analog. I have not seen an analyses where what becomes important. What audiophile problems can be introduced by the RAAT to audio-digital conversion, does jitter play a role there, what else? And what is the advantage of an integrated system with integrated clocks?
Depending on that analyses, you might want to split RAAT-AudioDigital and DAC. For the DAC there are the usual discussions, for RAAT-Audiodigital the Raspi4 solution comes to my mind or any PC running the RoonBridge.
I would cross my fingers and hope that Dirac will be integrated into RoonCore one day...
For me I needed to be able to group all my zones. I had been using all Sonos, but when I changed to an NAD M10 in the living room had to switch over things to a common protocol. Since we use Roon, I decided to replace the Sonos endpoints with Roon RAAT endpoints. Ended up with Blusound powernode and an Allo Boss 1.2 running Ropieee. All plays nicely together.
 
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lealoureiro

lealoureiro

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For me I needed to be able to group all my zones. I had been using all Sonos, but when I changed to an NAD M10 in the living room had to switch over things to a common protocol. Since we use Roon, I decided to replace the Sonos endpoints with Roon RAAT endpoints. Ended up with Blusound powernode and an Allo Boss 1.2 running Ropieee. All plays nicely together.

For me I want to follow the same kind of approach and if possible also having volume control in central place, in this case Roon. To avoid have two Volume controls, the device physical volume and one in roon. the best would be those are the same
 

sal

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Not sure if roon ready but i found the bluesound node 2/2i app to be quite good
I use the node 2i as a streamer (coax to my dac preamp). It is fine for that, but is not a Roon device. BluOS would be a competing platform to Roon. Roon is definitely much more advanced but requires a subscription
 

mash

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Add a vote for the Mini 3Pro although I believe it's slightly above 1000 now

Another less expensive option to consider is the Orchard Pecan Pie streamer........you would be lose Airplay, MQA, Headphone Amp and some fit/finish but performance is good. The Pecan Pie can be ordered with Ropieee for a simpler dedicated Roon/RAAT endpoint or Volumio which has broader player/streamer functional support.

If you go multiple boxes....with a RPi4 streamer combined with a nice USB DAC you can get even more performance/price benefits but you now have 2 boxes and the Rpi involves a little DIY elbow grease....which may or may not work.
 
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lealoureiro

lealoureiro

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Add a vote for the Mini 3Pro although I believe it's slightly above 1000 now

Another less expensive option to consider is the Orchard Pecan Pie streamer........you would be lose Airplay, MQA, Headphone Amp and some fit/finish but performance is good. The Pecan Pie can be ordered with Ropieee for a simpler dedicated Roon/RAAT endpoint or Volumio which has broader player/streamer functional support.

If you go multiple boxes....with a RPi4 streamer combined with a nice USB DAC you can get even more performance/price benefits but you now have 2 boxes and the Rpi involves a little DIY elbow grease....which may or may not work.

I think I will go with Maxtrix Audio Mini 3 Pro to connect it to a DIY Purifi Power Amplifier. Still researching and doing the planning.
 

ahofer

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The Canbridge Audio streamers do all you are asking.
 
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