I upgraded my pi4 and I’m very happy. My innuos zenith has the exactly same SQ than the pi4, as it can’t be anything else, but it brings me a great integration with the roon ecosystem. Roon core, end point, great OS, easy cd ripping…
Not everything is SQ, there are more good things.
But yes, i get your point 
Hi ipeverywhere,
I went to device info settings in my DAC but I couldn’t find the exclusive mode option
but I can see all other options. Do I miss something?
Please share your thoughts.
Thanks
Exclusive mode is for WASAPI devices. Are you using an ASIO device?
Hi Fernando_Pereira,
Thanks for your tips. I have heard good things about HQ player (external up sampling) and it helps a lot improving performance. Are you using a powerful PC?
I have heard up sampling needs lot of computing power.
I looked at Intona isolator. Does it need an external power feed?
I am bit confused with the website.
Thanks
Yes, standalone streamer or Roon endpoint.
I am not sure, my friend setup the Roon bridge on my dedicated audio desktop. I will ask him.
Thanks for your input.
You’re already looking at settings, aren’t you? This is how WASAPI and ASIO devices look like in Windows:
I have ASIO now, let me ask my friend who setup the Roon bridge.
Thanks.
ASIO is already exclusive, so you should be fine.
oh ok. Thanks.
As I said previously, I am using an ultraRendu. It has been a great device. If I were to buy something today, I would probably go with the UP-Gateway mini-PC that @Fernando_Pereira mentioned. Here is the link:
With the May, I don’t think you need a USB “fixer” like the Intona USB 3.0 isolator but that would certainly clean up there USB signal nicely.
I would use the UP-Gateway because using it as an HQPlayer NAA it would be able to handle any PCM or DSD rate you would throw at it.
HQPlayer takes the May to a whole new level of sound quality.
Hi musicjunkie917,
I am little bit confused, I do have sonic transporter which I am using as Roon core.
This has an I5 processor and HQ palyer and Roon is preinstalled. In addition to this i am using a Dell desktop as Roon core bridge. Hence do I need the UP gateway mini PC?
Thanks.
What I and a lot of other people think works and sounds best with Roon with HQplayer is a chain that looks like this:
Roon Core (sonicTransporter i5) → Ethernet to an HQPlayer NAA (e.g., UP Gateway) → USB to DAC
Ethernet provides a good amount of isolation from the server and smaller systems like the Up Gateway system are electrically more quiet than full desktops system.
You don’t need a full desktop system to run as a Roon Endpoint or HQPlayer NAA.
Hi musicjunkie917,
Thanks for your detailed reply, I will explore this option for sure, I am not very familiar with HQ player.
Thanks.
bought an Elac DPP-2
Its a roon endpoint, pre-amplifier and DAC in one box, perfect for my active speakers.
It sounds better than my RME ADI Dac feeded by the Metrum Acoustics Ambre Streamer before.
cinematic Tom,
Very happy to know that you are satisfied with it.
Thanks.
My Pi4 running RopoeeeXL has performed flawlessly. I use HQPlayer / NAA / Room Correction for critical listening and Roon Bridge for casual. Nice to have all these options in one box.
I have two different setups at different locations: 1) 16x Intel i9-11900 @ 2.50GHz, 32Gb DDR4, well-designed cooling running Ubuntu Server 22.04 and HQPlayer Embedded; 2) Mac Mini M1 16Gb running HQPlayer desktop. Both systems drive UP Gateway NAA endpoints connected via Intona isolators powered by the incoming USB cable to Holo DACs (May KTE at #1, Spring 2 KTE at #2).
I have been working on matching components with my various DACs and streamers. A Pi 2 Design Mercury 2 streamer just displaced a Lumin U1 (not mini) as a source for my Denafrips Venus II DAC mainly due to the better performance of the I2S connection (which the Lumin does not have). I do run it from a good quality linear power supply.
As for Ropieee on PI 4 it is pretty good USB audio out. No hat needed. It does seem to sound a little better with a linear power supply. But you need to run it into a DDC and then I2S out to your DAC to begin to match higher end streamers. Denafrips Iris is very cost effective DDC.
