BluSound (NAD) seem to be dragging their feet on some of their Roon Ready products to fix things that are broken…do your research on issues in the #audio-products:bluos-nad-bluesound areas
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This is the same position I’m in. Using a legacy Sonos Connect right now. Wish their new devices supported hi-res but they don’t. Right now leaning towards a Allo digi one setup. Which OS is best to use with Roon? I see DietPi with Allo Gui supports roon but hear a lot of people using Volumio. Thanks for your help.
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Thanks for the heads up on the Bluesound/NAD issue. Will study it. The good news is I don’t have to do anything too quickly, even sign up fully for Roon, though I probably will in the next month or so. My SONOS stuff all still works, and my main system with the better DAC (Meridian Explorer 2) is working and sounding good. I did set up the trial last night and was amazed, and even a little spooked, how easy it was for Roon to find all my stuff and ask me if I wanted to enable it. As far as the best OS, I don’t know. I am a Mac guy and am going to stick that way.
Thanks for the info I was going to look at either a node 2i or a allo digi one. Looks like I’m going to be better off saving some money and getting the allo.
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Just read through that Bluesound thread. Thanks for the heads up. I had thought the Node 2i was going to be a good sounding plug and play option. Maybe not. Well, I am not going to buy right away anyway, and it appears I will be looking for a good, high-rez capable (full MQA unfolding) end point that works well with Macs and Roon. My Core is my Mac Mini. It would be nice if there were a relatively inexpensive option (similar to the Raspberry Pi things people are mentioning) one could buy and hook up. But, if I have to learn how to make one, I suppose I can. I want to go for higher res than the Chromecast Audio, even if I can’t really hear it. So far, I have been able to hear differences between Tidal and Quobuz (I prefer Tidal) and between DAC’s. (SONOS is pretty good for general listening around the house, but my Merdian Explorer 2 out the back of my Mac is better).
Oh, and my end points, at least the ones that will be replacing my SONOS Connects) will need line out/RCA connection capablity. I use three different older hi-fi systems about the house, along with 3 other SONOS speakers, only one of which will survive SONOS’s upgrade. One important zone will be my wife’s home office, in which she uses a Sonos 1, which will survive upgrade. I guess she can just keep using the SONOS app if she wants. But I will introduce her to Roon as well. Fortunately, I think I can save the first gen 5 as an end point as it has a way to take in a source. The first gen 3 will just become obsolete eventually I guess. I have had on and off the drop out issue with SONOS via the SONOS app when I am running 3 or 4 stations as well. Hopefully, as I find my replacement end points, I will just leave that behind as well.
Ok with all that, that is my needs list as far as end points. Will keep reading and learning. Thanks for the help all!
EDIT: Ok, been doing some more reading. Airport express is out as it is redbook max from what I read on threads here. SONOS is out (after mine get replaced over time) (additional edit, unless I do the Wyred4Sound-mods to my connects, but that looks pricey, and perhaps can end up in the same place with other options mentioned here). The Raspberry’s look interesting, but require some assembly and set up. Will learn more. Might be the way to go. The Allo DigiOne looks like a good contender that seems easy, and will do what I want. Will keep reading. So far seems a contest between Raspberry and Allo.
I have been really considering the Allo Pi solutions. Seem to be a good bang for the buck. They come mostly setup but looks like you have to do some minor configuration. Looks like roon has step by step instructions so doesn’t seem too hard. From what I can tell your DAC will have to be able to decode MQA to get the full bandwidth out of it so if you use the Digi one with a DAC that doesn’t support MQA roon will have to unfold the MQA but you will get 24bit 96khz even if the track is higher resolution… If you need a endpoint they make the boss DAC pi boxes also though they will be capped at 24bit 96khz for MQA also they will play higher res flac files though. I’m in the same boat as you though looking for a good not crazy expensive option to replace my sonos. I plan on using the DAC in my preamp so looks like for MQA I will have to have Roon do the unfolding. I also question if I can hear a difference between 24bit 192khz and anything higher…
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Just was trying the software this morning, and couldn’t find that I can group my Meridian which is USB out of my Mac Mini with the SONOS stuff. Thought you could. Maybe not, or maybe i need to include an Allo or Raspberry in there to make that work. Hmm. Lots to learn.
You can only group RAAT units, any make. For most Meridian units, they are not RAAT protocol and so can only be synced with other Meridian. The same for Sonos.
I used otherwise redundant Meridian MS200 for sync purposes. So an optical feed to a Bluesound Pulse works well. Then I can sync the Pulse to other BluOS products. Works for me.
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Thanks, @Chrislayeruk Ok. Will look at work arounds involving a Raspberry Pi or Allo I guess. Also, I need to learn now about RAAT units to make sure I am setting up what I want. I would love to have my house work like it did in the SONOS world before, but with higher resolution.
Look for Roon Ready products as opposed to Roon Tested.
Roon Ready are RAAT
Roon tested work with Roon.
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I put a bunch of Google Home Minis, which are almost free, all over my house for whole-house sound. After all, whole-house isn’t really serious listening. I’ve also got some RAAT endpoints for more focused appreciation.
So if I want background music all over the house, I select the “House Group” (all the Minis), and I’ve got a houseful of music.
That is how I am using the SONOS units now. And will until I end up replacing them. Unfortunately, it seems I can use SONOS only with SONOS in terms of grouping. But at least that works.
Ok, after spending some significant time trying to figure this all out, 0-60 as I have never really known anything about RPi stuff and etc., here is where I am.
I am currently in the boat of having 6 total SONOS units between Connects (which are basically “end points” for SONOS feeding my older but nice sounding stereo gear) and 2 out of 3 standalone speakers. The third, a one in my wife’s home office, will survive this transition I am spending a lot of time getting myself up to speed on how Roon works, and what I will need to have and do to replace the computer portion of what my SONOS units did. AND, I have time as my SONOS gear still works with the SONOS app now, and hopefully will for at least several months after they stop updating, and hopefully I can extend that a while by using Roon.
Seems like Raspbery Pi based units, paired with some sort of good but economical DAC (I have to figure this part out, I have one Meridian Explorer 2 that hopefully could be connected (USB) to a Rpi based end point), will work with Roon to replace the functionality and experience SONOS provided.
Then I can replace as I go. But once I find an economical “bang for the buck” option that gives me Hi-Rez and Tidal MQA (RAAT?), I will likely replace the three Connects at once so I can then group them. And I bet a way will emerge to replace the brains in my SONOS:5 at least, and maybe even the 3. Not sure my wife would love an Rpi sitting on top of the old SONOS speakers, but maybe I could hide it behind or something. It all feels very LEGO and Millenium falcon to me, with the computer board look of all the RPi and HAT stuff.
Perhaps there would be a way to open up and gut my old Connects, and put my RPi and HAT stuff inside those boxes. I know WyredforSound is doing mods to Connects, but it is costly, and maybe not as good as some of the RPi options. But maybe it could be recreated using RPi type stuff.
Hans Beekhuyzen on you tube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXUIBsJFbiFicVDBZr_xlGw has been a great source of information for me on the raspberry pi setups with roon. I was originally going to do the same thing and hook up the pi to my USB DAC input but he advises against doing so saying the usb output on the pi is dirty and you will not get good quality sound going this route. You are better off to run the digital out from the allo dac board to the coax in on your DAC.
I think for your Sonos speaker replacements I would use the allo’s with the boss dac board (assuming you have the sonos speakers with a line in). The Sonos speakers aren’t really going to take advantage of MQA anyway so not worth dropping lots of cash if you are going to just run the DAC into the RCA in on the speakers. Saw a post from Roon also that even though Sonos is ending support they don’t see any reason for the speakers/ connects to not work with roon. The Sonos app will no longer work but you don’t need it with Roon.
For your Sonos Connects if you want full MQA unfolding I would look at the Allo digi one player with something like Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital.
Sounds like right now there are some issues with the Blue Sound stuff and Roon. Seems like they would be the next evolution from Sonos if you want out of the box easy plug and play and MQA. They aren’t RAAT though so to group you need all thier components and I don’t know if Grouping works with roon or not.
I would not listen to this guy. I trust Hans on nothing. He advances no evidence or support for his claims about the Pi’s “polluted” USB outputs. Instead, trust someone who actually measures. He looked for noise on the output of his Raspberry Pi, and failed to find it.
The Raspberry Pi 3 playing to the USB DAC is indeed "clean" ; as in just as noise-free and “bit-perfect” as other computer-based servers sending to a good asynchronous DAC
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I am very happy with my new Raspberry Pi 4 feeding my Dragonfly Cobalt DAC and Sony headphones. If you’re not sure, I suggest you order the parts from Amazon and give it a try. Mine was only $74 including the very nice Flirc case. If you don’t like it, sell it on eBay.
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I posted on his youtube to find out if he has data to back his claim. His channel seems well reviewed so will be interesting to see if he replies. I’m still researching myself so just saying what I have found so far. I will post here if he replies.
Sadly, I’ve found that “well reviewed” doesn’t mean much in the audiophile world. It’s all about who’s doing the reviewing.
So that build results in USB out? Can you point me to a "recipe please?
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