Device Volume for Ropieee?

Audio Gear Talk RoPieee
1

Would it be possible to have working Roon Device Volume in Ropieee? I dislike the DSP Volume.

2

For which device? Device volume is device dependent. For example, I use ropieee with a hifiberry amp, and device volume works just fine.

Update, I just found your other post on this.

3

For any DAC that does not have a pre-amp. I am now using BlueSound Node 2i as my “Roon Bridge” for a Denafrips Ares II DAC. The Node 2i has takes care of the device volume for the Ares II DAC.

I need Ropieee to do the digital volume control before the DAC. The DAC has no volume control.

4

This is not about RoPieee. Roon provides hardware volume control if the connected device supports it.

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5

Note that Roon does a 64bit digital volume within RAAT (or the bridge in the case of Ropieee) when DSP Volume is selected for the DAC in Roon setup. The 64bit part is not shown anywhere, but Roon has confirmed that this is the case in this thread: Device volume control

6

EDIT. It is 64bit. My bad.

The Node 2i can do the Device Volume for the external DAC. Is there a technical reason Ropiee cannot do that?

I am not that technical that I would understand what happens under the hood. Why does the Ropiee Airplay volume work just fine, but the device volume does not?

7

I am a bit confused here. In one post you say your DAC doesn’t have a volume control and you need DSP volume in Roon, then you say there is volume in the DAC. Which is it?

8

Roon Rock -> Node 2i -> Ares II -> Amp

Node 2i is a Roon Endpoint network streamer that has a mediocre DAC, but it also has the Device Volume.

I use external DAC ( the Ares II) connected to the Node 2i COAX Output to get a better Sound Quality.

This setup gives me a Device Volume

I want to repurpose the Node 2i in my other room and replace that with Ropiee or some other Roon Bridge that provides Device Volume.

Then the signal path would be like this:

Roon Rock -> Ropiee -> Ares II -> Amp

9

The Ares II does not seem to have a volume control (I don’t know if I’m right here, I’ve never tried an Ares II DAC). If that is the case the Airplay 2 or 2i volume is probably digital. If true, Roon’s DSP volume is most likely just as good.
I may be wrong, but then someone with the Ares II in their system needs to chime in with their knowledge.

10

You are correct. Denafrips Ares II is a stand alone DAC with no preamp/volume. That is why I am looking for a bridge that does device volume.

I have found that the device volume in much more linear (percentage based) and more nice to use compared to DSP volume that is “desibel based”.

If I move the device volume to 50% the volume is half

If I move the DSP volume to half the volume goes really silent.

Ie. The DSP Volume is really annoying to adjust on a small phone screet and fat fingers :joy:.

11

You can always change the range of Roon’s volume control as in attached screenshot ( I don’t usually use it, but it’s easy to set up…)

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12

I see. Device volume normally refers to a physical volume control circuit. As your DAC does not have a volume control this is the confusing part.
A bridge device can only adjust level on the digital signal going to your DAC i.e. a digital volume control. Various digital volume controls may sound different. The way Roon does it is quite optimal. One of the best I know of outside of Roon is Lumin. The U1 mini Roon ready bridge uses the Leedh volume algorithm.
Let’s just ping @wklie to see if he knows if the Ares II and U1 mini is a good match :slight_smile:

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13

I will revisit the DSP Volume with Ropieee. It was kludgy and annoying last time I tried - maybe that volume range will help. I just wish Ropieee on a RPi4 would provide as polished device volume as the BlueSound Node 2i does when I use it as a Roon Bridge.

I do not understand the reason why it cannot do it. Is it the USB connection? The Node 2i connects via Coax SPdif.

14

Again, this has nothing to do with RoPieee.

It’s not RoPieee who provides device volume control when using Roon, but Roon if the device connected has that capability.

The fact that you use the coax connection from the Node 2i to your DAC makes me wonder if the Node 2i does not have a digital volume control from it’s own (as this is also not capable when using coax). This means that essentially the Node 2i does the same thing as Roon (when using DSP volume): digital volume control.

The only difference could be is the range, hence your experience with it being ‘kludgy’.

15

Thank you for the explanation. The Node 2i indeed has a digital volume… would it be technically possible to have one in Ropieee? … or maybe it does not make any any sense if the DSP Volume range setting fixes the kludginess. :slight_smile:

16

Roon handles digital volume control through it’s “Roon bridge code” executed on the Raspberry Pi with Ropieee “operating system” installed, so there’s nothing @spockfish could do to alter it’s behavior.

The difference is, that Bluesound opted for an adjustment in percent, rather than in decibel.

If you’d test the range adjustment I showed you, rather than posting, you’d be all set already.
:wink:

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17

Thank You everybody… I cannot wait to get back home and test this again. :slight_smile: I think I got it now also technically.