Do I need a DAC or soundcard from my PC to run lossless signal to my stereo receiver if my receiver has a high quality DAC built in?

[Keith_Monson]

Roon Core Machine

I use a PC with Windows 10.

Networking Gear & Setup Details

I run on hard-wired ethernet via Netgear Nighthawk cable/modem.

Connected Audio Devices

I run an optical cable from my PC’s motherboard optical out to my Yamaha RX-A3080. Roon says the signal is lossless until the last step: System output, OS Mixer, where it is listed as “high quality.”

Number of Tracks in Library

Description of Issue

I run an optical cable from my PC’s motherboard optical out to my Yamaha RX-A3080. Roon says the signal is lossless until the last step: System output, OS Mixer, where it is listed as “high quality.”
My question is, if that signal is then relayed to my receiver with on-board DAC, is it not lossless? Or is there quality lost before it gets to the receiver?

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

The AV beast is where a DAC (digital signal to analog music) is needed and it has a good one. Have you tried to put the Yamaha on ethernet or WiFi and stream lossless from Roon? Chromecast should be fine.

[Keith_Monson]

@Bernd_Kurte

AV beast is where a DAC (digital signal to analog music) is needed and it has a good one.

Hmmm. No I haven’t tried that. The receiver is connected to the internet. How would I connect it to Roon that way?

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

Go to Roon → settings → audio and search for the Yam in the list. May need to be enabled. Select it then as the destination where Roon streams to and see what happens.

[Keith_Monson]

The Yamaha is listed but only via Airplay.

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

Well it’s a lossless start

[Keith_Monson]

Well, the Airplay isn’t lossless.

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

Here is a thread that might help

Cheap option to make my Yamaha AV receiver a Roon Endpoint

Looking into using roon but i need my second zone to be RAAT compatible (for zone syncing). My second zone consists of a Yamaha RX-A1070 receiver. My first zone is a media PC running USB into my DAC. I am aware that syncing zones can only be done with “like” endpoints. Any hardware thats inexpensive and plug n play to make my setup work? Thanks!

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

Still? Thought Apple had stepped up. Sry, in that case you are right.

Any streamer from a RPi (RoPieee, Volumio, DietPi using RoonBridge) to an iFi Zen Stream would RAAT enable your Yam.

[Mike_O_Neill]

I had a similar experience with an Onkyo AV receiver , it only shows as Airplay… They all seem to provide multiple HDMI inputs as they are AV after all.

Is your PC close to the Amp, if so have you tried HDMI , if your sound card supports it.

Roon doesn’t seem to have any Yamaha devices on its Partners pages so the best you will get with a LAN connection is AirPlay. With my Onkyo this wasn’t even gapless !!

Does the amp have a USB input ? the picture I see doesn’t.

My solution was a Cambridge Audio CXN then Analogue RCA to the CD input of the Amp, but your AV DAC would do most of it so you are double dipping.

I would take @Bernd_Kurte advice and put a streamer in between the 2 .

A RPi with Ropieee to bridge the LAN but you may have to get a HAT (eg Allo Digione) to give a Co-ax output as a USB input doesn’t seem to be there . The Allo Digione Signature does this ready build I believe

Maybe a Bite The Bullet NUC / ROCK then HDMI to the Amp , I believe several users have done this

Gets Messier …

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

@Mike_O_Neill

Does the amp have a USB input ? the picture I see doesn’t.

It seems to have one. So a rather simple streamer would do. Could be checked for audio capability by connecting it to the PC by USB directly.

[Keith_Monson]

@Keith_Monson

Yamaha RX-A3080

It does have a USB input in the front.
So, I just need a streamer?
Sorry, “Any streamer from a RPi (RoPieee, Volumio, DietPi using RoonBridge) to an iFi Zen Stream would RAAT enable your Yam.”
is all Greek to me.

[Bernd_Kurte (Bernd)]

I would start with connecting it by USB to the PC to see if it identifies as an outboard audio device. Just as a check.

If that works you just could buy an iFi Zen Stream and you would be almost good to go.

[Rugby (aka Daniel or Big Dan)]

You just need to use a different Audio output than system audio. There might be spfdif or realtek digital audio out which is using WASAPI and this is what you would want to use.

[Mike_O_Neill]

Is it a “proper USB” many of the USB ports are type A for a Hard Drive or Memory Stick, not the “printer type” square one

I couldn’t see one on the picture I Googled

[WiWavelength (Andrew J Shepherd)]

Why do I have to keep posting this again and again in different threads?

M1 Mac Mini best use mode

No, you cannot use USB to connect a Roon core or endpoint to a Denon AVR. People without experience in the AV realm need to stop recommending this AVR connection route. It happens too often, and it does not work. AVRs – Denon included – have USB Type A connectors for iPods, USB drives, etc. Literally, almost zero AVRs have USB Type B connectors, which are required for USB connection to core or endpoint. AVR connection options boil down to HDMI, coaxial, TOSLINK, or AirPlay (and Chromecast f…

Best network stream other than Google and Airplay

No, the AVR does not have a USB B audio input. It has a USB A input for an audio storage device, such as a thumb drive. Forget about USB B audio connections on AVRs. Pioneer Elite produced 1-2 top of the line AVRs with so called “USB DACs” something like 5-7 years ago. And that was about the entire extent of USB B audio on AVRs ever. AJ

Denon AVR-X8500H connected by Ethernet vs. airplay

Nope, almost certainly not on the rear USB input. If it is USB-A, that is for a memory stick or drive. The number of AVRs with USB-B for direct computer connection can be counted on one hand. Primarily, a few Pioneer Elite models, all several years out of production now, if I am not mistaken. AJ

Roon-ready AV receiver for under 2K USD?

Almost zero AVRs (or processors) have USB Type B inputs. So, by and large, that will not work. A Roon Bridge product would be limited to S/PDIF or HDMI in order to connect to an AVR. That is one of the reasons why some are interested in using Roon via the network inputs present on almost all AVRs. But I agree that Roon currently is too niche, may always be too niche to attract the attention of mostly Japanese AV manufacturers. AJ

AJ

[Keith_Monson]

@Bernd_Kurte

RPi (RoPieee

Yeah, that’s because the USB input is in the front only. It is the flat type.

[Mike_O_Neill]

NO !!

Sounds like a normal Type A USB input designed to play music from a memory stick/HDD, you will need the square one as in the post above

Hence why I added a streamer, the AV amp is an AMP not really a streamer.

[Keith_Monson]

Correct, its type A, so that won’t work.
It seems like they should be able to link up via ethernet but they don’t seem to.

[Mike_O_Neill]

It’s worth a try but I suspect if you connect by Ethernet you will get AirPlay at best.

Try it and look in Settings>Audio

This is mine , my Atom is Roon Ready and Airplay also it appears twice. Your amp will probably show under “Other Network Devices” as its not Roon Ready