Does anyone use a Home Theater Receiver with Roon and HQ Player?

I’ve been looking at Home theater receivers by Marantz, Onkyo and Yamaha, they say they all can play DSD files (they have built in D/A converters). However, many of them seem to use DLNA or attached USB drives to play DSD files, and seem to use HDMI rather than asynch USB. Could this work with Roon and HQ Player. Does anyone successfully use this? I note that none of these receivers have asynch USB, but seem to depend on HDMI, though they also have analog inputs. Would appreciate any thoughts about this?

You’re right - most low-dollar (i.e., <$1k) HT receivers do not accept DSD input (except via DLNA or USB devices plugged-in to the receiver), nor do they have USB DACs built-in. It’s kind of the nature of the beast :confused:

Personally, I finally stopped trying to use HQPlayer / DSD and just started using Room direct to the receiver via HDMI, 5.1 channels. This sounds great, and lets you use any of the receiver’s built-in processing if you like (or bypass it, ditto).

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So how do you get Roon direct to the HDMI input on the receiver?

Roon core runs on Mac Mini. HDMI out from Mini > receiver.

You can also use an HDMI equipped endpoint with Roonbridge.

I have a USB DAC equipped Pioneer receiver that sounds terrific, although not as good as my Schiit Bifrost. It accepts DSD 64.

I have an Onkyo TX-RZ800 for watching TV, Netflix, ripped movies, etc… I use it for its multiple HDMI connections and the pre-outs to my amps. I don’t run Roon thru it, however I think it might have DSD playback thru its RCA inputs. Onkyo has an associated RCA input for each HDMI and is set up to prioritize RCA over HDMI. In this way, one may get the video over HDMI and the audio over RCA. I don’t do it this way for what I use it for, so don’t take this as gospel. Onyko has downloadable manuals, so you can check for yourself.

Or direct via Airplay works fairly well…