See question above - I mean stuff like the EarMen Sparrow, Dragonfly, etc…where exactly can I find a list of portable DACs able to work as endpoints or such? Or is the question not really pertinent?
Yes, AudioQuest DragonFly’s all work well with Roon (great with iOS, less so with Android), same goes for Chord DACs–Mojo, Mojo+Poly, Hugo 2 etc.–but DAPs using Android may resample the signal.
Checkout Roon Ready (network enabled) and Roon Tested (needs a mobile device too) here: https://roonlabs.com/partners. Check out AudioQuest, Chord, iFi, and Meridian.
Other portable USB DACs should work when connected to an iPhone which acts as the Bridge; the phone will pass signal to the DAC.
Tks, Martin - I am probably getting the EarMen Sparrow, which is not on the list. But my more specific question is: how is hi-res SQ ensured in such a case, if Roon data streaming to an iPhone happens via AirPlay? Or does it NOT happen through AirPlay?
No, when you use a Roon app on the iPhone you have the option of enabling it as a Roon RAAT endpoint.
It will stream at max 16/48 if you use the iPhones DAC, but will recognize a connected DAC through iOS, and offer up to PCM384/DSD256 afaik
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Roon will use RAAT over Wi-Fi to stream to the iPhone. Don’t use AirPlay.
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You use an Apple Camera Kit to provide a USB out then plug in a USB DAC (I use a Audioquest Dragonfly Red) then you get Full HR 24/96 for the Red but that’s the DAC’s limit not Roon
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Tks - this is the one I intend to purchase:
It’ll be fine with Roon and iOS, and …
Additionally – and I’ve not seen this mentioned on the EarMen site – I discovered that when I plugged the Sparrow into my Surface Go, the EarMen dongle is detected by Roon and can be used as a renderer that unpacks MQA.
Sounds great - just ordered it with the Apple camera-USB dongle; should be here tomorrow, so I can at least use it with my Aeon 2 headphones while waiting for my amp to be repaired.
BTW just tested my excellent AK4490’ Fiio Q5 couple weeks ago, connected to linux core server via usb. just works, detected as Q5, with all 32/384 glory. using internal core MQA decoder.
Sitting here in the sunshine listening via my AudioQuest Dragonfly Red , using a Camera kit on my iPad 
Nearly sundowner time 
Probably a stupid question: in case I am tired of using my headphones with the portable DAC, can I plug it into the iMac sound input port (via optical or audio cable) to hear the music through its internal speakers? Any effect at all?
Lucky you, grey, wet and cold in the UK. Bloody miserable for lockdown 3.0
You can use system output on the mac if added as an endpoint, it won’t sound very good though no need to plug anything in. My work one sounds dreadful.
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I still do not have Roon, as I am waiting for my Technics to come from the service center. My question was just about using a portable DAC and have the iMac’s internal speakers as outputs (as opposed to headphones when I am tired wearing them). Does this work/make sense?
In that case, simply use the transfer zone* feature to move audio from the DAP to the iMac (use either System Output–which goes throught the system mixer–or Core Audio–preferred but gives Roon exlusive use of the sound card.)
*Click on speaker icon, bottom right, and then the two-way arrow icon.
It might work if it has an analogue in, but depends on what level it’s designed for inputting via that input and what the DAC is capable of putting out. If DAC is only headphone level it won’t be probably suitable for a line level input as it will be too low in volume so you’ll need loads of gain. It as I said enable Roon on the Mac to play out to system output it will be simpler and no need for dac.
Were still locked down with a Booze Ban is that 15 All ???
Booze ban? What’s that you can’t buy any?
Yep for the third time all alcohol sale is banned. Alcohol was shown to increase domestic and other violence plus drink drive so filling up trauma beds better used for COVID
It’s seems to have been proved true. The rest of the country suffering for the few who can’t control their drink !!!
A couple of other countries did the same, Mexico I think
We were reasonably stocked from Xmas but wine is just about gone. Not good for a retired brewer 