I know, it’s not software, well it is now… but what if Roon made a hardware version of their DSP engine? The problem with the Roon universe is it’s all software based, so there’s no way to bring a record deck, tape machine or even the humble CD transport into the mix.
My system needs PEQ, and Roon does a magnificent job of taming the speaker and room interface with the parameters I enter from measurements. Works a treat. But only for RAAT transported streams.
Now if Roon put a few digital and maybe analogue inputs on one of their Nucleus servers, so that we could connect a CD transport say, then I could have all my sources properly corrected for the room. Of course, Roon wouldn’t be able to remote control them or even show us what the device was up to… but it could apply the 64bit DSP engine at least, which we could see and adjust via the software remote interface?
Ah well daft idea I know, but there isn’t anything out there that can do this, the stand alone hardware solutions have a maximum 24bit internal processing, built-in offerings need you to buy their DAC/amp which I already have… perhaps someone knows of a something I haven’t seen yet?
You could install Roon extension manager and the entrypoints extension together with an RPi and fitting respective HAT ADC/DAC, or a ready to use USB audio interface card/device to facilitate said functionality - slightly bordering into tinkering territory, but doable without IT degree.
@Tim_Woodward your could put this hardware/software solution between your preamp and amplifier or some combination before the signal gets to the speakers. This is designed for active monitors in a studio, but creates master settings universally from the source(s) enroute to the speakers:
Wiim pro plus or Ultra or even the pro all have an ADC and all have inbuilt room correction and peq that you can achieve the same result. Or use the many options to feed through Roon but you do get quite a delay going that route.
That’s an unknown to me, great value as well! Looks like it works in the analogue domain and AD’s everything though, or maybe not, there is a USB C connection? Isn’t it amazing what exists in the pro field we never get to see as audiophiles…
Yes I have the Pro for headphone duties as a Roon endpoint, was going to try it in the main system but as I have a LUMIN U1 Mini in there I was worried it might sound as good and upset me!!!
I suppose you would connect a CD transport to the Toslink input? I’m just wondering how good this extra hardware in the chain would be, the Pro ARC Studio looks very interesting?
I was actually correcting my earlier comment that MiniDSP was limited to 24bit processing. And personally I prefer McCain chips, which I believe are 1bit… or is that bite? Maths never was my strong point…
