I know that you have been in discussions with HQ Player, but obviously don’t know how they are progressing. This is one vote for adding this integration as soon as possible. Adding this integration solves two issues.
It allows the use of a Sonare Sonic Orbiter as a cost-effective but high quality endpoint to get the computer out of the audio stack, and
It allows the SQ associated with the HQ Player to be realized.
Can you share with us if this integration is likely and a best guess as to timeline?
In addition to adding the SQ many of us like from HQP, this should allow us to use the Sonare Sonic Orbiter or the SOtM sMS-100 as a network audio endpoint, in turn getting a computer out of our audio stack. Right now the only non-computer NAE that I know is on your road map is Auralic’s Aries. The Aries is more expensive and won’t work for me for other reasons, so I’m pleased as punch to have other options.
I realize this is still in its infantry and there is probably a lot of things to sort out, but if the HQPlayer integration does work out, so you have any sort of idea how it will work? Will Roon output to some sort of HQPlayer virtual device and actually play in HQPlayer, or are you guys incorporating the HQP DSD upsampling algorithms right into Roon itself. Just kind of curious what you guys have in mind for this if it does happen.
I had assumed that HQP would just function as a stand alone, with an integration layer between it and Roon, something like the way JPlay plays with JRiver. But, complete integration between the two where a user only needs to start one runtime, would be WAAAY cool. Still I’d rather have the former architecture sooner, rather than waiting longer for the latter architecture.
So how are you thinking about approaching this design @danny?
I will be a life time member of Roon if HQ Player is incorporated. It’d be truly awesome to have the following:
Ability to play all songs (be that on local hard disk or FileServer) through HQP. It’d be nice to have the ability to select different HQP filters through Roon but this feature is not mandatory.
Ability to play Tidal songs through HQ Player.
It is very likely that if the above is supported/implemented, a big portion of HQ Player user will move to Roon.
I have a one year membership… I’m so impress with Roon… They truly listen… friendly , open… the soon they integrate HQplayer… I will get a HQP license…
I bought a lifetime membership. There really are too many holes in Roon right now to justify a lifetime membership, but they are soooo responsive at fixing the holes and adding new features, I really had no choice but to make the lifetime commitment. These guys are great!
Kirk
This is such a wonderful news Kirk! With how things are progressing, Roon won’t have any competitors. So, I guess all regular users of Roon will become life time member. I hope Roon also considers playing Tidal through HQPlayer. Can’t wait for the summer to end. lol
I’m hoping what is being planned is to use Jussi’s upsampling software within the Roon interface. I’m a content HQPlayer user, but I don’t think anyone would characterize the HQPlayer interface as anything more than “utilitarian”.