Phil, thanks for asking Arcam. Happy to hear that things are afoot, and I’d prefer that software is delivered when it’s good and ready.
I would go for the NAD 10 yes I know is not cheap but is ready for ROON and most streaming service all in one box if you need more power in the future you can add an power amplifier can be upgraded on line or via USB is future proof
1 Like
You wrote you do not want a DIY amp, but if it should be inexpensive and good quality you might want to rething that.
Yes the ALLO DIY otions are not exactly pretty - but they are very small - so you could easily just hide them at the back of a speaker or furniture. That way one would only see the speakers, which from a stylish perspective is also not bad. From the cost point it is pretty unbeatable.
Blockquote - Google Home mini – they’re literally giving them away.
Unless I’m misunderstanding OP, I think he might want these 3rd/4th/5th endpoints to integrate (IE - my assumption is this means GROUP together for in-unison playback whole-home-audio) with his current gear.
And unless I’m misunderstanding how Roon works, I believe Google Cast devices (like a home-mini) can only be grouped with other Google Cast devices, external of Roon, within the Google Home app… which means if his primary and secondary endpoints aren’t Chromecast Audio’s, I don’t think this suggestion (or any other Google Cast device) serves his purposes… I think there are some other echo-systems, like Airplay, that are similar? Roon can only group an Airplay device with other Airplay devices…? Sonos as well (only with other Sonos)?
I’m under the impression that any RAAT device(s) can be grouped together? Regardless of manufacturer? But I believe Bluesound works, because it is RAAT, and can be grouped together with other non-Bluesound RAAT devices?
Yes, I think everything you just said is correct. Group Chromecast devices with others of the same protocol, but RAAT and Chromecast may never intergroup.
As for suggestions – I see no reason to overspend on the digital side of the DAC, and the Bluesound Node 2i has a lot of trouble reports in this forum, so I’d say the Raspberry Pi 4 with Ropieee is a pretty reasonable RAAT box with USB out, for about $80.
1 Like
Blockquote As for suggestions – I see no reason to overspend on the digital side of the DAC, and the Bluesound Node 2i has a lot of trouble reports in this forum, so I’d say the Raspberry Pi 4 with Ropieee is a pretty reasonable RAAT box with USB out, for about $80.
Cool. Thanks for the suggestion. I have always shied away from Raspberry Pi in the past… but I’ve spent the better part of an hour reading up, watching youtube reviews, and I think I might actually give it a go this time! That link you have there looks like an all-included solution? Any reason why I might want/benefit from the 2 GB or 4 GB RAM versions for use as a roon endpoint?
And can I add a “digi hat” to include toslink or spdif (or both) output to that on my own if I want?
Yes, 1 GB should work fine. Yes, the link is all-included.
You could certainly add a hat, but I’d have to wonder why. S/PDIF kind of inverts the idea of RAAT because you’re pushing the bits to the DAC at a clock rate which is determined by the sender, whereas asynchronous USB allows the receiver to gate the transmission. The goal is to take the data that’s in your source file (FLAC, etc.) and convey that data to your DAC with as little damage as possible. If your DAC has a USB input, I’d just use that.
If not, you’ll need a hat of some sort. Or if you want to add a DAC hat to the Pi itself, which can be a good option. In that case, I’d look on the website of the hat manufacturer for a case which fits both the hat and the Pi.
1 Like
Related to the Arcam Solo Uno, RAAT was recently implemented (although not yet certified) on Arcam’s new AVR’s, as you can see in this screenshot from Roon connected to the AVR 30 which is currently in-house for testing. My understanding is that the code base is the same as the Solo Uno.
Are you sure? No mention of Roon on the specs page or in the v0.82fw release notes (UK).
About the AVR30 I’m very sure - whilst typing this I’m streaming with Roon to this particular receiver. That’s where above screenshot came from. My information about the Solo Uno and Roon is from a local distributor. So it’s possible it’s not correct, but unlikely.
The Arcam HDA SA30 Amp is supposed to be Roon Ready according to the blurb, not seen anything of it in the wild yet so I wonder if its been delayed because they are awiating RAAT certification?
What / why is the Allo DigiOne via Coax necessary with the NAD 3020 V2?
You have to connect the NAD D3020 V2 to some kind of computer so that Roon can talk to it. If you don’t have a computer in the location where you’re using the amplifier, the Allo DigiOne is a good solution. It might sound better than connecting the D3020 directly to a general purpose desktop or laptop computer as well. If so, that’s a nice bonus.
I see, I thought it worked via bluetooth. Need to read up on the Allo DigiOne as it doesn’t appear to have housing.
Well, it’s not necessary. The trick is to get the Roon signal from the computer running Roon to the NAD. The NAD has digital inputs, which will work, so you can run an S/PDIF signal into it to use its internal DAC. It has both Toslink and coax S/PDIF inputs; you could use either. Doesn’t have to be a DigiOne; you could use any streamer with S/PDIF outputs. Or you could connect an external DAC to your computer and run the output from that into the RCA analog inputs of the NAD. Lots of different ways to slice this bread.
What about one of the Denon integrated amps? PMA-150H?
Well, you can buy just the board (and I have) if you’re a DIY sort-of person, but Allo also offers a range of “Plug & Play” devices that are assembled and arrive loaded with the necessary software, including Roon Bridge.