Hello @rv_kova and other Roon fans.
I’m taking the liberty of contacting you because I came across your topics where you talk about a problem with the Dante connection to Roon.
I’m not contacting you because of this problem, but rather to get feedback on your audio setup and how I can benefit from the Dante network.
My current project:
I have a total of 8 audio zones.
6 audio zones are managed by 2 Audac SMQ 350 (4 Channel) and SMA 350 (2 Channel) amplifiers
The other zones are independent, each with 1 amp.
To make these zones RAAT-compatible, I’m thinking of installing 8 raspberry Pi 4 (2GB Ram, 16GB SD card) + I-Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC
At the moment, I’ve only bought a raspberry pi + dac to test. I’m going to complete this in January (if I stay with this configuration, depending on what you tell me about the Dante network).
For the moment, the 2 amps don’t have the Dante network card, but I can add it to make them compatible.
Having never tested a Dante network, I’d like to know what’s possible with my current configuration.
From what I understand, if I go with Dante, I’ll be able to use Roon on these 6 existing audio zones. I’ll also be able to connect via rj45 any compatible equipment or adapters for various projects (mixing desk for connecting microphones to the grand piano so that it plays in these 6zones or outdoor concert in the garden retransmitted in the house).
Other questions:
Can I create zone groups in Roon with Dante?
Can I play different music in each zone? Is each amp channel considered a zone in the Dante network?
I’m also wondering if, with my 2 other unconnected zones with non Dante-compatible amps, there’s a way for me to link them to these zone groups. From what I understand, Roon can’t create zones between different protocols (e.g. RAAT and AirPlay).
So my goal is to know if I go with Raspberry Pi + DAC + Ropieee or if I take advantage of my amps compatible with the Dante card and if a solution exists for my 2 other independent zones.
Thank you for your future advice on this project, which fascinates me but can be complicated at times when choosing the right technology.
Guillaume.