I use Roon in combination with Qobuz. As I understand Roon, the audio signal from Qobuz will firstly be converted to the Roon format and send through the network to my audio device, right? Is it not possible, to start a song via Roon and it is played directly from Qobuz to my device, maybe through Qobuz connect? I hear differences between the sound, starting the song via Roon or starting the song directly from my Wiim pro plus on Qobuz. I think this sound differences were discussed here already. So I search for new music in Roon, and go then to Qobuz to play it from here, to have the better sound. But this is not very comfortable. Is there no other way, to here music from Roon straight through, wothout conversion?
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There is no 'Roon format". Unless you use DSP, it just passes the bits it gets from Qobuz unchanged to your endpoint. You can verify that by looking at the signal path, so if bit perfect playback is what you want, Iâd trust Roon over Qobuz connect.
Yes, and people continue to believe what they want to believe. Again, if bit perfect is what you need, signal path doesnât lie.
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Without wishing to cause offence, do you understand how Roon works? If you do, is this a question as to whether you need Roon?
I use Qobuz through Roon and directly via Qobuz Connect when I am visiting my childrenâs homes, to date I have not found an SQ difference.
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Roon sends the raw PCM samples bit-perfectly to the streamer, minimizing the work the streamer has to do. With Qobuz Connect, the streamer needs to download the FLAC and decode it, usually next to the DAC.
Normally, audiophiles get nervous if any computing is done near to the DAC (whether rightly or wrongly), but when Roon solves this problem, suddenly they get uneasy about this instead⌠Itâs not a technical issue but a psychological one.
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That would be Roon RAAT.
That is not an audio format, itâs just a streaming protocol that doesnât alter the bits any more than the lower-level TCP or Ethernet or WiFi.
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Where do I find the signal path? How can I display it?
I heard the difference first time while my first Roon test phase, not knowing about the RAAT format. I thought Roon is just a music database and not a multiroom system. I started a song directly via Qobuz and then via Roon. There is a difference and it is not the volume level. Then I was reading some posts in the forum, and I learned that there is a special Roon streaming format. Why is there no option in using the Roon format or directly the Qobuz format?
You donât know if itâs the volume unless you measured the voltage at the output posts. Volume differences below 1 dB are not consciously recognized as volume differences and instead the brain interprets them as quality differences. This works down to 0.2 dB difference.
Plus, check the signal path in Roon, which tells you - entirely transparently - what Roon is doing. Nobody tells you what - if anything - Qobuz is doing. However, itâs entirely possible that there are different implementation details in your streamer.
Itâs not a format, itâs a protocol. Thereâs always a protocol when you stream something. Itâs how this works.
The data format that Roon uses is straight up PCM, the same thing as is encapsulated in the FLAC container that is used by Qobuzâs protocol.
If you want to use the Qobuz protocol, use Qobuz. If you use Roon, then itâs RAAT protocol. Read the above link to learn about the advantages of RAAT.
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Agreed, but it was my interpretation of the OPâs question about âstraight throughâ audio chain.
But there is always some kind of protocol. Itâs not possible to put just random voltages on a cable without defining what they mean. (Well, itâs possible but it wonât work)
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What @Suedkiez said. From Qobuzâs storage to Roon or Qobuz Connect, itâs also a protocol, so thereâs no âstraight throughâ chain per se, no matter what you use. Not that it matters though, as the bits are the same - at least through Roon.
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Roon RAAT is not a format, its a transport protocol that enables the efficient transport of bits over different media without loss, e.g WiFi and too enable synchronised audio so that you can play music in different zones.
It is possible for ROON to sound different if you are using USB output from your ROON Server, because USB outputs from PC hardware can be both electrically noisy and in some circumstances introduce jitter. ROON do not recommend using the USB output. If you use Ethernet connected to the same streamer as you would with Qobuz connect then there is no difference unless you have ROONâs DSP turned on.
Would you please provide sources (links to the documents in question published by roon). Iâd like to read the details.
Itâs most likely just because with a direct USB connection you get additional dependencies on device quality, while with network separation the whole cable noise question becomes moot.
Jitter on an asynchronous connection (be it USB or Ethernet) would be quite an impressive achievement. Just like making a DAC that is susceptible to what little noise comes out of a modern PC on a USB connnection. Possible, but unlikely and mostly a sign that a well-designed DAC is needed.
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#1 actually. #5 is to prefer Ethernet over WiFi. Though thatâs more about reliable bandwidth and latency
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Actually itâs more likely than you think. Even some very expensive DACâs operate in Synchronous mode. Why because it is the USB default mode for HiFi audio as stipulated by the USB standards. Yes I agree that most but not all modern DACâs operate in Asynchronous mode as you say but this is not true of older models.