Convenience. From my Roon server to the Pi there are 4 switches in the path. Ping time from one side to the other side averages 0.281ms. If it’s causing any latency or jitter issues I’ve never witnessed, seen, nor heard it.
Just like with Diretta, the only siubstantive content of Bulk’s page is a desperate please for licensing fees for something that can not and will not have any practical effect. Comparing whatever it is that Bulk does with “isochronous” (whut?!?) transmission is also highly questionable.
Well, I’ve never experienced a problem of latency with either Qobuz or TIDAL, and there will be many more switches in between home and server.
And, this is largely immaterial since the DAC controls timing, so all that matters is the delay when pressing play, which, in my experience is negligiable.
I mentioned latency from four levels of cascading switches, but such a topology can create other problems also, even though it’s working fine for @jss, for example, uplink port saturation.
I’ve seen YouTube videos were folks were intentionally stringing together lots of consumer-grade switches in an attempt to achieve better sound quality.
Although I’m apparently two orders of magnitude more open-minded about Diretta possibly solving a useful set of problems for Roon subscribers, a network topology featuring many levels of daisy-chained switches, even if it is convenient or works under certain circumstances, makes little sense to me. ![]()
By no means a change in network topology can improve or change SQ in an audio sense. It may solve or introduce data transmission problems but that’s all. Such problems are usually audible by dropouts or crackling sound. No e.g. wider stage, more detail, more/less treble/bass. That’s a total misunderstanding.
But @jss made no claim that daisy-chaining was to improve “sound quality”. Indeed, all of my endpoints are at least two switches away from the server in my home. This is for practical reasons.
I’d like to think I am open-minded, but Diretta’s claims are pretty meaningless, and quite frankly read like so many texts on exotic cables, that stay just the right side of advertising law.
We are talking about the digital domain again, and the “target” is the DAC, and this is not an “analogue part” as Diretta claim.
I think this sums things up nicely.
Note that ALL of the above is purely in the digital part of this signal path, and claims about a bad cable, noise, ground loops can not affect it, because digital is built on mathematics, and not the realities of electricity. Either it arrives there good and verifiable, or it does not. This binary good or bad nature of a “reliable digital stream” is what drives the “bits are bits” guys nuts when audio guys talk about digital streams being affected by anything.
The claims about noise, ground loops, or whatever else is purely in how that digital stream is interpreted into analog, which is not a digital process. That stuff can not be verified – thus all the trouble. This is what drives the audio guys nuts when the “bits are bits” guys tell them they are old and not versed in information theory.
But, Diretta is just another digital process.
Being specifically open minded about Diretta when you have sufficient understanding about networks is what doesn’t make sense to me ![]()
Anyway, my topology has a big switch that connects different rooms to the router, then additional switches in rooms where I need more ports. Two levels is not going to slow down anything. I’ve recently updated the big one to 2.5G, not because I had problems, but because my computers now have 2.5G NICs, so local data movements can benefit.
The purpose of this thread, as created 5+ years ago, was to discuss enthusiasm for a (then) new streaming protocol. The discenters have been aggressive about shutting down any potential for positive or collaborative discussion that Diretta enthusiasts might have. And, for what purpose? If you believe Diretta is pointless or don’t see any benefit, move on. There are thousands of more interesting threads in this community for you to engage with.
My concern is that those who, like me, are interested, will think twice about commenting in this thread because they don’t want to deal with the negativity and relentless attack. People aggressively insisting that “it’s all in our heads” That’s a shame and not what this community should be about.
I propose that this thread be closed so that folks, like me, who see some merit in Diretta, can have a positive and productive conversation elsewhere. It would have been nice to use this thread to compare notes, implementation details, challenges, and success stories. But the dissenters are fierce and not having it.
I don’t interpret it this way. The OP was simply a link with text copied from the website (at that time). There was no commentary and only two replies, which suggests no interest.
The discussion resumed, most recently, with the question, “Does [Diretta] make sense?” This invites different perspectives to comment.
In hindsight, it may have been best if you had created a linked new topic to specifically discuss enthusiasm for Diretta. You are still at liberty to do this.
There may be disagreement in this thread, but that doesn’t mean the thread should be closed down. Anyone engaged in a discussion or argument can walk away.
And for the two of us that have tried it, we experienced an improvement. And for the one’s that didn’t try, Diretta is deemed useless/pointless? Go figure! ![]()
The only issue at hand here is the “knowledge” of the ignorant, which makes the subject uninteresting and unfriendly to try and discuss.
I base my attitude on real, unquoted knowledge. It takes more than “I can hear differences” to change my mind. Do we really need to go in circles about this?
Thread has been closed unfortunately as its obvious where this will end up yet again.
Thank you folks!