I currently have a streamer to which one DAC is connected.
I am thinking of getting a different streamer with built-in DAC that has a dedicated USB-Audio output to connect another DAC.
Will Roon see this setup as 2 different audio devices do I can adjust the settings per DAC?
The answer really depends on the streamer and DAC combination.
But I have had multiple DACs connected to my desktop PC running Windows and to several RPis running RoPieee and the DACs all show up as āzonesā that can be enabled and configured in Roon. The DACs just need to turned on and then enabled in Settings/Audio in Roon.
They show up like this:
So, best way to find out for sure in your case is to try it and see.
You might post what streamer and DACs you are using and see if there is someone that is doing the same thing that can tell you for sure.
Thanks!
For the moment Iām using a Luxman NT-07 streamer with DA-06 DAC.
I was going to replace the NT-07 with an Aurender A30 (streamer-DAC-ripper) as soon as that device gets the Roon Ready firmware update.
I donāt see Aurender mention any multi-room/zone capability for that Audio Server. So chances are slim the device will offer what youāre looking for IMO. For reliable Information about the Aurender A30 and itās planned feature set for certification you best ask Aurender directly.
Note: The Roon software is not able to provide features a deviceās manufacturer hasnāt built into a given device first hand.
The Aurender will be used as a streamer (just like the NT-07), DAC and ripper.
When used with Roon all Aurender devices act as an endpoint, not a server.
Multiroom is handled by the server/core which is a Nucleus in my case.
But I have no need for multiroom.
I think Iād say the A30 is the wrong box for the task - but maybe it makes sense for your system architectureā¦ 
Why? Is it because it has a server built-in?
All Aurenders have that.
The server software, storage and optical drive all seem to be unecessary for a Roon Ready endpoint, and from an architectural point of view those functions are probably better elsewhere on your network. If you intend using the internal storage, the system would be moving data from the Aurender to Roon, before being sent back again (using the RAAT protocol - but only once the A30 is certified Roon Ready). It will work - many people do it - but itās probably better to keep the traffic and procesing off the endpoint. A Roon Ready implementation would also be unlikely to use the ācachingā function of the A30 - Roon Ready functionality requires a small buffer.
True but as said I will only use it as a streamer DAC and ripper, my server/storage is a Nucleus.
So for me it would replace the NT-07 and ACS100 I have now and give me the benefit of a second DAC. I have a few headphone amps next to my speaker amp.
Fair enough. To me it still seems a clunky (and costly) solution to a requirement that could be met more elegantly, and I suspect the āaccess to a second DACā will be a bit of a faff. But until we actually see Aurenderās Roon implementation we wonāt know. Do any of the currently certified Aurenders do what you want?
No idea actually, thatās why I asked.
I suspect Roon would detect the 2 DACs so they would show up as 2 different endpoints even if connected to the same streamer.
Would be nice to hear from someone who has an Aurender A series.
The question better be directed at Aurender, as already noted itās their implementation that decides.
Roon does this with, as an example, a Raspberry Pi with both a HAT DAC (or SPDIF HAT) along with a USB connected DAC. I cant remember if they require any special caution though, but i believe grouping the both would be a difficult quest.
I did mail Aurender and am waiting for a response.
Just thought Iād ask here, maybe others have experience with one streamer driving 2 DACs.
Like you say with the Pi for example, it probably works that way.
As far as I can see, none of the A series are certified yet. Letās see what Aurender sayā¦
Yeah indeed, I got confused a bit with the N series but those donāt have an internal DAC.
What do you see as a more elegant solution?
Any recommendations to a 2-DAC system with streamer?
I guess for ripping keeping the ACS100 then?
It was a while ago since i tried this but i re-iterated these trials today, with a RaspberryPi based Audiophonics SabreDAC Touch.
It was a successful test, and this āoneā endpoint/zone (SabreHAT for the Pi, along with a USB-connection to the Denafrips Ares II) could also be grouped.
Still, i donāt really see the point of this exercise, and i donāt think youāll be getting the best out of either of the Zonesā¦
There will be compromises made, one stream - one clock as an example. It would be up to the device to keep separate clocks in sync etc.
Thank you Mikael!
So the Pi is used as streamer with an integrated DAC if I understand correctly and you connected the Ares via USB.
I see the show up as two devices which is what I am looking for.
I have not much knowledge about the clocks but wonder if it would matter much in my case?
I would not be grouping the two DACs and would not be using them at the same time either, I would use either one or the other at a time.
The setup would look like this:
USB is asynchronous, and the DAC controls timing.
With the Raspberry Pi, Iāve had three zones (3 DACs) playing simultaneously.
Whether a DAC connected to the Aurender is recognized by Roon is moot, and only the manuafacturer or an end user with this setup can confirm this.
I think it depends on your priorities. I tend to lean towards an architecture that doesnāt duplicate functionality across several boxes, but hapily concede that itās not always the ābestā for convenience, sound quality, or cost.
If you wish to run more than one DAC - for whatever reason, and however you wish to connect their output into your system - I think Iād be looking for a āstreamerā optimised for the preferred method of driving that DAC, whether that be usb, optical, coax, i2s or whatever.
Much of the functionality of a traditional āstreamerā will be redundant if used solely as a Roon Ready endpoint - which is one reason why Pi-based solutions are popular.
If you donāt want to DIY, you could buy a lot of (say) Wiim Pros for the price of an Aurender. Would it sound as good? That depends on how fussy the connected DAC is.
Similarly, one mini-computer running Roon Bridge, with several usb connected DACs, would functionally do what you want.
The bottom line, though, is that if you want to run an A30 as a Roon endpoint because you like itās internal DAC but want to be able to try alternatives, itāll probably be fineā¦ but in that mode, possibly no ābetterā than a Pi.
