The utilization of PTP ethernet communications protocol is much better to reduce jitter. Roon has not it incorporated.
I ask if using a router or switch with that protocol would be compatible with present Roon?
Also, if yes, has anybody implemented a change in the ROCK setup, the PTP protocol?
PTP is a great way to keep computer clocks aligned in studios, but the jitter that affects sound quality happens afterRoon’s packets have already landed in your endpoint’s buffer.
RAAT deliberately lets the DAC’s own crystal set the pace and keeps buffers deep enough that ordinary Ethernet timing variations never reach the audio clock. Roon/RAAT endpoints do not use PTP, so a PTP-capable switch or router is 100 % compatible — it just won’t change what you hear.
To get any audible benefit from PTP you’d need an ecosystem that’s designed around it (AES67, Dante, Ravenna, AVB). With today’s Roon/ROCK builds, there’s nothing to “turn on”, and nothing to gain, by adding PTP to a domestic two-channel setup.
Pertis Thank you so much for your info.
I am trying to improve as much as feasible my setup without investing in new streamer or DAC.
I plan to get a new router instead of switch, galvanic isolated via optical connection with the first router, and I though to get that router with PTP.
Good call trying to squeeze a bit more from what you already own instead of buying a new streamer or DAC right away. Here’s a simpler rundown.
Using fibre (optical)
If you’re worried about hums or buzzes caused by tiny electrical loops, running a short fibre-optic hop will break that connection and keep things quiet. You don’t have to swap your main router for this—two small media converters or a cheap switch with fibre ports does the same job.
Router or switch—does it matter?
For Roon the network’s only job is to hand over the music files without dropping them. The player on your endpoint stores a buffer of data, so timing quirks on the network don’t reach the audio. If your current router is stable, just add a quiet gigabit switch on the audio side (that’s where you plug in the fibre link) and call it done.
“PTP-ready” gear
Precision Time Protocol is useful in big recording studios that stream dozens of tracks at once, but Roon players simply ignore those timing packets. Buying a router that advertises PTP won’t hurt anything—it just won’t change how your system sounds.
Better places to spend money
So, go ahead with the fibre run if you need isolation, skip the PTP marketing labels, and keep the savings for upgrades that actually pay off.
Enjoy the music!
Using Ethernet over optical fibre will not usually eliminate electrical loops. Ethernet transceivers already contain inductive couplers and thus provide galvanic isolation provided that you use UTP CAT5e, CAT6 or CAT6a cables. Using such cables, there is no direct electrical connection between the devices at each end of the Ethernet cable (well, at least not via the Ethernet cable).
True, but, IMHO, pointless. In addition, if you are using media converters, you are adding to the link complexity which can only degrade reliability and add difficulties when trying to diagnose connectivity issues. Personally, I prefer to keep things as simple as possible.
You’re correct: standard copper Ethernet already uses transformer coupling, so with unshielded Cat-5e/6 there’s no direct DC path between devices. In most home-audio setups that provides all the isolation that’s needed, and adding media converters just to “go optical” can complicate the chain without giving a real benefit.
I only reach for fibre in special cases—very long links on different mains circuits, shielded cables that bond to chassis at both ends, or gear in separate buildings with noticeable ground-potential differences. In situations like those, the extra isolation (plus the extremely low capacitance of fibre) can help, but they’re rare in a normal living-room system.
So for a straightforward Roon network running off the same breaker panel, sticking with copper and avoiding the extra hardware is the simpler—and perfectly sound—approach
Again thanks so much for your advice Helpful!!