RAAT, DLNA AND UPnP for a dummy please

Roon Software Discussion
1

I have read a lot about the ‘controversy’ between these but have absolutely no idea at all what it is all about.

When I added Roon it just plays like any other music program. It lives inside my MBPro and that has a connection to an Audiolab 8300cdq which is connected via RCA to my Yamaha RX-A3080 receiver. Then music comes out of my speakers.

I have a QNAP NAS and know I could stream from that but don’t get how to. ~My amp knows it’s there and lists all the files but when I click on them, the files appear empty, when they are not. meaning it lists the tracks but doesn’t play them. This is having the amp set to Music Sever which it finds str8 away.

My MBPro is a 1TB SSD 4 core i5 2.4KHz. It is exclusively used for music. Oh an for downloading music and reading Roon forums, using another MBPro as my ‘remote’ via screen share. Being disabled I cannot be arsed to get up and chnage the record so often. Since I discovered screen share I listen all day every day. Not quite.

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2

You will find a good explanation of RAAT and how it differs from other protocols in the Roon Knowledge Base.

The KB is a great resource for learning more about Roon generally.

3

Dlna/upnp is a loosely defined spec meant to be all things to all people, implemented by a hodgepodge of software and hardware vendors according to their interpretations and quirks. A robust implementation on all components can work fine. Different interpretations can be flaky. It is hit or miss.

Raat does one thing: move audio from the core to the endpoint. Roon develops and maintains the software at both ends, so they are in complete end-to-end control of the signal, timing, quality, reliability, interoperability, standards, etc.

That is my understanding, anyway, based on having used both.

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4

Thank you. I will go and read.

5

R-Neal-thank you. I understand the second paragraph. The first paragraph is meaningless to me. No idea what it means or what DLNA or UpNp are.

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6

Dlna/upnp are basically the same thing. In this context, it is a protocol for transport, transcoding, playback and control of digital media files over a network.

7

Most of that is beyond me.

However, what I think I have been told that is that RAAT doesn’t use them and is solely used for sending audio from the computer to the DAC or whatever makes the sound come out of the speakers.

8

Yes, you are correct. It is made by Roon for Roon to get audio from point A to B.

Question about your use of screen sharing. I also have Macs and I am wondering why you prefer screen sharing over using Roon on the control MacBook as the remote?

9

I have no idea what that means.

The MBP with Roon and the music on is part of the hi fi system which is all laid out together on top of nice wooden sideboards. The Tv is on the wall just above all this.

My adjustable armchair is about 12 or more feet from all of that. Because of my disabilities I can’t get up and down to change records every 40 minutes. I discovered screen share by accident and have used it ever since.

I can work on my photography on this computer and also control Roon from it.

10

oh ok. No big deal. If you wanted to, you can download Roon on the MBP that does not have it and use it to control the MBP that is connected to your HiFi system. But if your set up is working fine for you then maybe don’t mess with it.

11

Wouldn’t that be the same as what I am doing now? I’d still have to have this MBP open and have Roon open and somehow connect it to the one with the music and Roon on.

Though as I have said I am not a computer whiz so may have missed your point altogether.

12

Pretty much, I just have always found Screen Sharing slow and it doesn’t look great. But if its working good for you then don’t worry about it.

13

Thank you kindly. This is what I thought but am sensitive since my brain injury to com ing across as stupid so didn’t want to say what I thought in case I was wrong.

14

I think mine works so well because I have a 380mbs wifi speed.

15

All of these are specifications on how to move audio from point A to point B. Some specifications expand on that by including details like playlists, metadata, discovery, etc.

You’d think moving an audio file point A to point B would be simple; like dragging and dropping a file between your machine and your NAS. But it isn’t, its a bit more complicated than that and way more complicated than that based upon the technology you decide to use.

The only way to really understand any of these is to adopt a standard, learn about it, play with it, decide if it is for you. If you’re already using Roon than Roon+RAAT is the right path to stay on.

Note, that I started this by explaining that these are ways of getting audio from location A on your network to location B. If you’re running Roon on a machine connected to a DAC connected to your speakers with “local” files then you have no need for any of the specifications you just mentioned. This set-up does not need to move files across the network.