Roon and Auralic Altair

Audio Gear Talk Auralic
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Anyone looking at picking up the new Auralic “Altair”? I’m looking for a RoonReady endpoint that I can use for a bedroom headphone system. Looks like the perfect “appliance” for the application. I run RoonServer on a dedicated media-pc, music files are on a Synology NAS. I’d be plugging the Altair into a Sennheiser HDVA-600 headphone amplifier and listening via Sennheiser HD 800 cans. I think this could be a nice little compact system!

And apologies to the moderators is this is veering off topic. Feel free to move.

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If Rene doesn’t mind me stealing his picture (or thunder)

A Pi3 with IQAudio DAC+ in the IQ smoked case might also fit the bill.

SJB

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I’m planning on making a headphone endpoint from this:

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The Altair of course has many capabilities beyond the devices earlier in this thread. It is one of the first Roon Ready DACs and incorporates a lot of known and tested Auralic tech. I understand there are still differences between a Vega/Aries combination and the Altair, but it seems to package most of the functionality of both into the one unit.

The only thing missing so far as connectivity is concerned is HQP NAA which is becoming increasingly available on other network endpoints. I understand Auralic hasn’t ruled out incorporating an NAA in the Aries, Altair etc. but hasn’t announced any plans to add it either.

1 Like
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I think the Altair will serve me well as a Roon endpoint for my bedroom headphone system. Balanced output to my Sennheiser HDVA 600 headphone amp and on to my Sennheiser HD 800’s. It won’t suck.

I guess I’m repeating myself. I must be excited!

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Altair is very appealing to me… but like you say, lack of NAA is a definite minus point for it.

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Since I don’t know what that will do for me I guess I won’t miss it. I toyed around with HQP in my main system and just found it wasn’t worth the trouble. I know that a lot of Computer a audiophiles swear by it though.