Matrix Audio X-SABRE Pro (MQA)
4G router - ethernet cable Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)
Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
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TEXT GOES When I set up the Matrix Audio X-SABRE Pro (MQA) Roon couldn’t identify it.
However it has been set up as a zone and Roon recognises the dac.
Everything was ok until I bought a DSD512 album. It appears that when I play this album Roon downsamples it to DSD256 with a high quality rating.
When I play a DSD256 album that becomes lossless.
The DAC supports DSD512 recordings.
In Roon the maximum rate I can use Is DSD256 as far as I can see.
I’ve got to ask why my DAC is not in Roons list?
Anybody any suggestions.
DSD512 requires “native USB DSD streaming”. The Mac OSX kernel does not include support for native USB DSD streaming. This is not something Roon can fix. If you want access to DSD512, most economical route is use a Raspberry Pi (preferably a 4) as a Roon Endpoint. The X-SABRE Pro is based on the XMOS USB chip, if I recall correctly, and Linux has generic recognition of XMOS so should hopefully just recognize it.
For a device to be listed officially in Roon’s list, it has to go through a certification process. That involves the vendor sending hardware to Roon, and presumably also paying Roon for the certification process. But most devices will work anyway. The certification is just a formal blessing that it’s been tested.
I guess the real question is, does the Matrix use XMOS’ USB Vendor ID or their own vanity Vendor ID? If it uses XMOS’, it should be handled by (recent?) Linux kernels:
Otherwise, they’ll need to submit a patch to upstream to have their vanity Vendor ID added.
You said you are on a Mac. Can you open up System Information (should be in /Applications/Utilities). Then click on USB in the sidebar. It should show you all devices found. Try to figure out which one is the X-SABRE. When you click on that entry in the scrolling list at the top, it will display info about the USB device. In that info is Vendor ID and Product ID. Can you please report what those two values are?
So one of the screenshots in the firmware update instructions for the latest firmware shows 20B1 as the vendor ID, which is XMOS. So it looks like it actually does use the generic XMOS USB Vendor ID and thus Linux should recognize it as supporting native DSD mode.
Now I understand that the problem is with the mac how can I work round it. In the near future I’m going buy a music streamer, but for now I’m stuck with what I’ve got.
Is it possible to set the roon core audio on an external ssd and link that to the hard drive where My music is held and connect that drive direct to the dac.
Any comments and advice would be welcome.
In Roon the music always goes through the server, so putting music elsewhere would not accomplish what you want.
You basically have two options, get a linux device that allows the highest rate DSD with the matrix or use a Windows computer and load the Matrix drivers.