Thanks.
HAF has some interesting notes and also plugins for Foobar which led me to that it should then also be possible to integrate Dirac (which makes room correction both in the time and frequency domain) and then output to UPnP
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTE7hpIzqlu3X25384mkODlqg0nBzsNG/view
Then the ZEN stream could forward it via USB to DAC like Gustard X26 Pro
Hi Kyle. No. But, I tell you what. I’m a big fan of VitOS, but I’ve been trying the new iFi Audio ZEN Stream ($399) this week, and it’s amazing. I didn’t think anything could beat VitOS. I was wrong. The difference is not small.
The ZEN Stream supports both USB and S/PDIF out, so you can experiment with each to see which works best with your SU-9. It has a “Roon only” mode that is set via switch on the back. This disables all non-Roon processes for lower CPU utilization and better sound. It works great.
Is the Zen Stream Roon Ready yet? It is advertised as ‘coming soon’ on their website.
Anthony it is not certified yet, but work’s fine.
There seems to be quite a few of us with them on the forums.
No reported issues yet, besides a few bad power supplies or already opened boxes.
There is a thread for it where David has posted a link to his early review as well
OK thanks but I’m confused now. I thought that devices were not allowed to work with Roon until they were officially Roon Ready? The clampdown last September stopped some devices working due to lack of official Roon Ready status. So how come this one bypassed that?
Not really sure why, I held off purchasing one for a couple of weeks until other users had confirmed it as working.
I am guessing that because it uses the Roon bridge for Linux then it treat’s it like a Raspberry pi device. That’s the best I can come up with.
I have verified that the Roon Bridge software that is installed on the iFi Audio ZEN Stream is bit-for-bit identical to the ARM version that Roon provides for various Raspberry Pi installations (eg., RoPieee, DietPi, VitOS, Volumio). So, there are no compatibility issues with Roon. The ZEN Stream is already running R.A.A.T. software provided by Roon Labs.
Roon Ready certification might bring further improvements, like a more complete signal path, etc. These are largely cosmetic rather than functional.
David
Great news that you have confirmed that. Hopefully certification should not take too long.
Personally I would recommend a NUC 10 with ROCK as Roon Core and an Roon Ready streamer like the Matrix Audio mini-i Pro 3 or the ARCAM ST60 Streamer. Both are Roon Ready and sound great without Dirac Live. I was also interested in the NAD 658 but lost interest after reading a few reviews and complaints from owners. The MA mini-i Pro 3 is in my office and the ARCAM ST60 in my living room setup.
Enrico I certainly can’t argue with that, as I run a Nuc with Rock and the Matrix Audio mini-i Pro 3 as my main living room listening headphones.
The price is very different though, so not quite an apple’s to apple’s comparison, as as the specs very different. The MA is a beast of a device that is almost perfect (if only it had Chromecast audio built-in, but thankfully I have a couple of those in the house) and with the RCA and XLR out as well is great for feeding a secondary output as well.
At £399 the Zen stream is perfect for anyone who would otherwise pimp up a Pi with quality power supply, usb noise suppression etc as it it cheaper than the sum of its parts.
I have the same Yeti Mug. Love 'em.
Focus Fidelity is short before releasing their own measurement module, making it a great and easy to use all-in-one solution.
