ROON + MQA + Digital Speakers

How can I get Roon to work with MQA and active speakers like Dynaudio XD´s (IMac->DynaudioXD)

I wanted to try ifi audio´s iOne, but as soon as the MQA update was done, the digital output of the ifi was removed.

best KnockKnock

What inputs do the Dynaudio speakers have?

Both coaxial (XD s built in dac) (192/24) and analog inputs.
So OP would need a separate MQA dac into the analog inputs.
I own flagship model XD 60…4 drivers.

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https://www.dynaudio.com/home-audio/focus-xd/focus-60-xd#tech-specs

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I always go for the Coax digital input

KnockKnock

What about a good quality optical-coaxial converter sitting between optical out of the iMac and coaxial in of the speakers?

There’s loads around from about £10 but you can spend more.

You’ll need to check it can pass 96/24, but it should do. Roon would do the first unfold and pass 88.2/24 or 96/24 (depending on MQA source) to the iMac optical out. Convert it to coaxial with your £10 converter box and use a single RCA to feed the Dynaudio’s Coaxial digital input.

Worth a try for a tenner.

The Focus XD indeed do not support MQA but you can ROON decode it for you. I use a Raspberry/Digione combo with my Focus 60 XD and it works flawless with MQA: ROON takes care of the decoding.

Dear Dan
Bcs optical audio maxes out on 96 kHz

How do you connect it? I´d like USB out of iMac and SPDIF into my DynXD´s

(Roon only does the first encoding)

How far is the iMac from the XD’s?

The DigiOne @Rdg is really good.

https://allo.com/sparky/digione-player.html

Otherwise, a USB to SPDIF (Digi Coax) converter. What’s your budget?

@KnockKnock

First unfold of MQA maxes out at 96khz also.

If you want to go the whole hog, you’ll need an MQA certified DAC and either use it as a renderer… passing on 192/24 to your co-ax speaker input, or as a full DAC… passing analogue to the Dynaudios.

If you think it’s worth the extra outlay for 192/24 over 96/24, then go for that. But… you can get 96/24 for just over a tenner. :grinning:

If you want to use an USB out then you will need an USB-SPDIF converter. You can take a look at the Schiit Eitr.

The Digione has a SPDIF coax out so i connect it directly to the speakers ‘direct in’ input.

This looks like a nice piece of kit, if you wanted to go down the ‘optical out’ route.

As I say… you won’t get more than 96/24, but that’s the maximum resolution you’ll get with any of the options discussed here.

I’m not sure if there exists a device that will take MQA raw or first unfold MQA via either USB or Ethernet and output 192/24 coaxial s/pdif.

Bluesound node (as an example)… I believe… only outputs the full 192/24 via it’s analogue outputs. Its digital outputs are 96/24 max.

Most of the MQA renderers I’ve seen are also DACs.