Hello,
I usually listen Hi Res (24 bit) either with Chromecast or with a DAC all from a Windows Surface Pro 7 (now on Windows 11) which is where Roon is located.
Sometime I need to use my Bluetooth Headphone: Sony WH-1000XM2. Before updating to Windows 11, Roon was able to distinguish the Sony Headphone on the list of outputs (downright, next to volume), certainly using a A2dp codec. I never checked but I pretty certain that I was listening to 24 bit.
Now Roon on Windows 11 doesn’t distinguish the Sony Headphone and I have to go through the System Output which is clearly a step down in audio quality (the path indicates "bit conversion 24 bit to 16 bit) and the sound quality is clearly downgraded.
Any idea how to have back (like on Windows 10) Roon directly dealing with the Sony headphone and providing a better audio quality?
Help much appreciated
Cheers
Cyrille
I think you are missing that there has to be compression happening, you are limited to a streaming bandwidth via Bluetooth.
The Sony can use their LDAC codec, but to my knowledge, the only OS that supports that is Android 9 and above.
With Windows, you might be using APTX which may get you around 400kbps, but are probably limited to around a 320kbps stream. LDAC gets you maximum of 990kbps.
CD quality is 16bit/44.1 and gives you a potential stream of 1411kbps. 24 bit would be even higher. Bluetooth cannot handle these higher bit rates, so uses some compression.
What you are seeing is that potentially now Roon is displaying more information about the bit rate that the PC is converting to.
Your best bet is to use an Android phone with LDAC as your end point, or maybe use the cable connection.
Thanks for your tips.
I checked on the Sony website and they don’t have a Windows 11 driver yet. I will check regularly.
I will look carefully at the link you provided to see if one of the solutions can solve my issue. I will keep you posted.
Thanks again and if you think about other fixes, I am will have my ear all open.
Cheer
C
Hello,
Thanks a lot for taking time to offer your comments suggestions.
Yes, I am certainly approximative in my understanding (not a digital audio expert here).
As I said, I am not sure about what was going on before (it was good quality, I didn’t bother). What I am sure is that (before, on Windows 10) I could hear the difference between CD quality and Roon taking Hi Res from Qobuz; I guess 2 different levels of compression.
Now, on Windows 11 and the headphone, I don’t even reach CD quality. I am not technical expert but I have rather good ears.
What I reckon is the following: Roon (and Qobuz app as well) don’t “find” the Sony headphone, so don’t “communicate” directly with it, with its DAC. Instead the information goes through the computer audio card (very poor quality) and then send it to the headphone, that’s why the quality is so poor. My guess.
What would confirm this idea is that (as mentioned earlier) Roon don’t offer me the option to “connect” with Sony headphone anymore in the list of outputs but only the System Output and Chromecast connection (before, in this dropdown menu, the Sony headphone was there).
My goal is to have Roon “finding” and “communicating” directly with the headphone.
Being less precise, I hope I am clearer.
Thanks anywhere for your comments and suggestions.
Both of them still very welcome
Cheers
C
My apologies to all but thanks for your suggestions
Solution was so simple that I was not seing it being convincing that the problem was with Windows update.
Roon > Settings > Audio … Sony WH-1000XM2 just needed to be enabled.
Now indeed, Android LDAC is doing a better job than the APTX on Windows.
And indeed, Roon compresses Hi Res to 16 bit for Bluetooth but still does a great job (I would say it sounds still better than a normal CD).
But avoiding the computer audio card gives me back some quality worth listening to (even if not the full Hi Res).
Thanks again for the contributions on this issue
Cheers
C