I’ve been searching for Roon Ready DAPs, and besides Astell&Kern SP2000/1000 could find none (and those are suffering apparently from Android quality issues).
Are there really no other DAPs that play well with Roon when on home network?
If you know of any, would love any suggestions… thanks!
Because there are none.
You can try Fiio but because it’s basically an Android-based you will get horrible sound quality in the output - been reported numerous times, it’s relTed to the chipset if I recall.
Currently Roon doesn’t allow any offline streaming which is usually the main purpose of DAPs. Even with AKs it’s quite limited.
Thanks @paxromana
I was really hoping I was missing something… since Roon is limited to use on-site, online streaming is assumed, and was hoping a DAP on local network may work
I guess that use case is surprisingly in low demand for anyone to solve for…
Well, you could use an iPhone/iPad/iPod. Whats the primary object; Absolute portability or soundquality?
Add a portable DAC such as a Chord Mojo/Hugo Topping NS-4 DSD and you have a high rez capable endpoint for cans.
A Pioneer XDP-100R is in my collection and performs similarly, but sounds best with it’s dedicated player and locla files.
The only DAPs, which are at the moment ROON-Ready are the Astell Kern SP2000 and SP1000, which are able to put out bitperfect sound.
All the other android based DAPs (I’ve also used a Pioneer XDP-100R and it doesn’t sound good with RoonBridge installed; using usb audio player pro sounds much better) on which you can install the RoonBridge, using the standard android driver, which is resampling to 48 kHz.
I’m waiting now for my A&K SP2000, which isn’t a real mobile solution (too big for using it outside), but Roon is also not a mobile system…
The use case for me is moving around my house/backyard and still wanting something equivalent to my desktop DAC/amp in quality (in my case Brooklyn Bridge). I could easily use my iPhone, and have done so with a dragonfly, but was hoping for higher quality Roon player, and to the ability to keep my phone untether to anything.
I have used the iFi xCAN for this. It has the power to drive most of my headphones well and is small (not as small as the dragonfly though).
xCan is Bluetooth to the phone and then headphones or CIEMs plugged into the xCAN.
Leave the phone in your pocket or (depending on the distance) leave the phone on my desk. Then I
can walk around with the xCan and my headphones of choice. Yes, it takes two pockets to carry both if you need your hands free. I usually listen in shuffle mode and then use my smartwatch to advance past tracks I don’t want to listen to. Or I can go to the phone and populate a the queue or select a song.
I have also used the iFi micro iDSD Black Label for this, but it needs to be tethered to the phone and doe snot fit in your pocket.
thanks @bearFNF much appreciated! will check it out.
do you find the bluetooth connection degared audio quality in a perceptible way?
I use a FiiO M15 with very good results. They’re in the middle of changing their product range at the moment, I’m hoping there will be a greater level of DSD support on their new range.
I do not perceive a degraded SQ when the phone and xCAN are close to each other. However, it is sensitive to the distance between the phone and the xCAN and any other interference in the area which is a limitation of blue tooth. With my Note8 I can get about 15-20 feet away before I hear the blue tooth struggling to keep connected. This varies depending on obstructions and other interference. I usually use my JHAudio Roxanne V2 CIEMs with it. YMMV.
Then go for Chord Mojo/Poly. Awesome DAC, solid sound. Roon Ready.
Battery life ain’t the greatest but considering every other option is the best, imo
With the chord mojo/poly you would still need your phone or a Roon remote of some sort to pick tracks. unless I am mistaken. Does it have the capability to pause and skip back and forth through tracks with out the a Roon remote?
I do like the fact that it is WiFi capable and Roon ready.
I’m hoping Astell and Kern rolls the Roon firmware to the lower priced players, but at this point they don’t seem to be interested in that. I sent them an email and got a response which listed the Roon capable players you mentioned -----and any others forthcoming would be announced accordingly.
That to me sounded like a no.
Whilst my R5 is not fully bit perfect for any thing over 44.1/24 it still sounds very good even with Roon downsampling and sounds on par with apps that pass through and are fully bit perfect. Obviously hires is better as it’s not downsampled from it internal player or Qobux but Redbook and 44.1/24 of which there is a lot more of sound just as good.
It would be great to have it all bit perfect, but it’s far from horrible and it’s better than my phone can ever do on it own.
I think your best bet is a Chord Mojo/Poly. (Or, if you’re feeling a little crazy, a Hugo2/2Go.). Both are highly competent DAC/headphone amps. Neither has ideal wi-fi implementation, but it’s adequate. In each case you will need a separate Roon controller, as with any endpoint.
Well, any endpoint that is not also a controller.
I’m owning also a SR25 and I don’t expect, that it will become in the future a Roon endpoint, because the WIFI performance isn’t great (only 2,4 gHz).
Also for the SP2000 A&K decided to allow “only” DSD64 and PCM 192 through RAAT with the argument about the WIFI…
My meaning about the A&K DAPs: Really good for playing local files, but not ideal for streaming (AKConnect allows no gapless replay as DLNA client!).
And all the people, which are meaning, that android based DAPs are sounding good with Roon, while resampling: Take a real good Headphone or IEM and compare it with Roon-Ready devices. For me, there is a great difference in the SQ and I don’t have golden ears.
For a cheaper mobile solution, I’ll preferr a iPhone/iPad + DAC package.
The Roon option would be nice, but I agree wholeheartedly the local card stored files play best.
I have an AK Kann and SE200.
Isn’t this a bit ironic? We want flawless sound quality in our ears while we are:
I’m not dismissing your search @goldwerger, just trying to see the real world scenarios?
Maybe we just see thing differently, but if i want the music experience i sit down and listen, whether capsuled in a good set of head phones or in the sweetspot in front of my speakers.
Sorry 'bout the philosophy excursion…
When it’s background music or music to work to/ work out too I would be hard pressed to take the time to suddenly realize it’s NOT hires.
Different strokes for different folks of course!