Looking at getting a wireless speaker to take out on my deck that can be used with my Roon. Preferably Chromecast however I’m open to suggestions. Price point 1K +/- Canadian. Not looking to break the bank however I would like a great sounding speaker. It would act as its own zone in Roon and would need to be able to support hi-res files.
I have both the smallest Bluesound speaker as well as the largest and these would be OK for this purpose. They connect directly with Roon so you do not necessarily need Chromecast. They have a range of speakers and can handle a wide range of file types including hi-res (including MQA - though I do not use this). I used to have connectivity problems when I first obtained these - but these have all but disappeared since I upgraded my router. I am also pretty sure that the company that makes these is Canadian!
I appreciate the suggestion on Bluesound Paul. I will check it out a local audio shop.
I use a HEOS 3 with a raspberry pi3… Setup using a netgear wireless bridge (pi has terrible wireless due to no real antenna) which is powered off the HEOS USB jack for pi3 network connectivity and using the pi’s audio jack to the HEOS aux input. The HEOS is a decent speaker with plenty of class D power. The pi3 will cost less than $60, the HEOS $200 to $300… seems the price on the wireless bridge has gone pretty high though, but there should be other alternatives too. Now if you have a Denon AVR/amp with HEOS support you would only need the HEOS speaker and a power outlet.
Hi Robert,
It’s worth doing a forum Search, as this question or similar has come up quite a bit, for example here.
If you’re happy with Airplay support via Roon, Audiopro speakers might be worth checking out.
I am pretty sure Airplay does not support Hi Res files - it down samples them to CD quality.
Apologies, I missed that requirement from the OP. IIRC Chromecast (originally suggested) tops out at 96KHz so may also not suit the OP, in which case the thread I linked to above should be of some help.
I’d trade features and a reliable wireless connection for the high res capability.
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Thanks for the responses everyone. Very much appreciated.
Robert
You might also want to look at the Addon T3 + your choice of RasPi or Chromecast.
The open question is whether the USB port powers what’s plugged into it when disconnected from the mains.
Hi All,
Relative newbie here. I’ve got a nice setup with Roon running on a home network/NES and would like to be able to use it on a portable wifi speaker in my garden. Any thoughts on a best way to do this? Thanks.
Spare old cell.phone is what I use for garden mobile playback.
If you want something that does RAAT, so Roon’s streaming protocol, you can buy something from BlueSound.
Otherwise, you can either use anything that’s Android or Airplay compatible, an old smartphone, or if you’re feeling adventurous and are wary of companies not doing software right, glue a Pi+HAT running ropieee on the back of a dumb speaker as long as it has USB out, or you add a battery pack.
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I also find a mobile is the easiest option for ad hoc outdoor music - I use it to stream via Bluetooth to the surprisingly good UE Roll 2. Outdoor WiFi is via a Ubiquiti AC-M-Pro.
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Paul,
I took your advice and picked up the BlueSound Pulse Flex 2i over the weekend.
It works fantastic with Roon and my Bryston system.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Robert
My Bluesound Flex and Node Devices worked great with Roon too for a short while and now huge delays (10 sec) and sudden pause when using RAAT. Devices work flawlessly outside ROON but I am not happy with that since it is their RAAT capabilities that made me buy them in the first place. Many users seem to experience that and it appears Roon and Bluesound are passing the ball on the issue.
Are there any other self powered speakers that do RAAT other than Bluesound? Can’t find any.
Eric, I believe that Bowers & Wilkins Wedge works with Roon. That’s what Audio One suggested … however I ended up going with Bluesound as I was looking for something wireless.
Wondering if there is something else going on that may be causing the issues?
Robert
it’s been a couple of months now and I’m still using the Bluesound Pulse Flex for my patio.
It has proven to be the perfect outdoor / wireless speaker for my deck … at a great price. I couldn’t be happier with the decision.
It even syncs up perfectly with my Bryston!
Very happy to say the least.
Robert