Now I’m totally confused. Are you saying that when using the LSX with Airplay 2 versus using the LSX with RAAT there is enough of a clearly audible difference to make the speakers worth less money?
As per this link: Airplay
Which explains some of the differences between Airplay 2 and RAAT and which does not mention any audible differences only important differences in the streaming protocols and the like.
I also understand that the maximum bit rate and sample frequency is much higher when using RAAT but as far as I can tell airplay 2 does allow for 16bit/44.1kHz streaming. Claiming that using, for example, a full 24bit/96kHz stream over RAAT versus using a down sampled 16bit/44.1kHz stream over Airplay 2 results in a clear audible difference without a carefully conducted listening test is not quite fair.
Now having said that if I had the choice of using RAAT instead of Airplay 2 I would most definitely use RAAT because of all the other advantages of the RAAT protocol.
Full disclosure:
At present none of the many Roon endpoints throughout my house use RAAT, these endpoints use (as identified under the “Audio” setting screen) either the Chromecast, Airplay or Squeezebox streaming protocols - and they all sound great! Again which doesn’t mean that some of the issues that I experience when streaming hi rez (24bit/96kHz) via WiFi to a Squeezebox Touch, like audible dropouts, would not be there if I was streaming to an endpoint at uses RAAT. However using the SB Touch with a wired Ethernet results in issue free playback of a hi rez stream (as is clearly stated in the Roon Knowledge Base).