Roon Ready Zidoo Z9X 8K

Audio Gear Talk
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I purchased a Zidoo Z9X 8K a few weeks ago after a lengthy chat with ChatGPT about a budget-friendly Roon-ready device that is Native DSD and Multichannel Capable, with HDMI outputs. ChatGPT happily recommended the Roon Ready certified Zidoo Z9X which I confused with the Z9X 8K (not Roon Ready certified).

Still, I hoped for the best when I saw a post in the Roon community about the Zidoo UHD 8000 being Roon Ready with beta firmware updates. I asked the void if anyone with a Z9X 8K could confirm that the beta firmware accomplished a Roon Ready Z9X 8K. The void did not reply.

Last night I took the plunge and accepted the beta firmware upgrade on my Z9X 8K. My Roon Remotes do not see the Z9X 8K on the network unless I have the Roon App running on the Z9X 8K which is the same result I had with my Z9X 8K before the beta updates.

I hope that an update is coming that will add Roon Ready capability to the Z9X 8K. In the meantime…

Does anyone else have any experience with the Z9X 8K that might have achieved streaming bit-perfect audio from Roon to the device, without the app running on the Z9X 8K? Is there a setting that can be changed or a bit of voodoo that will accomplish this?

2 Likes
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Well, 15 months later, but I got one, and it seems to run bitperfect Roon okay. I previously used a Chromecast Ultra, which is no longer available. I really liked the Ultra display, which includes lyrics when available, which the Zidoo doesn’t have. Most annoyingly so far (just a day into testing it), it goes to a screensaver after just 5 or so minutes. Argh!

Wondering if it’s worth it trying to sideload a Roon Remote APK?

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Hi. How do you manage to get the Zidoo Z9X 8K to show as a bit perfect end point? I have one and I thought it wasn’t Roon ready. The only way it shows in Roon is as an Airplay end point, but no bit perfect.