Roon with Kii- Control

Audio Gear Talk
1

Hi!
I`m using the Kii Three+ Control wich is connectet with USB cable directly to my audiodata musicserver MS II. On the system the ASIO driver XMOS USB audio 2.0 ST 30A2 is installed. Now I have some questions:

  1. Why I can`t use the exclusive mode in the setting? Is the exclusive mode always on at ASIO- driver?
  2. The Kii can play DSD up to DSD 256, but I cant play DSD nativ with roon to the Kii Control. I only can use DoP or transform to PCM. Is this a problem with the driver?
  3. What ist the right setting for MQA, I have turned MGA- core- decoder on. Is this right?
  4. In the older versions of roon, you can see the list of samplerates wich the DAC is able to lay. Now I can`t find this. Where is this menue gone?
  5. Is it better to use DSP upsampling in this configuration. In this time DSP ist turned off. But if it better to use, which settings are the best for my system?
    Thanks for answers and help!
    Best regards!

Niklas

2
  1. ASIO is exclusive by default so the option won’t be there in the menu if using Windows. It isn’t there in Linux regardless.
  2. What is the operating system of your server. If it is Linux based then you are limited to DOP, probably with a DSD 128 ceiling.
  3. Core decoder should be on.
  4. That was removed in a past update. It was useful to some but I don’t know if there is a will to bring it back.
  5. The world is yours to sample. Try with and without. You may be limited by the power of your server but go with what you think sounds best.
3

Hi,

the audiodata Musikserver MS II is based on windows 7. So I think it should be Anke to play DSD Nativ. But I can only use DoP or convert to PCM. I think its a problem with the ASIO- driver.

The exlusiv- Mode is always on, because the Server is based on windows, right?

I attached screenshots of my setting.

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9253FB76-AF8D-41EE-9964-170F4C608056.jpg1242Ă—2208 311 KB
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5AE77F60-635F-46F6-BA93-577FB369CA3D.jpg1242Ă—2208 285 KB

Greets,

Niklas

4

Look at the signal path, it should tell you if it is connected via ASIO or Wapasi or other methods. ASIO should give you full resolution in native DSD if the manufacturer says it should.

5

The Kii Control only allows DSD 128, not 256. That’s the official spec.

If the Kii only allows DoP it should make no difference to you.

It is an audiophile myth that DoP is not “native”. It is.
DoP makes zero changes in the DSD data and there is no conversion. The data is still native DSD.
It just sends it in a PCM “shell” to fool the USB receiver that it is receiving PCM so that it is able to accept it.

“Native DSD” means not converted to another format. So DoP is still native DSD. Saying DoP isn’t “native” is just a misuse of the term pushed by some marketers to make their product seem superior and the idea is also promoted by some with audiophile nervosa who are always trying to find issues that aren’t there.

Yes, MQA decoder turned on if you want the “first unfold”.

Which settings are best? Listen and decide. Kii recommended to me to leave everything at it’s native setting and let the Kii do the conversion where necessary. Of course this doesn’t apply to rates above PCM 384, and DSD 128, which are the limits of the Kii.

6

Hi danny and Henry,

thanks for the answers and the help! I am a newbie in using roon. It´s an fantastic setup now. :grinning:

Greets,

Niklas

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