Getting Roon for my father for Christmas. Don’t know yet if he is rocking only analog or has a digital capable preamp ATM (was on a retro kick). For either scenario, How does the Sonos Connect compare to the HifiBerry DAC+DSP in terms of audio performance and Roon performance? He will only be using as a source (no volume control) and only concerned about control via Roon.
Thanks for the help and looking forward to bringing him into this century . . .
I own both. Both are good products. Sonos is limited to 16/48. Sonos has good software independent of Roon. It needs a DAC to sound decent IMO. The HiFiBerry DAC+ is a no frills Roon capable solution. The DAC is decent. Sonos Connect costs twice as much.
I’d buy him the HiFiBerry DAC+ kit. You should be able to put it together in an hour. He will need help installing the software (I had to research “how to” but it works). Plenty of help on the forums to get that done.
I bought it as a toy, curious about the RPI3 rage, already having several Roon endpoints.
Thanks, I have access to dealer pricing for Sonos so it brings the price point a little closer . .I’m also technically able and won’t have any issues with the Pi. This is for a dedicated Music Room and will only be playing from his library so If you say the HiFiBerry sounds better than so be it. Hopefully he get’s back into it and this is a stop-gap for a real DAC/player.
Open to other <$300 Roon Ready DAC options that perform better than these.
If it is only a stopgap and you want it to just work then the sonos is easier. The output is fine too certainly “good enough”. The other alternative if you are just getting one zone is to get a chromecast audio which you can use just as it is or add a cheap dac to.
The Pi and sonos can be attached wirelessly or by Ethernet, the chromecast only wireless.
Actually, Google sells an alternate power brick that has an Ethernet adapter in it. It was designed for the original Chromecast, but works for all the others since. The Ultra even comes with it as standard, if I recall correctly.
You’d need an hdmi dac though.
No, I wasn’t saying you need to buy an Ultra; just that the Ultra includes the Ethernet adapter in the box. The adapter is sold separately and works with ALL Chromecast devices, including the Chromecast Audio. The adapter costs $15: https://store.google.com/us/product/ethernet_adapter_for_chromecast?hl=en-US
Ah got you, ta.