Two questions.
When you use Qobuz connect, does the volume change slightly?
From personal experience I’ve had my system sound outstanding, captivating and many other wonderful descriptions. Other days it’s just ok. Has that ever happened to you?
Just wondering.
This is not possible due to the nature of digital signals. If the data being used in the DAC for digital to analog conversion and the conversion is identical as well as the volume, it would be a thing of perception.
In case the difference in perception is backed by a different final analog output it’s the right way to ask the DAC’s manufacturer.
Volume: not that I perceive but, realistically, it is possible.
day to day performance changes: yes, I have experienced this but not since my system has been powered by batteries - pretty consistent performance (except when I have a cold 
).
@maddib i hear you…I’m just reporting my experiences.
This is an absolutely superb response from Weiss. Some manufacturers (INNUOS comes to mind) would claim that their own software ‘sounds better’, without realising that if indeed it sounds better it reveals a problem with their hardware. So props to Daniel Weiss for regarding this as an issue to be investigated.
That’s a fair point, and it’s actually one of the reasons I contacted Weiss directly.
In theory, if the PCM data, volume level, and DAC conversion process are all identical, then there should be no audible difference.
What makes this interesting to me is that Daniel Weiss replied that they have received several similar reports from users and are now investigating the matter further.
At this stage I’m not claiming to know the cause. It could turn out to be an implementation detail, a configuration difference, or simply perception. That’s precisely why I thought it was worth asking the manufacturer.
I’m curious to see what Weiss eventually finds.
I agree. One of the things I appreciated most was that Daniel didn’t dismiss the observation and also didn’t jump to conclusions. He simply acknowledged the reports and said Weiss will investigate, which I think is the right approach.
I see that yesterday there was a further Weiss update which reverts to an earlier version of RAAT’s FLAC codex. I expect this was in response to these observations, and look forward to checking it out. I had a similar experience to others - the native Qobuz files sounded a bit more saturated.
The RAAT protocol transmits ‘raw’ pcm; FLAC is unpacked on the server. I’m unsure what is meant here. Can you tell us where you found this information?
Release notes for 2.8.4. "Roon Ready:
Odd. Doesn’t make sense really. Maybe something is lost in translation!
I dont want this topic to close until we hear what Weiss report from their investigations.
When there is something new to add and a topic closed in the meantime, it’s always possible to click the flag button on the topic (at the bottom), choose “Something else” as the reason, and ask the moderators to reopen it.
Just as an update, a user on Head-Fi pointed out that Weiss has released firmware 2.8.4, and one of the release notes states:
“Roon Ready: - roll back to RAAT v1.1.47 (revert FLAC codec)”
Given that Daniel Weiss previously told me that Weiss had received several similar reports regarding Qobuz Connect versus Qobuz via Roon and that they were investigating the matter, some users are wondering whether the rollback and the ongoing investigation could be related.
To be clear, I have no information that confirms they are related, and I don’t want to speculate. I simply thought it was an interesting development that may be relevant to the discussion.
Hopefully Weiss will provide more information if they identify a specific cause.
Yeah, but as was pointed out a few posts above it does not really make sense because FLAC never arrives on the enpoint:
Sorry, people wrong post i’m also discussing this on Head-fi
Well, but the way it is written in the release notes does not make any sense at any time, whether related to the issue or not. Probably something got lost, so it would be interesting to know what was really changed.
Have you tried the new firmware Jeffrey, and did you notice any difference?
No, not yet, but I am going to try it tomorrow
This is what I got back from my discussion on Head-fi
Here’s a link:
Post in thread ‘Weiss Engineering DAC50x (DAC501 and DAC502) Review’
Just to provide an update from Daniel Weiss on Head-Fi:
The firmware 2.8.4 rollback to RAAT v1.1.47 is not related to the ongoing Qobuz Connect vs Roon investigation.
According to Daniel, the rollback was necessary because Roon playback could stop working when certain MUSE features were enabled.
He also confirmed that Weiss is still investigating the Qobuz / Roon observations and added an important reminder:
“Make sure to have all Roon MUSE things disabled when you compare Qobuz via Roon with Qobuz Connect.”
So for now, it appears the firmware rollback and the Qobuz-vs-Roon discussion are separate issues.