So I have a record player connected to a Sonos 5 (I know this isn’t very audiophile but there you go). Currently to switch to Line-In I use the Sonos App and this is the only time I dip out of Roon.
No doubt there’s some pretty simple technical explanation as to why this can’t be done within Roon but the option would be good I think.
Or maybe you can and i just haven’t realised how!
Anyway I just wondered if anyone had views on whether this is possible/desirable? Obviously I mean for any system not just Sonos.
We have been after line in on Roon since it began. The closest thing to a work around was to stream the output of your phono-stage and tune in to it via Roon Internet radio. But it’s only function would be to apply the same DSP to your vinyl. No nice screen, no track info.
It is tricky.
If it is computer-based (Youtube, Spotify…), the external source you are feeding in will have its own user interface, and that user interface cannot in general run on the Roon server, because many of them don’t have screen, keyboard or mouse, and in any case they are often in another room, basement or closet.
Typically you’ll want to run it on the remote you are using for Roon, so you don’t have to juggle multiple devices.
But this remote (often a tablet, laptop, phone) is usually not the output zone, so the signal has to be sent from the tablet to the Core (for DSP, multizone streaming, etc.) and then from there to the output zone. This means RAAT backwards.
If the source is not computer-based, like the OP’s turntable, it may also be connected to a remote device, not the Core in the basement which doesn’t have a line in anyway, so it’s the same problem.
Not Impossible, but a fair amount of work.
The specific case of the OP, just switching the behavior of an endpoint and not really involving Roon, is probably less interesting for Roon, since there are hundreds of them with different capabilities and protocols.
Whatever happened to this forum that people feel the need to excuse themselves that they actually enjoy music on whatever “non-audiophile” playback system.
Are you after line in to Roon (ie so analog -> digital -> processed by Roon), or do you just want Roon to switch the sonus input for you for eg, like switching a zone in Roon or external device control in Roon?
If the latter, then maybe see if there is a sonus switching extension for Roon. If harmony can work with sonus (I have no idea) that that’s another option as an extension exists to control harmony.
If analog -> ADC -> Roon, then the only current method I can think of is to setup internet radio streaming software with an audio interface (with an ADC) and add it as an internet radio station in Roon. There are a few decent Linux based options for this.
The comment was meant light-heartedly - just poking fun at myself. Apologies if that didn’t come across.
And thanks to everyone for all the interesting replies - it’s an education to learn how people are using Roon and the potential future they see for it.
On the Sonos 5 you can input to a standard 3.5mm Line In so I just have my phono stage straight to that. So no ADC (Audio Digital Converter - correct?).
I’m not really aware of Roon extensions. Is there a marketplace?