Virtual Zones (Multiple Zone + Device + DSP Settings per endpoint/direct connected device)

Feedback Feature Suggestions
1

Today Zone settings + Device Settings + DSP Settings are configurable only once per endpoint/directly connected audio device.

This means we can’t have different “modes” with different combinations of settings for our primary endpoint/audio device.

Same goes for any other setting combination available under Zone/Device/DSP.

The suggestion is to allow adding new, I call it virtual, zone-output-device and link them to any available endpoint/directly connected audio device.

Each zone-output-device will have it’s own Zone settings + Device Settings + DSP Settings.

This way we can have several configurations and setting combinations ready at all times and quickly switch between them using the existing “Zone Transfer” functionality. (All with our primary endpoint/audio device).

Of course, zones that share the same endpoint/audio device should not be available for grouping.

Note - at some places like DSP’s PEQ there is a concept of ‘presets’ which serves a similar purpose, but it is limited only for that feature (e.g. PEQ in this example). The suggestion above will cleanly achieve the ‘presets’ functionality for every available setting and feature and every combination possible among all three categories (Zone,Device,DSP) and without special UI requirements (like ‘presets manager’). Also it would open the quick ‘live switch’ functionality from every Roon Remote using ‘Zone Transfer’.

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2

I have requested the sam3 thing. Meridian systems have this, call it “phantom” zones. Discussed with @Brian some time ago.

I was interested for switching between headphones and speakers.

What is your scenario?

However, you mention grouping, but a real and a virtual zone can’t play at the same time, the endpoint can only receive one stream.

1 Like
3

Typo!!! I omitted the most important “shouldn’t” :blush:

It’s a great feature and would instantly open many possibilities. What did Brian said?

4

I don’t remember how the conversation ended.
He understood the issue well, had the same situation himself, with speakers and headphones.

We did discuss the challenge with lack of through-control: if I want to use a virtual zone or DSP preset, I have to remember to make the selection in Roon and on the preamp, so that both are set to headphone, or both to speakers. If I make a mistake the sound is wrong, and Roon has no way of knowing. I know it well, I have made that mistake.

I ended up getting a headphone amp with built in DAC, so I have real separate zones.

This is why I asked for your scenario.

5

For instance - Move between upmixing (using procedural EQ) and regular… Move between sampling rates… Volume modes… Different convolution… And any combination of them or any other setting. There are a lot of use cases not requiring any changes to an external device.

6

Could the same concept be extended to allow a Sonos endpoint to be grouped with a DigiOne? This can’t be done now.

Plus one either way. Good idea.