Hi,
I use Slimdevices 3 and Squeezebox Duet players as Roon endpoints. Currently those output through analogue RCA directly to power amplifiers. It works well and I can control the volume of the music through the Roon app.
Hence the Logitech built-in DAC-s are relatively old, I am thinking of putting some MQA DAC (connected with coax or optical to the players) with preamp function between the Squeezebox-es and the power amps.
Question1: will I loose the volume control possibility through Roon app if preamp function goes from Squeezebox to MQA DAC?
Question2: will it bring a real sound quality upgrade using a newer MQA DAC? (thinking in Topping D90SE or Topping E50 DACs) Or Squeezebox emulation by Roon downmixes the Hi-Res and MQA files automatically because of the Squeezebox player capabilities?
Question3: If I put the DAC output volume to fixed towards the power amps - would that keep the possibility to control the volume through Roon app? Or what would you suggest to incorporate a newer DAC but keeping the volume control possibility right from Roon app?
I’d appreciate some thoughts on this from the Community, I unfortunately am a 3-months-old Roon lifetime user and have no idea on the this level of sophistication of protocols and the basic way Roon handles music, DSP, etc.
For Question 2: In the meantime I tried to put a DAC/Preamp between the Squeezebox and the PowerAmp and it did change a lot the tonality. So probably a newer DAC can bring a lot to the table in terms of musicality.
Interestingly Roon allowed me to set device settings in a way that I could control both Squeezebox and my DAC/Preamp volume. Probably it was a bit lossy, so I’ve put DAC/Preamp volume to “Fixed” that way only Squeezebox volume was adjustable/variable, but it worked. The Squeezebox and the DAC was connected by optical cable.
So what I still don’t know what happens with MQA decoding, because even if the DAC was a DSD 256 capable DAC, Roon converted the stream to PCM (probably as Squeezebox is not prepared for DSD).
So would be grateful to hear from anyone who has that setup (Squeeze+DAC/Preamp+PowerAmp) how it works and sounds.
Thanks
MQA and DSD upsampling are opposing processes. You can either, have Roon do the MQA Decode stage and then upsample to DSD (or even higher rate PCM), but, that destroys the MQA data which an MQA DAC needs to do the final render step.
Or, you send the data with no processing and let the MQA DAC handle the whole unpacking, in which case no DSP, including volume leveling can be used. Or, you set Roon to do the first decode stage which allows you to add volume leveling, procedural and parametric EQ DSP and maintain the MQA data for the MQA DAC to do the final render, but no upsampling.
If you are just using the Squeeze as a streamer, have you looked at getting a new streamer as well?
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the clarification of DoP, I’ll read through the thread in order to understand better how this works.
I was also thinking of buying new streamer, but I was not sure about what type of streamer would be needed in order to better utilize the MQA and HighRes streams and get a bit more out of that.
In case of a new streamer (not using DoP) the volume controlling from the app is also not available, right? Volume controlling is just too convenient for me at current stage, but probably I shall give it up if I want some increased musicality. Nevertheless a DAC upgrade with fixed Audio output and still using DoP already made a realizable step upwords in listening experience.
If you have any suggestion for streamer on the low-mid budget end (up to 400-500USD) I’d would be grateful to hear that. Thanks again!!!
But why? I use two Touches and with EDO and new, modern DACs that hardware is fantastic. Roon-end-point with squeezebox protocol (like dead language - latin ;-)) works great. 24/192 is sufficient. You can also DSPs if you want, but MQA? Lossy format. DSD? Good conversion here. Few DXD files? Meh.
Thanks Antoni,
I would stay with Squeezeboxes. Unfortunately I checked it and I have Duet and a Slimdevices 3. Those are not compatible with EDO. I’ll try to put probably my Auralic Aries and a better MQA DAC into the chain and then I can control volume by DSP. I figure out that I have quite a number of different (relatively valuable) devices in different rooms, which I can swap from room to room. I am lucky to have subscribed for Roon Lifetime and just trying to put together the puzzle of most suitable hardware setup now.
I’ll probably make a try with an MQA DAC into the chain, The Auralic LE probably will render MQA, so I can try the “magic” of MQA in its entirety…
Having tried the Slimdevices 3 with my Marantz All-in-one it gave hearably better sound quality already. So I’ll start mixing my home players, DACs and Preamps, probably only a new MQA DAC can come into the picture.
Thanks again!
I have that as well feeding one of my setups. Still a fantastic bit of hardware nearly 20 years on, and can’t bring myself to get rid of it, Same with the Boom.
Reading through a number of articles in the Roon Mastery today I seem to understand that DSP by Roon and the rather powerful hardware Roon Core runs on makes probably a bit bigger difference on sound quality by upsampling and unfolding in case of MQA than the DACs. I’ll study the DSP topic further and probably I’ll get much more out of my system while keeping volume controle from the Roon Remote app. @Rugby@Antoni_Wozniak Thanks again for the information and help!!!