What should they do? Send in all possible module combinations that will come in the future and do the process over and over again? Really?
Those modules are not designed to switch every few minutes. It’s more a flexibility to use it in different ecosystems and upgrade it when a new one comes up that needs other features. The convenience is that you can install then those functions - but you don‘t Switch from module to module while using it. That’s just theoretically possible but no real world scenario. I‘ve had the device here for some time.
Just because you use the device one way does not mean that is “the way” the device intended to be used.
Again, you are making Roon out to be the bad guy when all they are doing is looking after their customer’s experience. I am certainly not a fan of @danny’s presentation or tone, but @Cristian_Anelli is the one that didn’t want to play by the rules.
I guess you really don’t get the device.
You are not supposed to switch from module to module while playing music - why should you do this. What should be the benefit?
The idea why Aqua is doing this is simple: all their devices can be upgraded to the newest version. You can upgrade all their DACs to have all new features and that has been the same idea for the LinQ. It is about offering options to keep your device for a longer time and not come up with v2 or v3 with new features and you will have to sell your old stuff then. In that price range that’s actually appreciated. But it causes problems.
BTW: I also see that this is Aquas responsibility and that they would have to find a way to get certified. It’s not about blaming Roon. It’s about finding away to keep a device that does (or better did) a great job playing with Roon.
As I told before I’m considering the LinQ, I’m Aqua La Scala MK2 Optologic, but also I love roon rock and I’m a Life subscriber.
In my case only 1 module installed for sure, tell me 1 reason do not be supported any more. It’s working with others customers. It’s an expensive equipment. I still thinking we don’t know the full story.
No. We certify many modular devices. The LinQ is not unique in this regard. We always get all the modules and we test many configurations. We also test devices with other devices as well, which no manufacturers we know of do.
I’ve already told you there is nothing else on our end. What are you looking for here?
I’m sitting here engaging with you, telling you the story to the best of my ability. Unsure if Aqua will engage you the same way, but I’m sure they would tell you the same thing: we asked for the complete product and they refused to deliver it. I believe the reasons are technical and they have publicly stated they can’t deal with our “bureaucracy and static path”. Maybe we are both right 
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It’s much more than that. It also requires waking from standby. There are also strenuous requirements about display and controls. My guess is that it convenience switching wasn’t implemented, neither was the other stuff… But we never got that far.
But really, this is all moot. It’s our program and our standard to set. If they don’t like it, why must we be obligated to give them our source code to run on their product for no cost? You forget, we are the ones giving them something. In return for that something, we require they adhere to rules that hundreds of other devices have already done. Which part of that is difficult to understand? We owe them nothing.
In fact, I would argue Aqua owes you something. They owe you the effort that is required to create a Roon Ready device. That includes certification. The product was sold to you as Roon Ready, which was a misrepresentation. They should fix that bad behavior by doing a proper Roon Ready implementation with certification, or they should offer you a refund.
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Hi Danny,
I totally agree here. Of course I’m not happy about the fact that there have been manufacturers selling their device as “Roon Ready” while in fact they have not been. So from that point, it would have been easier if Roon would have never allowed those devices to be enables without certification - but looking backwards at what could have been done obviously doesn’t solve the problem here for Aqua LinQ customers.
As I’ve read in in the discussion the Cristian from Aqua and you somehow clashed a bit into each other with the known result. I also believe that Aqua will have to take the next step in this situation, but as a potential LinQ customer I wanted to understand if there are solutions that allow certification without the problems that Cristian described.
Although you described the current situation as “loss/neutral/win [for] Aqua, Roon, Customers” I would like to add that currently existing and planned LinQ customers are loosing. “Winning” certainty won’t help playing music.
Best Robert
That would be perfectly reasonable. but this is no longer possible. Because everything has already been said and everything has already happened.
For me, switching work items with my finger is much closer than automating it. But there are fewer people like me and no one will think about us. Everything is focused on automation. And this is understandable. But many would prefer in Hi End, and LinQ it is Hi End, to personally control what is happening in the system, and not rely on automation of switching.
Aqua has its own approach to sound shaping. Sound, not switching automation, which is not in the first place in Hi End, and this is completely understandable. I have been understanding the problem for a long time. To automate the switching it is necessary to combine different cards through one control device - and this is just against the ideology of Aqua, where everything is completely separate. Actually in this I see the problem. And at the moment it is not resolved because everyone is already walking from each other, and not to meet each other. In order to cooperate fruitfully, one must understand each other or try to understand. This is as obvious as it sounds. But not everything is obvious.
That is why your proposal seems very correct in the current situation.
Dear Danny!
Of course you are right. And of course we are not on a pirate island. WE are in a civilized world. Everything will be sure as you say.
Anyway.
But the question of financial loss is one thing. The loss of opportunities in sound is completely different. With this, the situation is much more dramatic. For me, as a user of two products, this is very sensitive.
Of course, for most Roon, this is a convenience. But there are people for whom this is primarily a sound. Just don’t forget about us. Please.
And just LinQ is regarded from this point of view for us.
You are together - you sound perfect.
I’m not afraid to say - just the best.
And I don’t want to believe that you can deprive the world of this.
Even with the possibility which you gave (to use for an indefinite time) puts me in a non-high uncertain position.
Although everything works so far, this is not correct in essence. And I am sure that you will disconnect me sooner or later.
Especially due to recent events.
Nevertheless, I hope that there is still an opportunity, maybe not now, but in some foreseeable future, to try somehow to hear each other. Of course, provided that it is a road with oncoming traffic.
Dear all,
Just last question to be clear: the discussion it’s about Roon Ready certification and the “garantee to reach the audio quality standard” or at this point the LinQ could be not able to reproduce any music from Roon Core/Rock at all? Probably you are alrady answerd the at the end of discussion here I’m not fully convinced and confused.
Thanks.
Roberto
Audio quality is not the issue here at all. Getting certification is much more than that. The device could not be tested in all permutations of hardware configuration available to see if this affected anything as they refused to supply all the boards that could be added. Roon won’t pass anything until it works under all possible configurations. So end of story. Aqua wouldn’t budge on this , Roon won’t reduce their QC procedures. Aqua withdrew from the Roon Ready programme.
These discussions should have been had with Roon, in private and discussed deeply.
It’s just no good playing it out on an open forum, there is just no point. Re engage with Roon or leave it there is my thought on the issue.
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Let me say… If we are speaking about Audio quality, for me sound strange that an Odroid with roon bridge sounds better than Aqua LinQ. I listened the LinQ in Munich High End 2019 and it stream music in a quite similar way that La Diva CD player, I’m fully sure better then Odroid streamer Roon Ready Certified.
I hope that in the future the lesson lear for both company could be that the Certification need to by compleated before to have the equipment available in the market and in this case and in the LinQ certification need a too expensive re-engeenering of the equipment, Aqua should be able to find easy solution, also based with roon bridge (why not?) for the final users of Roon and Aqua DAC to enjoy the music.
Roon bridge cannot be bundled or distributed with anything. it has to be downloaded and installed by the end user from Roons servers under licence. This is why its optional on all distros that offer it. Not sure the Linq has an architecture to do it that way.
Even if they did, they’d still need permission… unless their system was purely an open distribution of Linux.
There is a new HQPlayer NAA module for the LinQ. It should be possible to use the LinQ via the Roon HQPlayer Plugin.
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And a HQPlayer core. Roon can’t talk directly to a NAA.
Sure. I thought that was clear with the HQPlayer.
I think it serves everyone to be explicit about what it means! Not least HQPlayer themselves who should be selling on the back of this.