[TheAttorney]

Yes, that's what i meant with my point #3.
However, as some of us are also DAVE users, the source's ability to upsample to DSD is a moot point, as DAVE sounds best without any source upsampling.
I've demonstrated this to myself recently with HQP > DAVE. The direct redbook sounded more transparent than upsampliing to DSD128 (didn't try the higher DSD rates).
Whereas in the past, with my portable iFi iDSD, I preferred the "analogueness" of DSD.

 

[nepherte]

Also don't forget about the upcoming equalization possibilities in Roon.

 

[kennyb123]

   
Another bad news for HQ-Player:  ROON 1.3 will include PCM to DSD up-sampling !   So may be no more need for HQ-Player anymore if the ROON''s up-sampling is of the same quality as HQ Player ?

 
That's a big if, I think.  HQPlayer offers a number of filter choices that differ in phase response and transient reproduction.  I kind of doubt that Roon will offer so many choices.  I'm guessing those who are finding hearing big benefits from HQPlayer will likely continue using HQPlayer.  Not sure that this applies to those of using using Chord DACs.
 
With my Mojo, I found that I preferred upsampling PCM to the Mojo's max rate using poly-sinc-mp.  Thus far with my Hugo TT, I've not favored the use of HQPlayer and am instead allowing Roon to send music to my microRendu via RoonReady mode.  I need to revisit that as my TT wasn't fully broken in when I last evaluated use of HQPlayer.

 

[AFWannabe]

What about using the mR in MPD/DLNA mode? It is an even more "direct connection" as there no computer, no Roon. Anyone tried this, even if just to compare with the computer/Roon solutions?

 

[romaz]

What about using the mR in MPD/DLNA mode? It is an even more "direct connection" as there no computer, no Roon. Anyone tried this, even if just to compare with the computer/Roon solutions?

 
I have tried this with both the mR and the sMS-200 and to my ears, they don't sound anywhere as good as Roon and nowhere as good as this direct connection.  The sMS-200 is unique in that it has USB ports that can accept a USB drive for direct playback when used in MPD/DLNA mode.  This is as direct as you can get and yet, even this doesn't sound as good.  I'm not sure I have an explanation for it.

 

[romaz]

  Very, very interesting. You know how much I hate the proliferation of little boxes in my hifi chain, so thank you for this promising potential solution.
 
I'll have to read the CA thread a couple of times to absorb it all. Some immediate questions/comments in the meantime?
 

• Are you using HQP NAS (or Roon RAAT) end point modes in this direct connection? Does it affect SQ if NAS is still used or not?
• You mentioned somewhere that you felt Roon 1.2 now surpassed HQP's SQ. Do you still think so?
• I see that upcoming Roon 1.3 has abundance of new tagging/upsampling/DSP features that threaten to make both HQP and JRiver redundant. I wonder if Roon has integrated some HQP functions, or Roon and HP are now effectively rivals?
• One reason I prefer laptop > wifi > router is that my ultra slim Windows 10 laptop doesn't have an ethernet socket. But theoretically I can use a USB 3.0 > Gigabit converter dongle for this direct connection purpose
• Hopefully, with this internal bridging option, I can now access the internet via my wifi internet router (for Roon/Tidal etc) - without impacting the direct ethernet connection to mR

 
Like you, I love the simplicity of this direct connection and would use it even if there was no SQ benefit.
 
To answer your questions:
 
1.  I have a NAS but I presently use it only for backup and for comparison testing.  I have come to prefer playback from local storage (smoother with less edge) but it took a long time for me to get this right.  I can provide you details if you wish.
 
2.  Somewhere along the line, something changed.  Where I used to prefer HQP combined with Roon by a slight margin, enough so that I went ahead and bought an HQP license, when I bought the sMS-200, I did another comparison and found that with HQP, the soundstage had become compressed.  Initially, I thought I had inadvertently changed a setting but I had not and after quite a bit of A/B testing (even blinded), I found myself preferring Roon by itself.  Whether this is due to a change in Roon or because of how the sMS-200 handles HQP, I'm not sure.  With this direct connection, both HQP and Roon work well and because the improvement in clarity is now so markedly better with both, I could go either way and not really care even if Roon by itself is still a tad better.  I do like the simplicity of Roon by itself but if I choose to use my Acourate convolution filters (DSP), then I go with HQP.  
 
3.  Yes, I believe Roon 1.3 will have a massive impact.  I had been waiting for built-in digital EQ and convolution for a long time and so these are the features I am looking forward to the most, especially for headphone use.  Providing they have implemented it well, I'm certain this will end my time with HQP.
 
4.  What you're suggesting is idyllic but at least with OSX, it is not possible for me to bridge wi-fi and ethernet together (I have tried).  Only ethernet to ethernet is bridgeable.  Just yesterday, the latest firmware for the sMS-200 was released and so the sMS-200 now has integrated wi-fi capability (you would need to purchase a USB wi-fi dongle).  I have not tested it but it could provide you the simplicity you are after.  Will this sound as good as direct connection?  I'm not sure but I am doubtful. 
 
Alternatively, the sMS-200 also has integrated USB ports that can accept a USB drive and so nothing has to be connected to the sMS-200 at all.  This is probably as direct as you can get but unfortunately for me, this only works with MPD/DLNA and not Roon.  While this isn't so relevant for you, Tidal streaming also isn't possible this way which is a "no go" for me.  Regardless, it is SQ that matters and this direct playback somehow doesn't sound as good as what I get when I stream from my modified Mac Mini (it sounds flat).

 

[TheAttorney]

Thamk you romaz.
I realise I made a typo in my first question: "HQP NAS" sent you in the wrong direction. I meant "HQP NAA".  I can't work out if your new direct connection method means that NAA (or Roon equivalent) if no longer required?

 

[kennyb123]

   
2.  Somewhere along the line, something changed.  Where I used to prefer HQP combined with Roon by a slight margin, enough so that I went ahead and bought an HQP license, when I bought the sMS-200, I did another comparison and found that with HQP, the soundstage had become compressed.  Initially, I thought I had inadvertently changed a setting but I had not and after quite a bit of A/B testing (even blinded), I found myself preferring Roon by itself.  Whether this is due to a change in Roon or because of how the sMS-200 handles HQP, I'm not sure.  

 
This was exactly my experience as well - but with a microRendu.  What I heard last year from Roon/HQP/microRendu encouraged me to invest in an HQP license.  This was even when using HQP simply as a passthrough to the microRendu in NAA mode with no upsampling.
 
I reevaluated it a month ago after changing DACs and not only did I no longer hear an advantage to HQP, I preferred Roon.  
 
There have been a few updates to Roon so I'm guessing they must have better tuned RAAT.

 

[romaz]

  Thamk you romaz.
I realise I made a typo in my first question: "HQP NAS" sent you in the wrong direction. I meant "HQP NAA".  I can't work out if your new direct connection method means that NAA (or Roon equivalent) if no longer required?

This direct connection allows you to use your mR or the sMS-200 any way that you would like.  All of the built-in apps are functional.  The nice thing about this direct connection is that it improves everything equally and so there's no pressure to have to use one mode over another.  Even without the direct connection, at least with my sMS-200, I no longer found the HQP NAA necessary except for the times that I desired to use my Acourate headphone or room correction filters but again, I expect that to change with Roon 1.3.

 

[TheAttorney]

Ok, after reading the CA thread a second time, this direct bridging solution won't reduce the number of little boxes in my particular situation - in fact it increases them (although I don't count a dongle as being as intrusive as a separate box that requires its own power supply).
 
However, in the interests of increased SQ, I'll be trying it anyway. 
 
My headache will be in getting two Ethernet ports onto my Windows 10 laptop, which currently has no Ethernet sockets. So I would require 2 USB>Gigabit NIC dongle thingeys - and I don't know if that is practical.
So I'll probably start with my old Windows 7 laptop, which at least has a single Ethernet socket. So I can "simply" add a single NIC dongle to get the second Ethernet port. 
 
This would be so much easier if one could bridge Ethernet to wireless. And if Sonore and SOtM would (re-)introduce static IP addresses into their products, so that a separate router is not required at all for IP addressing (although I agree a router somewhere is still necessary for internet access for Tidal streaming and best use of Roon etc, but that is a different kind of issue to resolve).  

 

[bmichels]

Is it the Sound Gallerie SGM-2015 Music server  which is very big or the NAGRA that are tinny ? 

 

 

[romaz]

  Is it the Sound Gallerie SGM-2015 Music server  which is very big or the NAGRA that are tinny ? 

 

I would say that is impressively very big, Bertrand!  How does it sound?

 

[bmichels]

  I would say that is impressively very big, Bertrand!  How does it sound?

 
Romaz, I have organised with the manufacturer of this server, on February 18th, demo at one of my friend's place.  So we will be able to report in 5 weeks.
 
This server is ROON Server and uses HQPlayer to upsample everything (including tidal) to DSD at the highest rate accepted by your DAC, and then he optimises the HQPlayer filters and configuration for your DAC.  So far he has optiisation for 6 dacs ( Total DAC D1, TotalDAC Six, Nagra HD DAC, DAVE, Aqua Formula & T&A 512 )
 
 
Website of the manufacturer Sound Galeries : http://soundgalleries.com/product/sgm-2015/
 
Review dans positive feedback : http://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/sound-galleries-monaco-server-sgm2015/
 
What"s best forum :  http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?20899-Sound-Galleries-SGM-2015&highlight=SGM-2015
 
 
I will let you know how his server/upsampler improves the DAVE & NAGRA HD DAC since My friend has a DAVE and SGM will bring a NAGRA HD (and also an Aqua Formula DAC)
 
 
 
here a review of it : http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/soundgalleries/1.html
 
 
here a review of it : http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/soundgalleries/1.html

 

[motberg]

  This direct connection allows you to use your mR or the sMS-200 any way that you would like.  All of the built-in apps are functional.  The nice thing about this direct connection is that it improves everything equally and so there's no pressure to have to use one mode over another.  Even without the direct connection, at least with my sMS-200, I no longer found the HQP NAA necessary except for the times that I desired to use my Acourate headphone or room correction filters but again, I expect that to change with Roon 1.3.

Thanks for this direct connection method and evaluation, much appreciated... just a quick question..
 
If the SMS-200 in the future allows for setting a static IP address, do you think it would then be possible to just plug the SMS-200 directly into the computer without the need for the extra Ethernet connection?
This would be assuming that you do not use streaming (just play files direct from the computer)...
 
I think this would be a great optional usage mode for the device, which would possibly offer a very extended customer base (those that do not want to fool around with routers, switches, etc..)

 

[romaz]

 
Thanks for this direct connection method and evaluation, much appreciated... just a quick question..
 
If the SMS-200 in the future allows for setting a static IP address, do you think it would then be possible to just plug the SMS-200 directly into the computer without the need for the extra Ethernet connection?
This would be assuming that you do not use streaming (just play files direct from the computer)...
 
I think this would be a great optional usage mode for the device, which would possibly offer a very extended customer base (those that do not want to fool around with routers, switches, etc..)

That is my thinking, that with a static IP, what you're suggesting would be possible.  I have asked SOtM if they would bring back this feature and initially they refused but now, they are personally exploring the merits of this direct connection so maybe they'll do it.