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Tidal & Roon

I'm a Tidal HiFi subscriber and would like to add Roon for playback. I currently run Tidal as an app on the Oppo player, and don't know if the Oppo can run as a Roon endpoint, much less run Roon Core.

I would expect to run Roon on a Windows 10 PC, connected to the Oppo by ethernet (PC & Oppo not in the same room or even close).

I'm guessing I'd have to run Tidal on the PC (not Oppo) as well. True?

Q: How would I make this work?

  • Oppo BDP-105d (latest firmware) / disc + Tidal HiFi
  • PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC (in beta testing)
  • Bryston SP3
  • Bryston 6B SST2
  • Revel Ultima Studio, Voice, Embrace, Sub30
  • PS Audio P500 Power Plant
  • Audioquest cables (Jaguar, Pike's Peak, other)
cvalle
realhifi
159 posts
 
Simply run Tidal through Roon on the new PC. Roon is fantastic and with Tidal makes a great streaming combo.  I see you have a PS Audio Dac so why not run the PC straight into that if it has the right (USB) connection. 
realhifi
159 posts
 
Just reread your system and fact PC is not local so you have to run it Ethernet into your system. 
If it was me I'd look at having a dedicated streamer that would run into PS Audio Dac or just get a good streamer/Dac combo and replace PS Audio. 
cvalle OP
6 posts
 
Thanks, realhifi. The PS Audio piece is in beta test and subject to return. I've read a lot of good things about the Sonore microRendu, which could handle the ethernet to USB issue. That's another option.
realhifi
159 posts
 
You'll you'll be thrilled at that option. Especially if used as Roon endpoint whereas you're receiving higher res from Tidal. You may want to look at Bluesound Node 2 also which has added benefit of MQA decoding built in along with being Roon and Tidal ready. 

dgarretson
2,598 posts
 

With Roon you want a DAC that accepts a DSD128 or DSD256 source. The current Roon release includes an integral DSP software engine that upsamples to DSD256. I’m running the Roon core and Tidal on a SSD in a QNAP TVS-882 RAID NAS. The NAS passes Ethernet through a router and a long run of Ethernet cable to a Roon-ready Sonore microRendu connected by Sonore’s USB hard adapter(no USB-to-USB cabling is necessary) to an Esoteric K-01X that accepts up to DSD128. It’s all working fine after about a day studying manuals and set up.

Roon recommends an i7 processor to support the maximum upsampling in their DSP engine. At DSD128 my QNAP is doing fine with an i5 processor and 16GB RAM. I had been thinking of adding the HQPlayer upsampling software, but this may be unnecessary with the Roon DSP engine.

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