DCS Vivaldi

[microstrip]

Just ordered Vivaldi clock. Although my Vivaldi transport and DAC perform quite well, once stepped into Vivaldi I presume better clocking is essential for optimum. For an analog listening guy like me, Vivaldi takes digital to new highs as I have never experienced from digital before especially for digital recordings. I am almost indifferent whether to play vinyl or spin disc, that said analog recordings still make me switching to analog. Perhaps clock may reduce/close that gap further.

Excellent order. The clock brings a noticeable improvement - and yes, the Vivaldi brings us to the point that formats sound different, without winners. But it brings new challenges to our systems - I can imagine that your Hercules II are really happy to show their floating energy with the Vivaldi drive.

 

[Jazzhead]

Just ordered Vivaldi clock. Although my Vivaldi transport and DAC perform quite well, once stepped into Vivaldi I presume better clocking is essential for optimum. For an analog listening guy like me, Vivaldi takes digital to new highs as I have never experienced from digital before especially for digital recordings. I am almost indifferent whether to play vinyl or spin disc, that said analog recordings still make me switching to analog. Perhaps clock may reduce/close that gap further.

While you are on the "clock route" , investigate the Cybershaft clocks . A few Vivaldi users have reported success with them .

 

[Kingsrule]

Up sampler update and 2.0 app update available
You can now use dCS as a Roon end point....It will be a revelation for u.....

 

[number95]

Excellent order. The clock brings a noticeable improvement - and yes, the Vivaldi brings us to the point that formats sound different, without winners. But it brings new challenges to our systems - I can imagine that your Hercules II are really happy to show their floating energy with the Vivaldi drive.

Thanks. And you are right about Hercules. They really deserve a similar and separate thread like Vivaldi.

 

[number95]

Congrats ! You'll enjoy the clock add on. It's not subtle ... and yes that gap closes more...

Thanks. The only remaining parameter is either to add an upsampler or a music server like Aurender W20. I haven't done my homework yet

 

[microstrip]

Thanks. The only remaining parameter is either to add an upsampler or a music server like Aurender W20. I haven't done my homework yet

I am now finally listening to the Yarlung NADAC album in DSD128 in my Synology 416j server, using the DSC application over mimimserver. Really great sound. But still a lot of doubts - when I want to interrupt and change track I always get the annoying message This will delete the contents of the current Play Queue. Do you want to continue? No Yes and I have to press Yes to go on. Is here a way of avoiding this irritating confirmation?

 

[ksalno]

Thanks. The only remaining parameter is either to add an upsampler or a music server like Aurender W20. I haven't done my homework yet

If you get the Upsampler, you can store your music on a regular NAS and it will sound great. You don't need a high end music server. I've tried a few with my Upsampler (Baetis, Lumin) and don't hear any difference. I just use a NAS loaded with SSDs in a RAID config and stream to the Upsampler using either the Vivaldi app or one of several others on the market.

 

[MadFloyd]

I am now finally listening to the Yarlung NADAC album in DSD128 in my Synology 416j server, using the DSC application over mimimserver. Really great sound. But still a lot of doubts - when I want to interrupt and change track I always get the annoying message This will delete the contents of the current Play Queue. Do you want to continue? No Yes and I have to press Yes to go on. Is here a way of avoiding this irritating confirmation?

See post 583.

 

[ksalno]

Up sampler update and 2.0 app update available
You can now use dCS as a Roon end point....It will be a revelation for u.....

I just did this upgrade tonight. First, you will not find this where the normal downloads are on the dCS website under Support. if you want this update, you need to use the Vivaldi 2.0 app. If you use the app, click the cog in the upper right, click Information, click Version, then click Check for Updates. This will start an automated download of both the upgraded Network software and firmware. The update takes around 40 minutes to download and install itself. Once it's done, select the Network input on the Upsampler, start the Roon app, go into Audio Setup and you will find the dCS Vivaldi Upsampler as a choice under RoonReady device. Enable it, name it, and accept the default settings. Once this is done, the Upsampler will now be a selection choice for the output device in the Roon app. Stream to your heart's content using the Roon app to access your library and Tidal via a superior app UX.

 

[microstrip]

See post 583.

I am not yet ready to use Roon, still a lot of homework to do and opinions to listen to!

As far I could read some people say we get the best sound quality from Roon comes when Roon is installed in the NAS that should be a powerful one, e.g. (quoted from from https://kb.roonlabs.com/Roon_Server_on_NAS)


What is the ideal NAS configuration for Roon?

The NAS family we recommend as of mid-2016 is the QNAP TVS-471 with an Intel Core i3 or i5 and 4GB of RAM.
An optimal NAS configuration:

1 bay with a small SSD (120GB, about $40 right now) for the Roon Server install and the Roon database
2 bays with 6TB drives, RAID1 (mirrored)
1 bay with 6TB drive for weekly backup off the mirrored set

Why this works so well:

The SSD gives you fast performance for Roon. We advise against running Roon's database on a spinning disk.
The dual 6TB mirrored drives give you fault tolerant storage for music, which allow for about 15,000 CD quality albums.
The third 6TB drive gives you a periodic local backup of your music. Remember, RAID is fault tolerance, and not backup.

The whole thing is under $2k and pretty awesome to stuff in a closet or rack away from your listening room.



Any comments from WBF users?

 

[JimmyS]

I am now finally listening to the Yarlung NADAC album in DSD128 in my Synology 416j server, using the DSC application over mimimserver. Really great sound. But still a lot of doubts - when I want to interrupt and change track I always get the annoying message This will delete the contents of the current Play Queue. Do you want to continue? No Yes and I have to press Yes to go on. Is here a way of avoiding this irritating confirmation?

While I really enjoy my Rossini DAC, the DCS app leaves a lot to be desired compared to others.

I have an Aurender N100H and it's app is great, however from my listening I prefer the network interface on the Rossini over the USB so I'm looking at alternatives to the DCS app. I am currently using the Lumin app for Network playback and so far it is getting the job done. Tidal playback does not work unfortunately, but it is an issue on the Rossini side (hey DCS how about a SW update to fix this ). The Lumin app works with minimserver, and you will need to install BubbleUPnP sever on the NAS. It provides an "openhome" render to allow the lumin app to recognize your DAC. If want to try it, happy to help walk through the setup.

Just got the pieces to also give Roon a try via my NAS. I really do not want a PC setup for Roon, so I'm hoping the NAS will provide stable playback and keep the sound quality I get via minimserver to the DAC.

 

[ksalno]

I am not yet ready to use Roon, still a lot of homework to do and opinions to listen to!

As far I could read some people say we get the best sound quality from Roon comes when Roon is installed in the NAS that should be a powerful one, e.g. (quoted from from https://kb.roonlabs.com/Roon_Server_on_NAS)


What is the ideal NAS configuration for Roon?

The NAS family we recommend as of mid-2016 is the QNAP TVS-471 with an Intel Core i3 or i5 and 4GB of RAM.
An optimal NAS configuration:

1 bay with a small SSD (120GB, about $40 right now) for the Roon Server install and the Roon database
2 bays with 6TB drives, RAID1 (mirrored)
1 bay with 6TB drive for weekly backup off the mirrored set

Why this works so well:

The SSD gives you fast performance for Roon. We advise against running Roon's database on a spinning disk.
The dual 6TB mirrored drives give you fault tolerant storage for music, which allow for about 15,000 CD quality albums.
The third 6TB drive gives you a periodic local backup of your music. Remember, RAID is fault tolerance, and not backup.

The whole thing is under $2k and pretty awesome to stuff in a closet or rack away from your listening room.



Any comments from WBF users?

As with most things in this hobby the answer is it depends

QNAP makes a good NAS, I have several of them and no complaints. However, installing Roon Server on a QNAP NAS is not for a computer novice. Read the instructions on Chris' site and if you are comfortable with them, then this is a good solution.

If you don't want to attempt installing Roon Server on a NAS, the easy option is to get a Sonic Tranporter from Small Green Computer. This is a headless Linux server that comes with Roon Server (and several other options) preinstalled. It is plug and play with a simple browser-based UI for configuration and control, so you don't need a monitor or keyboard. You can get it with or without a disk. I have one without a disk in my music rack and then my NAS is located in another room. It also provides an option to play directly to a DAC via USB but I prefer using the network connection. You also have the option to use something like a Sonare MicroRendu to connect to any other music systems in your home and with Roon you can use the Group function to create a whole home system similar to Sonos but much better in terms of SQ. I should also mention that Roon is fully integrated with Tidal, so if you have an account, you can integrate Tidal music into your playlists and easily find and audition other albums from the artists in your music collection. Roon is a wonderful product and the new firmware upgrade makes using it with the Vivaldi Upsampler a snap.

The other question is where do you plan to locate the NAS? If it will be in another room, then the model you suggest will be fine. But if you plan to put it in your music rack in the listening room, I would recommend a fan-less NAS like the QNAP HS-251+ or a low noise NAS like the QNAP TBS-453A. I use the 453A with a full complement of SSD. I prefer SSD over spinning drives for 3 reasons in a music system - more reliable, no noise, and no vibration. Yes, they cost a little more but the prices are improving all the time.

Hope this helps.

 

[ksalno]

While I really enjoy my Rossini DAC, the DCS app leaves a lot to be desired compared to others.

I have an Aurender N100H and it's app is great, however from my listening I prefer the network interface on the Rossini over the USB so I'm looking at alternatives to the DCS app. I am currently using the Lumin app for Network playback and so far it is getting the job done. Tidal playback does not work unfortunately, but it is an issue on the Rossini side (hey DCS how about a SW update to fix this ). The Lumin app works with minimserver, and you will need to install BubbleUPnP sever on the NAS. It provides an "openhome" render to allow the lumin app to recognize your DAC. If want to try it, happy to help walk through the setup.

Just got the pieces to also give Roon a try via my NAS. I really do not want a PC setup for Roon, so I'm hoping the NAS will provide stable playback and keep the sound quality I get via minimserver to the DAC.

I think you will find that once you use Roon, you won't go back to Lumin or any other OpenHome apps like MConnect.

Regarding your point about the need to install BubbleUPnP Server, I don't think this is necessary for the Lumin app, at least not on the Mac devices. I have used several versions of the Lumin app and all I needed was Minimserver installed on my NAS. I believe Bubble is only needed if you want to use the Bubble control app on an Android.

 

[microstrip]

Thanks for your comments. As far as I have read (again, please correct me if I am wrong) installing the server in the NAS is beneficial because it minimizes network traffic during playback. Does it mean that when the Roon software is installed in a separate PC, that theoretically allows faster searches, during playback the PC fetches the data and sends it to the DCS DAC?


I am really interested in knowing the technical why's behind each option.

 

[jfrech]

Thanks for your comments. As far as I have read (again, please correct me if I am wrong) installing the server in the NAS is beneficial because it minimizes network traffic during playback. Does it mean that when the Roon software is installed in a separate PC, that theoretically allows faster searches, during playback the PC fetches the data and sends it to the DCS DAC?


I am really interested in knowing the technical why's behind each option.

I'll try this tomorrow. And downloading the new sw...

 

[Eichenbaum]

If you get the Upsampler, you can store your music on a regular NAS and it will sound great. You don't need a high end music server. I've tried a few with my Upsampler (Baetis, Lumin) and don't hear any difference. I just use a NAS loaded with SSDs in a RAID config and stream to the Upsampler using either the Vivaldi app or one of several others on the market.

+1

 

[ksalno]

Thanks for your comments. As far as I have read (again, please correct me if I am wrong) installing the server in the NAS is beneficial because it minimizes network traffic during playback. Does it mean that when the Roon software is installed in a separate PC, that theoretically allows faster searches, during playback the PC fetches the data and sends it to the DCS DAC?


I am really interested in knowing the technical why's behind each option.

First of all, Roon Server maintains a local index of your music library, so I doubt if search speed is affected by whether you music is stored locally or on a NAS over the network. Second, assuming you have a properly configured 1GB network, I don't think you will notice any difference in performance or SQ if your music is stored locally with the Roon Server or over a network on a remote NAS. The access time to the music on disk is not the element that will drive performance or SQ.

There is also an argument that by letting the NAS focus on one thing, which is serving up files and having a second CPU that is doing the processing, buffering, and streaming of those files to the end points, you hypothetically could get better SQ this way. However, there are so many variables that can effect this, you'd really have to test it on your network at home to see which is better.

I think the biggest reason to run Roon Server on the NAS is to eliminate one node in the network and if you come from the camp that the fewer pieces of hardware in the signal path, the better, then it's definitely worth a try.

 

[SCAudiophile]

While you are on the "clock route" , investigate the Cybershaft clocks . A few Vivaldi users have reported success with them .

+1 for the Cybershaft reasonably priced/killer performance OCXO ultra premium clock models for 10 Mhz / 50-ohm master clock output. A number of us in the
Esoteric and DCS camp (and at least 1-2 driving Antelope DACs) report great and very musical results.

 

[jfrech]

Well I have all the upsampler updates installed now. Listening to Bill Evans "Some other time"

I have this as a DSD download and a redbook.

So Upsampler off a USB key or NAS vs Transport with 16/44.

Upsampler wins - more engaging, more resolved, better spatial perspectives. I should go try the DSDx2 download now...

 

[microstrip]

A relevant aspect of the DCS Vivaldi playback is the way it brings the acoustics of the recording in your room, replacing the feeling of space that we are used to perceive in the room.

With many recordings (but not all of them) when it starts playing I can not avoid a feeling of surprise - it seems that the sound is not coming from my usual speakers and system, the sound seems much more solid in a different venue. After some seconds I get used until next recording ...

Although this happened sometimes with previous players, the frequency and intensity of this effect is now much greater.


Just interrupted the listening of Debussy "La Mer" (BSO, C. Munch, XRCD2) to write this post.