iPad Pro or Mac Airbook for server?

[davide256]

I'm a bit tired of the spaghetti mess I have for streaming. And I'm quite impressed with how my iPhone 6 plus w/ Onkyo HF Player sounds plugged into Eitr asynch USB converter,

much more meaty in the bass/midrange and sweeter in the highs compared to microRendu. So I'm considering going to a straight server solution using an iPad Pro or Mac Air

 

iPad Pro with 512gb ram

     Pros

     basically a bigger, more powerful version of the iPhone so should have same sonic signature

     a decent amount of storage (but not enough for full library )

 

     Cons

     no way to attach external storage while playing music via thunderbolt port

     HF Player only HQ multi format player option, poor library organization, navigation

 

Mac Airbook with 128gb SSD

     Pros 

     multiple USB 3 ports and thunderbolt ports, can attach SDXC card, external storage via USB3 and use asynch USB at same time

     can run different  HQ media players such as Jriver, Audirvarna, Amarra with good library functionality

 

     Cons

     more like a PC for SQ issues, MOBO noise and SATA  overhead

 

Right now  the Mac Airbook checks more boxes, but my concern is that it will loose out in audio performance compared to an iPad Pro where the OS resides in RAM,

no SATA drive caused audio performance degradation.

 

Anyone tried a comparison of the two or have additional thoughts on what I should take into consideration?

[davide256]

Some interesting conversation here.  Looks like @MikeyFresh  agrees that the iPad is a better endpoint device than the Macbook Air. @Em2016  are you saying that running an iPad as Roon endpoint is possible? If so, can that sound as good as locally stored music? Or were you suggesting an android device, if so which device?

[davide256]

48 minutes ago, One and a half said:

Everything is working transmitting files to the DAC as per the sample rate of the file, from the core to the iPad -> Lightning connector -> DAC. The m920 DAC only accepts maximum DSD(128) as DoP, for the sake of this exercise, the concept works.

 

The fly in the ointment is Apple - Roon combo (?). The digital out on the lightning connector shows full volume on the control centre, however the final output is only a fraction. Compared to other inputs, as a guess, about 10-20db lower than other line inputs to the preamp. The volume gain on the m920 is set at 96% which works fine for the myTuner app, as the volume compared from that app through the lightning connector/ CCK on the other preamp inputs, like FM radio are about the same, but for Roon is way down. 

 

One way around this, is to convert to USB -> AES3, then use a pro amp to tweak the gain to max +20db, then use the analog out to trim the output on the DAC's volume or have a DAC with volume settings to 200%, if there is such a beast.

 

Or Roon adds a volume control to the iPad zone, taking into consideration the low level gain from the iPad.

 

To @davide256, perhaps if you want a solution right now, is to use the MacBookAir instead.

 

For Roon to control the iPad, the remote control app for Roon on the iPad needs to be active on screen, and not as a background app.

 

do you see the same issue with PCM? I'm not concerned about DSD as long as it can be transcoded to PCM.

[davide256]

Playing around now with Roon to my iDevices, liking what I hear better than microRendu, just fuller sound, dynamics and hard transients playing CD quality music. Moving on next to high rez music.That CCK/USPCB connection from iDevice to Eitr is awkward, wondering if a better  option exists?

[davide256]

All good playing 192/24 and DSD below 512. As Roon endpoints I now have working iPad Mini 2, microRendu, iPhone 6 plus which is also the order in which performance improves, at least with 16 bit music. The defect of the iPads is that they can't be remote controlled whereas the microRendu can. Is there an android device equivalent or better to the iPhone 6 that can be remote controlled for Roon output?

 

[davide256]

5 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Hi Davide, did you turn private zone off, for the iPad you are trying to remote control? 

 

That was the missing piece, thank you!  Just learned my son has an iPad Pro, will be borrowing that  next as endpoint to see if the A10 processor plays to better advantage than the A8 in iPhone 6

[davide256]

looks like you need to disable screensaver when remote controlling iPhone/iPad as Roon endpoint. If screensaver is running,, the zone disappears when I stop music

[davide256]

16 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

When you say screensaver, do you mean the Macbook's screensaver?

 

Or the endpoint iPhone/iPad screen-lock?

 

When I've tested, the iPhone/iPad zone is always showing in Roon Remote as long as private zone is off.

 

But I'll double check to see if I can reproduce this. I haven't seen this come up in the Roon forums at all though, since the v1.4 update a couple weeks ago.

 

iPhone screenlock. If i stop music  from  core server control point after screenlock has begun, I can no longer control/see the iphone device  as a "play to" zone from server until I exit screenlock

[davide256]

Turns out mys son's iPad Pro is 2 years old, didn't sound any different than my iPhone 6 as Roon endpoint, suspect it has same A8 processor. Still  fiddling with the iPhone 6 in preference to microRendu as Roon endpoint, sorting out how best to prolong battery life for 4-6 hour listening sessions. Wish there was a way to charge it at while CCK connected to Eitr.

[davide256]

I checked Apple's site, since I have a 6Plus, no Apple battery case. Hadn't been turning off the display, that should make a big difference. Will charge fully to night and leave it plugged in constant use tomorrow to see how much it drains over 4-6 hours. I suppose another thing I should do is turn cell/bluetooth service off also when listening to further prolong battery life ( and prevent surprise interruptions)

[davide256]

23 hours ago, Em2016 said:

 

Oh yeh, huge difference. The display is the biggest consumer. You should get 6 hours easy. 

 

The other solution is getting an iPod Touch just for Roon endpoint duties - which has no cellular/mobile chip. That's something to consider if you prefer the iPhones sound to the excellent microRendu. 

 

I was able to get 6 hours today before the battery drained dead with:

cell service turned off,

screen brightness  set to lowest,

blue tooth disabled,

notification previews disabled.

 

I don't see a way to turn off screen other than the lock button on side which immediately causes iPhone to disappear from list of available Roon endpoints.