roon High-End, yet Simple Roon-Ready DAC?

[Temporal_Dissident]

I am trying to build a hifi Headphone station for Roon streaming.  This is an evolution of an earlier thread I started....

 

I was seeking too much in an all-in-one box and have decided to get a stand-alone tube headphone amp. 
 

I am looking for a Roon-Ready streamer/DAC to feed it. My IDEAL box would do precisely that, do it really well, and do nothing else.
 

My research has turned up many Roon-Ready DACs, but almost all are bloated with many features I do not need (pre-amps, proprietary control software, etc). I don’t mind spending <=$2k, but I’d rather that go into a better DAC than into features I do not need. 
 

Suggestions?

[George Hincapie]

Sonnet Audio are releasing precisely what you need shortly:

 

https://sonnet-audio.com/index.html.

 

Cees previously owned Metrum Acoustics, and is a superb designer. Sonnet Audio is a new company he has created and has a number of items in the works.

 

I have spoken to him about his 'Roon DAC' which is a NOS DAC with Metrum Acoustics Onyx/Jade levels of performance. Ethernet in, RCA/XLR out. Simples.

 

Send him a message to discuss as I have no idea what the time lines are.  

[bilboda]

Or just get the Sonnet Morpheus that they offer and hook up via USB. Likely Adagio+ level of performance. The pre amp can be turned off but it appears to be good enough that you may choose it over whatever else you are using. I am considering this and would likely use my HQplayer software to convert DSD to PCM. Roon will do that too.

 

 

[firedog]

https://matrix-digi.com/en/products/417.html

matrix element i 

 

Has a volume control but you can defeat it by setting it to fixed output.

Has an app but you don't have to use it. 

Don't dismiss some really good equipment just because it doesn't perfectly fit your requirements. Just because a device has more features doesn't necessarily mean it is a lesser DAC. 

[Audio]

Lumin D2?  Roon ready...MQA capable.  Straight Ethernet input.

 

(Audio)