What is the signal path for Qobuz/Roon/PC

[That St Kilda Guy]

I'm interested in knowing what the actual signal path is for using both files stored on your PC (laptop in my case) and those streamed.

So if I'm using Qobuz streaming through Roon. (Streamer is a Bluesound N130).

And you add filters to Roon (crossfeed EQ). Does it adjust them in the PC 1st and then send that configuration to the streamer (Bluesound)

Or does it tell the Streamer to make those adjustments instead to the signal once it is received from the internet?

Now if the signal is received by the laptop 1st and passed on, doesn't that mean that it is going through the PC's architecture  BEFORE Bluesound?

Same question for stored files. I ask becuase isn't the purpose of a streamer to bypass the PC's operating system?
Sorry if this question isn't clear enough.

[Gregory]

My understanding is:

• If you use your streamer software, it will connect directly to the streaming service and play the files without any Roon DSP.
• I you use your streamer as a Roon endpoint, then Roon does all the work and uses the streamer to play the feed the Roon server sends.

While a track is playing you can see the signal path by clicking on the star above the progress bar.
While listening to Tidal (via Roon) I see the EQ being done by the PC then send to my RaspberryPI based streamer.

[stefano_mbp]

2 hours ago, That St Kilda Guy said:

I'm interested in knowing what the actual signal path is for using both files stored on your PC (laptop in my case) and those streamed.

So if I'm using Qobuz streaming through Roon. (Streamer is a Bluesound N130).

And you add filters to Roon (crossfeed EQ). Does it adjust them in the PC 1st and then send that configuration to the streamer (Bluesound)

Or does it tell the Streamer to make those adjustments instead to the signal once it is received from the internet?

Now if the signal is received by the laptop 1st and passed on, doesn't that mean that it is going through the PC's architecture  BEFORE Bluesound?

Same question for stored files. I ask becuase isn't the purpose of a streamer to bypass the PC's operating system?
Sorry if this question isn't clear enough.

The Bluesound Node is a streamer itself and can be a Roon endpoint too.

If you use the Bluesound Node as a streamer it will receive the files from local storage or streaming services like Qobuz.

If you use Roon as the player it will apply all DSP settings (crossfeed included) to the file (local or from streaming services) then it will send the file to the endpoint.

In this Roon is nothing different than Audirvana or JRiver used to stream to an UPNP endpoint, it only uses a different protocol (RAAT) to communicate with the endpoint.

[That St Kilda Guy]

"If you use your streamer as a Roon endpoint, then Roon does all the work and uses the streamer to play the feed the Roon server sends"

 

"If you use Roon as the player it will apply all DSP settings (crossfeed included) to the file (local or from streaming services) then it will send the file to the endpoint."

 

Okie, I'm starting to get this. Thank you both for your replies, much appreciated. 

Now 2 questions

a)Does my laptop send the ROON signal to the Bluesound via bluetooth OR through the WiFi which they are both connected to?

b) Does ROON send this signal via the laptops soundcard or does it go from the (lets say) CPU direct to the WiFi card. You can see where I'm going here. As in, does ROON skip the laptops audio card or does it have to use this to enact the EQ?

[stefano_mbp]

2 minutes ago, That St Kilda Guy said:

a)Does my laptop send the ROON signal to the Bluesound via bluetooth OR through the WiFi which they are both connected to?

Thought Wi-Fi … you can verify it removing the Bluetooth join if any.

3 minutes ago, That St Kilda Guy said:

b) Does ROON send this signal via the laptops soundcard or does it go from the (lets say) CPU direct to the WiFi card. You can see where I'm going here. As in, does ROON skip the laptops audio card or does it have to use this to enact the EQ?

Roon communicate with endpoint in a digital way, that’s to say that the pc sound card (that is a dac) is not involved in the communication. EQ is always done in the digital domain by the Roon/pc cpu. Sound card is never used, in Roon or other players, to perform DSP as it is a dac and the dac just convert digital to analog.

[That St Kilda Guy]

Thanks for the clarification, it's appreciated 😃