Story of Roon software setup with DAC Chord Mojo
Below you can find how popular audio internet stream services like Tidal and Qobuz benefit from incorporating into Roon software, the highly assessed player and upscaler covering high quality audio with additional records content like images, albums and lyrics. Although understanding of some appropriate Mac or Windows audio configurations is needed.
some findings:
- SQ (Sound Quality) in Mac is not better than in Windows, DSD native is the advantage of Windows, as well as usb-A port used to connect Mojo via mini usb cable
- when usb-C adapter used, SQ is worser
- Device Volume option is the best
- in HD content no DSP is needed, but could be used to get enhanced SQ, especially in soundstage area
- avoid EQ if not needed
- avoid gains adjusting if not needed
- unfiltered PCM conversion is surprisingly better especially when Focal Utopia used, even better than 50 kHz low-pass filter, unless no sample rate conversion
- start with DSP turn “on”, but no sample rate conversion, to evaluate all filters and modulators, are faster applied when switching between them
From CDs to Stream Services with audiophile’s world of software and hardware “magic”.
You know it, after a man gets a new headphone possibly equipped with better DAC and amplifier, immediately starts to tackle audio input settings while listening to his favourite songs and many time finds the surprising results. All that because many new options become only slowly more clearer and understood while getting freshly discovered. For me it was so when I discovered both articles about audio perfection of Chord M-Scaler and quality of Roon software with DSP able to upsample from CD quality to until recently for me unknown Direct Stream Digital DSD format. More here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Stream_Digital.
I have decided to go with Roon, but it took me some days and weeks to figure out how to use it and slowly I have converted from “ancient” MP3 world into a greenhorn audiophile’s one. This is my story to quest for the audio nirvana with equipment and software getting better decade by decade.
Equipment
As an initial setup I used well known and largely appreciated Chord Mojo as DAC + amplifier. For headphones I chose to use my regular Jabra usb headset with mic as well as bluetooth Sony WH-1000XM2 and then Grado SR 80 and luckily for me also more recently obtained famous Focal Utopia.
Hint: already also decided to upgrade to Hugo TT 2 to raise the limits of what is possible to enjoy via “dreamed on” headphones, expecting such spending will pay off, so stay tuned.
So why to choose the Roon and what is its added value?
There is a plenty to say about its capabilities. Though simply besides being a cool player it is also a tool for connecting digital audio sources at home a.k.a streaming services or local disc player with the desired output device in our case DAC + amp + headphones the way there is the best quality and joyfulness from listening by all family members while keeping transported audio signal distortions low.
For that the Roon brings digital bit-perfect transfer RAAT protocol between one central Roon Core and multiple home network ROON Ready endpoints running Roon Bridge apps where ethernet/Wifi port is input and USB to become audio output. All that based on home network DLNA or airplay. Of course there is also a way of direct usb connection to PC/Mac running Roon Core, in our case via usb C to A OTG host adapter or mac’s ports expansion slot.
The Roon supports either Tidal or Qobuz stream services as well as playing of local/network music files and also when requested can upscale our digital audio sources to higher sampling rates and filter them out so that they sound more profound than the original source. For that purpose Roon Core was actually centralised with dedication of enough power needed for such highly elaborated engineering job.
Discovering Roon Core capabilities
After Roon Core starts there is time to setup “Zones” or places with dedicated Roon device making audio output. Time to connect our Chord Mojo via usb type C adapter.
For Chord Mojo in windows ASIO driver must be installed. On linux/Mac Mojo is discovered instantly, at least on subsequent connections. Actually the very first connection takes some seconds to finish its system configuration.
Enabling connected audio devices
In our case detected Mojo will occur here and then we assign its corresponding core audio profile from Chord manufacturer. For comparison purposes I recommend to enable also play out of the System audio. Usable especially when some web pages like YouTube streams to such system default output device.
Streaming services
Then we can setup streaming service, in my case Tidal Hifi that I am happy to explore. Qobuz is also good choice, although not available in my region yet and there is no Deezer yet supported.
Chord Mojo device setup in Roon
Mojo is powerful 32-bit DAC capable of Pulse Code Modulation a.k.a. PCM of up to 768kHz as well as of Direct Stream Digital DSD. And Roon actually shortens the audio signal path with capability of DoP, DSD over PCM v 1.0 by streaming source audio directly to Mojo. With DoP we definitely getting best results here.
For MQA Master Quality Authenticated it is mentioned in Mojo settings manual document and it is also known Rob Watt’s opinion to skip its support.
Though the Roon can cope with MQA via its decoder. So by selecting no MQA for Mojo this high definition source of music becomes decoding task of Roon.
Note: Decoding vs rendering is Roon choice for other audio endpoint devices with preferred way of our Roon Core doing decoding in case an endpoint device could not handle it fully.
Audio Volume control seems to be clear choice, but actually led to really strange output results. Please take care of selecting the right option here and do a bit of experimenting. The best results for Mojo gives “Device Volume” thanks to its colourful bubble buttons for audio volume level control.
The Mojo’s main device setup overview.
And the advanced setup for sampling rates, process priority, buffering and timing. Here actually MQA decoding is also enabled on Roon Core for best results as mentioned in the chapter above for Mojo.
With this Roon is ready to play out our music selection.
Discovering audio signal path of Roon.
There is shining dot star next to the song title and the artist name. Click and you have it. Also Queue, Device and Audio output options are manageable here.
As you can see here the signal path is actually composed from 3 sections, the source, this mac and output Mojo device. Here with before mentioned upsampling DSP enabled.
Zone device selection and device settings in Roon
Quest for an ideal digital audio signal path
Shortest path for Mojo is when DSP is off.
Experimenting with DSP Settings
I think those DSP settings in Roon are taken from HQPlayer.
For experimenting with DSP settings I recommend to enable Sample Rate Conversion and set it to “Custom” yet with all sampling rates at default. All that because besides sample rate conversion there are also some additional filter and timing options and experimenting with applying solely them is faster. As opposite it takes several seconds for DSD upsampling conversion choice to start playback after any modification.
Sample Rate Converter Filter
In my opinion it is the most impactful to my listening with DSP “on” where I prefer “Precise” phase options when playing through Focal Utopia.
Precise Linear phase is more bold and full in body, opulent. Sometimes with too long damp out, that is good for basses but less fine for middle and upper range.
Precise Minimum phase as my preferred choice is more suitable for faster or sharper sound effects, i.e. classical music, electronic music like Depeche Mode, U96 or so, with some lack of body in tones because of its minimum phase temper.
Therefore I would like to have a colour to my sound in between of the Precise Minimum and Linear phases. Please consider bring such filter, guys!
Sigma Delta Modulator
Surely making soundstage broader.
When going to CLANS versus standard modulator presets, I think CLANS are more dynamic. “5th Order“ making a nearer soundstage and “7th Order” making a larger soundstage. Even if I do not have preferred choice here, I consider “5th Order” to take away least details from the original and “7th Order (CLANS)” the most out of these options.
If high definition audio source is used prefer “5th Order” or turn off DSP at all. If lower quality record is played, higher upsampling rate like DSD256 and broader soundstage via “7th Order (CLANS)” modulator are likely sounds better.
Parallelize Sigma Delta Modulator is better let off as mentioned there, music sounds crispier then.
DSD to PCM Filter
From my experience with several roll-off filters, yet here I found the most realistic sound for Chord Mojo when applied “Unfiltered” option. It is then full of details and not only when HD audio content is played.
Regarding applying some gain shifts to input or output signal I am yet sceptical as such choices are not needed for Mojo and incorporating any of them into signal path has impact on details we can get in output. I have seen i.e. applying audio volume to “Fixed” or gain -1db on input leads to resampling from 64bit to 32 bit as then seen in signal path. So consider to avoid it as Mojo does not need it for playback from digital Roon sources.
Mojo DSP presets
Collecting my thoughts with Mojo DSP impacts I ended up in a list of DSP presets all unfiltered with no gain and where I use:
- upsampling to DSD256 with all variants of Sigma-delta modulator
- DSP “on” with “custom” sampling rate conversion to default
- with DSP set to “off”.
Sample rate conversion filter I set in presets to “Precise, Minimum phase” and only sporadically switch it to another one, for slower or pop songs, e.g. “The Chainsmokers, Something just like this” song.
Signal paths for various DSP presets and sources
Windows setup with Native DSD support via ASIO/WASAPI
This time I use HP Z2 mini desktop Windows 10 Pro PC with Intel i7 processor for Roon Core. There is Chord ASIO v1.05 driver installed for windows. There are 2 system devices found when Chord Mojo connected via usb to Roon.
There you can see additional options for Mojo’s ASIO device options with DSD native playback and Audio volume control over WASAPI Async Usb device.
Update2: Also in my windows PC is good instead of usb C adapter to connect Mojo directly to usb A port. My PC provides both of them actually. SQ seems to be crispier without adapter.
Taking advantage of native DSD output over Mojo’s ASIO driver is is my preferred way of music output in windows though have one consequence. I have found me to prefer DSP setup with DSD to PCM filter set to “50kHz Permissive” instead of “Unfiltered” for best SQ.
Signal paths in windows with upsampling to DSD256
Feel free to give me feedback on your experience with Roon player via Chord Mojo. Enjoy listening :)