Steve Bruzonsky

OK I respect you. But as for complexity - I am using a Gigafoil v4 optical (ethernet plugs in and out, converted to optical and back inside( from DJM Electronics for ROON with my Trinnov Altitude 32 SSP (when it gets back up, as my theater gets redone), and I'm using in my basement system right now with Kaleidescape Strato C and Alto players. All you do is plug in the wall wart, connected ethernet each side, and presto! Works great with Alt32 for ROON and with Kaleidescape players. However, I tried it with the s88 and got no ip address/connection for whatever reason. But the Sonore optical is working great. Took just a few minutes to hook up, not a big deal, not complex at all at least in my book! Of course, I have an Exasound Delta ROON Core server in my master bedroom, and the s88 ROON Ready player out in the famil room, all hard wired ethernet. I'm not using USB. For anyone using the s88 as both a ROON Core and player, or using USB from ROON Core ino the s88, I don't know the optical isolation would necessarily make any difference.

Why not? You are at fault for my reading your reviews and posts and getting the s88 and Coleway 7.1sw switcher in the first place. Thanks. Its well established at least in commercial and industrial that optical isolation is often used for ethernet connections. And some audiophiles are doing this (though audiophiles admittedly do all sorts of crazy stuff so can't give much stock to this. HA!) The Gigafoil v4 optical I'm using with my Kaleidescape Strato C and Alto which serve as players for movies on my 88 TB Terra Server, and it certainly has improved my picture and sound. but for whatever reason it won't work with my s88, the ip address won't go through when its connected. But the Sonore optical works fine with the s88. I've been doing stuff all day where i can have the music on as I feel its that much of a sonic improvement in my family room system coupled with the s88!

I am using strictly ROON via ethernet, ROON Core is Exasound Delta, ROOM Ready is Exasound s88. In my family room I am not using room correction - frankly, its a super large area (see photos above with pictures) and I've been too lazy to go that last ounce so far. And tonight I'm up late, late, late because the Sonore Optical addition to my s88 is so darn remarkable. S88 owners really ought to try it! Its so good that now I may have to consider upgrading my s88 from version 1 to version 2 (or version 3 if one comes out?)! Kal Robinson, since you pretty much try everything (at least component wise), you really need to try this Sonore Optical! I think you will be mightily impressed!

I was using an Uptone Audio Ether Regen as a switch for ethernet to my s88. I have DJM Electronics Gigafoil v4, converts ethernet to optical and back. Works great with my Kaleidescape gear - picture and sound are clearly even better. But for whatever reason it won't work with my s88, when I connect it, I get no ethernet connection. So today I got a Sonore Audio optical converter package from Small Green Computer. Hooked up and works right away no issues. And the sound. WOW! I can clearly hear the sonic improvement. With the Ether Regen, the sonic improvement was there on some stuff by marginal in comparison.

Marcus I’ve been using ROON w JRiver for tagging all along w ROON setting speaker distance and levels! Curious what tips do you find work to improve processing speed? Mine with the Exasound Delta DAC is fine but more knowledge is always good to have. Thanks

Come to think of it I have noticed this as well.

New firmware updates just out for the s88 and for my Exasound Delta Server.

Here's photos of my family room system

Just got my Surround Master v3 (Surround Master V3 - INVOLVE AUDIO) ($695 plus shipping) two days ago. Wasn't sure if I would like it, given my system is all solid state - Exasound s88 7.1 channel DAC ROON Ready with Exasound Delta ROON Core, Coleman 7.1 channel switcher (as also have Marantz AV7706 SSP and TCL 75" Mini-LED 4k TV), front/center/right Totem Audio Onwall Tribe Vs with PS Audio Stellar M1200 monoblocks, surround left/right Totem Audio Onwall Tribe IIIs with PS Audio Stellar M700 monoblocks, pair of REL S510 subs in front and pair of REL T9i subs in back. Up to now, my two channel has been stellar, and multi-channel even better! But darn. Connected for now the Surround Master for front left and right and surround left and right, using in quadraphonic 4.0 mode. Note my REL subs for this purpose are connected via high level input with all main speakers running full range (I find Totems sound best this way as well). And my conclusion with lots of listening to 2 converted to 4 channel is WOW WOW WOW! Really outstanding. The surrounds are ever present - yet it all sounds so natural, like the recording being played in live good sounding venue. Very impressed! I can't say I was expecting this - in that I expected that in some cases my "pure" 2 channel would sound better than using the Surround Master v3 in quad 4 channel. But using the quad 4 channel is a revelation. Note that for grandchild proofing purposes, I have all on wall speakers. But I have a large large family room extending into an open kitchen and beyond with large open and irregular surfaces and it sound great (surprisingly) without any acoustics treatments or even room correction for low frequencies! And my speaker cabling is all in wall, in front low grade Audioquest in wall but doubled up, and old 14 guage Monster Cable in the wall for the surrounds. Maybe exotic audio cables would make a difference??? But color me ecstaticly satisfied. Thought maybe some s88 owners might want to try this! I got mine just in time - now the website indicates its backordered. By the way, I blame s88 Ted B for this. He turned me onto the Quadraphonic Forum where I learned about the Surround Master v3. He also years ago turned me onto ripping SACDs. Thanks a lot Ted. And we both own and luv Aerial Acoustics speakers - I have owned different versions of Aerials since 1997 for my dedicated home theater, currently under renovation/upgrading.

Ted, I saw at the Quad Forum that you have an Aerial Acoustics system. Good taste. I've had Aerial speakers in my theater since 1997 - currently being remodeled and upgraded. And of course great taste in Exasound, I have the s88 v1 in my family room system. What have you noticed with the s88 v2 vs the v1? Thanks.

Just saw new firmware v52 for both Delta and s88. Don't know what is new as downloading to both now.

I tired the zoom controls! For Youtube, radio and Qobuz, the zoom controls worked fine to stretch the picture sideways to fill the screen. However, the zoom control had no effect on the ROON display whatsoever - something perhaps Exasound can address as this is beta. Another thing Exasound could address is having an onscreen control to make the mouse larger, as on a very large flatscreen its pretty darn small. Nonetheless, kudos to Exasound for adding features like this!

WOOPS! I missed that. I'll try and report back. Thanks.

I do have that third party ROON "TV: Remote" app but never use it as its not near as good for finding music as the app on my iPad, iPhone or laptop. But tonight I tried using it as a ROON display while using my laptop ROON as a controller, vs using the Google Chrome dongle as a ROON display. What I found is that the Apple tv app does not show up as a display in ROON Settings, but nonetheless does display what is playing - but if there are lyrics onscreen for the song being played, the lyrics are clearly visible using the Google Chrome dongle but the lyrics are not displayed with the Apple tv app.

I decided to try using my 75" TLC TV in my family room as a ROON display, and monitor for the web features, of the S88. Note in the past I have a Google Chrome dongle, and when I choose to use it as a ROON display, its great, the entire screen is filled with the ROON display and easy to read. I understand Google has discontinued this dongle some time ago, too bad, it works great! Back to using the s88 HDMI out with my 75" TLC TV. First, I tried a bluetooth remote keyboard, from Amazon, and even though I enabled the bluetooth in the s88 menu, the keyboard didn't work, so I'm returning it to Amazon. From what I read in the s88 menu it didn't seem this would work, but I thought I'd try it, but the s88 meny says the bluetooth is experimental and limited to certain functions. Next I got a USB remote keyboard, with a built-in trackpad (rather than fussing with a separate mouse), which works fine with the s88. I assume if you use a small computer monitor via HDMI to the s88 that the ROON display or the web display or Qobuz display would work great. But with my 75" TLC TV, the Qobuz print is so tiny you have to get right up to the tv to read it; and the ROON display is only over a small portion at the center of the tv and there are no lyrics displayed. This is apparently a limitation of the experimental web functionality of the s88 at least when it comes to using a regular or larger size tv as opposed to a smaller computer display monitor. Nonetheless, I still totally luv my s88!