Where, matters

As promised we've launched new Bridge II code. You can update your Bridge right now. Just go here and follow the instructions. Once upgraded, you will be able to use the Roon music management program to play music through your PS Audio DAC. As soon as we can we'll provide a link for a free 60-day trial of Roon. You'll still need a computer to run the Roon server. Only now, instead of connecting the computer via USB, you connect over Ethernet to the Bridge. There are several advantages to this. First, the obvious. The computer running Roon can be anywhere in the house. But more importantly, USB connections to computers are noisy and difficult to isolate without extra hardware—like the upcoming LANRover USB Transporter. Worse, how the computer processes the music in preparation for sending over USB has an impact on sound, which is why programs like Bit Perfect, and Audirvana exist. And even Roon processes the music too, when connected via USB. All that changes when you go through the Bridge. The reason's simple. Instead of the computer handling the process details, the Bridge does the work instead. And Roon through the Bridge, compared to Roon through USB, is remarkably better that what most people have listened to. A lot better. And we've spent a few years working directly with Roon developers perfecting this interface so all you have to do is plug and play. It's an amazingly easy and wonderful sounding connection. Computers aren't optimized for faithful music playback like the Bridge, or a dedicated music server. Your off-the-shelf Mac or Windows machine was never designed for best practices when it comes to delivering music. Where you process digital music has an impact on the sound quality and, as a rule, it's best to rely upon machines that have been optimized for the task. Your PC is optimized for a lot of things, music just isn't one of them. The Bridge as a Roon End Point changes all that - big time.