Ravenna AOIP
As my system grows, I have multiple digital components that need to work together. These includes music server, crosstalk cancellation device, digital active XO, DAC. All these equipment needs to be connected via a rather complicated cabling. On top of digital cabling, I also need a master clock to make sure all digital components are in sync. On top of that, every time I do measurement, I have to readjust the cabling and I have burnt my tweeter a few times because of that.
Then I come across a technology using LAN network for signal transmission and clock. This rather new technology is very new to HIFI and audiophile but is already quite mature in the recording, live events and broadcasting field. One of the companies that is actively promoting this technology is Merging. The system it employs is Ravenna.
My system is now communicated entirely digitally via Ravenna and I use many Merging Technology devices.
After building server PC for so many years, I come to realise that there are a lot that we DIY cannot do. Thanks like matching RAM and testing various motherboards are way too much for an ordinary DIY enthusiast. But the reason I invested in Taiko Audio Extreme is also because it is based on Win 10 and is therefore allows me to install the Ravenna ASIO drivers. There is virtually no other servers to-date that allows me to do that. Only computer based ones are possible. This is the source and output 2 channels signal to my Mac Mini which also has the required Ravenna ASIO driver for cross talk cancellation. The output then goes to my second PC with Win 10 for active XO running Acourate Convolver. The output is then 9 channels to my Merging HAPI MK2 DAC.
Volume control is done by Merging Anibus setup as a monitoring device.
This is the flow chart I am currently using as illustrated by this Anema screen shots
Taiko Extreme Server setting
Routing in Anaema as shown below
