Pro or Plus to AVR vs Laptop?

[famasfilms]

I have an Anthem 1140 and currently I am streaming from Roon using the laptop HDMI out to the Anthem. The laptop is running the Roon server as well as my Plex and torrent client, so it's on 24/7 anyway. This gives me a lossless signal path but:

a) the laptop can't auto change the AVR input when playback starts like other HDMI devices can
b) Roon loses the laptop HDMI output if the laptop sleeps, even though it's set in Windows to not go to sleep.
c) I also get brief cutouts during playback and there's a 1-2 second delay upon starting a track for the first time before audio can be heard. (This may be an Anthem thing because rewinding/forwarding during Plex movie playback also has a similar delay upon resuming.

I don't really want to pay for Roon and Qobuz or Tidal if I can help it.

Would a Pro or Pro Plus be a better solution than the laptop? Obviously the upfront expense would replace the additional monthly cost of Roon. I expect to go from the digital coaxial to the AVR.

I can use a Windows Powertoys utility to keep the laptop awake, so now that isn't an issue

 

[FreakyKiwi]

Yes

 

[Mr Ee]

Welcome.
To expand on the previous short and sweet answer

If using the coax out then, imo, a Pro will suffice. If you think you might use the wiim analog outs then, again imo, get the pro plus. Not a great deal of difference in price.
Will the avr detect a signal on its coax input and auto switch? i.e. you might still have this issue.

 

[famasfilms]

Welcome.
To expand on the previous short and sweet answer

If using the coax out then, imo, a Pro will suffice. If you think you might use the wiim analog outs then, again imo, get the pro plus. Not a great deal of difference in price.
Will the avr detect a signal on its coax input and auto switch? i.e. you might still have this issue.

Thanks.

I guess my laptop despite being fairly high spec (although 4 years old now) couldn't run Plex server, Roon Server and Roon without the audio dropouts.

My desktop PC can play back via Roon without any drop outs - but that requires it to be on and I don't want to switch it on just to listen to music. Using roon remote on phone whilst playing from laptop or desktop can't control the volume, so I have to reach for the AVR remote.

Presumably I can go Wiim Pro - coaxial - avr. Then use the Wiim Android App to control Qobuz/Tidal/Spotify from it including volume and cutting out Roon?


BTW, how do you like the Hegel 190? There's one on FB marketplace relatively close and I'm wondering if a 190 in ht-bypass mode would be better for music than my Anthem 1140. Although the reason I have the 1140 is because I part exchanged a Lyngdorf 1120 for it. The Lyngdorf was great for music but I wasn't able to calibrate/integrate it with my Denon AVR and movies suffered, so I don't really want to go down that route again. But I'm yet to be blown away/impressed by the Anthem for movies or music

 

[Mr Ee]

Presumably I can go Wiim Pro - coaxial - avr. Then use the Wiim Android App to control Qobuz/Tidal/Spotify from it including volume and cutting out Roon?

Yes. You'd need to set the avr volume to as loud as you want it so that the wiim volume control merely reduces it from that maximum.

Hegel 190

I bought it before I bought the Paradigms, and although the H190 was good with my previous speakers, with the Founders it's fantastic
Beware the itch!
Note that the h190 does not have a bit-perfect dac, if that matters to you. But as you intend to control the volume from the wiim then it seems probably not. Some people get very upset when they find out it's not "perfect".

I don't run my music in HT bypass mode - would be far too easy to accidentially push full volume at it, and I rather like my speakers too.
You can set a max volume on the H190, similar to the volume limit setting in the wiim app.
e.g. turn the h190 up to 75 (out of 100), press a couple of buttons on the remote, and 100 is now the old 75.

I very rarely use my h190 for tv / movies as I have a (cheap) avr driving others speakers and sub for that, although I do have avr out to h190 analog in in HT bypass so I can 'add' the big speakers if I want to.
I also guess some would shiver at the lack of integration I've put into that combination...