exaSound Audio Design > PlayPoint > PlayPoint MKII Overview

PlayPoint Mk. II Network Audio Player and Server

The PlayPoint connects your DAC to the home network and delivers seamless, life-like music experience. The sound is astonishingly dynamic and clean, with vanishingly low jitter, distortion and noise levels.

The PlayPoint is a Roon-enabled music server, Roon Ready networked audio player, UPnP server, UPnP/OpenHome player and Signalyst NAA Player. It offers the best of the proprietary and the open-source audio technologies in one compact component.

RoonReady	Roon Core	HQPlayer NAA	OpenHome	UPnP

PlayPoint Mark II - What's New

Support for third-party USB Audio 2.0 DACs
Doubled maximum sampling rates - DSD512 at 22.5792/24.576 MHz and PCM 705.6/768kHz.
Doubled CPU power improves the performance of Roon Core
Doubling the size of RAM memory allows support for Roon libraries up to 8 TB
m.2 SSD disk storage with doubled access speed and capacity
Two upgraded USB 3.0 ports
All-new Web user interface (Available to PlayPoint 1.0 users with a free firmware update)

Exceptional Ergonomics

5-way volume synchronization, volume trimming for individual channels
Glass capacitive touchscreen for zero-configuration operation
Web interface for remote operation and advanced configuration from a mobile device
Remote support, remote upgrade

ENclusiv™ Comprehensive Sampling Rate support in stereo and multi-channel:

Native DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512 (up to 24.576 MHz)
DSD over PCM (DoP) up to DSD256
DXD 352.8kHz /32bit
PCM 44.1 to 768kHz/32bit

Native DSD works best with Roon, NAA, JRiver, MPD, MinimServer, Twonky and Asset UPnP
Multi-channel playback requires Gigabit Ethernet connection
Wireless Wi-Fi 801.11ac connections supports stereo DSD256 and stereo PCM 384/32bit
Availability of features depend on the capabilities of the attached USB DAC.

Expect Exceptional Fidelity

Advanced proprietary technologies available with exaSound DACs:

ZeroJitter™ asynchronous bitperfect streaming
GalvanicInfinity™ USB isolation
ZeroResolutionLoss™ volume control with all-time 0dB full-scale streaming

When used with exaSound DACs, the PlayPoint is certified as a RoonReady player. Being RoonReady means that exaSound network players transparently discover and connect to Roon, with no network configuration, with bitperfect delivery of audio to your exaSound DAC. Roon Ready is the highest level of Roon integration. Roon technology is customized and embedded both in the player and the DAC for achieving best user experience. Together, Roon and exaSound deliver the power, flexibility, and performance benefits of networked audio, with the easiest setup and highest reliability available.

Learn more here: How Roon Works

Server support

Built-in: Roon Core, UPnP Server
Built-in servers can be accessed from external devices over the home network
External: Roon Server, Signalyst HQplayer, UPnP/OpenHome

Music Storage

One attached USB drive, up to eight USB drives with external powered USB hub
Locally attached USB drives can be accessed over the network for copying and tagging music files
Roon: Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers

Streaming Services

Tidal via Roon, AirPlay and third-party apps
Spotify with third-party apps like Bubble UPnP
Internet radio via Roon and AirPlay
Audio streaming protocols: Roon RAAT, Signalyst NAA, UPnP, Open Home, AirPlay
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11ac

Connecting the Dots

The easiest configuration for the exaSound PlayPoint is to use Roon and to store your music on a USB drive. It is illustrated on the diagram with red components and red connections. Here is how it works:

You need to connect the PlayPoint to your home router with Ethernet cable or with Wi-Fi.
Copy your music files to a USB drive and connect it to the PlayPoint.
Roon is a subscription service. You can find out more about the trial period and about subscription plans on the Roon website - RoonLabs.com.
The Roon playback engine - Roon Core is installed on the PlayPoint.
Playback is controlled by the Roon Remote App. Roon Remote is available for Apple iPhones, iPads and Android devices. You need to install it on your device from the App Store or Google Play. Playback can also be controlled from PC or Mac.
Roon connects to the Roon Service to retrieve well organized information about your music files.
Roon also provides access to the Tidal online streaming service.

The PlayPoint supports various advanced configurations:

It comes with a built-in UPnP music library server.
It can be controlled with UPnP, OpenHome and DLNA apps from iOS and Android tablets and phones.
The PlayPoint can be used as a Network Audio Adapter (NAA) end point with the Signalyst HQ Player.
The PlayPoint supports Apple AirPlay.
Large music libraries can be stored on Network Access Storage (NAS).
Mac, PC or Linux based computers can be used as Roon or HQ Player servers for advanced upsampling applications.

Firmware Updates

PlayPoint