2.2 Channel Hardware Requirement to run Audiolense XO (or 2.0)?

[juicehifi]

Just try and see what works.

 

[juicehifi]

I recommend to try different options until you find something that works. Asio4all is one of the alternatives…

 

[John Warden]

Hi, I'm also looking for some hardware advice to achieve 2.2 but my setup differs from @Faustchz in that I stream my sources to my audio gear and don't have a direct connection between my audio kit and a computer.

My current connections are is:
Roon (with Audiolense 2.0 convolution filter) > [Wired ethernet] > SoTM sms200 > [USB cable] > Cambridge DacMagic 100 > [Stereo analogue] (sounds great!)
Spotify controlled by Google Nest Mini > [Wifi] > Chromecast Audio > [Stereo analogue] (sounds OK but could be a lot better of course)

Sub output comes post-amplification currently. I've never been a fan of feeding the speaker-level signal into a sub, even though the sub manufacturers support it. I'd also like to avoid the main speakers (and power amplification) needlessly being driven by low frequency signals that are much better handled by subs.

I want to be able to achieve two key changes:
- upgrade the quality of the Spotify chain, particularly given their upcoming CD quality service
- apply an Audiolense 2.2 convolution filter in a hardware device, since Spotify doesn't support convolution like Roon does.

I'm imagining the chain will look something like:

Streamer > Hardware device supporting convolution > Multichannel DAC

Streamer
Maybe I can still use my sms200, but I'm not sure it's practical, as changing between Roon and Spotify takes several minutes to reboot the device in the different configuration. So probably only realistic if I decide to ditch one service and rely wholly on the other.

I understand an RPi-based hardware device should work - but would it swap easily between both streaming services? I'd really welcome input from someone who's actually using this approach day-to-day.

Hardware device supporting convolution
Does anyone have hand-on experience of a hardware/software combination offering multichannel convolution that they'd recommend for this purpose?

Multichannel DAC
MOTU's UltraLite Mk5 has more than twice as many channels as I need, but it looks very appealing. Their M4 is even better value, and I'm open to hearing about what folks have found to work well on this subject too.

Control
My wife loves the ease of telling Google to play something - in part that's what's driving this enquiry. I've got openHAB running on our home server which allows me to tie together Google Assistant, Roon playback control, Harmony Elite for IR and keypress inputs, a tablet (running Roon, Spotify and a custom HABPanel) and control of the amp volume and source using IR. It would be good to be able to incorporate any new kit into this control infrastructure too. Using a pro-oriented multichannel DAC may prove challenging, but again, input from anyone who's done it already would be welcome.

Thanks for reading!