Variable Roon Sound Quality

sb6 said:
Apologies, I should have read about your situation more carefully. The variation in quality may be due to the Intel NUC not operating as it should, could be SW and / or HW.

In terms of HQplayer, yes it takes a bit to get it configured but once accomplished it's usually left alone and is very stable. IME HQplayer alone is the best in sound quality and is noticeably better than ROON stand - alone. ROON front end with HQP NAA is a big jump towards HQP alone. Also, you don't necessarily have to upsample with HQP to get excellent sound. I was one who upsampled and played with filters for years but ultimately came to realize that the best sound to my ears was - no filters and no upsampling. I believe it's system - dependent and ultimately personal preference.
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You are using the Linq to accomplish this?
 
Ricky64 said:
You are using the Linq to accomplish this?
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Yes, the LinQ has the back - end NAA module installed, my Music server has the HQP front end installed and ROON server and I access ROON via a tablet. I can play ROON + HQP NAA or HQPlayer solo which is installed on a RAM disk and while paying songs also cached in memory is incredibly good IMO.
 
crwilli said:
I think this would also add the backend NAA capability. Pricey.
Sonore - Signature Series Power Supply
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Looking at the capabilities of this unit, it occurred to me that this is very similar to what a Raspberry Pi with a HAT and proper software can do, except that this unit is plug-and-play.

Of course, there is a huge price difference ($100 plus your own time to build it, versus $4k). In both cases you still need a separate DAC.
 
So, an update here...
I've continued to have variable sound quality from my i5 Nuc running Core, along with quite a bit of lag.
One statement I've heard repeatedly is that yes, "out of the box", Roon does have inferior sound quality. However, with tweaking, it can made equal to other sources.
I've heard a number of different recs...
-Any core computer, put through Sonore optical conversion with LPS then USB to DAC
-Roon nucleus through Auralic or Lumin Streamer. (+/- LPS to nucleus)
-Grimm MU1
-Aqua Linq
-Nucleus through Innuos Phoenix USB to DAC

All of the above, along with LPS's, Better Ethernet switches, etc.

Since my Nuc wasn't behaving anyway, I purchased a new Nuc+ through Upscale, which has a generous 60d return. I assume I will be keeping this regardless, as I have other systems using Roon in the household.

Fascinating, putting this piece in completely changed the sound in the opposite direction, with very a thick, rich quality. Same power, cabling (crappy for now), etc. Very much lacking in sparkle, detail, spatial cues.

Everything makes a difference. All of this makes me understand why a dealer would prefer something like Aurender, which has plug and play good sound without all of the variables.
I think I will try to audition, or purchase, the Linq, Phoenix, and Grimm to make a comparison.

Upscale was pretty high on using a Lumin U1 as an endpoint, with AES into a dac... I wish the U1 wasn't a 5 year old platform, and came with the X1 power supply at its price.
 
Two of the brands you listed are not Roon Ready, so check compatibility with your setup before you pay for anything.

6moons specifically tested Lumin U1 with Mola Mola Tambaqui.

I'd also recommend you check Roon forum for experiences with the various brands.
 
Thanks Peter.
The Linq clearly works as an HQPlayer core and NAA. This is its beauty....
The Phoenix doesn't act as an endpoint...
 
If you are determined to use HQPlayer, then the compatibility requirement totally changes.
 
I'm determined to have better sound (and Roon interface), in the fewest number of boxes possible!!
(HQP optional)
:D
 
Because HQPlayer changes the hardware setup requirements, I really think you need to determine whether you want to use HQPlayer or not first, then choose your setup around it.

There are some DAC architectures that inherently benefit from HQPlayer upsampling, some less so. Mola Mola Tambaqui upsamples everything to 3.125MHz and some forum reports put it in the latter group. However, everyone's preferences are different. If you don't mind using HQPlayer (implying the extra hardware you'd need for it), you should do a HQPlayer trial to determine whether it is beneficial to your DAC for your tastes. If yes, then go ahead to buy a NAA streamer (that excludes Lumin at this time). If not, you'd need a Roon Ready streamer or other ways of network isolation.
 
I can’t believe how many hoops one needs to jump through just to play a song off the Internet. I guess I am lazy, but I will stick with tunes from HDTracks.
 
BlueFox said:
I can’t believe how many hoops one needs to jump through just to play a song off the Internet. I guess I am lazy, but I will stick with tunes from HDTracks.
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Time to try Tidal Connect - get a Tidal free trial (if there is for your country) account. Install Tidal app on your mobile devices, granting all permissions when asked. Login. Play some music. Tap the speaker icon, then choose Lumin X1. It cannot get easier.
 
@Ricky64 Looks like you've got yourself a new pair of mighty fine Rockports! Any chance they just need to be broken in a bit? :whew: :D
 
wklie said:
Because HQPlayer changes the hardware setup requirements, I really think you need to determine whether you want to use HQPlayer or not first, then choose your setup around it.

There are some DAC architectures that inherently benefit from HQPlayer upsampling, some less so. Mola Mola Tambaqui upsamples everything to 3.125MHz and some forum reports put it in the latter group. However, everyone's preferences are different. If you don't mind using HQPlayer (implying the extra hardware you'd need for it), you should do a HQPlayer trial to determine whether it is beneficial to your DAC for your tastes. If yes, then go ahead to buy a NAA streamer (that excludes Lumin at this time). If not, you'd need a Roon Ready streamer or other ways of network isolation.
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IME you don't need to employ HQP's upsampling / filtering to capitalize on its inherent neutrality and clarity.
 
Sooo... An interesting footnote, and likely conclusion to all of this. To go back to the start, I had marked attenuation of bass frequencies less than 120 Hz. This was occuring as I was rebuilding my system and introducing new components, which confused the picture. The intel i5 nuc was indeed the issue. I put in a Roon nucleus last Friday. For 24 hours, it sounded like the tweeters had been disconnected. Saturday afternoon, everything snapped into place. I am getting pretty fantastic sound with just the Nucleus +. No longer interested in the Grimm.
I will likely pursue some network isolation, but not feeling great urgency at the moment. Leaning toward a Sonore Ultrarendu Sig with optical, and running in optical ethernet.
But, I am getting excellent tonal quality, dynamics, and imaging (Essence and Tambaqui combine for amazing depth), with just the nucleus +, which I wasn't expecting...
Might play with HQP some point down the line... May still try the Aqua Linq at some point.
The i5 Nuc was likely about 4 years old, and initially sounded good. I can't really account for what caused the change. But, I can say it wasn't powerline or network noise.
 
Just as an update. I have a Grimm MU1 headed my way to audition. I will be running into a Mola Mola Tambaqui, and using the MU1 for volume control. An IR remote will be available for it soon. It runs around 10K, and can doesn't need an external Roon Core.
 
Just to close out this topic. I've purchased the Grimm MU1. I have some concerns about it... pretty small company, pictures of the internals are very unimpressive, and very expensive. The pros...it sounds great, it's simple, and it works. It has the exact feature set I was looking for... Roon interface, non Roon digital handling, manual and remote volume and input control, likely an upgrade path to an internal DAC, and it functions simply and well.
I am getting very uniform sound, and it is better than out of the Roon Nucleus + (less glare on midrange vocals and instruments, better dynamics, definition, and imaging).
I borrowed an Innuos Phoenix Net and put before the Grimm, and did not hear much of a difference. Also, I put the Phoenix Net between the Nucleus + and Tambaqui Dac, and didn't get a significant bump to prefer it over the Grimm unit.
 
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