Hmmmm.... did it ever cross your mind @pwayland that the difference in sound may have been in your DAC, its network bridge vs. the USB input in it?
a remarkably basic question about Roon
I'm considering trying out Roon and, despite hours spent on their too-busy website, I'm still not entirely sure what it would do for me. (Trying to get through their "support" section is an exercise in misery all around.)
Here's my clueless question. I currently stream music through a Bryston BDP. I use the Bryston software, "Manic Moose," on my laptop or phone to create playlists, move between digital sources (flash drive, Qobuz, radio), and as a remote control for volume, song choice, etc. The Bryston software isn't at all elegant but it's functional.
So, if I get Roon, would I be doing the same thing from the Roon app on my laptop or phone? Would I be completely bypassing "Manic Moose"? and doing everything on the Roon app, including such things as volume and song selection? I understand that Roon is an effective organizer of music from multiple sources; is it also a "media player?? (I have a traditional two-channel set-up and don't do multiple rooms.) The Manic Moose software is clunky enough that I'd consider swapping it out for Roon, if that's in fact what I would be doing.
Thanks!
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@thyname Thanks for your suggestion. I just tried hooking up the NUC directly to the DAC via usb and it streamed 96Khz 24bit, but same result.... I also tried using the iFi Zen Stream as a bridge for Roon via the dial in the back which has a roon setting. Same deal. Only needed to listen to the same song for a few minutes, it was that stark of a difference. My interpretation of these results is that a quality dedicated streamer will be far superior to roon, which is essentially a software attempt at making computer equipment perform high quality audio tasks, which they really are not engineered to do. I may try a noise filter after the SMPS to power the NUC, but my intuition is that the Zen Stream will still blow it away..... |
@pwayland, you're reaching an inaccurate conclusion based on a weak link in your setup, and I would assume it's your NUC, though I don't know for sure. A buddy that owns an Auralic Altair and I have done extensive comparison with my setup which is; an M1 Mac Mini (running Roon/Qobuz and virtually nothing else) feeding a Schiit Yggdrasil (less-is-more version) through their proprietary Unison USB interface. Using the same headphones on both setups (Focal Clear Mg, powered by a Schiit Mjolnir 2 amp) reveals that, if anything, my setup sounds slightly more fleshed out and full-bodied. Bass is tight and tuneful. The differences were small, to be sure, but even my buddy admits that my setup gives up nothing. A previous poster correctly pointed out that streamers are indeed computers themselves. Any "magic" that happens is with the way the DAC handles the data it's being fed. |
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