Has anyone used the new Innuos 2.0 Sense music app? Compared it to Roon?

There is a real religious war going on about CPU power. It kind of reminds me of SETvs SS wars in the ‘70s. What needs to be appreciated, is that the effect of each approach has direct impact on synergy throughout the system. For those who care, the Taiko Extreme Thread on WBF explores this in endless and glory detail. Overloading a low power server with Roon is not the way to go. @charles1dad: +1

@antigrunge2 For those who care, the Taiko Extreme Thread on WBF explores this in endless and glory detail. Overloading a low power server with Roon is not the way to go. @charles1dad: +1

I have a friend who owns the Taiko Extreme and he’s absolutely thrilled with it. I trust his judgment and impressions without reservation.  So I am not questioning that proper high power CPU management can’t be successful. It is just that the low power CPU approach has considerable merit with regard to lowering noise.

Charles,

If I were not playing some 1200 ripped CDs off my drive in the Zenith 3 and simply streaming, then I would buy the new Pulsar for sure. However, lately I find I am playing more HD Qobuz files now as they sound superior to my rips! So maybe I will just go 100% streaming at some point in the future. One day perhaps.

I know your getting a plan together for streaming and want it somewhat simple, uncluttered without an abundance of small boxes and wires. I suggest something like this.

1) put your modem/router right next to your audio rack. Make sure it is a good modem/router like my Netgear Nighthawk. Do what you need to make this happen.
2) power this modem/router with a nice linear power supply. I have a Keces p8 that powers my modem and audiophile switch. Just one power supply power both. Less boxes than buying numerous LPSs. My P8 can power three separate units.
3) the digital power cables used off of your power supply are very important. Get goods ones. I made double and triple shielded ones for my rig. They make a sonic difference.
4) use good ethernet cables. I have tried all manner of good ones from SABLON, SOTM Cat7 and others. The best I have owned are my Ethernet Acoustics Muon cables.

Here is my current network chain;

Netgear Nighthawk Modem/wireless router - Network Acoustics Muon ethernet - Network Acoustics Rubicon switch - Network Acoustics Muon filter - Innuos Zenith MK3 - Tchernov Ultimate USB cable - Tron Atlantic Signature dac. My Keces P8 powers the modem and NA Rubicon switch.

The Network Acoustics filter is amazing. It is passive and thus does not take power or a power cord. It is tiny and easily hides away!

If I get a Pulsar, then all would stay the same in my network and I would just replace the Zenith.

Just one look at a well performing streaming front end.

Not saying the above set up is best.  It is not.  It is natural sounding, minimal boxes and reasonable money for the level of sound quality….excluding the cost of my particular dac.  

@audioman58 The embedded HQPlayer is impressive, far superior to Roon for dsp. Incredible number of settings, haven't even begun to explore many, although the settings I've used have provided very high quality sound. HQP just sounds a bit artificial with the settings I've used. DSD conversion is reportedly the way to go, requires great amount of processor power.

I agree Roon MAY not be best way to stream with lower power processor, will certainly induce more noise vs good proprietary player.

I admit my streaming path virtually unknown with audiogon posters, audiophilestyle and whatsbestforum more experimental with streaming equipment, plug n play is the favored mode here.

Agree with grannyring advice above, I've done much experimenting with entire network chain, having modem and router or switch near system provides better SQ. Rather recent poster here went so far as purchasing second ISP line in order to get his setup closer to system, and remove possible contamination from wifi, not sure he's posted a followup. I'm curious since considering another try with audiophile switch replacing present Nighthawk router powered with LPS. I suspect the router is weak line in my network, routers with wifi noisy devices, looking to segregate wifi from system. Another nice upgrade to networks is Broadcomm chip modem vs inferior Intel chip, no telephony on modem used for system, LPS for modem.

Simple is nice, not necessarily best , smps not good, lps on every active component required, this alone may require a few extra boxes. Top flight rendering in streamer or streaming dac is required for simple, problem is vast majority of streamers don't do topflight rendering, reason I'd likely go for streaming dac if I was going  simple with highest quality audio. All ethernet is way to go for simple, high quality streaming, streaming dac allows that. Based on my research, the only streamers offering best of best rendering are the Taiko Extreme, Wadax, Aurender W20SE just slightly inferior to the Wadax and Taiko .Innuous provides very nice rendering via outboard usb, believe it built into Statement.  Ports providing rendering must be isolated from motherboard for best performance, far too many don't. Bottom line for best simple setup is one of these topflight streamer going directly to dac or streaming dac in which case streamer doesn't matter as much since it will only be acting as server.

The above illustrates what I'd consider for highest quality streaming that competes with very nice vinyl setups. Not saying one can't attain fine SQ with lesser setups.