roon sound wasn't as good

I created my own room correction filters for Roon using Room EQ wizard freeware and a $100 minidsp mike using an online guide. I apply the room correction then add additional eq filters to season to taste. Results can be tuned in perfectly to personal preference this way. You just have to get up the initial learning curve and experiment a bit at first. Perhaps the best tweak ever for less than $1k. We are talking total transformation as needed.
 

One of my rooms required very little adjustment but others quite a bit. Just using the mic and REW to get a handle on what issues your room has alone is a worthwhile learning experience that can help one make wiser decisions moving forward. I suspect there are many out there who would care but have no way of knowing to what extent their room as opposed to the equipment itself is determining what they hear.

But the server (core) usually matters far less than the player.

@fuzztone - I also have found this to be true. My server is in my network room, and streamer in my system room. I like the sound from the Signature Rendu SE optical streamer better than others I have tried but cannot reliably hear differences between servers. I would like to try the Innuos Pulsar streamer. Currently using a DDC after the Sig Rendu to provide more flexibility in digital connections into my DAC. Unfortunately, I don’t know how I would incorporate some of the digital processing options discussed here with my NOS R2R DAC.

This is the dirty little secret nobody wants to talk about. 

Innuos Sense vs Roon. Take a comparison listen sometime.

Even with that said I have Roon and will keep it. Reason is simple.

I will trade off some SQ for improved access to new music. 

That maybe true , but it does have HQ  player built in ,with that you can Taylor the sound  exact to your system.   Innous has Avery good interface ,sounds better and can use HQ player.

I use Tidal with Audirvāna, exceptional sound quality and easy to understand and play.