Sonic difference between Roon 1.1 vs 1.2

After upgraded to Roon 1.2, I notice some sonic improvements… There’s seemed to have more ‘space’, ‘dimensional’ and more richer and fuller sound. This really good! The difference is even more when playing back hi-res PCM and DSD. Does anyone experience this sort of improvement?

Hmmm. Assuming that you were playing BitPerfect previously to your DAC I can’t see that much should have changed.

No difference between the two versions. In my opinion.

No difference other than psychoacoustics!

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Have a read of this to understand why there could well be audible differences between 1.1 and 1.2 even though both are bit perfect.

Agree with you MusicEar to me there seems also to be an improvement … but I agree with the others that there should not be any difference as both are bit-perfect.

Maybe just because of the joy of internet-radio everything sounds better in 1.2. :wink:

I haven’t noticed a change myself, but I’m using HQP output rather than RAAT.

I noticed it, too, with DSD64 DoP playback. In my case l simultaneously switched from driving my Chord Mojo with a Macbook via a Curious Cable USB to a Raspberry Pi 2 with Hifiberry Digi+ via a Moon Audi Black Magic SPDIF cable, so that could explain it. But a noticeable increase in detail and spaciousness.

Maybe it’s RAAT magic? I’ll be curious if the Roon team comments.

Ah the bit perfect thing again! Funny how these things survive all sane attempts to explain that bits are not just bits… So if it sounds different there must be some thing wrong?
In the message from Room about 1.2 it says: “Roon’s audio architecture has been rebuilt from the ground up…” Of course it can sound different. I do not yet use Roon in my system, but the comment from @MusicEar on improved sound is very welcome.

Myeahh… Haha! Like saying I changed cars and they drive different… Shocking! :slight_smile:

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In my system (Roon on MacBook Pro > Dirac > Ayre DX5 > Boulder > Boulder > Wilson), the difference is noticeable but for the worse. There might be slightly more detail but all sounds harder, dryer, less musical and the sound stage is a bit narrower.

I actually think RAAT does sound better to a AO optimized Win 10 Zuma than running Core or Server on the same.

I have no doubt in my system it sounds different and better for the most part. I have more air, detail, instrument seperation and bass. I am listening at lower volume than normal also. On the downside I have found a bit of brightness and fatigue with horns, cymbals and at the end of vocal runs at to loud of volume.

I noticed the highs is tamed down compared with Roon 1.1 and the overall mid is ‘thicker’ and bass is fuller. The major improvement is the separation of instruments and soundstage. In my opinion 1.2 is a more musical and ‘colored’ sound to me.

hmm… am I the only one who feels like roon 1.2 sound got significantly worse than 1.1? everything sounds more dead / digital / constrained than before. I used to listen to roon because the sound was livelier, more detailed and larger sounding than the default tidal playback. but now it feels the total opposite, so much so i haven’t listened to things on roon much since the upgrade (and if i can’t figure out a solution i may not continue using roon =T)

** Note: on my main system it’s macbook > MX-U8 > Theta Progeny DSPro DAC > Eddie Current Super 7. On my secondary system is a different macbook > Geekout V2 > schitt Vali 2. On both systems the sound is significantly worse than before…doing direct comparisons to the default tidal app. I have my settings set with exclusive mode and integer mode enabled so it should be lossless, just like i did for 1.1

Yes probably !!!

Yes I agreed, the 1.2 sounded ‘roll off’ at the highs less extended that resulted in recordings sounded ‘dull’ The mid seemed a bit ‘thicker’ the sound signature is major shift from Roon 1.1. I don’t understand a core change can resulted a major change in sound quality. Some welcome the change but definitely not others.

Such change in sound quality is very subjective and can greatly influence what we can enjoy the music.

How do you compare the two version, to give such a clear judgement, seeing a “major change”?

I cannot believe, you can have such a sound memory.
Sound memory didn’t usally last longer than 3-5 seconds (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echoic_memory) and that’s a really short period of time to compare two systems without having them both installed in parallel.

If it’ s days or weeks for the comparison you have a lot more aspects who influences your personal listening experience. From air pressure or temperature to your own physical and mental status.

A typical setup has a unique sound signature and over time we become familiar with it. Any change in sound quality can either perceived as an improvement or sound ‘worse’ is very subjective to individuals. In my case I perceived it as an ‘improvement’ coz it helps to ‘tone down’ an already bright revealing system I have. For others it may not be the case.

Change in sound quality is something I don’t want to play with it. Once you like the sound from your Hi-Fi system, stick with it and enjoy the music.