I have recently been trying out Roon and, as a result, also delving into it a bit. Now I come across various topics discussing the sound quality of Roon. The reactions vary from positive to critical. What surprises me, however, is that there would be any audible difference in quality between Roon and other platforms at all. I had the idea that Roon is nothing more than a shell that offers a nice interface but has no influence on the sound quality (assuming all filters are turned off). So my question is, does Roon indeed have any influence on the sound quality with all filters turned off, or is it indeed nothing more than a shell, and simply put, only the streamer and DAC determine the quality of your sound?
By the way, I’m running Roon on a NUC.
Roon has extensive DSP functions that can be evoked for processing the signal if desired. Have a read of the MUSE articles in the Knowledge Base.
Also, the Signal Path article is worth knowing about.
Apart from intentional changes to the signal path / DSP, everything that can be said has been said in earlier versions of this thread, like here (let me quote myself):
Yes, Roon does “effect” the sound quality. Because if you shut down Roon, there is no sound.
effect (v.): to cause
affect (v.): to change
AJ
If you’re referring to endpoints sounding different based on whether Roon (RAAT) supplies the file vs. other applications/protocols supplying that same file in a bit-perfect manner without any DSP…I would hope it’s not an issue anymore with modern, more powerful endpoints.
For example, I have an older Bryston BDP-1 and on that, Roon (RAAT) does sound different than its local, native MPD Manic Moose. Furthermore, the MPD would sound different whether the file was sourced from USB or a NAS. I’ve read similar things on Naim forums for a long time. In all these cases, it’s the same file being used without any changes.
Any difference in SQ between different playback methods when the same file is used without any modification, is an unwanted byproduct. Each playback method has its unique processing load on the endpoint’s computer. Ideally, the audio manufacturer would do a perfect job in making sure that the differences in processing doesn’t leak into the downstream audio path. So whether you used, Roon, Audirvana, MPD, DLNA or whatever…they’d all sound the same when the same file is used.
In my case, BDP-1 was a much older, underpowered product and it was made before Roon was a thing, so I can look past it. Roon has been out for several years, and I would hope audio manufacturers releasing new products have clearly examined this and tested with Roon specifically to make sure they have isolated their audio circuitry well enough so that it doesn’t matter where and how the file is being supplied.
In my opinion, it’s on the audio manufacturers and not on Roon to fix this problem (if it still exists today?). Roon’s job is to supply the file as it exists. If it does that, Roon’s job is done. If Roon still sounds different/worse than other playback methods…that’s a failure on the audio manufacturer’s end. They didn’t do a good job. I’d avoid them.
Join the conversation 
In my system (Antipodes server and streamer in same enclosure) I am able to change software easily. When comparing a roon platform to a squeeze platform there is definite ly a change in sound. Both deliver bit perfect to the same dac. Without stating which is better but stating there is a difference what could be the cause?
Simple answer, which is actually a question.
How does it sound to you?
Bingo! Menzies 
Hi Flevoman, hang around here and I’ve found you’ll get 1001 opinions on sound quality and its influences
Best bet is to trust your own ears. (I’m sure you know) there are other software players, many of which are actually free (or can be trialled for free) or are bundled with hardware.
If you want to (or can) give them a go, then you can decide: in your system, to your ears, with your music, to your taste whether Roon is SQ coloured in any way
Its the only way you’ll get an answer
Regards
Andy
It surprises me that most answers are so subjective. I would have expected this question to be answerable with a simple yes or no. If Roon simply forwards the music file 1:1, then Roon cannot possibly have any influence on the sound. However, I am too much of a novice to know exactly whether this is indeed the case or if Roon does something with the music file after all.
Yes Roon sounds great
No Roon doesn’t sound bad
Roon is an experience. It’s more than just sound quality. Yes, that’s paramount but so is user appeal, ease of use, feature rich functionality.
Roon Rocks
However, Roon for some can be a pain in the a$$ which can, I believe, affect one’s opinion on how Roon sounds.
Have a bad day with Roon and you may believe it sounds different.
Have a good day with Roon and you may believe it sounds different.
For me it’s all about the music and my system takes second place. As long as I have music I don’t (I do 
) care what it’s playing on.
A choice of no music or music from a phone’s speakers, then I’d take the music from a phone’s speakers.
It doesn’t, assuming DSP is turned off.
No, as in no, Roon does not affect sound quality.
The provable (i.e. objectively measurable) answer is that no, in absence of DSP, Roon, or any other bit-perfect player, all sound exactly the same (and if anyone could prove otherwise, that person would be selling superior subjective ADCs and DACs to every three letter agency in the world, when not too busy preparing their Nobel acceptance speech).
Subjective answer is that people will hear whatever they want to hear. Not with any blind test, of course (ABX kills the magic, or something), but they do hear it.
Sound quality is subjective for most people - what you prefer is very personal.
Roon will deliver a bit-perfect stream to your DAC unless you tell it not to; but that doesn’t mean that a specific system architecture won’t be susceptible to changes that shouldn’t affect the audio, but might.
Is any difference actually audible? As always, it depends.
Best not to go down the rabbit hole…
Indeed, many topics are subjective when it comes to audio. However, it seems to me that this question can be answered purely based on how Roon functions as software. If it is nothing more than a pass-through (assuming all filters are off) presented in a nice interface, allowing the music file to pass through in its pure form, then Roon cannot possibly have any influence on sound quality. However, I myself do not know exactly what Roon does with the file, hence the question.
No
/10 chars
No!
You can alter the sound using DSP but by default - no. It does NOT affect the sound quality. What you hear is pure, lossless audio if streaming from Qobuz or Tidal and depend what music you own to upload to Roon Server.
Yes, it’s a passthough of bit perfect audio. It’s like I explained above, if any differences in SQ arise, they have to do with stuff how that file is transferred and processed by the receiving system…it has nothing to do with the file itself.
It’s like buying an item from 2 vendors that has the same exact model number and the same price. The only thing that might vary between the two vendors is the price of shipping (computing resources) because one vendor is shipping from nearby centre (local, native) vs. the other vendor shipping from out of state (RAAT).
So the final total price might be different (SQ), but it has nothing to do with the items being different or costing different. It’s extraneous factors.
But this whole situation might only have been application in the past (old, underpowered devices). Nowadays, you can usually get the same free shipping (modern, fast, well optimized gear) regardless of where the item is being bought and shipped from. It makes no difference to the final price!
I hope that makes sense!