More things to control for in listening tests
Best point is: even if there are very slightly differencesâŚI bet my ass that 9 out of 10 âcomplaining guysâ have:
a) not the equipment anyway to hear that proven
b) have not invested a single minute or cent into the room acoustics what have WAY more influences as most guys thinking
c) are writing it because of the have read elsewhere about the sounding of RoonâŚ
I can say clearly there are differences, but these are not due to any sounding of RoonâŚ
I just switched to another setup and had 2 weeks of testing.
Old setup was a NAD C658 with two Audiolab MB8300.
New setup is a Michi X5 with a direct USB connection to my Roon Core.
During the testing I was driving the NAD C658 with Roon and with BlueOS. (Streamer inside of C658 is native BlueOS and Roon Ready)
With a switched off (!) DSP in Roon, there was NOT A SINGLE difference. And that is assured as I was playing the SAME FLAC files with both engines and as well Tidal MQA with the same DAC, pre-amp and amping.
The new setup is way betterâŚbut as different as a setup can be. Different DAC, connected differentlyâŚdifferent AmpâŚ
My conclusion is simple: Roon sounds as good as your equipment is able toâŚand has with DSP the option of adaptions that can correct issues if required.
You sure it was because of vinyl? It could just have been Fleetwood Mac. Or Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. Or maybe she literally havenât heard any music in 10 years. I remember how I felt listening to music for the first time after only a few months of complete musical isolation, during my military service. I smuggled a tiny portable AM radio, with the cheapest ear buds you can imagine, and I totally hated that particular song before. Yet, it sounded so good, I felt like dancing and singing along. That proves anything you want it to prove, or nothing.
Thatâs funny Anthony_B & mikeb. My girl, (woman / person / them / they / whoever she is), of 21 years, asked me what I did to the sound, one time, from the kitchen, while I was trying out different speaker cables. I am seriously lucky to have a partner who can offer a valid opinion between an Audio Research preamp and something else.
I might need to A/B scotch vs bourbon and see which sounds better!
Thatâs a great point.
To see if there is a difference in sound while sipping various types of scotch!
Well, as far as bourbon goes, my system sounded unbelievable the other night after some âHigh Westâ. Pretty good stuff and not too many $$$s. (Fyi, Imho)
I guess this is the drinks home:
As usual, we start with a serious conversation and realize that the right drinks any listening session sounds better.
Think of the time and money which can be saved in search of that perfect system. I do think weed must be a part of it all however to round it all out. Sort of like the racks.
Shouldnât you be matching drinks with music? Surely scotch improves the sound of, say, Nazareth much more than of ABBA. Youâd need some Akvavit for that (and lots of it!)
Have we seen pictures of the system and itâs surroundings?
Youâre lucky that youâre posting on a Roon thread. On forums with less tolerance for subjective prattle, youâd quickly have disqualified from being taken seriously.
The wife ⌠really!
Is that one of the infamous âhand cream remotesâ on the table there?
Yeah itâs a fancy remote Roon volume knob
Since you asked. The wood above the seating area is part of the sound treatment for the room. The ceiling and walls are treated. Made a major difference.
Thank you for posting! Thatâs a really special rig and room, congrats!
Curious on the room construction - is there any broadband absorption / traps built in?
Ahem, you sure about this
Very nice, room looks very relaxing
I understand. Totally, get it. I usually avoid these discussions. Not a tech guy. I do LOVE music and how I feel and am always looking to improve my system somehow.
Yes, prattle. Maybe I should care more about that. I donât. I started with a simple question - is there a degradation of sound with Roon. I realized that emotions run high with this topic. I can see why.
Not what I expected. Very lively discussion and thanks for allowing me to prattle on while learning a bit too.
You guys are great.
Rocco