Has anyone tried this and how does it compare? https://maestromusic.app
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Roon doesn’t touch your audio stream either if you turn off DSP. Nor does Qobuz/Tidal Connect. Whatever this even means, every streaming tech necessarily “touches” the data, how else would it get streamed. The question is just whether it changes that data.
How Maestro Works
Maestro removes the server from the audio path entirely. Instead of receiving and redistributing the stream, Maestro:
- Authenticates your Qobuz session
- Directs the renderer to fetch the stream itself
- Leaves playback entirely to the endpoint
This is exactly what Qobuz Connect does. And server-based systems like Roon just unpack the FLAC from Qobuz, which also has to happen somewhere - if not on the server, then it’s on the endpoint.
How Server-Based Platforms Work
(…)
Even in bit-perfect mode, the audio data remains intact—but the delivery behavior is defined by the server, not the source. This changes the system topology in meaningful ways:
Additional Processing Layers. The stream passes through a full software stack—databases, DSP engines, multi-room sync, proprietary protocols—before reaching your renderer. These layers are active in the signal chain even when their features are turned off.
None of this is “meaningful” or relevant in the slightest way. DSP can be turned off (but room correction is a good thing). The other protocols involved are bit-perfect, just like the many different protocols that deliver the stream from Qobuz to your network in the first place - and which do the same when using Maestro. (Maestro does not employ fairies for the transport layer from Qobuz servers to your router).
Server-Defined Delivery. Your renderer must follow the server’s protocol and delivery model rather than interacting directly with the source. The server decides how and when data arrives.
So what? If anything, it’s better if a powerful server does this that’s separate from the DAC and its analog stages.
- System-Level Noise Environment. A general-purpose computer running a heavy audio engine generates electrical activity—CPU cycles, memory access, OS scheduling—that contributes to the overall noise environment of your playback system.
No it does not, at least not over the network. All the work the server does has to be done somewhere, and it’s on the endpoint directly if it’s not on the server.
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If it works with Qobuz only, I wonder what value would this add to Qobuz Connect. They mention Roon, Audirvana and JRiver but this sounds more like an alternative to JPlay (for Qobuz users without a QC connect enabled system)
It’s by Paul McGowan. Fact-checking anything he says is a waste of time.
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I know, the lies just triggered me 
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Hmmm. If Maestro doesn’t interfere, use a database, bla bla bla, how can Ella learn your listening habits? Just advertising twaddle?
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The funny thing is how he’s going on about “not touching the stream” and then … includes a whole suite of DSP, designed to do just that:
Shape and remaster your tracks and albums with a 10-band parametric EQ, harmonic enhancement, dynamics processing, loudness compensation, and high-quality upsampling.
Now, this may be a good implementation and may have useful features, I don’t know, but it’s totally contrary to the other claims. (And the box that follows is just waffle)
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Just reading PS’s claims. How is it possible that they get away with all this nonsense? Unbelievable. It’s like selling deer oil to smear on CDs claiming that would improve the sound… They always return to the same old nonsense story. Not particularly creative in any respect.
It’s indeed some kind of second-hand embarrassment. There are just two possibilities… they actually do believe in their own claims or they don’t. Choose for your own which is correct…
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Since they do the DSP in the cloud, maybe this, too. Of course, the data gets sent back and forth anyway, and surely this is VERY bad.
I do like the idea of prism remastering.
I’m hoping for this to be one of the areas that AI is actually useful.
I fancy saying “Make the drums more solid and increase them in the mix”
.sjb
That’s entirely fine, but then they shouldn’t precede it all with nonsense explanations of not touching the stream. In fact, it’s sad that they distracted from what could be nice features in DSP and discovery by writing all the nonsense.
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Or…you watch his daily info-mercials, presented as questions being answered…and chuckle at the obvious…like when he said “Denafrips…that’s a made up name”…when self-promotion becomes its own parody.
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I read through the linked Maestromusic page.
It does remind me of his short YouTube videos that leave me questioning how much he actually understands about his topics.
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As usual, a conclusion was reached before actually listening, which makes the judgment rather subjective.
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Nothing at all, but then he does not need to, hism marketing seems to work well enough.
It is disappointing though, it seemed that they had finally hired their first real engineer a year or so ago. Does not look like it took.
Listen to what, Qobuz or Paul? I’ve done both. What he says is objectively ■■.
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Marketing by attacking your competitors , now that’s something new
(South) Africa doesn’t have Qobuz so no use reading on
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If someone has been, for a long time, saying that the Earth is triangular, and just so happened to be selling triangular map holders. And then he finally discovers a way to make square ones that do not collapse immediately and, without even blinking, starts telling that as he has been saying all along, the Earth is a square…
No, there is nothing to listen to there.
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To me, it actually feels like Maestro is trying to shift the paradigm. Roon’s worldview has always been something like: “Music is a graph of metadata.”
Everything revolves around rich linking such as artists, credits, albums, and compositions. It’s incredibly powerful and still best-in-class.
Maestro, at least from what I’ve seen so far, seems to come from a different angle: “Music is a listening experience plus AI-driven curation.” Less about navigating metadata, more about guiding the listening experience and discovery.
That direction aligns quite well with where things seem to be heading: toward AI-driven discovery rather than purely metadata-driven browsing. Maestro introduces two potentially disruptive ideas:
AI-first discovery and a renewed focus on perceived sound quality. If they execute well, this could go in two directions: It becomes a real competitor to Roon in one to two years, or it finds its place as a niche “audiophile alternative,” similar to Audirvana.
One additional aspect that might play into this is how the role of software-side upsampling has evolved. Roon has historically put quite some emphasis on DSP features like upsampling and signal processing. At the same time, many modern DACs now implement very sophisticated internal upsampling, filtering, and clocking mechanisms. Hence, in such setups, external upsampling via software is no longer always a clear upgrade and becomes more of a matter of system matching and personal preference.
If Maestro leans into a more “bit-perfect, let the DAC do the work” philosophy, combined with a clean playback path, that could resonate well with users who prefer to rely on their hardware rather than software DSP chains. In that sense, any perceived sound quality difference might come less from “doing more” and more from “doing less, but cleaner.”
My take:
- If you are deeply invested in Roon, there is no real reason to switch today.
- If you are curious or enjoy experimenting, it is definitely worth trying the Maestro beta.
- If your priorities are simplicity and possibly improved sound quality, Maestro could become quite interesting over time.
I’ll give a try;-)
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That is totally achievable in Roon today by disabling any and all DSP. If Roon is not bit-perfect conscious, I don’t know what other software is, as it’s the only software to my knowledge that shows you the signal path, extending, in some cases, inside the hardware itself.
If Maestro’s intent is indeed to redefine library management and music discovery, then the very first phrase on its home page is completely misguiding, as it was pointed before:
Maestro is the world’s first music platform that never touches your audio stream.
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