But none of that noise (assuming that there is any and you’re not just harking back to the days, many decades ago, when computers were quite noisy) can travel via an ethernet cable to an endpoint, and it certainly can’t wing its way over a wifi connection, so there’s no logical sense to your statement. Roon, as I’m sure you’re aware, is designed to separate the cpu intensive stuff (the core) from the endpoints. Given that’s the case how can the same data being sent directly from Tidal be better?
One other point, that you may have overlooked: what do you think Tidal use to send the very same data? Bespoke audiophile computers, laced with reclockers, routed through bespoke network switches, hooked up to other arcane and wonderful audio-grade devices? Most likely not
I suspect they probably just use a bank of servers, standard Cat 5 (or maybe 6) cables, and industry standard switches. I’d think them rather foolish if they didn’t.
My Nucleus is connected to my network via Ethernet, and it feeds sweet music to my endpoints without the need for fancy ‘network switches, streamers and reclockers’ to ‘redeem’ the core.
and this is why I’m challenging someone, who can hear a difference, go cart your Core to a neighbors house and connect it back to your Wifi. Total “noise” isolation of Core to endpoint. If it sounds better leave your Core at your neighbors and the rest of us will work towards the same.
*I’m not saying people don’t hear a difference but I’m a firm believer that the difference you are hearing is not because of “noise”.
I do exactly that, and experience a meaningful improvement of sound quality (Actually my Core is running on the other end of a WLAN bridge, on a completely different power grid from my hifi kit).
If you’d asked this a year ago the answer would have been buy a raspberry pi 4, install Volumio, hook up to your fac bus USB
But R Pi’s are now scarce and expensive to the simple thing to do is to go o to macsales.com and buy a used Mac mini. More memory is better, but almost any mini will do.
Hook it to your face, hook it to home network, install Roon, and you’re done
