i am currently using a NUC in combination with ROCK to stream Qobuz. I have an external Chord Qutest DAC that is connected to ROON. ATM i am only using ROON as a remote control for Qobuz to be honest. Now i thought perhaps it is useful to use a Network streamer like Lumin U1 or Silent Angel Munich M1T. But i am asking myself if there is any benefit (sound wise) to use an external Streamer instead of the ROON ROCKS solution. I startet this thinking because i was unsure if buying a lifetime license is worth or spending the same mony on an external network player.
any ideas or suggestions on this topic? thank you and have a great day!
I ran my NUC direct into various dacs for years. All sounded great, no downsides. There’s literally no advantage in a data driven environment to adding another variable:
Only add a streamer if it somehow improves convenience and usability in some way (eg for me it gives wireless)
Well, in my opinion it boils down to which indispensable Roon features you’d be using, that aren’t made available by the streamer and it’s control application - or if you would want to live with one or the other’s deficiencies.
Of course, it’d be best to try for oneself before buying any of the streamers in question.
you guys opened the box of pandora for me ;-). i never questioned if the the nuc10i5 running directly connected to the DAC could be any bottle neck…or if using a raspberry connected to the DAC in combination with the NUC as a core could make a difference…
My experience has been that no matter how good the DAC is at isolating itself from other devices that feed it, the sound quality is improved by using a low electrical noise device to feed the DAC.
In my case, I have a Holo Audio May KTE DAC which is excellent at isolating noise from external devices. Especially on the USB input. However, using a low electrical noise Ethernet endpoint always sounded better than connecting directly to the Roon Server system via USB. I used a Sonore ultraRendu for a long time but now I use a Holo Audio Red.
I have to use an endpoint because the computer running Roon (and HQPlayer) is a completely different room than my 2 channel music setup. But, I would still use one even if they were in the same room. Ethernet provides another level of isolation and the endpoint is electrically much quieter than my Roon server computer.
Contrary to other subjective and anecdotal reports of improvement, I’ve never effected any audible gains - as would be described using typical audiophile jargon - by inserting an intermediate streamer/bridge device before my DAC.
Diverse operating systems on RPi 3’s and 4’s as Roon bridges introduced their own glitches and one or the other amusical noises.
What I needed to insert was an Intona USB isolation device to get rid of the RPi’s or my server PC generated noises when connected directly by USB.
Some may argue that my PC and my DAC’s XMOS hardware and driver implementation are subpar, but after the Intona there are no disturbances left other than the pure musical information, no matter what’s upstream.
Of course, with their sound quality article, Roon needs to cater to the always tinkering audiophile tribe, as well as to cover their own behind.
It’s cheap enough to try a Raspberry Pi with Ropieee.
Worse case you have yourself an endpoint for another room.
Alternatively, if you have a Bluesound dealer, they might let you try one at home.
I have personally found a streamer to be beneficial, having tried both ways, both for sound quality and features, especially when they allow you to use other services with that DAC. Spotify Connect, Airplay and Chromecast come to mind.
You will get totally passionate answers from those who do and those who don’t.
i have a raspberry lying around, i will just try it. i do not use any wireless interfaces i really only use roon for streaming qobuz via my DAC. it is basicly a remote control for qobuz
i like what you are saying here. in my case, i can not think about any reason why it should make a huge difference. i am only streaming qobuz. i don’t have a local libary so i would asume that the NUC should handle everything equal to a combination of NUC-CORE and Raspberry bridge+DAC. but i will try it out and have a look
mjw
(Here I am with a brain the size of a planet and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper. Call that job satisfaction? I don't.)
Split this topic
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I like the concept of separating my Roon Core from my audio gear. My core has fans and spinning hard drives that produce an audible noise. By having my core in a different room I have eliminated that noise from my listening room.
Different concept here, using a fanless core, with desktop CPU and SSD’s, sitting next to the Intona USB-Isolator, DAC with volume control and a class-D Amp.
No mechanical noises to eliminate, speakers dead silent as well, with ears next to drivers at full volume, playing digital silence.
It depends on the overall system I think. I had a Logitech squeezebox renderer at first and upgraded to an Aries Mini, then Aries as I upgraded other components. There is definitely a difference. My most recent upgrade was to a Lumin U2 and I use a fibre cable to my switch, I didn’t think the difference it made was possible but I’m running a high end DAC.
I think it all depends on how resolving your system is but for heavens sake don’t run direct from the core machine, that’s just wrong the USB outputs on a computer is complete rubbish even with software that bypasses the internal audio path.
It probably is, it’s not just bad usb 2 hardware but also the noisy CPU environment, they’re not designed for audio. There are apparently add-on modules that aim to improve that. Linear power supply supposedly improve things as well.
I’ve not used a raspberry pi for audio.
You can get a secondhand Aries mini for very little, add a linear power supply and they’re superb for the small investment.