Rock : music cold and noisy

Roon Software Discussion ROCK
1

Hi guys, I need help/suggestions.

My setup is this, in short:

  1. Roon Rock on fanless NUC i7 (homemade) with internal & external SSDs powered by cheaper power supply.
  2. Hi-end Young MKIII pre/dac powered by very low noise power supply
  3. Densen B-330+ amplifier
  4. ELAC Carina FS247.4 floor-standing speakers

I listen to bought/ripped music (no DSD), and when I listen to vinyl (turntable+phono connected to Young MKIII) the sound is warm and perfect but when I listen to the digital files it seems to me that is too cold and noisy.
This would exclude problems in the chain 2 to 4.

This is happening either with a direct connection (Rock – USB cable from Rock to DAC) or (Rock – ethernet cable 5e – eth switch – ethernet cable 5e – mac as output – USB cable from Mac to DAC)
So:
• Can be the poor NUC power supply that introduces noise? Does an LPS make a difference?
• Can be the USB connection the problem and is better to use a different one?
• Can be the ethernet network the source of the noise?

Is there a better Roon setup (parameters) to eliminate this problem I have?

I know, can be everything but I need some suggestions based on your experience.

I read a lot of forum info where everyone is selling his truth…

Thanks a lot
Tony

3

If your system is “tuned” to your listening taste with a specific source then any other source might sound inferior to you. You may have to change/adapt your tuning and/or expectations.
Note: Your personal taste, while pleasing for you, may not represent the “truth (how it’s supposed to sound”. As there is no absolute reference for sound quality available, judging the sound quality is a highly subjective matter.

Ethernet connections are preferred but using a Mac as endpoint and then USB to DAC is not great. A Mac is a (noisy) computer device just like the NUC. I wouldn’t have expected the two setups to sound much different from each other. The team behind Roon made a sound quality best practice guide available:

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4

What does this noise sound like?

5

Flat and metallic for library files. Good for those streaming

6

A difference in sound ‘character’, then, rather than actual ‘noise’.

I suspect @BlackJack is right - you just prefer the character of your vinyl source with this combination of electronics and loudspeakers. I’d be surprised if power supply tweaks would give you what you seek.

Exploring EQ changes in Roon might help, but beyond that I think rebalancing the system to a more neutral vinyl playback source and ‘warmer’ electronics or loudspeakers might be needed.

Or just play vinyl… :wink:

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7

Probably it’s just that you’re used to rolled-off highs and added brown noise LP background, in comparison to much less background and linear frequency response.

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8

To be sure we’re not missing something obvious…

Could you post a screenshot of the Roon signal path?
What is your TT/phono source?

9

I see in one of your posts you say “Good for those streaming”. Which indicates that streaming is fine, correct? So it may be the “bought/ripped” files that are the issue?
Can you also tell us how the “bought/ripped” files are acquired/ripped? (what software, where were they downloaded from, file format bit rate, mp3, FLAC, AAC, etc?) Could be the files material.

10

Here is

Roon screenshot 2024-02-27 153353
Roon screenshot 2024-02-27 153353497×672 51.8 KB

Turntable : New Horizon 200
Phono source : Cambridge Audio Alva SOLO

11

I checked again and deeply and it seems is not dependent on the source (streaming or library files). I thought was but some streaming tracks are fine and others less fine for me (I usually listen FLAC from Qobuz or the library).
A few weeks ago the issue was not present and I didn’t change the setup. Maybe the I7 is becoming obsolete or I did something wrong with the Roon options.

I know, I am not helping so much. Sorry for that

12

Thanks… I have to change my ears.
Anyway, I’ll try using an lps and let you know.

Thanks

13

If you issue is with digital then you cannot exclude the DAC. In fact, it probably IS the DAC since that is where the analog signal is created.

14

I like the highs but these highs are too high.

15

Are you suggesting that to me because you think the DAC in combination with the DENSEN and the ELAC is a too cold setup?

16

Yes; but if the issue didn’t exist a few weeks ago and you’ve not changed anything, that puts the question in a different context. Evidently something has changed that has altered the character balance between digital and vinyl.

I can’t see anything ‘wrong’ with the Roon signal path, but you do need to be sure you are matching volume levels when doing any comparisons. Have you only recently enabled volume levelling in Roon?

How sure are you that the digital chain is now ‘colder’, rather than the vinyl chain ‘warmer’?

17

Yes Andy, I recently changed volume leveling from auto to album, but how this can influence the sound character I listen to?
The digital chain is more emphasized on the highs, the details are clear, but perhaps this makes the sound cold, at least for me.

I’ll try to use the EQ, can a convolution filter help? In this case where i can find it to use?
Thanks

18

Thanks for posting the signal path screenshot when streaming from Qobuz.

You said that Qobuz sounded ok but playing local files do not … thus can you also post signal path screenshot when playing a local file.

After posting the image … as an experiment I would also recommend switching off volume leveling to see how it sounds without it engaged.

19

Thanks, Carl, Andy, and everyone here. I did two things:

  • switched off the volume leveling
  • moved the nuc in another position away two meters from DAC and Amplifier

Now the music character is as expected by me, I’ll verify if an LPS can improve more.

Thanks again

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20

March update.

As per Roon recommendation I separated the core (Roon Rock) and the endpoint with a SOTM sMS-200 Neo as network bridge to feed my DAC via USB.
Roon Rock and SOTM are connected to network switch via ethernet (cat 6 and 7 cables). Both are powered via a dedicated lps and now the sound is very great!

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