Maybe I am imagining it, but a check with a buddy using Roon, who also agrees, Roon 1.5 has an “edgy” brighter sound nature? Anyone else hear a difference in the sound quality of the NEW Roon?
3 Likes
No, no change in sound quality on my side.
Yes, I got the same feeling with the sound. A noticeable brighter sound.
I’m using a RoonCore on a linux server and RoonBridge with DietPI on a small single board computer.
It’s the first time I hear a difference with a new release of Roon.
1 Like
You guys are sure that you have disabled the DSP engine? It seems to have a tendency to go On with updates…
I’m always using DSP in mode “For compatibility only” to downsample DSD256.
Never noticed any change in Sq with any update as should be the case. Roon should be transparent.
Compatibility downsampling will always happen, even when you set the main DSP switch to off in the DSP dialogue top left corner. (provided your DAC/Bridge reports its capabilites correctly, that is)
Quite a lot of people seem to prefer this switch in off position even if none of the DSP options below is enabled.
1 Like
@Mikael_Ollars You mean all disabled (DSP switch in the top left corner + “Sample Rate Conversion” switch) ?
Or only the DSP switch in the top left corner set to off + “Sample Rate Conversion” switch set to On, in order to tell to Roon server how you want to apply the rate conversion (“Parallelized Sigma Delta modulator” and “Enable Native DSD Processing” and so on…) ?
I have to say I’ve never noticed a SQ change with any Roon version prior to this one. However my system sounds better since 1.5. Whether it’s any updated DSP code Roons end or I just happened to tweak my PEQ perfectly this last fortnight (I’ve been doing a fair bit of subtle tinkering) I’m not sure, and don’t really care. It sounds goooood. 
With 1.5, Internet radio now sounds very listenable to me, more so than with 1.4 or 1.3. Local files and Tidal remain unchanged.
I’m thinking that it may be a better integration with alsa (using volumio as an endpoint) but noticing an improvement.
I use a Manhattan II Dac with super high end gear and for me it has a hard edge that it did not have before still sounds great but a noticeable tonal shift. I use no DSP and I using Tidal as the source into the Roon network card in the DAC.
Yup, but the individual switches for Sample Rate Conversion, Parametric Equalizer etc won’t have any purpose if the top left DSP switch is off. (only a few settings in Sample Rate conversion will still be considered upon compatibility resampling, such as Parallelize Sigma Delta Modulators)
Ok, thanks for the trick. I’ll test if I hear a difference. However, I’ve the aim to setup/try in a near futur some HAF filters (Thierry’s room correction), so I’ll have to enable the main DSP switch.
No probs, the Roon team states this switch doesnt do anything if individual DSP options are off. (But why is it there then?) Quite a few statement have been made on this fora regarding this switch’s audible effects, if any.
Also let me state that i havent heard any audible differences with the release 1.5. Aside from the nice effect of having Roon unfold Tidal MQA that is! 
1 Like
hum… Is there any chance that people are hearing something different when the top-left switch is set to OFF, due to the fact that, may be, the sample rate conversion filter used is changed by Roon ?
I really appreciate the Roon’s GUI globally but this politic to use some settings when all is Off is puzzling me. It would be more user-friendly if we could know how is performed the sample rate conversion when we set all to off or more simply to not convert at all.
If there’s any conversion going on it’s shown in the signal path. Or am I missing something?
1 Like
Hmmm … and I thought it was just me. I have noticed it slightly brighter and a tad more transparent. I have not touched anything … DSP is completely OFF. The fact that people have noticed a change is significant. These are people who are able to detect and discern differences.
1 Like
I have noticed a distinct improvement in SQ! Previously, I preferred streaming via mconnect to my PS Audio Directstream, despite the better Roon interface. No longer - greater detail and presence! Very impressed, as is my wife. I have a very revealing system: PS Audio P10 power, Directstream DAC & Pre, Monobloc, and Amphion Krypton3 speakers.
3 Likes
@hifi_swlon Yes you’re right, the signal path is showing if a conversion is on or off, but you do not see all fine processing settings (dsp filter linear and so on, sigma-delta algo, parallelization, …).
1 Like