I did similar test when I had mscaler/Dave with Stack Audio Link II. I could play either as roon endpoint or Squeezelite and quickly switch between the two. I hear minor differences but preferred roon endpoint.
Some quick testing using Focal Arche and still hear differences and now prefer using Sqeezelite. It’s more musical. Roon endpoint has a drier sound.
Anyone with RPi endpoint and RiopeeXL can test this. Enable Sqeezelite and enable Sqeezebox in roon. Then you can select as an endpoint.
When I was talking about the Roon SQ, I was actually thinking that Roon intrinsic integration with HQPlayer and give it for free to us, all loyal subscribers.
I think it is not a bad idea at all !!!
You should listen The Pirates of Penzance 
Yep I would agree with your description of the feel of the sound. I found it thicker too much heavier bass, where squeezelite feels faster and forgive me lighter and has more detail in the mid and top range.
My only wish/hope for 1.8 would be RELIABILITY, STABILITY and SOLIDITY of what’s already there.
I don’t understand the expectations for a new set of BUGGY bells and whistles that will take 3 iterations to fix.
Just leave well enough alone and get it running correctly, already.
I don’t understand the comments wishing Roon has better SQ. Invest on a better DAC, amp, speakers, and/or headphones. If the bit-perfect audio does not sound good, Roon is not your problem - your system is.
I did not say Roon was a problem! Where do you get that idea?
However, I actually implied that HQ Player “could” make Roon sound better.
OK, I think you’re saying that some kind of built-in super upsampling feature could improve the sound. I suppose it’s possible. But once you get to a higher tier of DAC then sample rates don’t make much of a difference, if at all. Listening to the redbook vs. 24/192 on my DCS Rossini DAC or Chord Dave I could not tell the difference between sample rates from the same master recording in a blind test.
A software-driven active EQ like DEQX would make a far bigger sound improvement. But I think that goes way beyond Roon’s mission.
So why do Chord make M Scaler? I do not know if the functionality of the Chord M Scaler can emulated by Roon or any software product (eg Audirvana, HQ Player) out there.
Btw, your DAC is not at the same level as my Dac 
(Linn Klimax DSM/2 with Katalyst)
You still have some way to go.
A great Amp can make Roon sound better, also Room Treatments, speakers, etc etc. This doesn’t meant Roon sounds bad, it means ones home listening environments and setups need tweaking, and that’s fine.
I think what people are asking for in terms of sound quality improvements is for there to be more options to tinker with DSP.
I for one agree that bits are bits and roon does a fantastic job at sending the bits where I want them to go.
But I am also someone who can not stop tinkering with the DSP chain (crossfeed / EQ / Convolution / Upsampling) so if there are any improvements to this area then that would make me happy but I do not think that this is an area that roon is lacking. We just always want more as humans.
Not really. I’d didn’t believe it was true until I tried recently I have a well reviewed and state of the art DAC according to ASR which he raves about. Yet when I play content using Squeezelite via LMS it sounds different to using Squeezelite via Roon on the same device feeding the same DAC. It’s not huge but it’s different and one to me sounds more appealing. To others the other might. Not saying it sounds bad it sounds different. Nothing wrong with my equipment. Infact playing via RAAT and Squeezelite from Roon sound identical. Now this could be down to software server side, the fact the use different servers and different network paths. But they remain different regardless.
When is 1.8. Roon please give a hint
Nope it comes when it’s ready — Roon philosophy
It will be here soon,
but, as we all know in Roon vocabulary things have a different meaning than in real life:
We are working on it = within two to three years
Soon = somewhere within a year
Very Soon = somewhere within three months
About to release = give it a month
Any time now = a weak or two
This place is like a maternity waiting room … but with better speakers
Hmmm. Roon 1.8.
Let me guess.
Significant improvements to the Radio Algorithm!
Roon Mobile is still in the development phase.
/s
Don’t man. I couldn’t take it.
Not sure what I would do. Itsa funny thought experiment.