I have now heard music streamed through different apps and through Roon - and while Roon does not sound BAD, the others all consistently sound BETTER! Is there a reason Roon is taking a hit in the sound quality department?
I have reviewed and tried all Roon sound optimization features and its still second fiddle to other apps. Obviously the other apps come up short compared to Roon in the user experience category, but is it not possible to have features AND superior sound quality?
I agree! I have have compared Roon into HQPlayer OS vs Audirvana & JPlay iOS into HQPlayer OS and the latter always come out on top for sound quality. The user experience on the others pales in comparison to Roon. The two I compared are UPNP apps so the renderer (HQPlayer OS in my comparison) is doing all the work and the result is a native feed.
I am hoping Roon will up its game in the sound quality area in general and integration with HQPlayer in particular
Interesting, can you try to describe where the difference lies? What is it you like better in using upnp streaming?
The sound is more alive, more transparent, the edges sparkle more. The sound also is a bit more dynamic through other apps - i.e. has more jump.
By comparison, through Roon, which still sounds good the sound is just a little less alive; a bit flatter, a bit duller.
I understand what you are saying; and have experienced that before - the new sound phenomena, which I am paying attention to. And yes, within reason (not metered) the sound is at similar levels, But with your suggestion, I will meter them as I know also that louder sound will sound better than lower. (Audio stores used to make a living playing their preferred sales product, “just a bit louder” to make it sound better.
The UPNP apps I mentioned above have a cleaner,clearer, more detailed sound in my opinion. I did carefully match the volume level in my comparisons. Please don’t misunderstand, Roon sounds good and I use it a lot but when the best sound quality is what I want I use the Audirvana or JPlay iOS.
I am pretty sure that the difference lies in the difference in the way Roon sends data to HQPlayer OS vs the UPNP apps just sending URLs to the renderer and then the renderer fetching the data directly.
I find a need for both.
With a measuring device to 0.1 dB precision? Else it is worthless, and your ears can’t do it.
As long as we all can agree that 01010100101010001 is a different number than 01010100101010001
This canard comes up time and again.
Search the forum for the debates and yes it is Vs no it’s not.
Bye, Not playing this game!
I thought maybe the Roon user base was immune to trolls, solely interested in disrupting otherwise positive dialogue, but alas The Flat Earth Society exists here too.
Or is it just that users with lesser equipment or hearing shot by loud rock music can’t tell the difference between a Bassoon and a Tuba without a sound meter.
Your assessment and mine were the same. There’s something there.
The my ears are better or my equipment is better also features in the debates.
My point was that this ground has been covered so many times before that it’s easier to to read the previous threads.
As an example…
You can see how often this comes up from the panda eating popcorn early in the thread.
If the topic’s covered, the topic’s covered. It’s up to Roon to decide to do something (or not). Back to my music.
Hmm. If you are starting with the same files, and the same bits are reaching your DAC, differences in level don’t exist. If you are routing the data through HQ Player, that’s part of the reconstruction filter, and you are changing the bits. Without knowing how you architected your tests - and I appreciate your initial post is a summary - I think we’re all guessing what you heard.
Using the same local files on the same equipment with many sessions over a couple years, Squeeze server with squeeze player vs roon server and roon player…. squeeze is personally preferred.
Why? I have no science. It should be the same but it’s not.
Squeezebox endpoint?
Squeeze or roon player running on an Antipodes EX. Squeeze or roon server running on an Antipodes K30.
I guess it’s a question for Antipodes then… 
Yes like a Squeezebox Touch or SB3 or even a Transporter.
Well, no, not like a Squeezebox Touch / etc - which is why I was asking.
I gather in this case it’s an Antipodes box running either Roon or Squeeze protocols, in which case I’d have to assume any audible differences are attributable to the respective processing stacks in the Antipodes software. Unless I’ve misunderstood, which wouldn’t be that unusual… 