Sound quality improvement from roon core to roon nucleus

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

You wouldn’t. Nucleus is for people who don’t want to mess around with computers. If you’ve configured yours to switch itself on and off and run with its lid down you’ve already done much more than these folks are willing or able to do with a computer. I went with the machines I’ve used (one laptop, two NUC builds, a M-ITX build and many endpoints because building computers is my ‘happy place’. For others it has no such allure!

[Joshua_Nelson]

Thanks for your reply @Henry_McLeod!

What about the digital signal path quality?

I’m learning what DACs are. However, at the end of the day, Arc’s endpoint receives Bluetooth and my home endpoints receive wifi. I’ve tacitly concluded additional hardware in the digital signal path isn’t really going to do anything - yet, I’ve seen musings that the Nucleus improves sound quality.

I’m basically trafficking in FLAC signal variables at my home endpoints, and the not-to-be-escaped downmixed “high quality” in the Arc Bluetooth endpoint in my car.

[Bill_Janssen (Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)]

@Joshua_Nelson

I’ve seen musings that the Nucleus improves sound quality.

Yeah, but it’s wrong. Nucleus is just another computer. Henry has it right.

I always thought Nucleus was for folks who have a business installing listening rooms for other folks. They can buy a Nucleus and lifetime license from Roon, and be done with it.

[Joshua_Nelson]

That seems to settle it Gentleman, thank you!

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

People choose their components for lots of reasons. If you want to try this assemble your own based on a 7th/8th/10th gen NUC with ROCK in a silent enclosure. That gets you 95% or the Nucleus experience (you are only missing bios tweaks and some home automation gubbins) at a fraction of the cost. Go second hand and it gets even better. Buy a Nucleus if you really want one, but you certainly don’t need one. There are better ways to spend your HiFi budget if you don’t need a plug and play solution.

[xxx (Banned - toxicity)]

@Joshua_Nelson

yet, I’ve seen musings that the Nucleus improves sound quality.

Roon, the company, has never advertised Nucleus as an improvement to SQ.

[Geoff_Coupe]

@Henry_McLeod

and some home automation gubbins

The home automation gubbins is now available for any Core; no longer Nucleus-only, according to this post:

Roon Home Automation Modules - Control4 and Crestron Support Updates

Hello All, We are thrilled to announce some very exciting updates regarding our Home Automation Modules! Roon’s Crestron module is now compatible with Crestron’s 4-Series processors. The module is being managed directly by Crestron’s in-house developers on Crestron’s Application Market, which brings the added benefit of keeping our module compatible with the latest Crestron databases. We are open-sourcing our Control4 module and now any Control4 programmer will be able to add additional f…

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

OK. Missed that, good to know!

[euge_lee]

@Dieter_Schaaf

the roon nucleus improves the sound quality considerably. I only came from the macbook pro to the roon nucleus for a couple of weeks, I don’t regret it, the sound is much better.

How and why would this be?

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

It could be for any number of reasons. But it isn’t universal. A Nucleus would not sound better in my setup, pretty much guaranteed. But it wouldn’t sound worse either.