Sound Quality of new roon versions (builds)

[wil]

I agree that Roon has better user interface and many audiophiles are willing to compromise having sound quality dropped down for better user experience. If you use HQPlayer with its own remote app (that actually work as remote without affecting audio signal mixing non-audio information from network into packets), it will sound significantly better than Roon + HQPlayer.

But changing from Roon to something like this? Some audiophiles couldn't accept that and may already bought Roon's lifetime license when it still sounded better like in early 1.8 builds.

View attachment 106578

There's always effect to digital audio in every chain even if you isolate Roon core in different computer. Upgrading computer for better sound quality in Roon core like LPS and network cable are enough proof about it.

I also share similar fate since Roon 1.8 started to sound more acceptable to me and I tried my best to optimize Roon to reach to acceptable sound performance and enjoy better user experience. It wasn't as good as my usual reference platform but close enough for better UI.

However, it got worse in 2.0 and I tried to compromise with Roon even with isolating to separated endpoint device in my system. But after 2.0 build 1202, that was the last straw. CarPlay ruined everything and RAAT from transport is the culprit. Even sending to endpoint or use HQPlayer won't fix it. A lot of my friends complained about it it and Roon's stance is "bits are bits".

Fortunately, my friend's company JPLAY has launched JPLAY app and its user experience is pretty close to Roon but offers much better sound quality that I can also use with my reference platform too. I will never go back to Roon that does everything wrong with computer audio again, ever.

View attachment 106579

Isn’t there the legacy 1.8 version you can still use?

 

[Windows X]

Isn’t there the legacy 1.8 version you can still use?

You can but it's probably not as good as last excellent sounding 1.8 version like OP said before. These issues in 2.0 made me reconsider since when did I become a man who sacrifice sound quality for prettier UI? And I went back to my personal roots again.

 

[Steve Rowan]

View attachment 98517

Hi fellow roon users

After every new roon build is (rarely) hit and (mostly) miss sound quality wise and roon's own forum is completely agnostic and even hostile when it comes to sound quality , I thought it makes sense to have an according thread here on WBF because WE really care about the sound

For quite some time (tbh from the earliest versions of roon, IME) roon with HQP sounded better than roon alone and that held true up to roon version 1.8 where roon alone all of a sudden sounded better than roon with HQP. Go figure

Unfortunately the joy lasted only for a short period until roon brought versions 1.8 build 903, 904, 911, 913 and 918 in VERY short succession

Roon 1.8 build 898 was IME the last excellent sounding version.

Any of you made similar experiences?
What is your take on the last few roon builds sonic wise?

Maybe together we can gather experiences in this thread to "warn" other users and prevent them from updating prematurely because there is not really a possibility to roll back roon versions th

 

[Steve Rowan]

View attachment 98517

Hi fellow roon users

After every new roon build is (rarely) hit and (mostly) miss sound quality wise and roon's own forum is completely agnostic and even hostile when it comes to sound quality , I thought it makes sense to have an according thread here on WBF because WE really care about the sound

For quite some time (tbh from the earliest versions of roon, IME) roon with HQP sounded better than roon alone and that held true up to roon version 1.8 where roon alone all of a sudden sounded better than roon with HQP. Go figure

Unfortunately the joy lasted only for a short period until roon brought versions 1.8 build 903, 904, 911, 913 and 918 in VERY short succession

Roon 1.8 build 898 was IME the last excellent sounding version.

Any of you made similar experiences?
What is your take on the last few roon builds sonic wise?

Maybe together we can gather experiences in this thread to "warn" other users and prevent them from updating prematurely because there is not really a possibility to roll back roon versions

The ROON site has to be one of the most obnoxious sites I’ve run across. The moderators never seem to correct the “trolls” who delight in ridiculing anyone that mentions sound quality. I’ve given that site up.

 

[christoph]

The ROON site has to be one of the most obnoxious sites I’ve run across. The moderators never seem to correct the “trolls” who delight in ridiculing anyone that mentions sound quality. I’ve given that site up.

Sad but true

 

[Windows X]

The ROON site has to be one of the most obnoxious sites I’ve run across. The moderators never seem to correct the “trolls” who delight in ridiculing anyone that mentions sound quality. I’ve given that site up.

Devs even joined trolls to troll too. That made me stopped using Roon.

 

[Alrainbow]

They don’t care about sound bits are bits
but they have always helped me with questions. they do mislead on purpose as well. but if we take a few steps back most sites pick in advance a side. This site has a massive amount of information and do a large degree has much less abusive replies.
CPA is also a great tech site for digital marketing and is also less likely to abuse
if you want to piss off the roon deaf trolls ask them when we can play iso files lol.
many players can play an iso and to me it’s better over all. The reason and this is my view once we extract an iso it’s all math and approximations. There is no Definitive Calculus that does not round off or leave data out.
pick the software and compare a few they sound different. now i am Not saying any are bad or anything but to say it’s not needed and give wrong info how to convert an iso is just wrong.
roon has spent and paid millions to be who they are so one has to respect there business model.

 

[oldmustang]

Sad but true

And yet the latest hardware ad for a Roon-branded product (in the most recent case a network bridge), tout it as being designed for stunning sound quality. . .

Steve Z

 

[Steve Rowan]

And yet the latest hardware ad for a Roon-branded product (in the most recent case a network bridge), tout it as being designed for stunning sound quality. . .

Steve Z

Yes that’s true. ROON also insures that the users continually add processing power as they add feature after feature of which many are unwanted. And of course as ROON bloats itself, to just keep the sound quality up to par their hardware requirements increase. The ROON engineers know this but will never admit it on their site.
I would much rather ROON to lock down their code and strive for better sound quality and reliability.
lit would also be helpful to be able to turn “off”the bloat and strip features out to increase sound quality.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy using ROON. To me it’s the best software package available. But ROON could surely give audiophiles some love.

 

[Steve Rowan]

You know if some of the reviewers on this site and others would chastise ROON a bit to keep sound quality up that would help. If I see Danny at Axpona I’m going to kindly bring this to his attention.

 

[christoph]

You know if some of the reviewers on this site and others would chastise ROON a bit to keep sound quality up that would help. If I see Danny at Axpona I’m going to kindly bring this to his attention.

Don't get your hopes too high
This is a noble idea of you but I seriously doubt it will fall on fruitful soil and therefore is a colossal waste of time and energy

 

[ihmeyers]

Anyone have issues with Roon randomly stopping? I have it onstalled on small, fast PC (in addition to my LDMS server). Every since I installed Roon Core 1259 it stops like 27 times a day. Sometimes it won't even get through a full song before stopping. I have rebooted that server three times today and I have the same issue. Music will be playing and just randomly stop. Sometimes it will take me disconnecting power to the core and letting it sit for 30 mins - 1hr before it can reconnect to the core.

I don't even ask these things on the Roon forum because of course we all know Roon is perfect and is must be something I' doing.

 

[bryans]

Anyone have issues with Roon randomly stopping? I have it onstalled on small, fast PC (in addition to my LDMS server). Every since I installed Roon Core 1259 it stops like 27 times a day. Sometimes it won't even get through a full song before stopping. I have rebooted that server three times today and I have the same issue. Music will be playing and just randomly stop. Sometimes it will take me disconnecting power to the core and letting it sit for 30 mins - 1hr before it can reconnect to the core.

I don't even ask these things on the Roon forum because of course we all know Roon is perfect and is must be something I' doing.

I have not had any issues with Roon randomly stopping.

In fairness I find any forum I'm on to be filled with people who somehow think they know everything.

 

[John T]

Anyone have issues with Roon randomly stopping? I have it onstalled on small, fast PC (in addition to my LDMS server). Every since I installed Roon Core 1259 it stops like 27 times a day. Sometimes it won't even get through a full song before stopping. I have rebooted that server three times today and I have the same issue. Music will be playing and just randomly stop. Sometimes it will take me disconnecting power to the core and letting it sit for 30 mins - 1hr before it can reconnect to the core.

I don't even ask these things on the Roon forum because of course we all know Roon is perfect and is must be something I' doing.

When you reboot your server also do your router. Give it a good minute, see if that corrects the issue....

 

[heihei]

Anyone done the latest update? Doesn't sound great to my ears....

 

[christoph]

Anyone done the latest update? Doesn't sound great to my ears....

Thanks for the warning.
I try to avoid any roon updates as long as possible.

 

[keithc]

Anyone done the latest update? Doesn't sound great to my ears....

Is your LDMS set to 'bypass' the Roon output?

 

[OAudio]

Roon did a push version upgrade on Roon Server to version 1277 this afternoon.

As it happened is was half way through a component development session, so some focused listening was happening as the upgrade came in.

Roon 1277 gave a decent uptick in SQ here.

Anyone else notice this ?

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I gave up on Roon after moving to the Innuos Statement and only use the Sense application by Innuos. Is a shame that Roon is so far behind in development and I am a lifetime subscriber, waste of money.

 

[sbo6]

I gave up on Roon after moving to the Innuos Statement and only use the Sense application by Innuos. Is a shame that Roon is so far behind in development and I am a lifetime subscriber, waste of money.

So far behind in development, can you clarify? I know of no other app so rich in features, information and intuitive. Sense is like Roon light and that's being generous IME...