Sound Quality of new roon versions (builds)

[marty]

Just upgraded to 943, will listen tonight.
But it makes me wonder- what exactly are we doing with these Roon upgrades? Does anyone really have that good of an audio memory to make proper assessments between iterations? Do you play the exact same material on each version? Honestly, this is an exercise that makes me feel like....well,

 

[John T]

How could anyone ascertain any SQ difference when updates are happening weekly? Makes you wonder how many issues they are having when this many updates are coming through? I just did an update last week and now 943. Hard to comprehend...John

 

[christoph]

Thanks for the tip. The latest build - 943 - seems improved soudwise. What do you think?

Thanks for the feedback.
I haven't updated myself (yet).

 

[christoph]

Agree that 943 sounds better...

Better than 936?
As good as 898 sounded?

 

[Kingsrule]

Better than 936

 

[sbo6]

Just upgraded to 943, will listen tonight.
But it makes me wonder- what exactly are we doing with these Roon upgrades? Does anyone really have that good of an audio memory to make proper assessments between iterations? Do you play the exact same material on each version? Honestly, this is an exercise that makes me feel like....well,

View attachment 92717

Agree 110%. I'd wager your mood, level of energy and the time of day has more to do with how you perceive sound than minor changes in sound via versions of ROON.

 

[Daverich4]

Better than 936?
As good as 898 sounded?

I haven’t had the opportunity to upgrade yet myself but there are a surprising number of people on the Roon forums talking about improved sound quality.

 

[marty]

I haven’t had the opportunity to upgrade yet myself but there are a surprising number of people on the Roon forums talking about improved sound quality.

On the Roon forum? Really? In my experience, those folks are like flat-earthers. Roon is bit perfect so no further improvement is possible. Kind of the 1983 version of CD's "perfect sound forever"

 

[PYP]

I haven’t had the opportunity to upgrade yet myself but there are a surprising number of people on the Roon forums talking about improved sound quality.

My internet service went down and when I could finally connect with Roon the automatic update took place (I've chosen that setting). I wasn't looking for improved sound, just to be able to connect to Roon/Qobuz again, but I thought everything sounded especially good and chalked that up to a reboot of the router. Then I read on the Roon forums that people who had only updated found improved sound.

I certainly share the concerns about shifts in sound quality when it isn't mentioned in Roon's list of fixes/improvements (is it just happenstance? more efficient code?). And that is my overarching complaint with the Roon folks, that they have a convenient, built-in tool for alerting Roon users of problems and progress toward solving problems (the alert triangle at the top of the screen), but don't use it sufficiently.

All in all, I have been a happy Roon user since Qobuz was integrated. 500,000 albums available? Yes, please!

 

[Daverich4]

On the Roon forum? Really? In my experience, those folks are like flat-earthers. Roon is bit perfect so no further improvement is possible. Kind of the 1983 version of CD's "perfect sound forever"

Roon seems to believe that bit perfect is the end all but there are plenty of forum members who are capable of discussing which type of wood makes the best sounding cable risers.

 

[Macattack]

I just repeated the test and while the latest ROON build may be better than its predecessor (I don’t know), it is still not better than Squeeze Player.

 

[RikkiPoo]

I just repeated the test and while the latest ROON build may be better than its predecessor (I don’t know), it is still not better than Squeeze Player.

I suspect that in spite of all the updates Roon will never be as good as the alternatives in an audiophile sense. It is more a tip of the spear cataloging app with a decent player that is more than adequate for the majority of its users.

 

[Macattack]

I suspect that in spite of all the updates Roon will never be as good as the alternatives in an audiophile sense. It is more a tip of the spear cataloging app with a decent player that is more than adequate for the majority of its users.

You are probably right. ROON has never, to my knowledge, acknowledged SQ as a result they are targeting to impact or improve since the initial release. They seem to believe bits are bits and are all about the features of the software and its compatibility with as much equipment as possible.

I love ROON for what it does do well (library management/metadata depth) and am pleased that my Antipodes K-50 gives me a better SQ option in Squeeze player while still keeping what ROON does do best.

Not trying to be smug as I was fat and happy with my souped up silent Win 10 PC and ROON. It sounded good! But I have avoided other server companies that make great sounding products but didn’t support or use ROON.

I feel lucky to have found a product that allows me to keep ROON and which provides better sound with no hassle.

 

[brad225]

Are alternate versions of Roon offered for different operating systems?
I ask this because I use SGC SonicTransporter i9 on a Linux platform. This week it told me a new update was available. The update was 943 i8.
I found this interesting as I have been reading about numerous updates with what I though were higher numbers. Is this the most recent version?
My question is. Does a Linux based system use different versions than a windows based system does?

On a slightly different but related subject. Earlier this week I had a small window open on by iPad I use to control my system. It said an update for my controller and an update for Roon (943 i8) on my SonicTransporter was available.
I choose to click on details and instead it started the updates rather than tell me about what was being updated.
It finished and I went back to listening to music wondering what had been done I wasn't going to like. Power of positive thinking, right.

There was a change in the sound and it took a few tracks of a playlist I listen to when I don't feel like looking for something new, to make a determination whether it was good or bad.

First I thought it screwed up the center of the sound stage and specifically the solo voice or instrument playing.
After a few tracks I came to the decision that what had changed was a bit more depth and everything had moved back a bit in the sound stage.
Not only that but the most noticeable change was the sound stage widened and the furthest left and right image was deeper. Not disproportionately so, but deeper.
None of the changes happened at the detriment of any of the image/sound stage I was use to.
I need a couple more listening sessions before I will be convinced that it was a total improvement but at this point I would say it was a positive improvement with my system.

--I did edit this and changed the version from 933 to 943. I guess I need my glasses on more than I thought, though, I still stand by seeing 933.--

 

[the sound of Tao]

Come to the edge," he said.
"We can't, we're afraid!" they responded.
"Come to the edge," he said.
"We can't, We will fall!" they responded.
"Come to the edge," he said.
And so they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire

Roon 1.8 build 970… seeming initially to sound quite good, nicely whole and of a piece… well it is if you just squeeze it litely.

Ahhh yes, Roon, just who the f ever knows exactly…today the sun shines and the music pours unrestrained as some rich manna from the heavens… and tomorrow it may well make that fragmented noise and drown all that music out Uhmmm long live Roon 1.8 build 970…omg just how did we get to nine hundred and seventy so freakin fast

 

[christoph]

Roon 1.8 build 970… seeming initially to sound quite good, nicely whole and of a piece… well it is if you just squeeze it litely.

Ahhh yes, Roon, just who the f ever knows exactly…today the sun shines and the music pours unrestrained as some rich manna from the heavens… and tomorrow it may well make that fragmented noise and drown all that music out Uhmmm long live Roon 1.8 build 970…omg just how did we get to nine hundred and seventy so freakin fast

Thanks for your exploratory spirit and for telling us.
Did the update run smoothly for you?

Nice pun with the "squeeze it litely"

The roon guys have been very carelessly "wasting numbers" on the way to 1.9.

My guess is they will have to use alphabetic characters in addition because of that
Something like "1.8 998 b2.xy" and just like that they have won another 1000 tries to screw up

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thanks for your exploratory spirit and for telling us.
Did the update run smoothly for you?

Nice pun with the "squeeze it litely"

The roon guys have been very carelessly "wasting numbers" on the way to 1.9.

My guess is they will have to use alphabetic characters in addition because of that
Something like "1.8 998 b2.xy" and just like that they have won another 1000 tries to screw up

Christoph it all ran fine, it’s been so long so those early iterations of 1.8 that sounded great on their own. But if those early release 1.8 builds were still available I’d be back on them like a shot. I’d likely not even try any of the recent versions without going through squeeze lite at the end.

 

[christoph]

Christoph it all ran fine, it’s been so long so those early iterations of 1.8 that sounded great on their own. But if those early release 1.8 builds were still available I’d be back on them like a shot. I’d likely not even try any of the recent versions without going through squeeze lite at the end.

I'm also on a steady squeeze lite diet for quite some time, but sooner or later one has to update roon anyways.
954 and also 970 caused LOTS of headache even according to the roon disciples forum
So I was even more reluctant to update this time...

 

[christoph]

Christoph it all ran fine, it’s been so long so those early iterations of 1.8 that sounded great on their own. But if those early release 1.8 builds were still available I’d be back on them like a shot. I’d likely not even try any of the recent versions without going through squeeze lite at the end.

I got cheeky and just did it.
Looks like it went smoothly

 

[the sound of Tao]

I got cheeky and just did it.
Looks like it went smoothly

Lol, we live dangerously and on the scary edge of roonation. Crazy to have that vulnerability in place. Thank heavens for squeeze lite.