Roon acquired by Harman

[Formerly YB-2]

Am just getting started with my "Roon Adventure" (being primarily vinyl/analog).

Thus far I've discovered that digital is far more demanding in order to achieve the best SQ (and usually not quite up to good vinyl to my ears). The biggest thing I've noticed (after how important a good power source & power cords are - Shunyata in my case) with digital is that the SQ is every bit as dependent on how well done the source may be as is vinyl. A poor recording is just as poor on digital as it is on vinyl. Perhaps more so. At least I seem to pick up poorly done source more quickly.

I'll give digital 2024 before making a final decision, but my journey thus far (with excellent help from criwilli & Puma Cat - thank you) has been about what I expected going in - complex (compared to vinyl/analog) and interesting, to say nothing of $cost (just ordered a WW Platimum USB cable from Ivan). Probably the most frustrating has been the on-going technological change with digital (MQA, for instance) and the on-going cost of maintenance (subscriptions, back-ups, etc.).

Agree with Kubla36 - streaming radio is an excellent source of new music I would not normally be aware. Once I get further into Roon, am sure it will be a source of additional finds.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Am just getting started with my "Roon Adventure" (being primarily vinyl/analog).

Thus far I've discovered that digital is far more demanding in order to achieve the best SQ (and usually not quite up to good vinyl to my ears). The biggest thing I've noticed (after how important a good power source & power cords are - Shunyata in my case) with digital is that the SQ is every bit as dependent on how well done the source may be as is vinyl. A poor recording is just as poor on digital as it is on vinyl. Perhaps more so. At least I seem to pick up poorly done source more quickly.

Yes, my digital journey has a one of discovery and education as well. I started using a Macbook for playback of digital files using the original HRT Musicstreamer DACs over 10 years ago, connecting my little MB, then subsequently, to a Wadia 121. I remember how surprised I was when I upgraded from a Belkin USB cable to an AQ Carbon USB cable. At the time, I thought, "It's only 1's and 0's, how can a USB cable make a difference?. Man, was I wrong. Only years later did I come to find out how wrong that understanding really was (hint: It's NOT 1's and 0's that comprise the actual signal; that is only how the data is encoded).

Here's a pic from back in the day...


Around this time one of my audio buddies did a comparison between various USB cables in his system, and he had rented in an AQ Diamond USB, and over the course of an evening, we did a direct comparison of different USB cables. I was once again shocked at how much better the Diamond was than my Carbon, and kinda p*ssed off that now I had to buy a Diamond USB cable. I found one used locally, but it was still like $550, used. I used that until Shunyata released their series of USB cables in 2019...see the continuation of that story below.

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

I'll give digital 2024 before making a final decision, but my journey thus far (with excellent help from criwilli & Puma Cat - thank you) has been about what I expected going in - complex (compared to vinyl/analog) and interesting, to say nothing of $cost (just ordered a WW Platimum USB cable from Ivan). Probably the most frustrating has been the on-going technological change with digital (MQA, for instance) and the on-going cost of maintenance (subscriptions, back-ups, etc.).

Yep, I've found that digital cables (Ethernet and USB) are the most important cables for a digital-based (DAC, streamer, network bridge-based, etc.) music playback, even more so than the power cable (though the power cable is still No. 2 in importance). This is because of just how dirty many digital-domain devices are and how susceptible they are to an entire class of "noise-factors" and how those noise factors really impact the quality of the presentation.

To continue from the story above, I used that AQ Diamond USB until Ivan posted here in 2019 what a revelation the newly released Shunyata Alpha USB cable was. Curious, I rented one in to compare to my AQ Diamond, and the Shunyata Alpha USB competely blew the AQ Diamond into the weeds! It wasn't even close. It was literally a premplifier-level improvement for the system. I wrote up a comprehensive review of the Alpha USB cable here at AA, which I'm sure Ivan remembers.

Richard at Shunyata read the Alpha USB cable review and contacted me about beta-testing their soon-to-be released Ethernet cables. So, while they were building up the beta-test Ethernet cables, I rented in some Ethernet cables from The Cable Company, and bought some others, and, with my "DFSS MBB hat" on, I did a full-on formal product evaluation known as competitive benchmarking of Ethernet cables, including AQ Cinnamon, Belden Cat6A, Supra Cat8, AQ Vodka, and WW Starlight CAT8. Of these, my faves were the WW Starlight CAT8 and AQ Vodka. The Starlight CAT8 had more absolute transparency, and the AQ Vodka had more body and warmth.

Until the Shunyata beta Ethers arrived that is...I remember I had the Vodka in the system when these arrived and I put the entry-level Venom Ether in and.. Once again, it blew everything else in-house into the weeds.

Then...the Alpha Ethernet cable. OMG. I remember I invited my audio buddy Gregory over one evening to evaluate these Ethernet cables, and Gregory has really good ears, and when I put in the Alpha to replace the AQ Vodka, he blurted out-loud: "Oh, my God! Who took the kink out of the hose?"

Long story short, I've found that digital music playback requires a lot of control and mitigation over a number of significant noise factors, including ground-plane noise, deterministic jitter, low- and high-source leakage impedance current, threshold jitter, common-mode noise (which is why Shunyata puts C-Mode filters on their Alpha, Sigma, and Omega Ethernet & USB cables, BTW) and phase noise.

[audiogear]

Glenn, Stephen, lots of great feedback! Thank you! I must admit the PC maintenance may be intimidating but I suppose one step at a time.

[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by audiogear

Glenn, Stephen, lots of great feedback! Thank you! I must admit the PC maintenance may be intimidating but I suppose one step at a time.

I gave up on the PC and added a Roon Nucleus. So far it has been a smart move for me.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

I gave up on the PC and added a Roon Nucleus. So far it has been a smart move for me.

Yep, same here. I was fairly shocked at how much better the presentation was when I replaced my Mac Mini Roon core with Alita, Battle Angel (my Akasa-cased NUC Roon core). Here's a pic of it with EtherREGEN behind it, and ER's AfterDark Master Clock, which, also, brought a BIG improvement to the system.



The Mac Mini just has all this unecessary circuitry, fans, boards, chips, interface circuitry, etc., in it that is not required for simply sending a music file to ER that adds an incredible amount of noise, crap, and grunge to the presentation.

[dkorbal]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

I gave up on the PC and added a Roon Nucleus. So far it has been a smart move for me.

Did something similar here but instead of a nucleus I’m using a transport from Small Green Computers. Coupled that with a opticalrendu to my DAC and life has been good. Although I’m thinking 2024 my bring a Lumin U2.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by dkorbal

Did something similar here but instead of a nucleus I’m using a transport from Small Green Computers. Coupled that with a opticalrendu to my DAC and life has been good. Although I’m thinking 2024 my bring a Lumin U2.

Yep, Andrew of Small Green makes an excellent music server as well; he knows what he's doing.

And, Doug, the Lumin U2 is a fantastic streamer with a superb engineering specification. I'm going to be starting on writing my review of it this coming week. The SFP optical input on the U2, is in my experience, the best way to receive files from your upstream music server (just as with your OpticalRendu), and the U2's new direct-coupled "audio component-only" USB-A port to connect to your DAC is really superb. The U2 also has it's own linear power supply, which is shielded from main circuit board in it's own completely-shielded compartment.

Love it, just a terrific product.



Oh, and the U2 has a proper chassis ground terminal, so you can make the best possible connection to an Altaira hub.

[dkorbal]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Yep, Andrew of Small Green makes an excellent music server as well; he knows what he's doing.

And, Doug, the Lumin U2 is a fantastic streamer ……..

Oh, and the U2 has a proper chassis ground terminal, so you can make the best possible connection to an Altaira hub.

Sounds great. Looking forward to the review. At this point in time it’s either the U2 or an Altaira for 2024. I’m thinking the U2 might be the most logical step.

Happy New Year.

[dkorbal]

On Feb 7th Enno posted on the Roon community this post describing where Roon is headed in the future. Interesting read for those of us who have Roon.

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/a-m...ounders/264251

[audiogear]

This is significant and great news! If I'm reading it correctly, Roon's new directive would be to focus on its core business; music libraries, music and audio enthusiasts.