Innuos 2.0 vs Roon 1.8

Purely theoretical for now, but given the Innuos as described by them as such much more than an app, curation… wonder how many Innuos owners running Roon in server or experimental mode will consider the swap.

If Innuos 2.0 offers Roon type curation, is free or allot cheaper and maximises SQ.

I love Roon but for me after many unsuccessful trials with the Innuos I still prefer my Audiophilleo/Innuos RAM buffering and network disconnect SQ.

Will be interesting…

Yes, it will be.

As an ex-Audiophilleo user I’ll be very interested in the Innuos 2.0 and how it compares to Roon (in Exp mode) which I currently favour and use.

Same here. I’ve been auditioning Roon since December and although it’s very good in experimental mode, I don’t have the need for DSP or multi-room functions. Roon radio is great, but it only plays from Qobuz instead of finding similar music in my local library, wish it used both. So really looking forward to the new Innuos 2.0 app. Even if it doesn’t solve my issue, it should cost much less or possibly be free.

Have never needed curating. Find all the algorithms which try to do it laughably inept. You could start with Amazon recommending things I’ve already bought from them. Last FM and Roon Radio always felt the same to me. Ditto Spotify et al. They recommend things so close to what I’ve been listening to as to be completely unstimulating. I always think of it in terms of Cara Dillon. Lovely voice, decent songs albeit terribly tame, but… I have so much stuff like it why would I need her. Doesn’t meant how many friends rave about her I want to hear something new not a different version of the same thing. To that extent I have to say that I’ve zero interest in Innuos doing similar. There’s literally no reason for expecting anything different to the above.

In order to find new music I have always read. Started with Melody Maker, NME, Q, Mojo, Uncut, Record Collector, Under The Radar and occasionally the daily papers. Easy to paste critics, or, you can learn.

Similarly, I’ve no interest in multi-room. The bedroom has no music or TV because… it’s the bedroom. Ditto the kitchen. The living room has TV and music and I either listen solo when others aren’t around or we do it as a family (ditto TV). The boy has a Muso QB 1st gen in our spare bedroom/his play space so nothing in his bedroom either. When we party… well frankly if you’ve heard Zu speakers then multi-room simply isn’t needed. When we have dining guests then music from the next room more than suffices. I sometimes feel it’s easy to not see the wood for the trees on these things. I love music but having spaces where things can’t/don’t happen is helpful in si many ways.

What does that leave? DSP? I may well try that but, before I do, I’ve storage for ripped CDs; cable dressing and speaker setup to address so I can’t say it’s top of my list.

I’m a Roon convert after, for years, not seeing the point and hearing a drop in quality but in experimental mode ony Zenith it’s superb. The new app would have to be damned good to lure me away now.

Heard lots of good thing about experimental mode but putting aside my obvious impedance mismatch I’m struggling to criticise my current sound so it’s a chunk of money for one, admittedly important, function.

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Will be interesting to see their app, notice up their page about new website coming soon. Even after having a moan about the 1.8 release, old guys don’t like change, I like using Roon, it’s been great over the last few years. Experimental mode was better in 1.7, in 1.8 I’m not so sure the gap is still there.
DPD dropped the Phoenix off tonight will see how it sounds tomorrow.

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Yes, I suspect the server issue has mutated into “what the heck, let’s get the new site live at least in part”.

Think you’ll be stunned by the Phoenix.

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I’ve still got a gap with experimental mode although I’d agree it’s not as big. I love my phoenix, made a really big difference for me. Adding an EE8 recently has made almost as big an improvement on qubuz streamed music too. The zenith really is a damned good piece of kit. @glasnaim the phoenix and zenith are sensitive to usb cables, the only time I’ve actually been able to hear a difference between that type of cable

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I have TQ Black USB as well, need another to link Phoenix to Zen.

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Chord USB here. Think of better dress them properly before commenting.

Also chord, Shawline

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Waiting for Phoenix feedback :nerd_face:

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What is “experimental” mode? Is it just for Innuos servers?

Yes it is, it allows Roon to be used with some of the advantages of the innuos player giving better sq

Sablon USB and Ethernet cables, 2020 models

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People are reporting that the new Roon update has improved the sq on the Innuos when using RAAT and they are preferring it to experimental mode. No idea if it’s true or not just reporting what I have read.

that may be true.
Before the upgrade I was using experimental mode while now I prefer my Innuos as a Roon end-point with Roon Core on my NAS.
My change was not meant to be a “quality” judgement on the sonics of the two, but now that you mention it, it may very well be true…
However, I’m waiting for the Innuos 2.0 before comparing sound quality; for now I’m just enjoying it :slight_smile:

I think it’s closer on my system but experimental mode is still better.

I definitely think 1.8 has closed the gap, also 1.8 is more stable in experimental mode, I switch back and forth, before it was always experimental mode that was better, not so sure now.