Running a ND555. Does anyone have any experience making Qobuz via Roon Connect sounding better than Qobuz connect? My understanding is that when using the Naim app, the system downloads the entire track before playing it - so then it’s like playing a flac from a UnitiCore (well sort of).. Playing Qobuz via Roon sounds worse - but I’ve got a DIY Roon Rock install.
Has anyone made their Roon system sound better than a UnitiCore? Love the Roon interface - SQ is not as good.
I agree that Roon doesn’t sound quite as good as Qobuz via the Naim app, which in turn doesn’t sound quite as good as a local stream. That’s always seemed slightly odd to me, as Roon acts as a proxy server, and other proxy servers, notably BubbleUPnP Server, delivers the best sound I’ve heard into a Naim streamer.
The streamers buffer up to 50Mb, which is enough for a typical 16/44.1 track of 3 or 4 minutes. Longer tracks and anything in higher res will fill the buffer, which is then topped up as the track plays out. Roon doesn’t use the Naim buffer, it buffers the audio on the Roon Core and streams locally from there. Perhaps that’s part of the problem with sound quality.
Have you considered a comparison with for example Audirvāna installed on the same device as on which you have installed Roon Rock?
If Audirvāna is also sounding worse than the Naim app or Qobuz Connect then it might be a hardware related issue. Because I have an old Dell laptop from the stone age running the Audirvāna linux core player and it sounds significantly better than Qobuz over the Naim app or Qobuz Connect. And during my Roon trial with that laptop last spring it was sounding at least as good as Qobuz over the Naim app and Qobuz Connect.
Yeah - I was wondering if it’s an issue with the protocol - RAAT - or with my server.
What’s Naim recommend server - not that the UnitiCore is discontinued
It seems always to have been suggested that Roon’s sound quality is not as good as other options, so this is no surprise.
I think Qobuz Connect sounds better than Qobuz via Roon on my NDX2. However, Qobuz metadata is so screwed up and frustrating to use for find and selecting albums from artists that I decided to stick with Roon.
Now I might even replace my Naim with a Weiss network DAC and then I’ll need to use Roon, unless I add a separate streamer to support Qobuz Connect.
I don’t think Naim are going to start recommending third party servers any time soon! For now I’m sure they will just continue using the Core for demo and in-house purposes. It remains to be seen, of course, whether or not they produce a replacement for the Core, and whether such a product still has a CD ripper or just storage and server.
I have some doubts about the roon RAAT interface from a quality perspective. I has a dCS player that used the RAAT interface but it did not work well for me.
Using a raspberry PI and LMS2UPnP into an NDS is way better on Tidal than Tidal directly playing on the NDS. In fact this setup is just stunning.
I would like to try an other player with LMS2UPnP v RAAT to see which is better. I should have done this when I had the dCS player.
I wonder if it is possible for Naim to update firmware such that their streamer buffers wouldn’t be bypassed when using Roon RAAT?
Or is this a hard Roon limitation/ requirement for certification?
The only way you could do that is by using a bridge to get Roon to go via UPnP, as some people do with devices that don’t have Roon support such as 1st gen. Naim streamers.
There are a number of products based on the LMS2UPNP code, such as RooUPnP and the SonoreUPnP bridge. They embed the library into different OS and offer different interfaces.
For example RooUPNP is built as a Roon extension, SonoreUPnP runs in SonicOrbiterOS on Sonore or SonicTransporter platforms
I have questioned whether the Naim RAAT implementation in the latest streamers (ND555, NDX2, ND5XS2, NS333 etc based on the Unlimited board) is at the same level as their UPnP implementation in any of their streamers and in particular the 1st Gen streamers based on the BridgeCo. boards. You never see Naim demonstrating on Roon, always via UPnP.
There is also some thoughts that the Squeezelite/LMS mode in Roon is better than RAAT.
So SqueezeLite → LMS2UPNP based bridge → Naim on the Ethernet input via UPnP may be the sweet spot.
It would be interesting if someone could try LMS2UPNP into one of the newer Naim streamers or non Naim streamer!
Sure, but I’m not going to fork out €21,260.00 for a ND555 (current price from Cloney Audio) just to test whether native RAAT is better or worse than ‘Bridged RAAT to UPnP’, and whether a ND555 with latest/current firmware is better than the NDS I already have, given the issues & problems experienced with the Streaming Unlimited board.
I believe Naim doesn’t care about whether the RAAT implementation is good or not, as it is not their preferred operating mode, as they want to sell you their UPnP server (Linux based computer) for a further €2,530.00. I believe that Roon Ready is a tickbox item.
Qobuz Connect & Tidal Connect are probably more their direction, with UPnP for any local library.
Very different to the Roon → Antipodes → dCS approach Cloney demonstrated recently as the current ‘state of the art’ for HiEnd or the new range of HiEnd Roon-Ready focused streaming amplifiers being launched eg. Sim Audio’s North range, Rockna, Aavik etc.
Sorry for digression - but has anyone got a good rationale why to take or not take the Qobuz 3-year offer that expires today?
This thread is locked - New 3-year Qobuz deal
Was wondering the same….
Of course there’s not, given the current economic climate, why would you give any company 3 years revenue without any incentive other than avoiding possible price increases, which will be covered by whatever interest the money you retain will earn over the corresponding period……?
They’re just trying to generate positive cash flow and apparent growth.
ATB, J
Yes - the offer does have a whiff of a protection racket, i.e. give me 3 years sub now and I’ll protect you (from my planned price rises).
I suspect they were hoping to sign people up before they defected to Spotify’s newly released lossless service.
That makes sense.
I think Qobuz software/UI has come a long way last year including Connect. I’ve left Roon and never think about it.