Another post about a streamer upgrade

@audphile1 

Thanks, very helpful, but not sure I understand your response.  I’m not highly technical, but my understanding is that a Roon core, even if not used as streamer, is essentially a digital transport, and therefore is virtually by definition a potential source of jitter.  Here’s another link to an evaluation of a Roon nucleus, showing it as a source of jitter, but substantially less than a pc.  Am I missing something here?

@audphile1 

Again, I apologize for any confusion but isn’t the data stream from a Roon core to a streamer (or dac) a digital data stream?  And if it is, isn’t that a potential source of jitter?  You’re right that the link I included had a different setup from yours, but the point was that the data stream from the Nucleus included jitter, but at a substantially lower level than if a pc (e.g., a Mac Mini) had been used.  And that is completely consistent with a huge number of comments I’ve read from Roon users, and I believe Roon itself - that they hear a “substantial” improvement in sound quality between using Roon on a pc vs a dedicated core (e.g., Nucleus, or, in my case, a Small Green Computer). 

In summary, I was trying to (gently) suggest that perhaps your test between Auralic and Roon was a test where the Roon side was decidedly suboptimal.  No offense intended, and of course, I could be completely misguided.

Roon will set you free. You can get cheaper, effective streamer options -e.g., iFi Zen, Pro-ject S2 (ultra), Wiim, Raspberry pi, Volumio Rivo, primare rp5, etc. - if you’re not being sold on somebody else’s software (Aurender, Auralic, Lumin, Innuos, etc.).  That also frees you up for an extraordinary number of DAC options.  

“the human psyche has an infinite capacity for self delusion”

one of my favorite aphorisms.  we convince ourselves of a narrative and twist everything around us to fit that narrative.  The op had already decided that he wanted  a pulse mini, and went ahead and purchased it while we were trying to help him decide how to proceed.  and then the op seemed surprised that there was an active discussion going on around the topic he raised a couple days ago.  i feel so used! (lol!)

HifiNews does a good job of measuring differences accross streamers, focusing primarily on jitter.  Of course, different dacs do a better - or worse - job than others of handling jitter from a streamer, and they show that as well. 

Here’s another site that seems to do a decent job of evaluating streamers more objectively.  

To be clear, I’m not a pure objectivist by any stretch - after all , I’m primarily a tube and vinyl guy! - but I do think that in the digital realm, particularly before the conversion to analog, objective measures can tell you an awful lot about what’s going on.  

Full disclosure: I am highly skeptical of the claims made by the high $ server/streamer /DAC combos out there in the marketplace.  Which is why I’ve gone the following route:  (1) Roon with Quobuz; (2) Roon server: Small Green Computer w/4tb drive for burned CD collection; (3) Gold Note DS10 as streamer/dac in system #1; (4) Pro-ject S2 Ultra as streamer feeding Topping E70 in system#2; (5) Okto DAC8 w/RPi installed as streamer/DAC in system #3; and (6) iFi Zen Stream feeding iFi Zen Signature v.2 DAC in system #4.  I also use a Bluesound Node and Sonos Amp in two other non-audiophile systems.  The point is they all work seamlessly with Roon thru my home network; in all but one case, I’m using wifi without any problems.  Last point I’ll make is that I’ve seen alot of negative comments regarding the iFi app, but if you’re using Roon, you bypass that potential weakness.  

@audphile1 

Hey, appreciate your perspective, but were you using a Mac Mini as your Roon Core?  Are you sure what you weren’t hearing wasn’t simply high jitter from your PC?  Check out the links I sent in earlier posts to see how high the levels of jitter are from a pc vs. a well-designed streamer.