Lumin U2 or Aurender N200

@lalitk yep. Mix n match always worked for me. I think Nordost came close to being perfect as a full set but the flavor offered by the Audience speaker cables is just more to my liking. 
 

@fthompson251 I used to run Audience AU24se+ USB cable in my system and it was fantastic. I expect the FrontRow to be even better. Unfortunately I need 1.5m and in that length the Reserve is more than I want to spend on a digital cable. 

@mclinnguy thank you! I’ll chime in with my updates after I try the FrontRow USB.

As to Roon…

From what I tried as far as UI/UX goes…Roon UI is the best there is. Conductor comes very close. Auralic Lightning DS is great too. Lumin is just not good.
I haven’t seen Squeeze.

As far as sound…Roon is good but Conductor sounds more open and musically engaging. I’m exaggerating slightly but Roon sounds dull in comparison. It’s just meh…

Same experience with Auralic where the LDS software sounded much better.
Lumin gave me no choice so I had to use Roon and it was closer in sound between native app and Roon but that’s not to say it sounded amazing. It was ok.

In the case of Aurender a large internal cache is being leveraged as part of Aurender Conductor processing. All of this processing is bypassed when you use roon. All of the proprietary processing in pretty much any streamer will be bypassed when used as a Roon endpoint. The difference will vary from I’m ok with it to f… it I’m ditching Roon

I believe that in order to get the best out of Roon you have to get a top notch all in one Roon Core streamer like the Grimm MU1 or Merging Tech. Everything else not designed with Roon as a primary objective will sound best with its own software and processing. It’s the degree of degradation that will vary. May be I’m completely off track here but that’s my take on it.

@lalitk I used my N200. Prior to buying the N200 I was using the network card in the Bricasti DAC as Roon endpoint. N200 sounds way better Roon or not. I first started using Roon back when I was still streaming with Mac Mini probably 2018-2019 
So are you using your Merging DAC as a Roon endpoint? Or us your Merging stack the core as well?

Thanks @mclinnguy the fact that it’s forward sounding is alarming to me. I can’t have that with my electronics. I need cables that are as neutral (I try to avoid using this term usually) as possible. But the statement the reviewer made about the Stealth USB is kind of intriguing. I’ll ask how it compares to Audience. 
In my experience with Audience I like their USB, speaker cables and power cords. I have not had good luck with their interconnects in any iteration of my system, and I tried OHNO, AU24SE, AU24SX, FrontRow. Not impressed. I much prefer my Nordost Tyr 2. 

@lalitk yeah that makes sense. It’s exactly what I mentioned in my earlier post. This is the right way to do Roon with a purpose built hardware. 

@fthompson251 I’m 100% certain that the FrontRow USB will be way better than the Diamond. I’m basing this on my comparison between my AQ and my friend’s Audience StudioOne USB that I’d done couple of months ago. I’m sure the FrontRow is even better. I’ve had my AQ Diamond listed on USAM for few months now and no luck. Thanks in part to our crafty friends over at Ali Express. There’s a ton of counterfeit Audioquest cables out there and nobody gives a flying firetruck about me stating that I bought it from the dealer and it’s genuine. Nearly impossible to sell. It’ll end up being a trade in. 
 

@swede58 Will do! I might also give Audience Ethernet cable a test drive. My Purist is good but you know how it is there’s always something better! 

@lalitk I wonder what that leap in sound quality was due to. I’m assuming you’re still using your N30S?
I’ve spent weeks of critical listening with my N200 / Bricasti M3 combo comparing Roon to Conductor. No luck for me. I actually ditched Roon - cancelled my subscription for now.

May be the superior OCXO clock in the N30S is the equalizer in your case? Since I’m running my digital front end with USB and my N200 isn’t as good as your N30S, the effect in my system is much more prominent?

Don’t get me wrong I love Roon. I just wish it sounded as good as the Conductor. I’d be using Roon only. 

@lalitk very interesting! So this basically cleaned up the signal. I have only tried cheap converters from Amazon and didn’t like the effect - it thinned the sound. 
It’s interesting you never know if something will bring by an improvement. I recently moved my EERO away from the system and the improvement is very audible! You just don’t know how much smearing is going on until it’s gone. 

Audience FrontRow USB is in. I got a feeling it’s pretty new and needs some time. I’ll keep cooking it and evaluate in couple of days. I will not be putting my AQ Diamond back until I am done with the FtontRow. 

@lalitk I posted a new discussion here. I love the sound but it cuts out after some time. I’ve never experienced this before. I reinstalled my AQ Diamond and no issues.