You've got a great system but you need a proper front end. The 1st axiom of HIFI is garbage in, garbage out.
My choice was Aurender N20 and I'm still loving it.
Options to improve digital sound
Hi,
I am looking for some, hopefully, simple advice. My current digital system is an M4 MacMini feeding a Holo May DAC into a PrimaLuna 400 preamp and amp. My speakers are Devore Gibbon X. I primarily listen to downloaded and ripped files with Roon and Audirvana. I also use Qobuz, but not as often.
The sound quality is good, but I feel like it could be improved. The options I'm considering are a Small Green Computer SonicTransporter i7 to replace the Mini, or a SGC UltraRendu to put between the Mini and the Holo May.
Which option would be better? Is there a better option? I'd like to keep the cost under around $2500.
Thanks
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- 31 posts total
how so? I’m just curious what your experience was. In my mind i can’t figure out why a Roon core would make a difference. Let’s take my use case for example… I am using a Mac Mini as a Roon core (for years now). It is fed by one of the EERO mesh network nodes in a completely different room. I then have another EERO mesh node in a vicinity of my system feeding the streamer. Also, a one box solution of Roon Core Streamer at the level of OP’s budget will most likely be a side step. You get all the Roon Core related processing which at times is CPU and memory intensive and at the cost of OP’s budget will be a compromise in my opinion as opposed to getting a dedicated Roon ready streamer. All in one no compromise solution starts at 4-5x the budget….i.e. Grimm MU1 used or MU2. But that’s just my take on it. But please let me know how the core impacts the sound quality. |
Mac fanboy, have all their products. However, for music, I do not use any Mac gear, except my iPhone to control my streamer. Going to suggest, removing the Mini, replacing it with a quality streamer. Don't change anything else yet. Just get used to the streamer, then go down the upgrade path. I had my old ipod (yup, still got one) plugged into my system for a while. It sounded flat, hollow, and compressed. |
@audphile1 Roon Core is where vast majority of processing goes on, the relatively complex interface of Roon is processor intensive. CPU's working at relatively high rates creates more noise and higher latency, both are enemies of resolution Higher latency also means greater chance for timing issues. The reason so many find Roon inferior to the proprietary music players is those music players have been designed as to require far less processing and deliver lower latency, result is both increased resolution and more analog like sound quality.
As for empirical evidence, I've had a variety of Endpoint and Core streamers, the Cores have a far greater impact on sound quality vs the Endpoints. I'd suggest its both the processor, latency issue, and the fact Core sits upstream of Endpoint. Contrary to certain popular opinion, noise introduced anywhere in the streaming chain cannot be eliminated within the offending component by components further down the chain, no getting back resolution, latency lost. |
- 31 posts total