Options to improve digital sound

 

sns

3,887 posts

06-30-2025 at 09:41am 

Adding a quality Endpoint to a stock mini is not the way to go,

Your Core is as important as the Endpoint.

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. 
I’d like to understand how in this configuration the Mac Mini is inferior to lets say a Roon Nucleus One or even Roon Nucleus Titan.

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. 

Get a Roon Nucleus Plus revision A on Ebay or USAM around $600.00. Upgrade the power supply (s-booster).  $400 or so.  Plug in external hard drive or install internal.  

Use DSP to "tailor" sound.  Use high quality cables, they do make a difference.  You are familiar with Roon.  A very painless way to go.

@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. 

I purchased both the SonicTransporter and Roon Nucleus, but returned the ST7. I found the Nucleus’ software to be more stable. The ST7 had frequent connection issues in just the two weeks I had it.