roon sound wasn't as good


I'm among a smaller group of audiophiles who have tried roon really hoping to keep it for tis wonderful functionality, but chose not to continue to not use it based on sound quality.   Basically, sound quality via room was different than direct from my Naim streamer using its native (not great functionality) software.  I lose some of the warmth and ambiance and get a harder edged sound  You don't hear this often (though I have read a few others who were also not happy with a perceived sound difference) but I tested several tracks and music types (using tidal in all cases) and the results were consistent  My server for roon was my pc,  the Naim is an ND5 XS2 and is a roon end point.  I am using the Naim built in DAC.  

gshaikun

Showing 2 responses by mapman

I created my own room correction filters for Roon using Room EQ wizard freeware and a $100 minidsp mike using an online guide. I apply the room correction then add additional eq filters to season to taste. Results can be tuned in perfectly to personal preference this way. You just have to get up the initial learning curve and experiment a bit at first. Perhaps the best tweak ever for less than $1k. We are talking total transformation as needed.
 

One of my rooms required very little adjustment but others quite a bit. Just using the mic and REW to get a handle on what issues your room has alone is a worthwhile learning experience that can help one make wiser decisions moving forward. I suspect there are many out there who would care but have no way of knowing to what extent their room as opposed to the equipment itself is determining what they hear.

Roon DSP functionality takes a little time to get the hang of but it’s worth it and opens up all kinds of possibilities for tailoring the sound room by room, device by device all in digital domain. I use it all the time and have presets for 4 different rooms and various headphones.