Sound quality of Roon

My advice is to see if you can try it yourself. 

I haven’t noticed a difference - it’s simply an interface change to simplify playing from a hard driver or multiple streaming services. I have a Roon-ready device from Moon so I can use Moon MiND app, Tidal Connect or Roon.  (My audio dealer uses Roon when people audition systems and there's several 100k+ systems in their listening rooms)

Here’s what I like:

• 1 TB hard-drive to store my music (allows me to free up my server for space for movies)
• Meta data - it’s like having access to the liner notes of the album and Rolling Stone at the same time.
• Recommendations for music based on history - I use it when I’m looking for background music
• Access to radio stations I haven’t found in Tune-in via the MiND app

Here’s things I don’t like:

• Search priority starts with your library - prioritizing hard-drive over streaming. My hard-drive is MP3s and I’d prefer a FLAC file over MP3 when available. I either have to click to select the FLAC version or add the "subscription" version to my library so it selects the higher quality version
• The volume buttons on the iPad change the volume button on the stereo. Accidently touching the button can raise the volume quickly

I prefer Tidal over Qobuz - based on sound quality and my musical tastes. I recommend Roon if you use more than one music streaming service or have more than one system you are using.

+1 @audphile1 If I were you I’d strongly consider upgrading to an Innuos Zen Mk3. Not only is it a much better streamer than the Node, you can load any CDs you have directly into it and have all your music in one place. To your question, by all accounts Innuos Sense sounds better than Roon. I don’t know Roon nor will I likely ever because I prioritize sound quality over convenience. Last, I highly recommend you do a free trial of Qobuz if you haven’t already — good interface, tons of hi-res music, and none of all the unfolding crap and editorializing of MQA, which is a total sham IMHO. FWIW and best of luck.

@past 

The Streamer upgrade will not improve SQ.

I’d have to disagree. This hasn’t been my experience trying Mac Mini as a streamer via USB, then AURALiC Aries G1, then Lumin U1 Mini. Each device imparts its own sound signature with Mac Mini being the worst of the bunch in a capacity of a streamer. 

Excellent question. Roon is software that offers a system for

you to find and organize music. Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon etc are all services 

leasing access to music. About $25/month for Roon and any one of the 3 music

purveyors. 

Roon also sells streamers. You can buy anyone's streamer if it is "Roon ready"

and use Roon with it.

Some Streamer companies do not want to drop their drawers to Roon for

the Roon Ready approval. Their private secrets exposed to Roon. Making

alterations to their company programing-Companies like Linn- is abhorrent to them. 

Linn recently cut a special deal with Roon and are going Roon Ready too

after realizing "If you can't beat'em, join'em".

So what should you do? 

The Streamer upgrade will not improve SQ.

The DAC is the thing to shop. The Denafrips Ares 2 is one good value.$800

I chose streaming as my main source and happy about it. I find new music everyday for a minimal monthly fee.

The negative about Roon is the absence on any live CS support.

Their attitude is- Go ask somebody else in the community. Such BS.

You make it, you sell it, you service it.

When your internet is down you have no music.

I bought an Innuos Zen 3 which streams/Rips/Stores in one box.

$2,400 is what I paid 2 years ago.

No DAC in it which is what I wanted. 

DACs are getting better, cheaper every day.

 

 

It was explained to me by one very particular small euro company that they 

found when whatever Roon required to be built in to their product for approval

degraded the sound. I believe this guy was telling me the truth. 

Now that said are my ears capable of hearing this degradation?

Or do I enjoy the Roon software enough to say its a trade off I will live with.

 

I believe that eventually all Streamer makers will fall under Roon's control.

People want the service as it is good and getting better.

 

A Streamer is a computer. Some may be built better than others but your

BlueSound is the best value going in HiFi gear today. 

Sorry for the book but you hit a subject I just finished investigating 

and am happy to share it.

From my experience…when I had AURALiC Aries G1 streaming Qobuz, after comparing streaming with AURALiC Lightning DS vs. Roon, the Lightning DS sounded better to me. Slightly. But enough to cancel Roon. I then switched to Lumin U1 Mini. To me Lumin sounded better in my system.
And because I wasn’t entirely in love with the Lumin UI, decided to give Roon another shot. This was about a year after I canceled Roon. I actually ended up liking Roon better than Lumin both sound and obviously the interface just hard to beat. I’ve done comparisons of Lumin to Roon and Tidal connect on Lumin to Roon. In all cases I preferred Roon. Attribute it to Roon’s multiple updates in tbat timeframe I was not using it or just the Roon readiness implementation by Lumin, not sure. But I’ve been using Roon ever since. 

Mac Mini was serving as Roon core in both cases. 

I would recommend trying Roon for free for 30 days as long as you have an adequate computer to run the Roon core on and it’s on the same network with your streamer you should be ok. Risk free. Especially if you have your music ripped to an external drive.