What makes One Music Server Sound Better than Another?

@mitch2 thanks for that info.

So given all that, my bet is any difference in sound is due mainly to differences in the roon server implementations.

Can’t totally rule out increased jitter with one device attached versus another, but from what you describe this seems to be less likely, especially if one can assume the DAC is jitter resistant.

DId you indicate you also have a Benchmark DAC? YOu could try again with that as a test and see if there is a difference. My understanding is BEnchmark DACs are all very jitter resistant hence their stellar reputation.

Inquiring minds want to know...

Try something like the new mega-optimized Roon server device/appliance recently announced and one would expect that to perform to the max for sure especially at that price. I might consider it or something similar running latest and greatest Roon and Roon OS someday if it seems to catch on and especially if performance is measured and confirmed independently. On paper that would appear to be the bomb, but time will tell.

CHeers!

@mitch2

Please confirm this is Roon core/server running on both?

If so its possible different versions of Roon are running on each. If so, tehn its very possible the resulting sound could be somewhat different.

Even if same version running on exactly same OS on both, then next thing would be to make sure all Roon setting that affect sound quality (everything short of any added user defined DSP) are the same, for example volume limiting and any other parms that may affect the streaming. I know there are many that may be somewhat different with version but can’t list them all off the top of my head.

Of course an easy first check to compare is to examine the streaming pipeline in play using the Roon endpoint. Is the processing exactly the same in both cases being compared? If not that alone could very well result in a difference in sound.

Assuming streamer is similarly isolated from any network noise (from server of any other devices attached to the same network) as you indicate, and assuming you are using Roon to stream in both cases, changing only Roon server/core hardware my bet would be differences in teh Roon software implementation on each is most likely to result in significantly different sound.

Doesn’t Roon have their own optimized version of Linux (Roon OS) optimized for Roon? Do both servers use that? That would seem to be the best choice of OS to run Roon core/server on.

I run Roon core/server on WIndows.  Not optimal, but still works pretty well and sounds very good.   I might move to an appliance with Roon OS someday just for kicks.  I removed a lot of unneeded programs on my Windows PC and turned off a lot of resource hogging features  to help make Roon happy running there.  My only issue is periodic slowness with the GUI.   All my Roon devices connect over very strong Wifi.

Mysteries.....cheers!

I would tend to agree with @mdalton and plan to do some posts very soon  relating some recent experiences/experiments I have done that support those conclusions.

@mclinnguy it’s not wrong. The op is talking about the mojo device specifically and as a server. I am not familiar with it but from what I read it is both: an “integrated” server and streamer in one box , but same reasons would apply regarding why it may sound unique or different from other similar devices. A streamer in particular is a more likely place for DSP tricks to be implemented. Take Roon in particular. The DSP engine included in Roon is capable of totally transforming the sound in various ways as desired.

@audphile1 he is talking about servers not streamers.

Only two things I can think off that could make servers sound different as alluded to above:

1)noise introduced on the network wires that make it through the streamer to DAC signal path and add jitter

2)Something on the server is mucking with the raw file data before sending to streamer. Could be different advertised features in different products capable of this, or could be processing baked into the server for some reason, perhaps to create some kind of unique house sound for a particular product line.

Is the DAC jitter resistant?

BTW, I use Wifi/wireless connections with all my streamers mainly out of convenience but sound quality is top notch I’d say as long as all wifi connections are strong, even with high res files streamed from Qobuz. If streamer wifi connection is weak, Roon will simply just give up and move on to the next track in the queue, but not a problem I find again with a strong wifi connection.  

Power supply on a server alone could only impact sound quality if it is noisier and that noise leaks into teh network connection and makes its way all the way to a DAC with poor jitter rejection. So it is possible but also avoidable in various ways if so, some more cost effective than others. If you have other computers on teh same network, chances are those in sum are introducing more noise into the network connection than any single device, including teh music server, unless teh music server has some issue or is just poorly designed. A good quality jitter resistant DAC is probably the first best defence/solution, not a new music server.   I'd address that with the DAC if needed first, then see what happens.

If we are talking about a music server only with no on-board streamer, then teh connection between the external streamer and the server is a basic client/server data connection like any other application on a network. THere is absolutely nothing there that has to do with sound quality, just data transmission from a to b.

Now, say the connection is too slow, and the data cannot be provided to the streamer fast enough at full resolution. In this case it is possible that the streamer could negotiate with teh server to provide a lower resolution data stream that could easily impact sound quality upstream.

THis is all speculative but technically possible. The other possibility if the connection is poor is that the streamer has to wait for more data and pauses the music stream to the DAC accordingly until it receives all data needed.

SO two points:

1) the connection from server to client (streamer) makes no sound. The only issue is can the data be provided fast enough or not and that is more about the strength of teh connection, especially if say the connection is via wifi/wireless rather than wired ehternet.

2) The connection from streamer to DAC is where sound quality is more likely to suffer, assuming an adequate network connection is in play upstream as described above. Timing errors can occur between streamer and DAC (jitter) and greatly impact sound quality if not addressed. It is even possible with wired network connections that say one server introduces more noise into the network than another and that noise finds its way into the signal path from streamer to dac and adds jittter. The good new is many good quality modern DACS are jitter resistant and do reclocking themselves as needed.

So the devil is always in the details case by case even with the same gear in play. The details for digital streaming are much different than those for traditional analog gear alone. If swapping music servers alone (not streamer or DAC and same quality network connection and exact same source file at same resolution and same format)) makes a difference in sound, most likely it is introducing more noise into a wired network connection and teh streamer is allowing that to leak into the signal path to the DAC, and maybe even teh DAC is not jitter resistant.

Cheers!

I will say that if one attempts to account for how modern digital audio technology performs using the same approach and factors as in teh past with older analog only technologies, they are likely missing the boat to a great extent. Pretty much anything is possible with digital (DSP) and the devil is in the details case by case, which alone accounts for why different products sound different, either by design or otherwise. Robust analysis using measurements is the key to understanding each case properly.  Anything is possible regardless of price tag. Otherwise, yes its pretty much a crap shoot.

Don’t know but it probably has something to do with how the DSP in each is implemented. With digital streaming pretty much anything is possible.