@douglas_schroeder - I agree 100% , it has come a log way and will continue to get better. Catalog depth, sound quality, new music exploration, and convenience is combination that is hard to beat.
Most Recent ROON Upgrade Quite Nice
Yesterday I did the current upgrade to ROON for the Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i7 4T AP and SONORE Signature Rendu SE units I am using following my review of them at Dagogo.com
In the months following the review this two-piece digital source has exceeded expectation, and I do not see a limit for its improvement to audio systems. I have an extreme performance level now that I have not attained in the past, even with $10K CD players. The streaming quality of ROON and Tidal's upper tier subscription has surprised industry members as to the quality of sound. Just recently representatives of VanL Speakerworks were most gratified at the sound of their speaker (also reviewed; quite a lovely small floor standing speaker!) as heard through this combo. The sonicTransporter and Signature Rendu SE is strongly recommended for the finest systems. If set up properly, i.e. with aftermarket Ethernet, USB, and power cabling, it yields premium sound. I am happy to discuss such products that have shone brightly in review and continued use, especially in extreme systems that I set up.
The upgrade yesterday was to the ROON software on the digital front end. The gatekeeper is the home Macintosh upstairs, and the two units mentioned above are in the basement listening room. I noticed a marked improvement across the board in sound quality. I am very pleased with this software upgrade. Now the ROON as source has been made even more valuable, not just by convenience, but by quality of sound. I am using a Samsung Tablet S3 as my "remote" control, and am happy with the interface and performance. I would now consider the combo of ROON and Tidal's upper level subscription service to be in the category of exceptional streaming sound quality. The quality now seems on a par with previous file playback through same system. I have not yet explored file playback; this is simply y first impression regarding streaming audio with the upgrade to ROON.
As an aside, let not those who have WiFi connectivity problems in their home stress too much. If you can get the Power Over Internet modules sold at places like Best Buy, you can use the home electrical wiring to channel the signal to the listening room, and there put a hard connection to the digital front end. In the room I use wireless control of the digital front end. I have been euphoric over the quality of sound, as it has far, far exceeded what I expected. I thought it might be deleterious to the sound, but there has been no ruinous result. Rather, my digital performance has far outstripped what I was doing years before, even with dedicated servers in the room controlled directly by wire.
In fact, I had for a while a system using WiFi with a Windows based laptop and a different media software, and the sound was worse. While it may sound incredible, actual comparison and development of the IOP (Inernet over Power) for the digital signal has been a big success in my case. Now that ROON has updated I am elated once again.
Has anyone else done this update to ROON and noticed the sound improvement? BTW, I killed all the manipulation of the digital signal in ROON. I have disabled the Headroom adjustment as well as all signal management, i.e. bit rate, frequency, etc. I'm not interested in arguing the merits of my settings, but sharing what I feel is a significant improvement to ROON's sound quality.
In the months following the review this two-piece digital source has exceeded expectation, and I do not see a limit for its improvement to audio systems. I have an extreme performance level now that I have not attained in the past, even with $10K CD players. The streaming quality of ROON and Tidal's upper tier subscription has surprised industry members as to the quality of sound. Just recently representatives of VanL Speakerworks were most gratified at the sound of their speaker (also reviewed; quite a lovely small floor standing speaker!) as heard through this combo. The sonicTransporter and Signature Rendu SE is strongly recommended for the finest systems. If set up properly, i.e. with aftermarket Ethernet, USB, and power cabling, it yields premium sound. I am happy to discuss such products that have shone brightly in review and continued use, especially in extreme systems that I set up.
The upgrade yesterday was to the ROON software on the digital front end. The gatekeeper is the home Macintosh upstairs, and the two units mentioned above are in the basement listening room. I noticed a marked improvement across the board in sound quality. I am very pleased with this software upgrade. Now the ROON as source has been made even more valuable, not just by convenience, but by quality of sound. I am using a Samsung Tablet S3 as my "remote" control, and am happy with the interface and performance. I would now consider the combo of ROON and Tidal's upper level subscription service to be in the category of exceptional streaming sound quality. The quality now seems on a par with previous file playback through same system. I have not yet explored file playback; this is simply y first impression regarding streaming audio with the upgrade to ROON.
As an aside, let not those who have WiFi connectivity problems in their home stress too much. If you can get the Power Over Internet modules sold at places like Best Buy, you can use the home electrical wiring to channel the signal to the listening room, and there put a hard connection to the digital front end. In the room I use wireless control of the digital front end. I have been euphoric over the quality of sound, as it has far, far exceeded what I expected. I thought it might be deleterious to the sound, but there has been no ruinous result. Rather, my digital performance has far outstripped what I was doing years before, even with dedicated servers in the room controlled directly by wire.
In fact, I had for a while a system using WiFi with a Windows based laptop and a different media software, and the sound was worse. While it may sound incredible, actual comparison and development of the IOP (Inernet over Power) for the digital signal has been a big success in my case. Now that ROON has updated I am elated once again.
Has anyone else done this update to ROON and noticed the sound improvement? BTW, I killed all the manipulation of the digital signal in ROON. I have disabled the Headroom adjustment as well as all signal management, i.e. bit rate, frequency, etc. I'm not interested in arguing the merits of my settings, but sharing what I feel is a significant improvement to ROON's sound quality.