Sound quality of Roon

Thanks for the comments. The replies are interesting but still kind of confusing. I see that the Innuos Zen Mini Mk3 can work as a Roon core computer and also has a DAC built in, so maybe that is a pretty reasonably priced option to get started. For now I am discounting the few voices who insist their streamer sounds better than Roon as it seems to me like they like something so much better because they just spent several thousand dollars to buy it. This happens alot maybe too often.

Thanks for the additional comments. I am slowly feeling my way through this to figure out what is the best way to try Roon.

@jjs49 your comments were really helpful to my understanding, as always.  I am wondering if you wouldn't mind saying if you were to start now with Roon knowing what you know, and were trying to do it well, meaning good sound, and easy to use, but at lowest cost possible, how would you start?

Some people here seem to post without reading what’s been said earlier. I guess this topic is getting kinda long.

Thank you again to all who have taken the time to post their thoughts. My thinking at present is to get an Innuos Zen Mini, which can run the core Roon program, as well as be a pretty good streamer. (Thanks to @jjss49 for that idea.). The raw computing processing power in the Zen Mini is not great but I will only use one streamer and don’t think I will use its DSP which I understand can be a resource hog.

There is also a DAC built in the Mini even if some feel it is sort of a starter DAC. This way I can try the Innuos app and also Roon, and compare the music streamed from Tidal those two ways. That unit is nice since there are several upgrade steps for instance going to a better power supply as well as going straight out from its digital output to feed a better DAC. I do have a Schiit Gungnir MB I like how it sounds, and I think it is a good dac in its price range, using it with a Node right now.