Current quality of Rune

I prefer BubbleUPnP to mConnect after using them both. But neither are preferable to a decent native streaming app. If you don't have one try a different streamer.

I agree a one box solution can equal or surpass a two box solution. At issue is the quality of the output or interface (usb, I2S, spdif, etc) of streamer. For instance if one is using a laptop for Roon, no brainer to adopt a two box solution, this means adding usb isolation devices which also go by the name renderer, endpoint, streamer;  Sonore MicroRendu is one example of these devices, many other manufacturers as well. These devices isolate computer noise that travels along usb cable from contaminating dac. End result is lower noise floor, greater resolution.  This is exactly why Roon offers a two box solution, therefore, Roon Core on computer, Roon Endpoint on the outboard usb device, computer now goes by the name server, no longer a streamer since it only serves the core to the actual music player streamer which is the Roon Endpoint. Limitation of Audirvana is that it can only be a one box solution, has no separate Endpoint last time I looked. I'm not surprised people have glitches when using Roon with general purpose computers, Roon requires a relatively large measure of processor resources,having other apps and such running on computer can overtax processors leading to all kinds of issues. As these music players continue to evolve they only tax processors more greatly, the user interfaces, analysis of huge libraries, dsp use up resources, you best have a powerful processor, large RAM for a glitch free experience.

Moving into a dedicated streamer may or may not preclude the need for the above device, depends on quality of interface within streamer. Highest quality streamers go a step further by further optimizing these interfaces within the streamer, in this case no outboard devices likely needed. Everything determined by how far one wants to take it, streaming can be a complex or simple undertaking, optimization of streaming interfaces and many other streaming components extremely variable.

Example of taking things to the extreme, https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/introducing-olympus-olympus-i-o-a-new-perspective-on-modern-music-playback.37939/

Mconnect works on smartphones or tablets. It’s easy to use, functional but super basic. 

As to a one box Roon (core/streamer) solution that’s done properly, we’re talking Grimm MU1 and MU2, Merging Technologies stack, etc….all north of $15,000. 
You ate not achieving that level of performance with a home built nuc or even a Roon Nucleus…don’t bother….

Roon is functioning very well. No noise between songs, etc.  The GUI is great. I like it better than the Innuos Sense app. 

I'm running it on a dedicated laptop with good speed and memory.  No issues using it with Roon. 

My son and I just did a comparison. He felt that the sq is similar, but I give the advantage to the Innuos streamer.  Things seem a little softer and less defined with Roon.  That could be the fault of the streamer built into my dac.  Idk. 

I really wanted to use Roon, but unless I have something set up incorrectly, I'll be using the Innuos Zen Mk3 streamer and it's Sense app.