Updating My Digital System
Last week I replaced my mac mini running BitPerfect with a Bricasti M5 Network Player. With the mac mini, I used AirPlay to pass files from my file storage on an iMac to my Esoteric K1X SE DAC using USB. With the M5, I use Roon. I was surprised and did not expect the difference in overall musical presence coming from my 3.7i maggies. More articulate bass, improved separation and space, and an increase in vocal timbre. There just seems to be a lower noise floor that helps make this all possible. I have many music files encoded using Apple’s AAC encoder, so was able to directly compare the mac mini setup with the M5. My take is that the bulk of the improvement is due to the M5 and not as much by Roon. Interested in any comments on my experience.
I too use the Bricasti M5 with Roon and am very happy with the sound of my digital side. I have the Roon Nuclues One > Bricasti M5 > SPL Diamond DAC > ModWright Analog Bridge > Rega Aethos > Triangle Magellan 40th Anniversary Duetto's. I love the sound but am always trweaking with rolling the tubes in the ModWright. I think the Bricasti M5 is very well made and the sound is amazing. |
Roon sound quality, to me, is inferior to JPLAY or the Tidal Connect or Qobuz Connect. Roon is also no match to native streaming like the Aurender Conductor or Lumin. |
@audphile1Couldn’t agree more. We like the superior sound of jriver media center over Roon. We use Windows base PC. An HP Elitedesk 800 mini as it has excellent shielding and is supper quiet. We use it with a custom power supply. The Denafrips Hermes takes care of the USB noise and conversion to i2s. We did try a MAC however the sound was inferior. Jriver software is available for Windows MAC and Linux. |
@audphile1 Roon does sound just a bit thinner than the native app. (no Roon dsp in use). Here’s hoping for a sound uptick. With you dero knowledge base (take a bow) I’d be curious to see your system. |
