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    The Computer Audiophile

    Readers Choice Awards 2017

    And the Winner Is ...


    2017 had many product introductions, upgrades, and stalwarts that didn't need anything changed. Like most people, I want to know what was the best over the last year. I want an easy list presented to me so I don't have to read or do any work (c'mon, we all get lazy once in a while). Given that I hate to be considered the Minister of Information and the fact that I love getting more people involved, I opened the Readers Choice Awards for 2017 in early December and closed the voting January 2, 2018. I believe the Readers Choice Awards are incredibly valuable to consumers and meaningful to manufacturers.


    OK, I'll shut up now (short and to the point. Easy list of products).


    And the winner of the 2017 Computer Audiophile Readers Choice Award for Product of the year is ....

     

     


    1. Roon

    Commentary: Roon won this award with over twice as many votes as the second place finisher. I can't disagree that Roon is a wonderful app and has changed the way many people experience their music collections. If you're one of the few who hasn't given it a spin, here's a link - Roon Labs.

     

     


    2. Sonore's ultraRendu
    3. UpTone Audio's LPS-1

    Commentary: I hate participation trophies and long lists of every component ever reviewed. Just because someone, somewhere reviewed it, doesn't mean it deserves to make a list. Anyway, the ultraRendu and LPS-1 deserve accolades as second and third place finishers. 

     

    Check them both out here - Sonore | UpTone Audio

     

     

     

     

     


    That's it for now. Look for the CA Announcement Coming Tuesday January 9, 2018




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    On 2018-01-05 at 5:36 PM, ElviaCaprice said:

    The media player, via bit perfect stream, should never sound different SQ wise regardless of choice of software.  If it is then you got other server/streaming issues.  So your really paying for features in Roon.  Which is fine, I get it.  For myself, JRiver has all the features I desire and then some over Roon at a far more reasonable cost.

     

    Bit perfect is by itself no guarantee for good sound. If you can’t hear any sound different between different software your ear or setup is not very revealing IMO.

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    2 hours ago, Summit said:

     

    Bit perfect is by itself no guarantee for good sound. If you can’t hear any sound different between different software your ear or setup is not very revealing IMO.

    If you have poor clocking/power, thus not very revealing, then yes, you can notice slight differences in software.  Superior clocking/power means very revealing.

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    5 minutes ago, ElviaCaprice said:

    If you have poor clocking/power, thus not very revealing, then yes, you can notice slight differences in software.  Superior clocking/power means very revealing.

     

    Do you mean that it’s easier to hear difference with poorer clocks and power? Your reasoning is very strange.

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    On 06/01/2018 at 12:36 AM, ElviaCaprice said:

    The media player, via bit perfect stream, should never sound different SQ wise regardless of choice of software.  If it is then you got other server/streaming issues.  So your really paying for features in Roon.  Which is fine, I get it.  For myself, JRiver has all the features I desire and then some over Roon at a far more reasonable cost.

    What you need to remember that bit perfect comes with a caveat of signal integrity. The bits get through but what else rides on those bits is what affects what you hear from an electrical perspective.

     

    JRiver has towed that line long enough bit perfect yadayada, their DSP has misgivings that alter what you hear, compared to Roon or HQplayer.

     

    ive listened to JRiver for close to 2 years and recently tried Roon and enjoy what I hear. The option is open to use HQplayer for directly connected DACs that aren’t networkable which the closed mind of JRiver could not accomplish.

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    2 hours ago, One and a half said:

    What you need to remember that bit perfect comes with a caveat of signal integrity. The bits get through but what else rides on those bits is what affects what you hear from an electrical perspective.

     

    JRiver has towed that line long enough bit perfect yadayada, their DSP has misgivings that alter what you hear, compared to Roon or HQplayer.

     

    ive listened to JRiver for close to 2 years and recently tried Roon and enjoy what I hear. The option is open to use HQplayer for directly connected DACs that aren’t networkable which the closed mind of JRiver could not accomplish.

    I am fully aware that bit perfect is basically no more than saying, no resampling.  What you need to understand is that it's not the media player that is the problem.  It's as you say from an electrical/timing perspective in the stream caused by the hardware, not the software.  The more noisy the system hardware, the more the software tweaking makes a different coloration.

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    On 1/4/2018 at 7:51 AM, The Computer Audiophile said:

    Products didn’t have to be originally released in 2017. For example Roon was originally released years ago, but that shouldn’t stop people from making it product of the year. 

     

    Was this clarified in the poll?  I don't recall.  If year of release doesn't matter then Roon could win every year.  Had I known year didn't matter I would have voted for the PC or personal computer.  TCP/IP and ethernet would have been a close second.  Actually, now that I think about it, the Internet would have been my #1 vote...or electricity.  This may sound cheeky but I'm serious and just pointing out that the poll should be limited to products released in that year, and Bob's your uncle.

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    On 1/5/2018 at 11:33 AM, firedog said:

     

    It's all a matter of perspective. With JRiver you pay small amounts incrementally to upgrade. Over time that will also add up. 

    I really like Roon, paid for the lifetime, and every year it "gets cheaper" and adds more features etc. If it stays around for 10 years it will have cost me $50 a year, which seems reasonable to me. I have weeks where I spend that much on downloads. 

     

    I have both as a disclaimer.  For the $500 cost of Roon I could have the latest version of JRiver for 17 years.  To me it's not about the money, it's about functionality.  Both applications serve different purposes.

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    On 1/6/2018 at 1:28 PM, One and a half said:

    What you need to remember that bit perfect comes with a caveat of signal integrity. The bits get through but what else rides on those bits is what affects what you hear from an electrical perspective.

     

    JRiver has towed that line long enough bit perfect yadayada, their DSP has misgivings that alter what you hear, compared to Roon or HQplayer.

     

    ive listened to JRiver for close to 2 years and recently tried Roon and enjoy what I hear. The option is open to use HQplayer for directly connected DACs that aren’t networkable which the closed mind of JRiver could not accomplish.

     

    There are pros and cons of each.  For one, it is possible to use HQPlayer with JRiver.  There's a thread about it here somewhere.  I don't find the folks at JRiver being closed minded.  They have their own priorities just like Roon.  For example, I can stream my music library from JRiver anywhere because they provide the ability to assign a TCP port and an app which will connect to the server.  I can be listening to my library in my car and at work through JRiver.  Not through Roon.  Roon chokes on the large number of albums I have.  An artist with several hundred albums causes Roon to stutter and freeze.  This doesn't happen with JRiver.  I can easily mass edit metadata with JRiver.  I wouldn't waste my time with metadata in Roon, it's incredibly cumbersome.

     

    All that said, I use Roon because I like the interface and reading lyrics or info about the music or band.  JRiver has some catch up work to do there, but if it does it would be better than Roon for the reasons I listed.

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    20 minutes ago, Johnseye said:

    For example, I can stream my music library from JRiver anywhere because they provide the ability to assign a TCP port and an app which will connect to the server.  I can be listening to my library in my car and at work through JRiver.  Not through Roon.  Roon chokes on the large number of albums I have.  An artist with several hundred albums causes Roon to stutter and freeze.  This doesn't happen with JRiver.  I can easily mass edit metadata with JRiver.  I wouldn't waste my time with metadata in Roon, it's incredibly cumbersome.

    The Roon remote like listening in the car from your own server is coming according to @Em2016.

     

    For the large number of albums, the maximum number I have for the Beatles is 26, Roon lists all of them without a problem.  JRiver's editing stays with Jriver's database, it doesn't update the file's metadata, unless there's a command that's obscured somewhere in the labyrinth.

     

    Anyway there's a thread on Jriver vs Roon.

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    38 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

     

    According to Roon not me :-)  Public information

     

    https://community.roonlabs.com/t/mobile-music-sync-and-streaming-on-roadmap/15249/2

     

    Mobile solution is confirmed to be on their roadmap.

     

    On the roadmap means just that and nothing more, i.e. no timeline. Maybe this year? Maybe next year? No one knows.

     

     

     

    RealVnc, JRiver could use the same system of authentication, it’s painless from an end user perspective. 

    If you have the bandwidth JRiver streams lossless, but RAAT would have to change their protocol somewhat to fit and maintain the remote connectivity while negotiating tunnels, the real ones with trucks and trains.

     

    Thanks for the link!

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    7 hours ago, One and a half said:

    The Roon remote like listening in the car from your own server is coming according to @Em2016.

     

    For the large number of albums, the maximum number I have for the Beatles is 26, Roon lists all of them without a problem.  JRiver's editing stays with Jriver's database, it doesn't update the file's metadata, unless there's a command that's obscured somewhere in the labyrinth.

     

    Anyway there's a thread on Jriver vs Roon.

     

    I'd love to see remote access but that's been on the roadmap for a long time.  What I'm happy to see is that Roon is hiring.  Hopefully that means these things get implemented faster.

     

    I don't have many bands with albums more than 30 or so, but the few I have with hundreds I listen to all the time.  If you listen to live music recordings you will get into this number of albums.

     

    As I mentioned I use and like both for different reasons.  Not looking to get into a long discussion, but wanted to point out that while Roon is great, it isn't a one stop shop.  I'd like it to be and I invested in it in hopes it will.

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    6 hours ago, One and a half said:

    RealVnc, JRiver could use the same system of authentication, it’s painless from an end user perspective. 

    If you have the bandwidth JRiver streams lossless, but RAAT would have to change their protocol somewhat to fit and maintain the remote connectivity while negotiating tunnels, the real ones with trucks and trains.

     

    Thanks for the link!

     

    My understanding is that streaming to the JRiver remote app is at 320, not lossless.  If Roon could improve upon that I would be a happy man.

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    I own and really enjoy all 3 of these products, so I suppose I'm content with the results.  But perhaps just surprised and maybe even a little disappointed that I didn't get any new "leads" out of this voting.  I guess I'd hoped for a DAC to make the list?

     

    As for the comments on the cost of Roon, everyone is making fair and subjective points.  If income is limited, I can see where $500 is a lot (perhaps too much to justify).  It's an absolutely superb product, however (much more so in the last 18 months), so I would strongly recommend a demo if you haven't tried it of late.

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    On 1/12/2018 at 1:40 AM, One and a half said:

    JRiver's editing stays with Jriver's database, it doesn't update the file's metadata, unless there's a command that's obscured somewhere in the labyrinth.

    There is.  You can set it as a default (as I do) or invoke it manually (for compulsives).

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    On 1/12/2018 at 8:13 AM, Johnseye said:

    I don't have many bands with albums more than 30 or so, but the few I have with hundreds I listen to all the time.  If you listen to live music recordings you will get into this number of albums.

    What's the number of albums where things start to break down for an artist?  I think the most I have for a single artist is about 180 "albums" (as Roon counts them) for Bach and everything seems to work fine.  Is there a particular view where things break down?

     

    For me, the only problem I have in Roon with too many discs relates to how it handles box sets.  All of my big classical and jazz box sets are a huge pain to access; something like Mozart 225 can't really be navigated in Roon (as currently implemented).

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    I’m completely blown away that Roon took the top honor.  I have had the Aurender Conductor app for a couple years.  It was not bad to start with but it has blossomed into an incredible experience in my opinion.  In the last few months I have been trying Roon and although I have heard a lot about it once I finally got to experience it it was a total let down.  The only thing that Roon does better is the Lyrics (which by the way is not for all tracks on Tidal and none on a local library ) and I do like the that you can control with your iPhone and don’t need a iPad all the time.  But just name any other function and the Conductor app blows the Roon app away in easy of use , searching and you name it.  Also their support sucks as it’s a web based community thing.   Aurender has real people answering your concern quickly.  They are also open to suggestions where I tried with Roon and they have the attitude that they have the best ideas.   Ya right!

     

    i know the host of this web site has a W20 so he should have good experience with the Conductor app.  Please list what is so much better about Roon it baffles me.  

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    20 minutes ago, michaelD said:

    I’m completely blown away that Roon took the top honor.  I have had the Aurender Conductor app for a couple years.  It was not bad to start with but it has blossomed into an incredible experience in my opinion.  In the last few months I have been trying Roon and although I have heard a lot about it once I finally got to experience it it was a total let down.  The only thing that Roon does better is the Lyrics (which by the way is not for all tracks on Tidal and none on a local library ) and I do like the that you can control with your iPhone and don’t need a iPad all the time.  But just name any other function and the Conductor app blows the Roon app away in easy of use , searching and you name it.  Also their support sucks as it’s a web based community thing.   Aurender has real people answering your concern quickly.  They are also open to suggestions where I tried with Roon and they have the attitude that they have the best ideas.   Ya right!

     

    i know the host of this web site has a W20 so he should have good experience with the Conductor app.  Please list what is so much better about Roon it baffles me.  

    Your talking about an app that comes with the purchase of a product the can be 10X the cost of Roon's lifetime membership.  Simply put, more people have experience with Roon and voted for it.  I didn't vote but I have Roon, a Dragonfly Red and the MicroRendu in my arsenal.  All are very affordable products that have improved my listening experience.  I'm not saying there the best, but all those products have made significant advances in audio compared to what was available just a few years ago. 

     

    Remember Roon is still in its infant stages.  There hiring, adjusting there software and listening to their customer base to create the best possible product.  I'm in it for the long haul.  If/when they add streaming away from the home like JRiver, I'll stop using Jriver.  The only reason I still use Jriver is so I can stream music to work, or in the car or outdoors exercising.

     

    Next year you just need more Aurender supporters to vote.  Remember most people who come to this site don't interact.  It's all good:)

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    On 1/4/2018 at 3:30 PM, Em2016 said:

     

    But it really is that good.

     

    The experience gets even better in a multi zone setup, i.e. more than one endpoint - grouping multiple zones, transferring playback from one zone to another so slickly, specific DSP with any/all zones etc.

     

     

    On 1/4/2018 at 3:22 PM, gmgraves said:

    Roon is much too expensive. $120/year and $500 for a lifetime "lease" is simply ridiculous no matter how good the software is. I would consider $120 to BUY the software to be exorbitant. I say that if you're gonna f*** me, kiss me first, and for that price it's had better be a damned good f***!

     

    +1

    AGree!  $600 lifetime is ridiculous and i won't subscribe to a software program.

    They should follow models like other software vendors (e.g. jriver) with a realistic price and option to upgrade with new releases as the consume so desires.

     

    Plus Roon won't let you play by directory structure.

    Too many things against it.

     

    If someone wants to pay $100+/year to see history that you can find on google, thats fine.

    The biggest supporters of it are ones that got big discounts for lifetime.

     

    Alexa will win with me in long run....although they aren't quite there yet...give it a couple more years.

    I would rather tell alexa what to play...

    Alexa: play track, album, genre, playlist, artist, similar artists, make a suggestion, play something to sleep, dance, party to, etc....

    will eventually include videos too go with all your music selections too....and if you want to know what artists are similar,  or history of biography of music, just ask.  You can also tell it to mute, volume up, volume down, next track, etc without having to reach for a remote.....roon will be dead, once alexa automation wins over.

     

    Roon tried to get it to work with Alexa, but hey failed in many attempts and ultimately gave up....they will ultimately pay for that mistake.

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