Article: Roon From Roon Labs - A Video Run-through

[Catalysis]

Damn, there is my answer. The ifi Micro is connected using an ASIO driver. So, no dice - that's frustrating.

 

It's more than a little surprising isn't it. Although I haven't done an A-B comparison yet, my gut reaction last night was that Tidal actually sounded better through Roon than via Chrome, so it's progress.

 

I know nothing about the ifi Micro, but is it not possible to connect with it via WASAPI?

[baddog]

Post in their online community, they are very responsive, perhaps they can assist.

 

Roon Labs Community

[DaQi]

Damn, there is my answer. The ifi Micro is connected using an ASIO driver. So, no dice - that's frustrating.

 

Okay, another mystery solved and finally have Roon running. The ifi driver had been disabled as a Windows Sound device in the Control Panel. Strangely JRMC could still find and use it. Once I re-enabled it Roon found it and is using it.

 

I had disabled the ifi driver as I only wanted music going through it and not system sounds etc. So JRMC was the only thing that used it.

[Forehaven]

You should have a DVI output? It's a simple (passive) adaptor to convert from DVI to HDMI.

 

Hi Audio Elf, you got me thinking and I looked over my mbp again and realized (never used this once lol) I had the Expresscard 34 slot that I can buy an HDMI card:

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-ExpressCard-Capture-Adapter-ECHDCAP/dp/B008YT5QEO

Very cool. Thanks Elf!

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Audio Elf, you got me thinking and I looked over my mbp again and realized (never used this once lol) I had the Expresscard 34 slot that I can buy an HDMI card:

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-ExpressCard-Capture-Adapter-ECHDCAP/dp/B008YT5QEO

Very cool. Thanks Elf!

I think Windows is required.

 

ExpressCard Capture Card - High-Definition Laptop Video Capture Card | 1080p | StarTech.com

[Forehaven]

I think Windows is required.

 

ExpressCard Capture Card - High-Definition Laptop Video Capture Card | 1080p | StarTech.com

 

Oh, Thanks Chris. Ok, I went back again and found NOW lol, what Audio Elf was talking about, I have a 'Mini Display Port' that I can get an Apple MD to HDMI:

Moshi Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (4K) - Apple Store (U.S.)

And $40 no less! Deal!

[DaQi]

Not sure where to go on this but the sound from Roon is terrible! I am playing tracks in JRMC and then in Roon and coming through Roon there is a lot of static and what almost sounds like serious compression or something. Same computer, same files on the same NAS through the same ifi Micro DSD. Actually, bordering unlistenable through Roon while JRMC sounds great fantastic as always.

 

I am noticing that the volume is slight louder in Roon and I have to adjust the volume manually on the pre-amplifier accordingly when I switch but the nasty sound is still there. I am running both Roon and JRMC at full volume to the DAC so it should be bit perfect to there so I am surprised by the difference in sound and volume.

 

I am feeling like there are just too many things not quite there yet with Roon and this is only day one.

[Catalysis]

Not sure where to go on this but the sound from Roon is terrible!

 

One suggestion I would make is to go into Settings/Setup and make sure you have audio analysis speed off. It would seem that Roon will normalize the sound if you leave this on Fast or Normal, or at least that's my understanding.

 

Might be worth checking this out.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Not sure where to go on this but the sound from Roon is terrible! I am playing tracks in JRMC and then in Roon and coming through Roon there is a lot of static and what almost sounds like serious compression or something. Same computer, same files on the same NAS through the same ifi Micro DSD. Actually, bordering unlistenable through Roon while JRMC sounds great fantastic as always.

 

I am noticing that the volume is slight louder in Roon and I have to adjust the volume manually on the pre-amplifier accordingly when I switch but the nasty sound is still there. I am running both Roon and JRMC at full volume to the DAC so it should be bit perfect to there so I am surprised by the difference in sound and volume.

 

I am feeling like there are just too many things not quite there yet with Roon and this is only day one.

Make sure you have volume leveling turned off. Blue highlight = off.

 

[DaQi]

Turning off audio analysis makes no difference. Even after checking attachment from Chris I have no idea where to find the volume leveling to turn it off.

 

I am running on a Windows 8.1 i5 NUC so there should be plenty of processor power to run this.

[dbtom2]

So far I have been pleased at how sophisticated and powerful this software is. Although I am impatient to have the iOS app to control Roon, it is amazing how they've integrated the listening zones and made it easy to see what's playing where.

 

As I've used the software, a little "bubble" appears occasionally. When I click on it, it gives me info on what that title/icon/selector means. A subtle yet powerful evolution of Microsoft's paper clip. (Remember him?)

 

Then there's that little green/purple/yellow dot that appears next to the song title. Reports the signal quality chain. That right there is worth the price of admission. Tells me when something higher-res that 16/44 is being down mixed to work in Airplay. Tells me when something is being dithered. I have been aching for this little dot for the last three months. Very helpful. (Among other things, it reminds me to prioritize how to re-rip my CDs to FLAC/ALAC.)

 

Very simple. But the deeper I go the more powerful it is. So far so good.

 

And Tidal thru Roon seems to be behaving very well. I will post some observations on my tweaks in the Tidal forum.

 

Do I subscribe for life? Do I risk that? Is this another flash in the pan that gets lost? Gotta be expensive aggregation/writing/categorizing all that recording data. I have 13 more days to decide, I guess.

 

Congrats to Roon. So far, so good. No major glitches. Learning the interface.

 

T.

[keeper]

So where do Auralic fit with this as a hardware partner?

As a Aries user this would seem like ditching the Aries and going back to a mini?

Pricing seems wrong for an incomplete solution i.e no tablet control at launch and i'm not sure of the value if you have a fairly static library.

[The Computer Audiophile]

So where do Auralic fit with this as a hardware partner?

As a Aries user this would seem like ditching the Aries and going back to a mini?

Pricing seems wrong for an incomplete solution i.e no tablet control at launch and i'm not sure of the value if you have a fairly static library.

The Aries will appear as a network endpoint capable of receiving audio from Roon just like an AirPlay device but better.

[stevebythebay]

Where is this shown? I don't see it in Roon's settings.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Turning off audio analysis makes no difference. Even after checking attachment from Chris I have no idea where to find the volume leveling to turn it off.

 

I am running on a Windows 8.1 i5 NUC so there should be plenty of processor power to run this.

If you click on the little purple circle at the bottom (while music is playing) does the popup look like mine pictured below? Or, does it say converting from 16 to 24 bit?

 

[kenreau]

The Aries will appear as a network endpoint capable of receiving audio from Roon just like an AirPlay device but better.

 

I'm wondering something similar with the of my Aurender S10. The ROON and Aurender interface are somewhat similar. I hope that Aurender can morph in the ROON operating system, or somehow adopt its apparently superior horsepower and functionality.

 

Kenreau

[stevebythebay]

Make sure you have volume leveling turned off. Blue highlight = off.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18546[/ATTACH]

 

Sorry for any confusion in my previous post.

 

Where is this setting for volume leveling shown? I don't see it in Roon's settings.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Sorry for any confusion in my previous post.

 

Where is this setting for volume leveling shown? I don't see it in Roon's settings.

The only way I know how to get there is to do this:

 

1. Click on the name of the now playing track in the center of the bottom of the Roon window.

 

2. On the next screen click on the two little gears on the right side of the screen.

 

[DaQi]

If you click on the little purple circle at the bottom (while music is playing) does the popup look like mine pictured below? Or, does it say converting from 16 to 24 bit?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18547[/ATTACH]

 

Same as what your attachment shows except it is WASABI instead of Core Audio. The source is a rip of a CD in ALAC format. I am listening to the exact same file that plays fine through JRMC though so that shouldn't be an issue.

[DaQi]

The only way I know how to get there is to do this:

 

1. Click on the name of the now playing track in the center of the bottom of the Roon window.

 

2. On the next screen click on the two little gears on the right side of the screen.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18548[/ATTACH]

 

Found it and volume leveling was already turned off. So that is not the problem either. Or maybe I should turn it on and see if it improves.

[stevebythebay]

The only way I know how to get there is to do this:

 

1. Click on the name of the now playing track in the center of the bottom of the Roon window.

 

2. On the next screen click on the two little gears on the right side of the screen.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18548[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks. However it only seems to affect the currently playing song. Not a global control, at least from this location in the app. Gotta' believe there's some place to make it global. When I leave a song and go into, say another album and one of its tracks the setting is enabled.

[DaQi]

The only way I know how to get there is to do this:

 

1. Click on the name of the now playing track in the center of the bottom of the Roon window.

 

2. On the next screen click on the two little gears on the right side of the screen.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18548[/ATTACH]

 

This is interesting. I found the gear and volume leveling was off. I sort of thought nothing more but then I turned on volume leveling and the sound has improved considerably. The signal path is now showing that the file is being up-converted from 16 bits to 24 bits and then there is volume leveling of -7.2db being applied.

 

Went back to JRMC and noticed that I had volume leveling turned on. So, I tried the same track with the volume leveling turned off and the terrible sound was there.

 

Okay, so now I am confused. Why would the "raw" track sound so terrible and the leveled track sound so much better?

 

Thanks for the help Chris with getting to the bottom of this.

[The Computer Audiophile]

This is interesting. I found the gear and volume leveling was off. I sort of thought nothing more but then I turned on volume leveling and the sound has improved considerably. The signal path is now showing that the file is being up-converted from 16 bits to 24 bits and then there is volume leveling of -7.2db being applied.

 

Went back to JRMC and noticed that I had volume leveling turned on. So, I tried the same track with the volume leveling turned off and the terrible sound was there.

 

Okay, so now I am confused. Why would the "raw" track sound so terrible and the leveled track sound so much better?

 

Thanks for the help Chris with getting to the bottom of this.

This is a weird issue as I have never liked the effects of volume leveling. However, it's personal choice.

[james45974]

Roon looks very interesting, can't wait to try it out (once I have fixed a recently occurring spontaneous rebooting problem on my computer).

 

The pricing doesn't seem too bad but I personally would be VERY suspect of any deal where the term "lifetime" is used in conjunction with computer technology. What is the definition of "lifetime" related to Roon? Five years, ten?

 

Also, I hope they put a lot of effort into a remote app. There are people wedded to JRiver just because of JRemote. Roon seems to be taking care of the library management feature, sound quality seems undetermined yet, the remote capability is key to a good portion of the population!

[Catalysis]

Roons appears to need a manual or at least some video tutorials, other than your very nice intro movie Chris. The problem solving via the website appears to rely on answers to user generated questions - I never like that as it isn't a structured approach and some users can chime in with incorrect answers and send one off on a red herring. I was wondering what the purple light was. I should have been more inquisitive and clicked on it :-)