Roon ROCK vs AO Windows Server

[atxkyle]

Has anyone compared sound quality of a Roon ROCK (lightweight Linux) install vs. running Roon Server on an Windows System, with Audiophile Optimizer in Core mode?

 

I’m currently doing the latter on and Intel NUC and it sounds great bit isn’t the most stable.  Have to reboot quite often when the server loses connection to my network- (imagine it’s due to some service I’ve shut off in Windows using AO).

 

Was thinking of seeing if I’d still get the SQ benefits of a minimal OS using ROCK, without the network connectivity issues.

[atxkyle]

1 hour ago, dtb300 said:

Server 2012 or 2016 in Core mode is VERY stable with Roon.

I am using Server 2012 r2 in core mode and unfortunately it is not for me.  Loses the network connection once a day or so and I have to reboot. 

[atxkyle]

3 hours ago, jparvio said:

I´d vote for Nucleus (and I have) for the stability and optimization alone. You would be hard pressed to find a difference in sound quality if all within the server is as it should. But it does get to one´s nerves to have an unreliable source ruining all those valuable listening sessions.

 

Food for thought if noting more.

Thanks for the tip!  Would like to leverage the NUC I already bought if possible, but at some point I may need to buy a new server.

[atxkyle]

2 hours ago, davide256 said:

AO and Windows Server ... "thank you Sir, may I have another". There are less painful ways to manage/serve up your music.

lol ... but i got to brush up on my command line syntax, so there's that!  

[atxkyle]

Back to the original question - has anyone had the chance to compare sound quality of ROON on a light linux install like ROCK vs. on an optimized bare-bones windows server?  (where all else in the hardware is equal)

[atxkyle]

Finally had a chance this weekend to try ROCK vs 2012r1 AO (on the same NUC hardware). 

 

I have to agree with @LTG2010 that the SQ is better with ROCK.  Better imaging, realism and dynamics in my system.  (And also stable thus far, which was my main beef with the 2012r2)

 

Going to have to try Audiolinux next when I have time... perhaps the headless version that everyone is raving about.