Best music software?

christoph

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2015
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Really? Browsing is OK but searching is painful.
I also found the search (especially for tracks) absolutely abysmal up to Version 1.5 :mad:
But in 1.6, the search is (sometimes tiresomely) slow but the results are MUCH better than before.
Don't you agree?
 

Legolas

VIP/Donor
Dec 27, 2015
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I much prefer Roon above other Mac based players for sound quality. I haven't tried HQ Player, as I don't need all the filtering and up sampling bloat.

Searching in Roon is pretty good, and if you have your own NAS library, it finds the same album on Tidal or Qobuz as other versions. Often those versions are higher res as in 24 bit 44.1 (Qobuz) or 16 bit 96K (Tidal). And some of the remasters on 24 bit are superb, such as Kraftwerk Computer Love.
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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www.stereophile.com
I also found the search (especially for tracks) absolutely abysmal up to Version 1.5 :mad:
But in 1.6, the search is (sometimes tiresomely) slow but the results are MUCH better than before.
Don't you agree?
Yes but with the word "somewhat" substituted for the word "MUCH." Another fault it shares with Google is the inclusion, along with the appropriate results, of results which presume that I misspelled the search term.
 

Genkifd

Member
Apr 20, 2019
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Currently trying out Jriver 25. after some tweaking ive discovered the sound that im after. its simple and self organised.
no real big compliants so far. want to try Roon with HQ play one day.
 

wil

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2015
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The solution to all of these problems is to use Ethernet to distribute audio to the location of the audio system. Then one can have the server and music storage located far away (in another room, basement, closet, etc) where its noise (electrical, EMI, radiated, etc) will not impact the audio system itself. The server, in another room, can be running even the most sophisticated software (like HQPlayer and ROON together, oversampling to DSD 512, for example) and if it is 30 feet away and powered from a different circuit, the noise made by the server will not matter to the audio system. Ethernet is isolated by transformers (for more robust isolation one can use optical fiber Ethernet) and transmits little noise to the endpoint (Renderer). With this approach one can run even the most sophisticated playback software, without a concern for the noise it produces. Just choose a very good, low power, ultra low noise, purpose built for audio Renderer and one can avoid these problems.

I'm a little mystified-- my typical metal state when it comes to this labrinth of digital audio. It sounds like you're suggesting not using a server for digital audio? Don't you need some form of cpu to run the player software? Sorry, for the simplistic question.

My Lampi Pacific dac uses an ethernet renderer, so I go straight ethernet from my switch to the dac. I have a Nucleus + server also connected to the switch and powered by linear power from the same dedicated line other components are on.

As per your suggestion, to take the Server noise out of the system, I thought I would try the Server from another dedicated line I have. However this still places the Server in close physical proximity to other components.

So, ideally I suppose, I could run yet another dedicated line to an outlet 30+ feet away and, connect the Server there, and run a long ethernet to the Switch.
 

sbo6

VIP/Donor
May 18, 2014
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Round Rock, TX
I much prefer Roon above other Mac based players for sound quality. I haven't tried HQ Player, as I don't need all the filtering and up sampling bloat.

Searching in Roon is pretty good, and if you have your own NAS library, it finds the same album on Tidal or Qobuz as other versions. Often those versions are higher res as in 24 bit 44.1 (Qobuz) or 16 bit 96K (Tidal). And some of the remasters on 24 bit are superb, such as Kraftwerk Computer Love.

You don't need to employ filters to get exemplary sound (above Roon) with HQPlayer. But if you want to set them along with upsampling, conversion and dither you can set it and forget it and enjoy even more...
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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I also found the search (especially for tracks) absolutely abysmal up to Version 1.5 :mad:
But in 1.6, the search is (sometimes tiresomely) slow but the results are MUCH better than before.
Don't you agree?
No, I do not. It is still tiresomely slow (I often give up) and the results are no better. Tagging and album identification seem a bit better but that is really hard to assess as it depends on what the new files are.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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No, I do not. It is still tiresomely slow (I often give up) and the results are no better. (...)

Can we know what kind of CPU and memory size are you using to run Roon?
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
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almaaudio.com
It's definitely not CPU related. It's just the way they run the search now. Before, Tidal/Qobuz were integrated in the searches too, but Roon would immediately display the results of your library search. Now, it waits until it has all the info before displaying anything. That's why we have to sit for a minute or two until it decides it has enough info to display something. And the most puzzling thing, you can only opt to have Roon search only your library AFTER it has attempted to do a full search, including Tidal/Qobuz, NOT before or during!
 

nonesup

VIP/Donor
Feb 15, 2017
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It's definitely not CPU related. It's just the way they run the search now. Before, Tidal/Qobuz were integrated in the searches too, but Roon would immediately display the results of your library search. Now, it waits until it has all the info before displaying anything. That's why we have to sit for a minute or two until it decides it has enough info to display something. And the most puzzling thing, you can only opt to have Roon search only your library AFTER it has attempted to do a full search, including Tidal/Qobuz, NOT before or during!

Oh yes, Roon is like that. And do not even think to tell them that maybe this is not the most logical thing.
 
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Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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It's definitely not CPU related. It's just the way they run the search now. Before, Tidal/Qobuz were integrated in the searches too, but Roon would immediately display the results of your library search. Now, it waits until it has all the info before displaying anything. That's why we have to sit for a minute or two until it decides it has enough info to display something. And the most puzzling thing, you can only opt to have Roon search only your library AFTER it has attempted to do a full search, including Tidal/Qobuz, NOT before or during!
Yes, that is too true. In addition, there is no option to search only Tidal/Qobuz, afaik.
 

nonesup

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Feb 15, 2017
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I still remember the year I had a subscription to Roon, not if this will have changed, but you did a search by composer and returned all the albums without ordering by title. If, as in my case, you had 300 Mozart albums and you wanted to choose a symphony, you could not move quickly to the letter S, but you had to look at all the albums screen by screen. Ridiculous, I requested several times in the Roon forum that a Sort be made about the result and a person from Roon replied that they would study if that would be good for the application.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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i7-8700K, 32gb

It's definitely not CPU related. It's just the way they run the search now. Before, Tidal/Qobuz were integrated in the searches too, but Roon would immediately display the results of your library search. Now, it waits until it has all the info before displaying anything. That's why we have to sit for a minute or two until it decides it has enough info to display something. And the most puzzling thing, you can only opt to have Roon search only your library AFTER it has attempted to do a full search, including Tidal/Qobuz, NOT before or during!

Thanks!
 

Legolas

VIP/Donor
Dec 27, 2015
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I don't find Roon search slow, it is almost instant here. That is one non classical titles though. I think all the players struggle with classical, partly as the naming convention was inconsistent across recordings. And of course, you can have 200+ versions of Beethoven's 5th.

I like Roons display, it shows the album in your library, the Tidal and Qobuz versions as well on clicking the icon. There is usually a good review or summary of the album, and you can cross link to other albums perfumed by one of the artists on the first, so dig out new material. The lyrics is a cheesy feature, but is useful non the less. And you can see what resolution it is playing at, the signal path, if you use EQ etc.

Roon for me is the best player.
 

Kal Rubinson

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2010
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www.stereophile.com
I don't find Roon search slow, it is almost instant here. That is one non classical titles though. I think all the players struggle with classical, partly as the naming convention was inconsistent across recordings. And of course, you can have 200+ versions of Beethoven's 5th.
It is quite fast most of the time but far from that at others.
I like Roons display, it shows the album in your library, the Tidal and Qobuz versions as well on clicking the icon.
It is inconsistent with Qobuz. Today, I searched for Fauré 's Requiem and Roon found the 6 in my collection with one of them duplicated on Qobuz. Direct search on Qobuz found.....dozens.
 

nonesup

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Feb 15, 2017
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Totally agree. Then I had Tidal and when I was looking for classic, I always gave much fewer albums than when I did the search the Lumin app when I used UpnP
 

Legolas

VIP/Donor
Dec 27, 2015
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I wouldn't worry too much. It is annoying, but Roon is updated constantly. The integration aspect and third part hook such as Qobuz will improve. Roon has massive resources and high user base, it can only further dominate, and will improve. If I was looking at a new server, it would have to run Roon Core.
 

AudioDoc

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2016
7
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Audiophile Optimizer 3.0 review.
Once again AudioPhil’s magical Pixie Dust sprinkled on the AudiophileOptimizer 3.0 General Availability will uplift any Windows computer audio to a new high.
Phil’s dedication and attention to details has taken the computer audio community through the staged of betas which got better with each release, the final release of AO 3.0 is definitely a several steps above the last beta (38).
After listening into the early hours of the morning was so gratifying that you got deeply involved in the music, it was like being there, whether a studio or live performance.
This is what I hear in my system with AO 3.0.
The enunciation of the vocals sound so clear you hear every word without missing any of the “spoken word”.
Imaging/coherence/convergence of the instruments, plus a wider soundstage is jaw dropping.
The kick a$$ bass in Dobie Gray’s Drift Away track had me repeating the track, because it was such a pleasure to hear over and over.
Patti LaBelle If you Only Knew track with the percussion's and finite details is something to behold.
The Brook Benton rendition of Rainy Night in Georgia by Conway Twitty and Sam Moore put the icing on the AO 3.0 cake for me last night.
This is truly a magic carpet ride with AO 3.0
https://www.highend-audiopc.com/
 

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