Don’t worry! I’m not starting this thread to kick off a subjective debate on the best server/player combos as everyone and every system is different and we’d never reach a consensus. No, this is about my recent experience and seeing who might have some insight/advice on what’s happening.
Recently on my K 30, I had settled on using Roon/HQP, with HQP all set to none in a sort of bypass mode. I know there is a strong opinion here that Squeeze/Squeeze provides the best sound quality, and I have tried it numerous times but to me it always sounds too harsh and aggressive, too mechanical and especially voices, too thin. This is not at all as described by fans of the combo and I can’t imagine it sounding like mine and having the fans it does.
I recently shut down my system for 2 weeks whilst on holiday and since powering it back up its been sounding pretty ropey, the best way to describe it is that it is sounding more digital than ever and generally just not an enjoyable listen. Until today…
In an attempt to improve things, I tried changing the server/player combo, but anything with Roon or Squeeze/squeeze just sounded off, horrible in fact. For a change I tried minimserver and mini DLNA and the result is quite staggering. In fact so big is the improvement, if I had just spent £2.5k upgrading my K30, I would have been thrilled. It’s how I imagine everyone else hears squeeze/squeeze given the positive views. There was a Roon update which installed when powering back up after my holiday, but I wouldn’t dare suggest that affected the sound
If you’re still with me (thanks!) my question is what might have caused my status quo combo to start sounding so rough? And why would it affect squeeze and Roon but neither MiniDLNA nor Minim?
On the network side, I use a BT wifi disc, connected to an etherRegen, connected to the K30. The conundrum is how it was working a few weeks ago but now only minidlna/minim sound any good, albeit the absolute best I have managed to achieve thus far. I would like to just leave it alone, but the player apps are basic and I would like to get Roon working again at least back to a listenable state. I’d be happy with Roon and something for casual listening (if I can get it sounding good again) and Minim or mini DLNA (or squeeze if that works) for when I’m alone in the house and can really crank it up.
After a period of non-use and power off, it takes the server quite some time to “come back”, well actually all your audio equipment will need some time to come back, having said that, this doesn’t explain your findings completely.
There are certainly fans out there of UPnP Minim and Mini, it is a very light combination with MPD.
Thanks… its been back on for a couple of weeks now, but its the difference that minim/mini is highlighting that is confusing. All combos were previously acceptable but now only minim/mini seems to meet my personal criteria (and some). I’ll leave it a while and then switch back and see if anything changes.
MPD/MinimServer is working again for me so I’m planning to give it a good workout using JPlay as the controller.
A surprise was that my Apple Watch and iPhone lock screen now allow me to control playback. The Watch UI is pictured with the Smashing Pumpkins playing on Antipodes.
Tracks played off of the local drive played with MPD/MinimServer and controlled by JPlay sound fantastic. I have not gone back to Squeeze for a comparison yet.
There was another Roon update today after which Roon and HQP/Squeeze was sounding more like I remembered prior to the power-off break. I’m going to say that’s just a coincidence
I was looking at Jplay today, looks really nice but not sure I want more subscription software. Maybe if I land on ultimately preferring Minim/Mini I might succumb to ease it’s use, else I’ll use Roon for discovery and management and use mconnect or similar just for playing.
Now Roon seems to be behaving again, time for more comparative listening…
I get having to pay as all too often we get what we pay for. No exception with JPlay for iOS as it seems a step above the alternatives. I just wish a perpetual license was offered at a reasonable price.
This is generally what I find but it doesn’t seem to work well in my system in my relatively small room. Like you I mostly have settled on Roon with HQP in kind of bypass mode.
I’m trying Jplay/minidlna at the moment as you get a 2 week free trial so it’ll be interesting to see where it ends up in my preference hierarchy.
I will mention that I am starting to dislike JPlay/MinimServer. Or maybe hate is the right word.
No gapless. And MinimServer doesn’t handle additions to a library as it should. See this post on AS.
I was using MinimServer with an Auralic server back when Roon first appeared. Finally an app came along that wasn’t stupid, I thought at the time. I am now reminded of that.
I hope I can get Squeeze working again soon with my PGGB’d files.
Were you suggesting this as a possible solution for the problem I was mentioned having with seeing my albums correctly sorted by added date? I figured out how to see this thanks to this excellent post. I hope that a future version of JPlay makes it easier to get to a list of recently added albums.
