Odd behavior - could it be gremlins?

I have been experiencing something very odd. As I’ve sat down to listen and interact with Squeeze the UI doesn’t come up. Pulling up the AMS dashboard shows that the Playback Method had been switched to HQ Player with Roon Server. I didn’t do this. On multiple occasions, it changed on its own a few times.

My guess has been that a browser somewhere on my network must be making that change when the borrower gets opened and it attempts to restore tabs. It’s been doing this for weeks but I’ve had no luck figuring out which browser on which device could have been causing this.

Tonight I might have finally found the culprit. I usually use Safari on my primary iPad, but by chance I switched to Chrome. AMS was displayed on one of the tabs. I closed that tab so am now hoping that Playback Method gets preserved. Fingers crossed.

I played the following tonight using Roon with HQPlayer and it sounded wonderful. This music is fantastic.

Added to the newest Roon option “listen later” .

Hey what HQ settings/filters are you using Ken? I have played around with a few with the free trial, but found nothing compelling enough for me to want to purchase HQ yet.

I upscale to PCM using either sinc-M or sinc-L with TPDF for dither. It’s better than the filter settings built into my DAC. Back when I purchased the license, I thought that HQPlayer helped to make Roon more enjoyable to listen to. I’m not sure if that’s still the case.

One downside to be aware of is that future versions of AMS usually include a newer version of HQPlayer - and that may necessitate the purchase of a new HQPlayer license. AMS 5 brought with it HQPlayer 5 and that version no longer accepted v4 license, so a new one had to be purchased. While there was a slight uptick in sound quality with HQPv5, I would have preferred to remain on HQPv4.

Thanks Ken.
I previously used poly-sinc-gauss-hires-lp (both) and TPDF, only up to 192000 though as I am using AES. I think I read that somewhere in this forum to try this filter.

I didn’t notice too much difference previously Roon/HQ vs. Roon/Roon before.

I switched to sinc-M, maybe tighter bass on John Scofield Polo Towers? but going back to squeeze vocals in the track below sounded a little less processed, a little more natural, but only went back and forth once. I can only listen for half an hour, and it takes more than a few clicks to get this HQ machine runnin’. Jussi should have a 1 full day a month instead of 30 min. per day trial? But I am in no hurry to buy it.

Might as well do a squeeze/squeeze vs. Roon/roon while I am at it.

Regarding the track below*: At first I thought the snapping sound at the beginning was a little more prominant with squeeze, which would indicate better resolution, but the last test using Roon changed my mind. But the bass is definitely a wee-bit less lumpy with squeeze, which I prefer. However on Cocoa’s vocals maybe there was a bit too much air on her voice with squeeze? splitting hairs but Roon may have been better, maybe her voice is just a touch thicker which makes the air/breath less prominent. I do know with my other tube amp her voice was absolutely perfect with Roon. (This new amp is barely broken in, and I am still playing with different tubes- lots going on.)

Not much in it to my ears, today at least. Bass tighter with Squeeze, as it has always been previously, Mids/treble slightly thicker and less resolving with Roon. With this particular track it’s a tie.

I will add the difference on this particular track between squeeze and roon is less noticeable than adding the Stack Audio smoothlan in my streaming chain about 6 weeks ago- which I still find shocking as I already have 2 filters in the chain. (ER and one in the SoTM cat cable).

Typically of late I am Roon 90% of the time, and I switch to squeeze when I hear a track where the bass is too boomy- squeeze usually tames it to my liking. There is more air and resolution with squeeze, and this is a benefit on some well recorded tracks, but not on all, and most times for me not enough of a reason to switch back and forth, so I suppose 10% of the time the bass gets to me, or I am feeling really picky. I will say a few days ago I was listening to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, decided to switch from Roon to squeeze and the extra bit of clarity and air between instruments was very enjoyable.

*track: Have you heard of this Sweet Cocoa? I really like her voice on this short 2min. track. She is based out of Seattle it says, but not very many recordings to hear; I think all of them are teamed up with this Kauai45 person. I didn’t care for her other tracks as much as this one on just one listen, but I need to try them again: (If you are not already aware) check it out and let you know what you think.

Okay, a wee bit later, with a different track and a Blue Buck pale ale to improve my senses, I have to update:

Roon vs. Squeeze Part II:

Back to John Scofield Uberjam- second track Ideofunk. Lots of different instruments and sounds going on at the same time.

short: Squeeze is better than Roon- no contest.

Via squeeze, from the opening cowbell in the right channel, to the strum of the guitar in the left channel, to the little solo bass about 1.5 minutes in, clarity is better; everything sounds more natural and easier to pick out . More separation between instruments. More engaging, I think partly because I am trying hard to hear the same level of detail with Roon as I did with Squeeze. (?)

My hypothesis is the extra weight and thickness Roon has seems to congest everything; harder to make out transients and instruments are less resolved. I can tell it is an acoustic guitar strumming along softly in the left channel, but it is much harder to follow with Roon. Via squeeze the solo bass notes are not as bloomy, and have more texture and definition.

If I never heard squeeze I would be really happy with Roon. But…

My only complaint with squeeze is to locate this album, Uberjam: I search up “John Scofield”, and Uberjam is not listed anywhere. Instead it is located with albums under “The John Scofield band” which is quite annoying. As I mentioned before annoying enough to make me tolerate the poorer sound quality of Roon but enjoy the UI more.

You perfectly described what I hear as well. This is true even when I use Roon with HQPlayer.

Hi Watts

Interesting what you’ve been discussing with Kennyb.

I have never heard of John Scofield but, I 'm listening now on Roon / Quobuz.
It’s not really my Genre of musical tastes however, it sounds Fantastic :heart_eyes:
I will check out Sweet Cocoa aswell.

Thanks for mentioning them.

Enjoy the music :musical_note::notes:

It’s funny, I recall hearing the recommendation for John Scofield Uberjam from a review I read maybe 20 years ago? And back then I didn’t have a hi fi worth speaking about, maybe my first CD player and some $500 speakers before I got my Magnepan’s, and I bought the CD and thought “meh”. I was a guitarist so that part interested me, but I was more into hard rock. It has collected dust ever since.

And out of the blue listened to it again a few years ago via streaming and yeah, this sounds really good! And after an upgrade to a better converter and a better streamer it sounds even better!

I must confess I am not a huge fan, I have probably only listened to a few of his albums, and as you can see he has plenty, he has been around a long time! I should check more of his recordings out; I am listening to music 12 hours a day so I have no excuses :grin:

thanks for the note!