My take on it is that Sense is simply a replacement for LMS and the apps that query it (Material and iPeng). I believe it still uses their tweaked version of Squeezelite for playback.
Perhaps but there is a lot more going on by way of user interface processing and when I compared them side by side on identical machines there was quite a difference in sound and I preferred the pre 2.0 / Sense server/player software. Doing my side by side comparison is the only realistic way of hearing a difference because to download and install the 2.0 software took quite a while during which audio memory will probably evaporate. Also there was no way to load the earlier software after upgrading.
Again, I understand OP is not comparing sound quality, only comparing with development by other brands. OP is suggesting to develop a software player app for and by Antipodes with optimal sound quality.
It is in the same line as when we ask here for a better USB output, resource monitor (coming soon) or the most recent version of MPD 0.22.7 Feb 16 ‘21 (023.7 May 9 ‘22 coming soon).
I understand you are satisfied with squeeze+squeeze. (AMSv3.13 Squeezelite v 1.8.7 , today it’s 1.9.9. No idea if it sounds better?). But we all know it is very likely one day this will be beaten. I would add to that a great UI. Who would not support that idea and have best of both worlds and encourage development of one Antipodes place to browse, play and manage offline and online tracks?
Paul, I don’t disagree with any that you say but the difficult part is achieving what you suggest and not compromising sound quality. I sometimes wonder whther something like Roon or Sense would benefit from an option to switch over into minimal interface mode when ultimate SQ is demanded.
Forgive me asking but are you part of Antipodes and therefore speaking with authority on these? It is not a trick question, I am just curious how you know that we are to get a better USB implementation soon.
Good point. If Innuos can tweak it, than Antipodes possibly could also. And Innuos users have been very enthusiastic about audible improvements.
Hi Nick
Fair question. No I am not part of Antipodes but unless I am mistaken Mark mentioned the USB improvement here. I try to look it up. Maybe it has been executed already for the Oladra and will come with the new K and S series. I just removed ‘coming soon’, thanks.
Optimizing and streamlining is another approach together with tweaking and adapting. If you are familiar with Euphony OS, it clearly shows tweaking resources can deliver.
Of course there is also a ‘hidden’ part of tweaking and optimizing in AMSv3.13 besides the incorporated software (Squeeze, MPD and others).
I am not a Roon user (anymore) but only yesterday I read on AudiophileStyle about an
option activated by default for reading flac files. This needs to be deactivated to (according to some) dramatically improve sound quality (I copied below). Too late for me to try, but of course much more can be done, whether it be tweaking the current software or developing new software or add ons.
I think all we are saying is yes, it is worth looking into an improved Antipodes app. Do we know exactly what it will do or what it will look like? not yet. But this forum seems the right place to share developments users are aware to support this idea.
Yes it does indeed make a huge difference & is only an option when using Roon server with Squeeze player. I didn’t read about it anywhere, but discovered it myself not long after I first started using Roon & when trying to find out why Squeeze player originally had such a hard acerbic edge when used with Roon server (especially with piano).
I also mentioned it in a recent post on this forum. See below:-
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Thanks for sharing. Hopefully more Roon server + Squeeze player users will enjoy!
I think it perfectly illustrates that if you use other and different apps on your Antipodes hardware, some glitches are unavoidable and possibly compromise the sound quality. The more (player) apps are designed in-house and incorporate all these known tweaks, the better the sound quality.
Being still relatively new to Roon myself (around 6 -7 months) I’d rather assumed on discovering the FLAC compression setting & turning it off that I’d just missed something obvious & put it down as my user error caused by a lack of sufficient research.
I’ve been using that set-up almost since the beginning & it was only on discussing it with a couple of others & finding out that they (a) hadn’t ever tried it & (b) my receiving very positive feedback when they did so, that led me to think I should perhaps share it.
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Without wanting to speak out for other audiophiles, Roon has been a neverending story for many years about why it just doesn’t sound as good as it could? Combined with the UI it could have been perfect for the ear and the eye. And it is for many. But other users tried and gave up and moved on.
Unfortunately, to my understanding and in layman’s terms, Roon almost continuously keeps a door open to the Roon servers, or adds some compression if not turned off as you found out, where other less good looking players with the proper settings applied do stop or minimize this interference, not only from ethernet but also from local hardware and processors. For examble some streamers can completely cut off ethernet while playing an album after it has been locally buffered to RAM for example.
It seems, and not everything is known yet, that this stream of sound, flowing as freely as possible can become extremely resolving, making us hear again everything that was there just before it entered the microphone(s).
Antipodes, Innuos, Taiko, Pink Faun and Grimm to name a few, all engage in perfectioning this local stream, with and/or without Roon and with or without their own app (to bring us back to the header of this topic 
)
Indeed, Sence is Innous take on Squeeze, they spent considerable time and $$ on data base management, they tweak their version of Squeeze, as we tweak our version of Squeeze for sound quality, we believe ours is best 
At Antipodes we are always striving for excellence, as a small company with limited resources we need to take a stepped and planned approach to our development.
We have many ideas regarding software etc we are currently looking torward AMS4.0 which focuses on big improvements in GUI and usability.
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As I understand, Innuos Sense in no more than a tweaked Squeeze Player ?
And that kind of tweaks is already taken by Antipodes ?
@MarkCole As I understand it, Innuos were loading a whole track at a time into RAM with their implementation of Squeeze in order to avoid the need for reading from disk mid track. Is that done with the Antipodes implementation of Squeeze?
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I suspect Antipodes uses the stock releases of squeeze. They may have tweaked a few default settings in the material skin. The ams skin appears to be their own but probably sonicorbiter lurks beneath.
Interesting, I am curious why do you suspect that? Did you compare with other tweaked versions of Squeeze?
To find out:
- put server and player in squeeze server+squeeze player mode
- start playing an album from NAS or Tidal (any external source but not the SSD inside your SXX or KXX)
- pull out the ethernet cable
- count the seconds and you will know buffertime
I hope this makes sense?
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The software version is a number for a currently available LMS version.
As far as sonic orbiter see screenshot below and the server reported when opening the config screen. I’m not sure how long you have been enjoying your Antipodes. After the first couple AMS versions you could still run the sonicorbiter commands from the browser command line. After reporting this the password was instituted. Hopefully they bring back the system loading info screen soon.
I am not saying this is a bad thing. I am only saying that I don’t believe the squeeze code has been rewritten by Antipodes other than perhaps some default settings.
I am one who also believes Roon’s sound quality has improved over the last years updates. I still prefer to use the HQPLAYER engine with Roon and set it to bit perfect playback. I know Nick likes to dis roon but he also never listens to headphones. 
. I agree squeeze is marginally better than roon for sound quality but roon’s gui and Tidal/Qobuz integration leaves it far behind.
Thanks for the insight Progisus. I am relatively new to Antipodes. I am currently using a S30 (+ Ferrum Hypsos psu) in combination with a server to compare performance of the Antipodes player board with other player(s).
When I purchased the S30 player board was a V5X, the same as the K50 at that time (at least that’s what I had understood). I was curious how Antipodes player board and software produced this sound quality. (Today player boards in S30 & K50 are not the same anymore; V6X & V5.1X). Hence my curiosity about the tweaks to the software and me insisting to update the outdated Squeeze and MPD (if ever that could make a difference?).
I do not think Antipodes said they rewrote the code, but more that they applied (a few?) tweaks. Of course if you are familiar with Squeezebox server it’s not a big deal to apply tweaks or install apps, but it’s the right combination of tweaks and choises made, or not, that count to obtain the best sound quality.
As for Roon, I agree with you there has been improvement and very good results are possible. Roon UI is unbeatable, if you really need that to listen to music of course.
You mentioned headphones, I do not like them, so here speakers and room acoustics (with or w/o Dirac) play an important role.
I’m a head-fi listener for music and a speaker guy for my home theatre. Although I have run ARC Genesis for room dsp it is really about the sound effects for me. It is not fair of me to compare my headphone listening to those running speaker systems when it comes to choosing playback software.
I am running a K30 but sometimes wish I had gone the S series. They are much more flexible. I also have an EX which runs squeeze player and MPD server for my PGGB files.
You may want to check out the Antipodes forum on head-fi as well.