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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 30, 2022 1:15:04 GMT -5
So -I bit the bullet and coughed up nearly $400 for a NUC10i7FNH. Mine came with a 2TB SSD, lots of RAM, and Windows 10 installed. It’s WAY more computer than you need to run the Roon-Optimized Core Kit (ROCK), but I figured it left me room to grow…
ThenI downloaded a small app that let me format a USB stick in Linux format, put ROCK- loader on the USB stick, inserted the USB stick in the NUC, and booted the NUC. It automatically booted from the USB stick, formatted its own drive for Linux, and installed ROCK.
I checked to see if I needed any extra CODECs, but since I’d converted all my files to .wav and .flac, I didn’t need any extra drivers.
On the audio rack, and connected to the NUC by Ethernet, is an Apple TV 3 that serves as an endpoint. The TOSLINK optical cable feeds my Emotiva Stealth-DC1 DAC,
Things that impress me about this setup include:
Sound quality
Setup ease and simplicity
Small form factor
Reasonable price
Reliability
Great tech support from the Roon / ROCK user forum
So far so good!
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Post by audiobill on Nov 30, 2022 6:18:04 GMT -5
Try direct from Nucleus to your dac, skipping the apple tv that limits you to 48
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 30, 2022 7:30:53 GMT -5
I started that way with a USB connection to the DAC. Didn’t sound as good(?).
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Post by audiobill on Nov 30, 2022 8:33:03 GMT -5
Hmmmm
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hemster
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Post by hemster on Nov 30, 2022 8:57:05 GMT -5
Boom, may I ask where you sourced the unit from? I cannot find one at that price (with the same specs). Thank you.
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 30, 2022 10:57:51 GMT -5
Boom, may I ask where you sourced the unit from? I cannot find one at that price (with the same specs). Thank you. I found mine on eBay. The unit was new, but lacked a power supply (an extra $20 purchase from Amazon). Note that Roon has just changed their recommendations for NUCs. The NUC10 units are still supported, but they are now obsolete coming from Intel. You can still occasionally find a new one, as I did, but the majority on the market are used. The latest Roon ROCK recommendations are the Intel NUC-11-i3 (4gB RAM & 256gB SSD) units for smaller libraries and the NUC-11-i7 (8gB RAM & 500gB SSD) ones for large libraries. With the specs recommended, you should be able to find one cheaply. Note that you can buy the parts (CPU, RAM & SSD) and assemble your own without any soldering. Bon Marché - Glenn Postscriptum - Roon defines "smaller libraries" as those with <12,000 albums. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 30, 2022 11:07:33 GMT -5
Surprised me too - but the two (USB & TOSLINK) definitely sound differently from each other. With my forward and dynamic Klipsch RP-600m bookshelf speakers, the "direct USB" sounds best. But with the TOSLINK connection, the Klipsches become too dynamic and glare in the midrange. With my GoldenEar Triton Three+ tower speakers, the midrange sounds a touch recessed with the direct USB connection to the same DAC. Using the Apple TV & TOSLINK connection, the midrange is fuller and more detailed, and the treble extension seems airier. So is the difference coming from the DAC, the Apple TV, or the interface difference? I don't yet know. I need to do some experimentation to find out. At the moment, the Apple TV is my only endpoint with an Ethernet input... Glenn |
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Post by audiobill on Nov 30, 2022 11:14:55 GMT -5
I looked into a dedicated streamer (Aurender n200), but couldn’t justify the $6k sticker. With a 4db noise factor, I ‘m going to update my 2014 mac mini with an M1, or likely M2 mac mini as a Roon Core direct into my dac. At $699, a real deal methinks.
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 30, 2022 13:21:16 GMT -5
At least consider the ROCK-NUC option. It really is better, smaller, and more elegant than running your Roon core on a Mac mini (and I'm generally a fan of Apple equipment). In fact, I sold my Mac mini to get the NUC-ROCK and I'm never going back.
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Post by audiosyndrome on Nov 30, 2022 16:23:13 GMT -5
I looked into a dedicated streamer (Aurender n200), but couldn’t justify the $6k sticker. With a 4db noise factor, I ‘m going to update my 2014 mac mini with an M1, or likely M2 mac mini as a Roon Core direct into my dac. At $699, a real deal methinks. Hi Bill - I’m still using my (late) 2012 Mac mini for rOON. Unless you’re using the mini for something else nothing to be gained by upgrading to a new mini. Checkout simon_pepper at the rOON forum. All you need for rOON is an i3. Russ |
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Post by audiobill on Nov 30, 2022 16:29:21 GMT -5
Thanks,
My mac mini is chugging along fine, but I understand that Roon 2.0 now runs natively on the m1 chip vs. through Rosetta on Intel silicon. Roon said this results in a performance improvement.
I’m curious!!
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Nov 30, 2022 16:33:33 GMT -5
I sprung for the Sonic Transporter i5 system and am very happy to have left behind the DIY solutions.
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Post by audiobill on Nov 30, 2022 18:12:35 GMT -5
DY, funny that I think of SGC as an assortment of boxes and cables, kind of like DIY. Do you find it provides great audio though?
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Nov 30, 2022 18:39:53 GMT -5
DY, funny that I think of SGC as an assortment of boxes and cables, kind of like DIY. Do you find it provides great audio though? I am very happy with mine. It is not like DIY at all, more like the Nucleus solution. |
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Nov 30, 2022 19:33:37 GMT -5
I'm very happy with my Plex set up. The RPi kit was $80 all in when I bought it, Plex was free and about as easy to set up as your Roon install, then just added a 4GB HDD (later upgraded to 16GB DAS). I can access it from any smart device in my house and have accessed it all over the continental US, Mexico, and Japan. And, there's a lot of help if needed on social media and user forums. After looking at what streamers were out there, I found that nothing compared to the Plex on Pi set up dollar to dollar.
And, if you want to spend more money after the Pi kit you can add a touch screen interface and larger, yet still SFF, box and still be under $400. In fact, I would wager a donut or two that some of the streamers that I saw at AXPONA weren't much different inside the box but with a different operating system. And, if you're feeling froggy, you can make a DAS out of a group of Pi controllers to connect to your Plex server. But, that seemed a bit out of my league so I went with a simple DAS.
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Post by jdmusante on Nov 30, 2022 19:59:11 GMT -5
DY, funny that I think of SGC as an assortment of boxes and cables, kind of like DIY. Do you find it provides great audio though? I am very happy with mine. It is not like DIY at all, more like the Nucleus solution. +1 on the Sonictransporter I5. I started with using Roon with a Mac mini as the core but didn't care for the constant tinkering I had to do with it. The ST just works and works well. I can make changes through the web based interface (my MacBook Pro) as opposed to a separate keyboard and monitor. Also has a 2.5 SSD bay that you can easily add and replace a HDD whenever you need more space. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Nov 30, 2022 22:51:42 GMT -5
At least consider the ROCK-NUC option. It really is better, smaller, and more elegant than running your Roon core on a Mac mini (and I'm generally a fan of Apple equipment). In fact, I sold my Mac mini to get the NUC-ROCK and I'm never going back. But you went to all that trouble to build a system that did exactly what you wanted, and then the final step resamples everything to 48/24? And the argument is that it sounds better to you, this sounds like when you liked the sound of the 18AWG power cords, or maybe what The Absolute Sound used to call ‘euphonic coloration’. |
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