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Roon - the next step?
#21
(06-Mar-2018, 16:41)Womaz Wrote:
(06-Mar-2018, 16:32)baddog Wrote:
(05-Mar-2018, 20:23)Womaz Wrote: OK the NUC option, I have been doing a bit of research and you guys who use this method is it noisy as I will have to have it on my hifi rack or close to it.

Another basic question is why is a Microrendu or any other music player necessary or am I missing a basic point here?

My NUC makes no noise at all, not enough load on it to even power on the fans such that you can hear them. Also if you are using the NUC to send data down to another device connected to the Devialet you could place it anywhere in your home, and just connect it via ethernet. Once set up the only time you would ever have to physically touch it is to power it on. Power off can be done remotely via a web browser. There are other options too such that you could leave it powered on, or use WAKE ON LAN to wake it up remotely.

As to your second question, you could, in fact, connect the NUC via USB to the Devialet, many folks use a device such as the SoTM or microRendu because they feel it offers better sound quality than a straight USB output from the NUC.

Thanks for the reply.
I really like the idea of the NUC option and I know someone who can build it for me. The bang for bucks here is attractive as i can get i7 processor and the Nucleus at this level is £2300. So the saving here is huge.
However I have to have the NUC in my Hifi rack and at this stage I will be connecting it by USB to the Devialet without the use of a music player, but thanks for the clarification on this point. My lap top sounds pretty damn good to me via USB so at this stage I am just looking to replace that I guess.

The i7 NUC will be a bit noisier... unless you can find a fanless case for it (I haven't found any).

Here's a review:
http://nucblog.net/2017/04/kaby-lake-i7-...nclusions/
Bluesound Node > Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 > Genelec 8351B & 7360A
Devialet 1000 Pro
Bluesound Node 2i > Genelec 8330
Tampere, Finland
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#22
@petrik Thank you for the reply. I guess it is hard to quantify how noisy until you get it , but this is my main concern with the NUC option, but I will get a pretty powerful processor for good money
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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#23
My recommendation, and this from someone who always goes for overkill in a processor, is to get an i5 NUC, not an i7. I debated the issue myself and based on the size of my music library, which has 31000 songs in it, with a mix of high resolution, standard CD and DSD files, I went with the i5. I did also consult the Roon recommendations for CPU selection.

I find the performance is stellar, and there is no fan noise. I really think an i7 would be overkill based on your needs and library size. An i5 would certainly be less noisy as well. IMHO.
Roon ROCK on Intel NUC6i5SYH/Ethernet | VPI Avenger | Devialet 440 Pro CI | Vivid Audio Giya G3 | Auralic Aires Mini | Synology 1812+ NAS
SXSW, US
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#24
Ok the Innuos Zenith has become more attractive as decent trade in has been offered and its simple.
The trouble with me is when I start researching I get a bit obsessive and I am sure I have read its a slow processor compared to the other options.........back to the reading ;-)
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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#25
(06-Mar-2018, 17:22)baddog Wrote: My recommendation, and this from someone who always goes for overkill in a processor, is to get an i5 NUC, not an i7. I debated the issue myself and based on the size of my music library, which has 31000 songs in it, with a mix of high resolution, standard CD and DSD files, I went with the i5. I did also consult the Roon recommendations for CPU selection.

I find the performance is stellar, and there is no fan noise. I really think an i7 would be overkill based on your needs and library size. An i5 would certainly be less noisy as well. IMHO.

I just went for the recommended solution that Roon recommend and went for the top spec, but I see your point. My collection is about 21000 tracks I think but it will not get much bigger as I have virtually stopped buying music .
Thanks for all your input on this thread.
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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#26
(06-Mar-2018, 17:23)Womaz Wrote: The trouble with me is when I start researching I get a bit obsessive and I am sure I have read its a slow processor compared to the other options.........back to the reading ;-)

I had the same concern and I actually sent an email to Innuos regarding this. They gave me a following reply, I hope this helps:

Quote:Innuos: The ZENith CPU can handle most Roon tasks without any problems, including upsampling to PCM 24/192 kHz, convolution filters and Parametric EQ. The only exception is when upsampling DSD files, which can be too demanding on the CPU, but this is a rare situation. Anyway, there is still a big debate around the benefits of such heavy upsampling, as it doesn't always bring the best results.
Bluesound Node > Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 > Genelec 8351B & 7360A
Devialet 1000 Pro
Bluesound Node 2i > Genelec 8330
Tampere, Finland
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#27
(06-Mar-2018, 17:29)petrik Wrote:
(06-Mar-2018, 17:23)Womaz Wrote: The trouble with me is when I start researching I get a bit obsessive and I am sure I have read its a slow processor compared to the other options.........back to the reading ;-)

I had the same concern and I actually sent an email to Innuos regarding this. They gave me a following reply, I hope this helps:

Quote:Innuos: The ZENith CPU can handle most Roon tasks without any problems, including upsampling to PCM 24/192 kHz, convolution filters and Parametric EQ. The only exception is when upsampling DSD files, which can be too demanding on the CPU, but this is a rare situation. Anyway, there is still a big debate around the benefits of such heavy upsampling, as it doesn't always bring the best results.

Petrik would it surprise you to know that I dont even know what upsampling a DSD file is Big Grin so I dont think that should pose a problem. Thank you for all the help with this thread.
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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#28
It's tempting to think that you're getting "better bang for your buck" if you go for a higher-spec processor, but unless you know you need it, the extra CPU power is actually a negative point for something that's going to sit in your living room; it brings more power dissipation, possibly more acoustic and electrical noise, etc. My guess -- and I admit it is only a guess -- is that unless you're planning to use Roon's DSP capabilities (or DSD-to-PCM conversion?) then an i7 may be a lot more horse-power than you need.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
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#29
(06-Mar-2018, 17:32)thumb5 Wrote: It's tempting to think that you're getting "better bang for your buck" if you go for a higher-spec processor, but unless you know you need it, the extra CPU power is actually a negative point for something that's going to sit in your living room; it brings more power dissipation, possibly more acoustic and electrical noise, etc.  My guess -- and I admit it is only a guess -- is that unless you're planning to use Roon's DSP capabilities (or DSD-to-PCM conversion?) then an i7 may be a lot more horse-power than you need.

Ian I think you are probably right. The Innuos now at the forefront of my mind as been given an attractive trade in price for the Melco.
Thanks for the posts on this topic.
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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#30
I think I have now narrowed it down to a choice between the Zenith MK2 or the Roon Nucleus Plus.
As I can trade in the Melco this takes a bit of the hassle away so that, and the doubts about the lack of support I would get if i went the NUC route have led me to this conclusion.
The prices are similar, but the Zenith has the SSD hard drive in , whereas the Plus does mot have a HD. I could just use my MyPasport via USB though or install an internal drive myself.
The Zenith has advantages of some good reviews and is highly regarded, and looks quite smart too. The Plus is fairly new, but is basically made for Roon and is much more powerful and this will help with longevity. I will experiment with DSP especially with my headphone listening so the extra power may be useful.
Devialet 200 -- Roon Nucleus-- Sonus Faber Olympica 2 -- Tellurium Q Black Speaker Cables --
Chord Qutest -- Niimbus US5 Pro Headphone amp —HifiMan HEK, Abyss 1266TC
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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