C.A.P.S v4 music server.

[baddog]

Ok thanks for the input, will think about my future plans. And after some reading, this is a djungle and I think I am not going to build it myself if I am going to do this.

If you (Antoine) were to build it today what would you use for components if we use the CAPS v4 as a starter point?

My plan is to run ROON on it and have a bluray player in it.

Just another point of view, you will find one every which way you turn.

Playback of files stored on a NAS sounds as good if not better than those stored locally. 

The quality of the Aries is comparable to tricked out PCs and Macs. Better to some, not quite as good to others. Again opinions do vary greatly and it has to be weighed against the sound of your room, your equipment, and your listening tastes.

( There are no absolutes )

Roon is fantastic. At a minimum you need one PC/MAC/System running Roon Core. Once Roonspeakers support is added to the Aries, then you will still need to have Roon running on one supported device as the core.

Some folks love one or two CAPS machines used either solo or in tandem. Others love a Mac Mini optimized and with a linear power supply.

Many enjoy the Regen, your results will vary based on the quality of your DAC and other factors.

Speakers still are an all important part of the equation.

Don't ditch the NAS, it is invaluable for your music storage, the sound quality is as good as locally stored music files. If you wish to use a system that supports Roon there are lots of inexpensive options to start with first.

IMHO of course...and not to disparage anyone else's opinion.

As a point of reference I have or have had a NAS, an Aries, a Regen, a Windows PC running Roon, a Mac Mini running Roon, a Macbook Air running Roon. I have used the Aries with both local USB storage, via a NAS using either Minimserver or Lightning Server. I have had both the green and amber versions of the Regen. I have run "optimized" versions of the OS on the PCs and Macs. I have tried Windows 8.1, 2012, and 10.