Standalone music server vs Mac mini

[roestano]

Or just go for a cheap NUC? (€100-200)

Requirements: able to handle Roon core.

My goal is to improve SQ on a budget, but improvement should

Hi roestano,

I too am in a situation like you with my Macbook Air + External Thunderbolt hard drive running Roon Core as the source and stream using Roon AIR. 

I am totally convinced that unless you break out from the integrated Roon Core to Roon Server OR RAAT / Roon Renderer / Roon Control, you cannot step-up the performance hence SQ. I clearly see 2 routes in this Step-up approach :

1. Innuos Zenith MKII Standard or SE and going direct to Devialet

2. Dedicated unit running Roon Server with LPSU, Dedicated unit running Roon Renderer, do controls in iPad / iPhone etc and feed to Devialet. 

Since I live in a region where its difficult for me to take advantage of Devialet upgrades, I have decided to head :
sonicTransporter i5 with 2TB SSD running Roon Server, I am building my own DIY LPSU for sT i5, dCS network bridge as Roon Renderer and feed Devialet thru AES/EBU. I'll use iPad/iPhone for controls. [In time, I will add Mutec Ref10 XCXO Clock] to scale up further SQ.

Thanks for those ideas. Is that you Steve N.? I’m also considering an Innuos but wonder if that would improve SQ significantly. I’ve got a response on the topic on another forum that a modded mac did not make much of a difference via Ethernet probably because its less sensitive of power. Furthermore I believe the Dev’s have isolated Ethernet connections right?
However, I’ve noticed Roon downsampling to 24bits as Eth is capped. USB has more room for bits. So would the only way be a USB upgrade path?? I am leaving out AES because that would make things more expensive.