I use Roon and I'm really happy with it but I'm not pushing it as a solution because it isn't the only solution and there are a lot of options, all with different advantages and disadvantages. Bearing that in mind, Roon do say that you need 3 things for Roon to work and those things are universal regardless of what option you choose so perhaps it's worth while considering things based on those requirements:
1- the server which means a hard drive for storage and software to organise your music and to send the music you want to play to your Devialet. I discussed the options there above but didn't really mention the issue of where you want to put the server physically in relation to your Devialet, in the same room or where your MacBook normally lives which I assume is where your network router is located. Your choice of location will narrow your choice of options.
2- a control point. That can be software running on the computer the server software is located on or it can be on a separate device such as a laptop or tablet in another location so you have a choice between server and control point in the same location or server and control point in different locations. That can influence your decision about the server.
3- an end point which is where the music gets played, in this case your Devialet.
You don't have to sacrifice a laptop just for Roon. You can run Roon software or other software on your laptop and leave it where you normally leave it and continue to use it just as you have been doing but just have it running an additional application. You can store the music on a NAS connected to your router so music storage doesn't impact on your laptop use. The NAS drive could also be located near the Devialet or even somewhere separate from both the laptop and the Devialet provided it is connected to the same network as the Devialet and server software.
You can control Roon or a lot of other software options from something like an iPad in the room where you listen, or even from your laptop in that room if you're prepared to take the laptop with you when you're listening to music.
How you set up your network gives you a lot of flexibility and you don't need to sacrifice a laptop just to the purpose of playing music unless you want to. You've got options. There's a lot of ways of connecting storage for music, a device running server software to manage the music, control of the server software, and the Devialet on a network which also provides the internet access you need for streaming services and for some server software. Where the various physical devices are located is flexible, they just need to be connected to the same network and you can use all wifi, all ethernet, or a mix of wifi and ethernet connections to tie them all together.
Work out what kind of setup and network situation works best for you in your home and go from there. You don't have to have everything in one room or tie up one laptop or computer just for the music system unless you want to do that, and whatever you do you can change it at any time in the future if your situation changes such as a move to a new home or if you buy a new laptop and decide to keep the current one and dedicate it to the music system. Computer audio setups are flexible which is great because situations change.
Addition: Another thought, don't know if it will work.
You've got an Aurender. You can see the Aurender's drive on your MacBook so even though the Aurender can't run Roon you should be able to run Roon or other sever software on your MacBook and tell it that the music is stored on the Aurender and basically treat the Aurender as a NAS drive. Roon or the other software can catalogue and control the music. You could even store music on the Aurender in formats it's own software can't work with provided the server software you run on the MacBook can work with it. I don't think you would be able to use the Aurender's USB output, you would be using its network connection and then streaming to the Devialet using a network output from your MacBook. It would be easy to see if this works, just download and install the Roon or other server software to your MacBook on a free trial, set it up, see if it works and whether you like it. No need to change anything about your current network connections at all and you can switch between using whatever software you instal on the MacBook and using the Aurender's software for comparison to see which you prefer in terms of both sound quality and interface.
1- the server which means a hard drive for storage and software to organise your music and to send the music you want to play to your Devialet. I discussed the options there above but didn't really mention the issue of where you want to put the server physically in relation to your Devialet, in the same room or where your MacBook normally lives which I assume is where your network router is located. Your choice of location will narrow your choice of options.
2- a control point. That can be software running on the computer the server software is located on or it can be on a separate device such as a laptop or tablet in another location so you have a choice between server and control point in the same location or server and control point in different locations. That can influence your decision about the server.
3- an end point which is where the music gets played, in this case your Devialet.
You don't have to sacrifice a laptop just for Roon. You can run Roon software or other software on your laptop and leave it where you normally leave it and continue to use it just as you have been doing but just have it running an additional application. You can store the music on a NAS connected to your router so music storage doesn't impact on your laptop use. The NAS drive could also be located near the Devialet or even somewhere separate from both the laptop and the Devialet provided it is connected to the same network as the Devialet and server software.
You can control Roon or a lot of other software options from something like an iPad in the room where you listen, or even from your laptop in that room if you're prepared to take the laptop with you when you're listening to music.
How you set up your network gives you a lot of flexibility and you don't need to sacrifice a laptop just to the purpose of playing music unless you want to. You've got options. There's a lot of ways of connecting storage for music, a device running server software to manage the music, control of the server software, and the Devialet on a network which also provides the internet access you need for streaming services and for some server software. Where the various physical devices are located is flexible, they just need to be connected to the same network and you can use all wifi, all ethernet, or a mix of wifi and ethernet connections to tie them all together.
Work out what kind of setup and network situation works best for you in your home and go from there. You don't have to have everything in one room or tie up one laptop or computer just for the music system unless you want to do that, and whatever you do you can change it at any time in the future if your situation changes such as a move to a new home or if you buy a new laptop and decide to keep the current one and dedicate it to the music system. Computer audio setups are flexible which is great because situations change.
Addition: Another thought, don't know if it will work.
You've got an Aurender. You can see the Aurender's drive on your MacBook so even though the Aurender can't run Roon you should be able to run Roon or other sever software on your MacBook and tell it that the music is stored on the Aurender and basically treat the Aurender as a NAS drive. Roon or the other software can catalogue and control the music. You could even store music on the Aurender in formats it's own software can't work with provided the server software you run on the MacBook can work with it. I don't think you would be able to use the Aurender's USB output, you would be using its network connection and then streaming to the Devialet using a network output from your MacBook. It would be easy to see if this works, just download and install the Roon or other server software to your MacBook on a free trial, set it up, see if it works and whether you like it. No need to change anything about your current network connections at all and you can switch between using whatever software you instal on the MacBook and using the Aurender's software for comparison to see which you prefer in terms of both sound quality and interface.
Roon Nucleus+, Devilalet Expert 140 Pro CI, Focal Sopra 2, PS Audio P12, Keces P8 LPS, Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with optical fibre link to my router, Shunyata Alpha NR and Sigma NR power cables, Shunyata Sigma ethernet cables, Shunyata Alpha V2 speaker cables, Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack, RealTRAPS acoustic treatment.
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
