05-Aug-2021, 10:12
I think you'll find a lot of different answers to your questions simply because many, perhaps most, of us here using Roon came to Roon from some other setup. There's a lot of other setups available for us to have come from, and a lot of different setups involving Roon for us to be using.
In my case I started out streaming my own files from my Mac Mini desktop using iTunes and Devialet's AIR app running on the Mac. WiFi was problematic for me, my Expert Pro 130 (pre CI board) had problems maintaining a reliable WiFi connection so in the end I put a second Airport Extreme near the Devialet and connected it to the Devialet via ethernet. That worked better. When Roon incorporated Devialet's AIR protocol into its options I moved my files to an Antipodes server connected to my network and the Devialet via an ethernet switch. The Antipodes ran Roon's server software but required another device running Roon Remote for control and I ran Roon Remote on my iPad. That meant the Mac didn't have to be running. I just needed the network to be running along with the Antipodes, Devialet, and iPad. Eventually I replaced the Antipodes with a Roon Nucleus Plus because the Celeron processor in the Antipodes wasn't optimum for the demands of Roon Server. When I got the CI board upgrade for my Expert Pro, I kept using the same hardware but I stopped using Roon's AIR implementation and swapped to RAAT. I'm extremely happy with that setup. I've tried connecting both the Antipodes and the Nucleus Plus to the Devialet via USB but I preferred the ethernet connection in both cases. I didn't try a coaxial connection from the Antipodes to the Devialet and the Nucleus Plus doesn't offer a coaxial output.
Re your findings:
- control interfaces are definitely an area where personal preference reigns. An interface that doesn't let you do what you want to do isn't a suitable option but there are a lot of interfaces which will let you do what you want and then factors like how they present their options and what you think of the cosmetics of the interface are what counts then and personal preferences play a major part in what you think of them.
- any interface which allows you to control the volume of the Devialet as well as music playback is better than one which doesn't allow you to control volume in my view.
- we're talking about computer audio here. That means a server app of some kind to control the delivery of music from a drive somewhere to the Devialet plus a control app of some kind which you use to tell the server what to do. Sometimes the server and the control software are contained in the same app. iTunes performed both functions for me originally and the Roon app running on a Mac or Windows computer can do both also. In my case both the Antipodes and the Nucleus Plus run Roon Server software but not the control software. You can either use the Roon software on a Mac or Windows computer to perform control functions as well or you can use Roon Remote software on a phone or tablet connected to your network for control purposes but you can't run the Roon server software on a phone or tablet, it has to be running on a computer somewhere on your network. If the Roon server software is running on your laptop then the laptop has to be active. If you're running the Roon server software on a separate server such as an Antipodes, Innuos, or Nucleus then you could run the control app on a laptop or a phone or tablet and, provided your laptop isn't running the Roon server functions you would not need to have the laptop active. I don't know whether you can run Roon server software on the Node 2i but I suspect not because it isn't running an operating system which the Roon app can run on (Roon server runs on the Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems and on NAS devices from a couple of manufacturers).
- ethernet should be less jitter-prone than a coaxial connection.
- yes, Roon comes at a cost. There are server and control software apps that are freeware but you would have to determine for yourself whether the server app can run on the Node 2i. If they don't and they need to run on a computer you're going to be stuck running that software on your laptop and you would need to determine whether any alternative app you're considering can access your music files on the Node 2i. What you could look for instead is if there are any apps available for your phone and/or tablet which can control the Node 2i directly. If there is such an app you would not need to have your laptop active unless you're storing your music files on the laptop.
- when it comes to accessing different streaming services I'm not certain if there is any third party software which supports all of the streaming services available plus serving files from your Node 2i as well.
When it comes to accessing services such as Amazon Music and Spotify plus files from your Node 2i, I would suggest that you ask questions on a forum for the Node and other BlueOS devices to see what other users of BlueOS devices are using. You're right that Roon doesn't support them and neither does your Devialet. Since you have a Node I t think you would be far more likely to be able to get information in relation to that issue by asking on a forum for other BlueOS users because there's probably more chance of finding someone who has come across such options there though there may be someone here using a Node who can help. I just think that there would be more such users on a Node forum than on this forum, especially since Devialet seems to have adopted Roon as it's music server software of choice.
As to your final question, moving from using iTunes on my Mac to a separate server certainly came with sonic benefits but a lot of them were to do with more reliable connections which weren't plagued with the WiFi issues I originally had. There have been other benefits but they relate to aspects such as USB vs ethernet or AIR vs RAAT in my case and while I've personally come down on the ethernet and RAAT side on those questions there are others who prefer USB or ethernet/AIR for their connection to the Devialet and a lot of us are using supplementary devices between our servers and our Devialet's as well. Connection paths between server and Devialet can get quite a deal more complex once you decide that you want to try and improve the quality of the connection but that's another rabbit hole it's easy to go down with plenty of its own cans of worms :-(
I hope the above comments help and haven't raised too many more questions for you.
In my case I started out streaming my own files from my Mac Mini desktop using iTunes and Devialet's AIR app running on the Mac. WiFi was problematic for me, my Expert Pro 130 (pre CI board) had problems maintaining a reliable WiFi connection so in the end I put a second Airport Extreme near the Devialet and connected it to the Devialet via ethernet. That worked better. When Roon incorporated Devialet's AIR protocol into its options I moved my files to an Antipodes server connected to my network and the Devialet via an ethernet switch. The Antipodes ran Roon's server software but required another device running Roon Remote for control and I ran Roon Remote on my iPad. That meant the Mac didn't have to be running. I just needed the network to be running along with the Antipodes, Devialet, and iPad. Eventually I replaced the Antipodes with a Roon Nucleus Plus because the Celeron processor in the Antipodes wasn't optimum for the demands of Roon Server. When I got the CI board upgrade for my Expert Pro, I kept using the same hardware but I stopped using Roon's AIR implementation and swapped to RAAT. I'm extremely happy with that setup. I've tried connecting both the Antipodes and the Nucleus Plus to the Devialet via USB but I preferred the ethernet connection in both cases. I didn't try a coaxial connection from the Antipodes to the Devialet and the Nucleus Plus doesn't offer a coaxial output.
Re your findings:
- control interfaces are definitely an area where personal preference reigns. An interface that doesn't let you do what you want to do isn't a suitable option but there are a lot of interfaces which will let you do what you want and then factors like how they present their options and what you think of the cosmetics of the interface are what counts then and personal preferences play a major part in what you think of them.
- any interface which allows you to control the volume of the Devialet as well as music playback is better than one which doesn't allow you to control volume in my view.
- we're talking about computer audio here. That means a server app of some kind to control the delivery of music from a drive somewhere to the Devialet plus a control app of some kind which you use to tell the server what to do. Sometimes the server and the control software are contained in the same app. iTunes performed both functions for me originally and the Roon app running on a Mac or Windows computer can do both also. In my case both the Antipodes and the Nucleus Plus run Roon Server software but not the control software. You can either use the Roon software on a Mac or Windows computer to perform control functions as well or you can use Roon Remote software on a phone or tablet connected to your network for control purposes but you can't run the Roon server software on a phone or tablet, it has to be running on a computer somewhere on your network. If the Roon server software is running on your laptop then the laptop has to be active. If you're running the Roon server software on a separate server such as an Antipodes, Innuos, or Nucleus then you could run the control app on a laptop or a phone or tablet and, provided your laptop isn't running the Roon server functions you would not need to have the laptop active. I don't know whether you can run Roon server software on the Node 2i but I suspect not because it isn't running an operating system which the Roon app can run on (Roon server runs on the Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems and on NAS devices from a couple of manufacturers).
- ethernet should be less jitter-prone than a coaxial connection.
- yes, Roon comes at a cost. There are server and control software apps that are freeware but you would have to determine for yourself whether the server app can run on the Node 2i. If they don't and they need to run on a computer you're going to be stuck running that software on your laptop and you would need to determine whether any alternative app you're considering can access your music files on the Node 2i. What you could look for instead is if there are any apps available for your phone and/or tablet which can control the Node 2i directly. If there is such an app you would not need to have your laptop active unless you're storing your music files on the laptop.
- when it comes to accessing different streaming services I'm not certain if there is any third party software which supports all of the streaming services available plus serving files from your Node 2i as well.
When it comes to accessing services such as Amazon Music and Spotify plus files from your Node 2i, I would suggest that you ask questions on a forum for the Node and other BlueOS devices to see what other users of BlueOS devices are using. You're right that Roon doesn't support them and neither does your Devialet. Since you have a Node I t think you would be far more likely to be able to get information in relation to that issue by asking on a forum for other BlueOS users because there's probably more chance of finding someone who has come across such options there though there may be someone here using a Node who can help. I just think that there would be more such users on a Node forum than on this forum, especially since Devialet seems to have adopted Roon as it's music server software of choice.
As to your final question, moving from using iTunes on my Mac to a separate server certainly came with sonic benefits but a lot of them were to do with more reliable connections which weren't plagued with the WiFi issues I originally had. There have been other benefits but they relate to aspects such as USB vs ethernet or AIR vs RAAT in my case and while I've personally come down on the ethernet and RAAT side on those questions there are others who prefer USB or ethernet/AIR for their connection to the Devialet and a lot of us are using supplementary devices between our servers and our Devialet's as well. Connection paths between server and Devialet can get quite a deal more complex once you decide that you want to try and improve the quality of the connection but that's another rabbit hole it's easy to go down with plenty of its own cans of worms :-(
I hope the above comments help and haven't raised too many more questions for you.
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
