Roon Labs’ Roon music server software program is is unparalleled by way of its efficiency, its strong metadata assist, and its flexibility. You can combine any AirPlay, Chromecast, or native Roon RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) audio system and different audio gear for multi-room streaming. The high-end music-streaming providers Tidal and Qobuz have built-in Roon so their subscribers can profit from the Roon’s consumer interface and its deep properly of metadata (critiques, lyrics, artist bios, style classifications, album credit, launch dates, recording dates, and even stay live performance dates). And that’s simply scratching the floor of what Roon is able to.
Roon is software program, so that you’ll want {hardware} to run it on. You can run it on a headless (no show wanted) Mac or a PC, or you may set it up on a high-end NAS field (Roon recommends having not less than an Intel Core i3 Ivy Bridge-architecture CPU, 4GB of RAM, and an SSD to run the server software program). But none of these choices are aesthetically pleasing (or quiet, since they’ll most likely have cooling followers), and also you would possibly run into overheating issues for those who disguise the gear in a closet. And then there’s the entire matter of configuring Roon itself.
Roon now affords a strategy to get all the advantages of its software program in a plug-and-play bundle: Check out Nucleus, Roon’s first stand-alone {hardware}/software program answer. I’ve been evaluating Nucleus for greater than 5 months and located it to be a stellar answer. Unfortunately, it’s additionally a really costly answer, beginning at $1,399 plus the price of storage and a Roon subscription.
What is Nucleus?
Nucleus is an audio-optimized file server that you simply’ll virtually by no means work together with instantly. It has no mouse, no keyboard, and no show. It’s designed for passionate music lovers who don’t have the time, know-how, or inclination to construct out a pc as a do-it-yourself venture.
Side view of the Nucleus’ warmth sink fins.
Nucleus runs a stripped down, security-hardened model of Linux that’s optimized to run Roon. Its four-step setup is straightforward and easy, and you may run it from any internet browser or good machine by way of Roon’s slick app (I’ll get into that extra under).
Aesthetically talking, the Nucleus appears like a large warmth sink. And that’s just about what its metallic exterior is. The total shell is designed to dissipate all processor warmth effectively. And it really works. During my take a look at interval, I had the Nucleus on a shelf in my Salamander leisure heart. The Nucleus ran heat, however by no means scorching. Ventilation was by no means a difficulty.
RoonA entrance quarter view of the Roon Nucleus.
Put an SSD contained in the Nucleus and it’ll don’t have any shifting components in any way. It will function in useless silence. You’ll by no means know you might have it in your room, a lot much less your tools rack. If you actually wish to geek out, try Roon’s white paper devoted to the design and engineering decisions made through the Nucleus’ growth.
Built-in inputs/outputs
The coronary heart of the Nucleus is an Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing), a small type issue desktop laptop, and it provides you many built-in enter/output choices: There are two USB 3.0 ports that you should utilize for connecting exterior onerous drives and/or a DAC of your alternative. The HDMI output helps stereo and multi-channel audio output. There’s a USB-C port on the unit’s rear that proper now doesn’t serve any sensible function. Roon would possibly (or may not) allow that port for added performance down the highway.
Connecting the HDMI output to an A/V receiver or A/V preamp processor (like I did) enables you to entry the Roon’s web-based consumer interface, the place you may see the Nucleus mannequin, OS model, serial quantity, and IP handle.
Rounding out the ports, the Nucleus has a gigabit ethernet port. Wired connections are nonetheless the quickest and most dependable strategy to join a high-performance server just like the Nucleus. For that cause, you gained’t discover a Wi-Fi adapter right here.
RoonA rear view of the Nucleus.
Rip your CD assortment
During my overview interval, Roon got here out with an improve that lets you rip CDs directly to the Nucleus, utilizing a USB CD-ROM. That eliminates the necessity for for a Mac or PC to archive your CD assortment. When the Roon working system detects a CD drive, it is going to add a brand new choice known as “CD Ripper.” Ripped tracks are saved as lossles FLAC information. I didn’t take a look at this characteristic.
Additional growth choices
In addition to the USB 3.0 ports, the Nucleus has an inside bay for putting in a 2.5-inch SATA SSD or mechanical onerous drive that’s no thicker than 9.5mm. For my overview, I bought a 1TB SSD and put in it within the Nucleus’ inside bay. I discovered the method to be very easy with one caveat: The drive wouldn’t match correctly within the Nucleus with the drive’s mounting rails in place.
Theo Nicolakis / IDGYou can set up a single SSD drive contained in the Roon Nucleus for inside storage.
I needed to loosen the rails, mount the drive, after which tighten the rails for the drive to suit correctly. The tolerances within the Nucleus’ design are so tight right here that I’m afraid an overly-enthusiastic client might attempt to pressure the drive into place, by chance inflicting some injury to the unit’s circuit board. I’m not fairly certain if my expertise is widespread throughout different manufacturing items or particular to my overview unit.
The Nucleus itself has no shifting components, so for those who use an SSD, the server will function in full silence. This allowed me to put in my lounge, the place it by no means known as any consideration to itself.
The downside of SSDs, in fact, is that they’re way more costly per gigabyte than a mechanical onerous drive. A 1TB SSD prices about as a lot as a 4TB mechanical drive. If you might have a big music library, you’d be higher off utilizing an SSD only for the Roon software program, and storing your music on a separate NAS field. Roon working on the Nucleus will uncover and entry these information regardless of the place you find the NAS field in your house, so long as it’s related to your community. Alternatively, you may plug an exterior onerous drive into one of many Nucleus’s USB ports.
Theo Nicolakis / IDGI had some minor points putting in an SSD into the Nucleus’ drive bay, as a consequence of its tight tolerances.
I do want that Roon Labs allowed prospects to attach cloud storage providers comparable to DropBox, Microsoft’s OneDrive, or Google Drive. Users might then stream their music from the cloud, foregoing the necessity for native storage. Products like Krell’s Vanguard Universal DAC do assist such an choice.
What’s the distinction between the Nucleus and Nucleus+?
Roon affords two Nucleus fashions, which look similar on the skin however have barely totally different inside elements. The $1,399 Nucleus has an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM. The $2,499 Nucleus+ has an Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB RAM. Neither price ticket contains storage or a Roon subscription. Storage prices will fluctuate based mostly on sort and capability (Amazon sells the 1TB SSD I used for about $110). A Roon subscription will set you again a further $119 per 12 months or $499 for a lifetime membership.
Which mannequin is greatest for you will depend on three elements: The dimension of your music library; the variety of zones (rooms) you wish to run; and the Roon DSP options you plan to make use of. The base model of the Nucleus is rated to deal with libraries as much as about 10,000 albums or 100,000 tracks, six zones, and restricted DSP choices (you may’t, for instance, use each a convolution filter and DSD512 upsampling on the identical time). The Nucleus+ is designed for all the pieces above that baseline, and it locations no limits on DSP capabilities.
I used to be initially involved that the Core i3 processor can be too restricted for my setup. Boy was I incorrect. The people at Roon Labs are spot on after they say the Nucleus has been optimized to run Roon. With the exception of some sluggishness whereas the Nucleus was indexing my music library, I by no means encountered any efficiency or latency points.
Setup and listening
The Nucleus is a breeze to arrange utilizing the easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction handbook. You’ll be up and working very quickly. If you might have an current Roon set up, Roon Labs offers a knowledge-base article on migrating.
In a nutshell:
- Plug in and activate the Nucleus.
- Run the Roon cellular app on a sensible machine or obtain the Roon remote software to your laptop.
- Log into your Roon account or set one up for those who don’t have one.
- Set up the Roon server by loading your music or restoring from a backup and signing into Tidal or Quobuz music providers (for those who’re a subscriber).
Theo Nicolakis / IDGThe Nucleus contains a simple step-by-step quick-start information
I plugged within the Nucleus and launched the Roon software program on my smartphone. The app discovered the Nucleus immediately and was able to go. I turned to the Roon’s internet consumer interface and formatted the SSD I had put in.
I’ll be aware that I used to be involved that after I formatted the SSD I had put in, there was nothing to stop me (or another person on my community) from re-formatting the drive. Theoretically, somebody who comes into your private home with the Roon app and entry to your community can re-format the Nucleus’ inside drive. While the chance of that taking place is low, I want to see Roon present a password choice for that command.
Theo Nicolakis / IDGThe Nucleus has a built-in internet server and web-based GUI for controlling the unit’s fundamental performance. There’s no password safety, nonetheless, so any malicious one who is ready to entry your community might erase your Nucleus’ main storage.
From there, I used my Mac Mini to browse the community and discover the Nucleus. I opened the pre-shared folders with out concern and started the method of copying over the roughly 14,000 songs from my Mac Mini to the Nucleus’ inside drive that I had put in.
Indexing the music within the library took roughly six days (that’s not a typo). During that point, I did have a minor concern the place the Nucleus would randomly disconnect from the Roon app. I introduced this to the eye of Roon assist and we weren’t capable of finding a definitive trigger. Once indexing completed, I didn’t have the issue once more.
I plugged the Nucleus into my Anthem AVM 60 Preamp processor by way of HDMI, after which handed the Anthem’s HDMI output to my TV. Benchmark AHB2 amplifiers powered the setup. I used each RBH Sound SVTR Tower Reference and Revel Ultima2 Salon2 audio system throughout my overview interval. At one level throughout my overview, I additionally examined the Nucleus’ USB ports as a digital audio supply for a Cambridge Audio Edge A Integrated Amplifier.
Theo Nicolakis / IDGGetting Roon setup on the Nucleus is straightforward and easy.
Once arrange, I might do all the pieces on the Nucleus that I might do on a pc working Roon. I arrange appropriate audio gear and audio system. I setup zones and grouped speaker pairs. The Nucleus even discovered the Chromecast-enabled Vizio P-Series Quantum TV I had in for overview. Via Chromecast, I used to be capable of forged the Roon’s interface onto the Vizio for a wealthy visible expertise to accompany the music.
Speaking of music, the Nucleus was an excellent sonic performer and didn’t miss a beat in comparison with a devoted laptop working Roon. To derive the utmost profit the Nucleus, you’ll need run the Nucleus by means of a premium DAC.
Theo Nicolakis / IDGThrough the Nucleus, I used to be capable of setup AirPlay, Chromecast, and native Roon-ready gadgets for whole-home streaming.
I might go on and on about Roon’s characteristic set, which in and of itself would warrant its personal overview. Suffice to say, the Nucleus proved to be a superior Roon server giving me all the pieces a devoted laptop working Roon might do.
Conclusion
The Nucleus is an excellent—although costly—choice for many who love Roon’s music server software program, however don’t wish to set up and run the software program on a Mac, PC, or NAS field. It’s steady, straightforward to combine, utterly silent, and a pleasure to make use of. I set it and forgot it was even there. That’s how all audio gear ought to be.
If you’re technically savvy and suppose you’d take pleasure in constructing your personal Roon-optimized PC from scratch, it can save you a whole lot of {dollars} in comparison with shopping for the Nucleus. Roon tells you virtually all the pieces you need to know about doing that at this link.
If, alternatively, you’re a die-hard music lover who needs all the pieces that the highly effective Roon server has to supply, however you don’t really feel assured about—or simply don’t wish to spend the time—going the DIY route, and you’ve got the funds for high-end {hardware}, don’t suppose twice about taking the plunge with the Nucleus. You’ll by no means look again.