You could look at the PS Audio Stellar Strata. I’ve never owned one but did have a Stellar Gain Cell DAC/Preamp and two M700 amplifiers that were quite good.
https://www.psaudio.com/products/stellar-strata/
Sorry. It doesn’t appear to be Roon ready but runs it’s own streaming app. Never mind.
So how did you know it was the amp not the speakers that you preferred?
I have the Z3 for a kitchen speaker. Lot of volume, reasonable bass to a point and works flawlessly with Roon. It does have separate left and right speakers though with them being so close there is not much spatial stereo. Guests have tried it out with Bluetooth, feedback is that it sounds more HiFi than their setup ( Bose and such ). I have switched mine to WiFi, no problems though being in a house there is less interference that might be a problem in an apartment. One nice advantage to the all in one is I can move it out on the patio, driveway or where ever and still have good sound. Just needs an extension cord.
naim uniti atom, star or nova. you simply can’t go wrong.
That’s a good point. I’m just assuming as I have not been able to A/B test the amp and speakers due to different locations.
My plan now is to decide on the amp first (most probably leaning towards the Class AB Naim) and then transport it and audition the various speakers once again.
Choices of speakers are the KEF R5, Focal Chora 826 and NEAT Motive SX2. If there are others that would be more suitable, I am open to ideas!
Thanks again!
Which case do you use? Could you show a picture?
I think the “inside the cabinet” issue could become problematic with some of the suggestions above. Class A/B amps which usually run cool, can be too hot for a closed space. I would verify with the maker/seller that it fits this purpose.
(BTW I really love my Lumin D2 and I’m a long time Naim user)
Sorry for hijacking the thread but I’m also interested for an upgrade. Today I have a Mac mini, a Teac AI-503 and a pair of KEF R300. I’d like to upgrade to “all in one” with some KEF R5.
You guys are throwing products without explaining why it’s good, only assuming because you own it, it must be good. What are the criteria to be aware of and is there a shortlist already? I’m thinking also for an “all-in-one solution” and so far I can think of the products you listed but I don’t see what’s standing out between Lyndorf, NAD m33, Rotel Michi 3 or Naim.
Also can I do up sampling of DSD256 with these? Do I still need my Mac mini as a core or do these products act as a Core? Additionally, can I plug it a HDD with my library and then remove my Mac mini? Can these work with floor standing speakers?
Gigatoaster the difference between the cheapest and most expensive recommended is about £3k so there is a large variance there and it also depends on the quality of speakers you need to drive (the KEF R5 in your case).
You will need a Roon core as none of the recommended solutions are doing that, and you can either stick with a Mac mini or move to a NUC or any another type of device that will work.
Most of these will allow DSD256 upscaling but that will again occur on the Roon core and any modern i5 will be able to handle that for at least one zone.
Doesn’t answer the different reasons for recommending the solutions, but I think you are probably right there in that it is due to ownership or having listened to.
Some of these are in the same ballpark like the Lyngdorf, NAD M10 and Naim Unity Atom and then you have the Nad M33 which is double the cost and probably a dream device for a number of users.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my message. So I guess it comes to testing the system at a boutique, then. There are a lot of reviews online on these but it’s not conclusive. Also I wonder if these products are reliable on the Software side and if they are responsive. My mini is extremely responsive so I wonder if these products can be as responsive as a mini.
Hijacks don’t bother me it is like a true conversation. I’m a bit puzzled how frequently the Mods break out “conversations” to different threads.
Personally I think a lot matters if this is your main listening system or not. I’ve always been a separates guy, but willing to be open minded about anything. Still I think for you main system having the ability to swap things out as technology changes is nice. If you had an all in one AVR back in the day before firmware upgrades were the norm you were locked into that set of codecs, processor, amp topology and preamp. If you had a separate processor and Amp(s) you had more flexibility. I’m not sure I’d have my DAC integrated into anything else in a main system. Just like I would not have my “record player” locked into a wooden cabinet with amps/speakers/tuner, etc.
This is not my primary “good” system. So I don’t need HDMI input for TV/Blu-Ray/Movies, switching between multiple inputs, etc. I also want it to run very cool so amp topology is high on my list. So is sound…but balanced by price, since again not may main system. I really looked hard at the Niam Unity Atom and NAD M10 along with a couple of other NAD offerings. In the end I believe the Lyngdorf is going to strike that sweet spot. I was not even aware it existed prior to my post…so having lots thrown out for me to consider was a plus not a minus. Then again I like the research and digging into the details. I always have. The old thrill of the chase I suspect.
As @Michael_Harris said you will still need something to run Roon. Roon is kind of its own thing. I’m not aware of any one box solution that includes Roon core. A sort of Roon Boombox 
I’d say start with a budget in mind and throw out any that are 50% more beyond your budget. I find I can rarely say I want to cap my new piece of gear at X and not end up at X + 25-50%. But double or triple I can typically talk myself down from the ledge.
Not that it would matter to any of you. But I have a pretty nice brick and mortar store fairly close to me. They have done some work for me at my house. I noticed in my Internet searches that they were a Lyngdorf dealer. When I talked to the guy I deal with, he actually has the 1120 at his home. Said it is smaller than you think and is very cool…as in temp. He said in his experience the Room Perfect works fantastic and best in untreated living spaces. While the Dirac might best the Room Perfect in treated rooms. My office is right next to the living room so highly visible. Unlike my dedicated basement space that is out of sight. Black walls, lots of foam and funny angled things won’t fly where the Lyngdorf will reside.
So for me the reviews, positive Roon user comments, size, heat, price and the fact that others did not have correction software made the Lyngdorf a pretty obvious front runner after a couple of days of looking and thinking.
Good luck in your quest @Gigatoaster let us know where you land or what other questions you have.
I can only comment on the m10. I use it with tannoy eatons so it is worth far less than them and a bit of a mullet. You can play with room correction with it which may be useful and in my system sounds fab and does everything I need. I have had a devialet and valve monos (different systems) in a previous life and the nad punches above its weight in my opinion.
There are many cases where a 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res Roon Ready box with multiple amps and multiple speakers all combined is the perfect solution, at least for me. Kitchen, bedroom, office, garage, shop, patio or just out in the yard. Anywhere on my property the WiFi will reach or Ethernet has been added. At $299, on sale, it is hard to beat in my opinion. But I haven’t had the opportunity to sample the other possibilities mentioned.
I’m deaf on the right side so spatial stereo separation isn’t in the cards for me as it all goes in one ear anyway.
For the living room entertainment system I go for the best I can afford but for the other locations I go for Roon Ready, inexpensive, easy to setup and easy to use solutions. And they work very well for whole house music.
I’ve had a NAD M10 for about 18 months. Great device does everything you want and more. Only one word of warning well several actually - make sure you listen with your speakers. I am using PMC floorstanders which work very well indeed but I first tried it with my Neat stand mounted and was underwhelmed.
Consider the Naim Uniti Headphone Edition connected to a pair of KEF LS50W active speakers.
So the lure of Room Perfect got the better of me and I went with the Langdorf. Thanks for all the input. I found an 1120 thread already started. If you want to see some of my musings and initial impressions give this a look. Initial impressions are very positive.
I know the OP has already settled on a solution, but since this topic could be interesting to many others, I thought I would throw out another idea that I recently came across: Linn Majik DSM/4. The list price is US$3850, a bit higher than the other amps mentioned here, but it also does HDMI switching which is rare. It has an unusual (and somewhat clunky) room correction method that requires user input the room measurements.
Does anyone have experience with this integrated amp/DAC, or with Linn products in general?