Discuss using Roon with Rapsberry Pi!
Itās an incredibly effective end point. A bit tweaky but we have 3 in the house and everyone here is really happy. The challenge is when there is a problem, the community boards have so many people generous with their advice but it is difficult to know what is good advice today versus last weekās build of raspbian etc. There are just so many variables. Having an almost āturnkeyā solution like Hifiberry and IQ audio offer is great until it doesnāt work and then itās back to square one.
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This Pi business is so beyond meā¦ would someone kindly post exactly what I need to get to enable to non-roon ready receivers (read older receivers) to be Roon capable. Also with the endpoint being targeted by Roon will the receivers automagically turn on?
Ric
I can try, maybe others will chime in as well.
First, think about the Raspberry Pi as a small computer that talks to your Roon Core. The RPi is a fully functional Linux computer that has itās own operating system.
The RPi doesnāt have very good sound capabilities on itās own. To remedy this, you will need to add either a DAC board or a Digital-Out board to get the signal from your Roon Core to your amplifier.
A DAC board will have analog output connectors that you can connect directly to one of the analog inputs on your receiver or amplifier. There are many options here: HifiBerry DAC, Allo Boss DAC, etc.
A Digital-Out board allows your RPi to pass a direct digital signal to your receiver/amplifier if it has an internal DAC, or through an external DAC into your receiver. Again, several options are available: Allo DigiOne or HifiBerry Digi+, etc.
You will need an operating system on the RPi for all this to happen. I believe there are two options: DietPi or RoPieeee. I have no experience with DietP, but run 4 or 5 endpoints with RoPieeee and it works well. There are many positive reviews of DietPi on these forums as well.
So, you need a RPi (best to get the latest version), a USB power supply, a DAC or Digital-Out board and a microSD card for the operating system, then the appropriate connectors to your receiver/amplifier.
Sounds complicated, but itās pretty manageable. You then control the music distribution through a mobile device generally.
I also donāt understand your last question about turning on the receiver. Thatās not something a RPi can do as far as I know.
Hope this helps get you started.
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Andrew thanks the fog is beginning to lift
- For the USB power supply does the voltage get applied to the Rpi and dac through a usb connector,
- Can the Rpi take digital audio over ethernet and apply it to either a DAC or a digital out board.
- The automagic part of my inquiry, in retrospect is a function of the receiver and thus not pertinent to this discussion.
Ricardo:
For most of the add-on boards, the power is supplied to the board through the 40 pin connector, so in most cases, you power the RPi and it will power the add-on board. As you learn more, there are some benefits to having a high quality usb power supply. I have a mix of different power supplies in my house, but my main system has a linear power supply.
Your second question, the answer is yes. The RPi acting as the Roon Endpoint will receive digital music files directly from your Roon Core. Then it passes the files (no compression or loss of quality) to the DAC board or Digital-Out board. Then on to your receiver/amplifier.
Again, you control this through your mobile device. If you have multiple endpoints, you can group them so all play the same music. For some no-critical applications in our house, we have other RPiās with HifiBerry Amps where we connect ceiling speakers directly to the RPi for amplification. So I can have our main system in the living room playing and extend it into the dining room.
Hope this helps.
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Andrew thanks so very much Iāve been reading a lot lately I think I will go with the Allo Boss, and their Rpi to start with I think they have a nice Al case and th Boss reviews well. Now if they can get me set up Iāll pull the trigger! Thanks again for your time!
Andrew, Iād like to build the most simple, compact and best sounding Roon endpoint. I will be feeding Meridian DSP speakers thorough the house. Reading the above, I understand that I would need:
- Raspberry Pi > is the latest version the only thing I should know when purchasing?
- Allo DigiOne
- Micro SD card > how large? + how fast?
- OS > DietP or RoPieee recommended for my application?
- USB Power supply > could I use an iPhone USB transformer ?
- Case > any recommendation for something minimal looking, ideally metal, smooth with no exposed fasteners?
Thank you
Jerome: The latest version of the Raspberry Pi is the model 3. Available all over the web.
The Allo DigiOne is a great board.
I believe RoPieee requires a minimum of 4GB, but I think I have been using 8GB cards as thatās what I have had on hand. I think they are all class 10 cards, so pretty fast. Why not?
I have no experience with DietPi, but it seems to be well supported and reviewed. Ropieee has been great for me. Easy install and easy to manage settings through their web interface. The developer Harry is active (and very helpful) here on the forums.
You can start with an Apple USB power supply - absolutely.
For cases, there are lots of options. I have just used Alloās plastic case, but to assist with cooling, I left out the side panels and only have the top and bottom. Allo appears to be working on cool looking aluminium cases as well.
Good luck!
Thank you Andrew, very clear and much appreciated. Looking at cases, this āAnidĆ©esā unibody aluminum case looks decent. Would it fit both the Allo Digione and the Paspberry Pi?