Hy Everyone! I want to share my experience with my Roon server setup.
3 years before I decided to build a PC as my home server. Previously, I used a 2-bay Synology, which was great, but my media collection growed faster that 2 HDD can handle and 4 or more bay Synology NAS-es were expensive for me. Looking for alternative solutions I found Open Media Vault (OMV) and decided to give it a try. At this time I only hear about Roon.
Than, after the Roon experience and seraching for Roon server options I found, that my server with OMV is just fine regarding hardware for a Roon setup.
The trick is that OMV can be installed on a headless Debian minimal server as Roon server can be. No concerns with these two on one machine.
Currenty hardware: Asrock H270-ITX/AC mobo, Intel Core i5 7500T, 8GB DDR4 dual channel RAM, Samsung 860 Evo 256GB NVMe SSD + 3x8TB WD RED HDDs in a Fractal Desig Node 304 case.
This machine serves on cable my home network with samba and NFS shares, downloads, and of corse Roon to multiple endpoints.
It works with no issues. The OMV and Roon files/database are on the NVMe SSD and internal backup is scheduled to an internal HDD.
Data backup is on external HDDs, this is done manually by me. I know that this is not so good, but workiing on a better solution (possible a second OMV setup on a Cubox-i2eX, which can be also a Roon endpoint 
)
OK, my 2c worth.
My philosophy is to use the KISS principle and in that light the simplest approach is to use reliable internal SATA HDDs for music file storage inside this PC (the core). This has currently grown to over 6TB so I now use more than one drive.
I was tempted to use an NAS system but am unconvinced it gives real security - a breakdown of a constellation drive in a Sooloos twinstore a couple of years ago proved that. So I have all the music files backed up on two other HDDs. Currently they are on external docks linked via esata but Iāll soon migrate them internally in a new custom made ASUS motherboard PC (not by me but by my PC intelligent son). Iām currently on Windows 7 but will move to Windows 10 on the new setup.
The only wireless link used here is to to iPad remote control and it is the flakiest part of the Roon system. Quality LAN cable links this PC to a Aurilac G1 bridge via an ASUS router. Balanced digital is piped to different rooms using a Canare 3 way splitter. I hope to be at the end of the road re AQ madness and am content with using L.K.S. MH-DA004 DAC. But Iām getting off topic so will stop.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Russ
Will do (now). Thanks.
Russ
Hi All,
Thanks for all your input, Iāve made some changes on my setup and moved all the musics to a new NUC8i7, canāt say I have better SQ, but roon is more responsive interms of loading content. One point that might have changed is it seems to give me the impression it is a more relaxed soundā¦ but just a tiny bitā¦very very very tiny bit more relaxed.
I was thinking does anyone use a LPS or power conditioners on their NUC, does that make the difference? If so what was your experience/results?
Thanks
Filipe
I have a LPS powering my Roon server PC, and am considering selling it and changing to a standard PC power supply. Iām not convinced using an LPS with the Roon core matters if you have a separate endpoint over ethernet (I use the SOtM), and the LPS really heats up and makes the storage space where the electronics are quite hot.
Truly, I doubt whether an LPS has any effect on any digital device.
Hi All,
My experience with LPS is that they matter, but depends on what you apply to.
If the server is a NUC, probably will not make much difference, but if you are running a dedicated PC it will probably make a difference.
On the lan (switch, lan converters and routers) side they will bring more stability, less noise on the network, which translate in less errors and better detail being given to the streamer/DAC. In the end the streamer needs to be able to pic this small changes, because they are small.