Core on QNAP or on endpoint pc

Roon Software Discussion QNAP/Synology NAS
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I have a QNAP TS879 Pro with 32 TB with intel Xeon cpu 3.4 GHz - with M.2 solid state drive installed for cache and 16 GB ram -
About 250k track ( 20k albums)

I use this in raid 5 for my Roon Core - it has been working fine for a few years and it is in the back part of my house away from my stereo gear - with only the Ethernet cable connecting it to my stereo room

I have a Lampizator Komputer that I use as an endpoint which goes to my DAC ( fanless, headless Linux machine dedicated Roon server/endpoint

The lampizator Komputer was designed as a high end stereo component ( fanless etc) and is capable of acting as a Roon core - and / or endpoint.

I’ve had the core on both the QNAP and the Komputer - and it’s too difficult for me to compare which sounds better - if at all.

I’m curious if anyone thinks that a QNAP server is not a good place to host the Roon core as it may not be engineered to prevent any electrical noise or interference etc. - it was not designed for audio. Where the power supplies and components in the Lampizator Komputer are designed to handle audio more specifically.

I don’t do any DSP or file conversion - although I have and can play DSD 128 on both core units

I’m just wondering if anyone thinks running the core on a NAS ( in another room) is sacrificing anything relative to having it run on a dedicated endpoint that will handle all the core duties - but may introduce more noise because it’s working harder and is located in my listening room next to my DAC - I’m not talking about mechanical noise ( fans etc) I’m thinking possible impacts on the file before it goes to the dac

Music library would stay on the QNAP - but core would be in the same room as my other gear

Anyone else done this ?

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I have three Roon cores, but use my Nucleus most of the time except when away from home, I use my Dell laptop. I would suggest you keep both and use whichever is most convenient. If you can’t hear any difference, it doesn’t matter, and I doubt it does.

1 Like
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Hi Bart, in short, you’re worrying over nothing.

The most important component in the chain where it comes to “noise” is your DAC. A good DAC (from an engineering, not price perspective) is immune to any “noise” heading it’s way via network components.

My Roon core is a Synology RS3617xs Rackstation - a big “noisy” (from both the electrical and acoustic perspectives) computer running multiple tasks/applications with 12 spinning hard drives. I have 3 DACs in my house - a Benchmark Media DAC3 HGC, a Topping E50 and a Khadas tone board, all fed via PoE powered RPi4Bs running RoPiee.

I test “noise” with a -120 dBFS 50% 1 kHz squarewave tone. With the Benchmark DAC, HPA4 and AHB2 amps in my main system, I can hear the tone with the volume set a few dB below maximum.

With the Topping and Khadas, I can’t hear the tone, nor any noise or hiss, though if I play the same test tone @ -100 dBFS, I can hear it (I’m gain, rather than noise limited with these devices).

With the Benchmark setup, the gain is sufficiently high and the noise sufficiently low to hear the tone.

What does this all mean? With my Benchmark gear, at 120 dB SPL (which is at the hearing threshold of pain), the noise floor is still below the threshold of audibility.

With the other DACs/systems, @100 dB SPL, the tone is audible, but there’s no noise related hiss. 2 hours of listening exposure at this level would permanently damage your hearing. You’d be deaf and still not hear the noise.

Your QNAP is more than adequate as a Roon core. I see no advantage to moving your core to the Lampizator.

Happy to go into further details and supply test files via PM if required.

5 Likes
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QNAP as core has worked perfectly over a long time now. So both local files and streaming are seemless.

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Thanks to all