Discussion: Sound Quality from Synology NAS running RoonServer

I wish it was not because my plan has been to take the PC out the chain.

This is interesting. The sq decrease is pretty much acroos the board and I assume the signal chain indicator on Roonserver when running on the Synology still showed bit perfect.

Hmmmmm…

(Keeping an open mind about this…)

How is the NAS connected to the DAC?

Well I have tried various permutations of running RoonServer on both MacOS, Windows and Linux ( on Synology NAS 1812+ with 3 GBs RAM and dedicated SSD volume for RoonServer.

Currently using a Mac Mini with linear power supply as RoonBridge to which my DAC is connected.

I do not hear a difference in my setup between running RoonServer on MacOS to the RoonBridge on my Mac Mini and it running on my Synology NAS to the RoonBridge on my Mac Mini.

My setup has the NAS in a separate room/circuit than the stereo and Mac Mini.

The NAS is wired via ethernet to switch. The Mac Mini is wired via ethernet to switch. Other Mac running RoonServer was also wired to ethernet to switch.

No opinions on how these types of setups sound in someone else’s system/house/environment.

I am actually rather surprised how well RoonServer runs on the NAS.

Personal Opinion only - Is it not nice if we have NUC like (/mac mini ) with big SSD and move all Music dB (depending on collection size or most frequently played) onto SSD (1/2TB) sitting within NUC like product so one element of fetching bits from NAS, Collecting bits from a rotating device are all saved and hence potential SQ degradation is also taken care?

Thats my plan once my finances ease out. NAS will be only for back up.

You should read this, and in particular @danny’s replies:

1 Like

“The d1-server is integrated in a d1-digital reclocker which guarantees a low jitter and a low noise with digital preamplifier functionalities such as several auxiliary digital inputs, all de-jittered by the internal reclocker.”

Perhaps you were just tired.

Perhaps. But hearing is believing, not reading.

NAS us connected to router, PC and DAC are connected to router via switch. All LAN, no WiFi.

Hi NOA,
I through I got what you mean, as I’m also in similar progress.

I start from MinimServer on NAS, JPlayStreamer on a fanless NUC with LPS (Win10), connect to Meitner ma-1 DAC through USB Regen.

Install Roon server on the NUC and very happy with the SQ and UX. Then install Roon server to my DS713+ (with DX513), and stream to my NUC. In my case, I notice virtually no change of SQ. And last night I uninstall the Roon server from my NUC, and install Roon bridge, which is good enough as a output endpoint. The SQ seems the same so far, will do more serious listening later.

I will live with this meanwhile, and also interested to replace my NUC with a endpoint device in future hoping to simplify the setup and hopefully will improve SQ as bonus.

FYI, I have 2 JitterBug on my NUC, and a Acoustic Revive LAN isolator at the LAN input, which could contribute to the result.
If moving to a linux endpoint, I also worry about the performance diff between the DAC driver, where I’m using Windows ASIO driver provided by my DAC vendor now in my win10 NUC.

So in your case is how we setup the “core”, and my concern is how we setup the “output”. Both could contribute to the resultant SQ.

More experience sharing are mostly welcome.

Given that you are using totaldac, I remember they recommend and sell SSD fanless QNAP NAS. Also seen user report that NAS with more spindle motor on RAID config could deteriorate SQ as there is more noise. So on my 2 bay DS713+, I use only a single disk without RAID to store music file.

you really need to read Danny’s post referenced above.

It made a lot of improvement in SQ if your NAS is powered by a linear power supply instead the one that come with the NAS. I’m using Synology DS-214SE(2x3TB) powered by KECES DC-116 power supply. Because it has two output supplies, one is used to powered the NAS and the other, the NUC which runs the RoonServer.

www.keces.com.tw/5_english/index_5_english.htm

They saw you coming…running a linear PSU on the NUC I can understand, doing so on the NAS makes no sense at all unless you’re connecting directly to a DAC.

Yes, it does make a different running off the NAS on a linear supply. There’s more clarity and background is more ‘darker’ than before.

To you, yes…I guess that’s all that matters.

I was also going to say it is a scientific impossibility for the NAS PSU to make any difference as well, but as we all know science has nothing to do with music reproduction.

And the Bits it sends over his ethernet line are more sharpened.

Sorry, I can’t hold this back, but that is total voodoo.
I cannot understand why each little thing has a big influence on a digital signal, if this signal tansports sound. On every other data you never hear such arguments. Or did a linear supply prevents your NAS to send your Wordfile with a lot of typos?
Bits are Bits and a normal functioning NAS is capable to send them without any change to the receiving device without any overpriced extras.

I thought the current thinking was that ‘noise’ in general within your network - be it from switch mode power supplies on NAS, router/switch, mains, computer RFI, etc, etc, were all believed to be detrimental to SQ if they make it into a DAC that may not be able to deal with removing 100% of it? Same for jitter. And this is the reason something like a £10K+ server like an Aurender W20 or a Melco N1* or whatever allegedly sounds far superior to a bog standard computer? Or you go down the NAA route to try and avoid both things by making a ‘clean’ signal as close to the DAC as possible.

Or have I been brainwashed too and we’re actually saying a standard PC and standard USB cable and power supply, or a NAS or whatever all sound the same and can not be bettered - any change is imaginary? I used to think the latter, but more and more I’m leaning towards the former, and occasionally have a ‘have I been brainwashed’ moment.

It seems like there’s a hell of an industry built completely around expectation bias etc if its all totally untrue. I really wish one day we’d actually reach consensus on it….