My Roon Core has been via the Roon app on a Mac Mini since 2015 in my music room. The Mac Mini is connected to a McIntosh C2500 preamp via an ExaSound e22 DAC. Recently I decided to change the Mac Mini to a Nucleus +. When I set up the Nucleus, the Roon app on my iPad could no longer ‘see’ the ExaSound as an available endpoint. My only option from the Nucleus was the HDMI output. Is this being caused by some sort of digital handshake that happens with the Mac Mini but does not occur with the Roon OS on the Nucleus?
Is there a simple fix?
Hi @BillG,
The ExaSound e22 DAC does not have Linux support, so you will not be able to use it when it’s connected to the Nucleus. You can run RoonBridge on a Mac or Windows device and connect it to that and still play through Roon. If you have any questions about this please let us know!
Thank you Dylan, but I’m not really sure what you are saying. While I have been a user and follower since May 2015, the terminology, interfaces, connections, Roon Server, Roon Bridge, endpoints, Roon Core all get a little confusing. You all have done a fantastic job in making Roon work, but it gets a little over my head when it doesn’t work as expected.
Are you saying I can connect something between the Nucleus + and the ExaSound e22 that will have Roon Bridge loaded on it? Or will the ExaSound just not work with the Nucleus?
What if I leave the Mac Mini in my rack with the Nucleus. Have the Nucleus be the Roon Core and load Roon Bridge on the Mac Mini? Will the ExaSound work in this manner? What would the connections look like? While I have other computers in my home and are connected to the home network, none are used as endpoints.
Yes, that should work.
You could also get an Exasound PlayPoint Mark II Network Audio Player, that would take an ethernet in and then it would directly connect to the e22. That however has been discontinued, but, you might find a used one for sale. It was Roon Ready, so as soon as you plugged it into the network, Roon should see it.
Hi @BillG,
Yes, this should be the case. ExaSound won’t work with Nucleus because the Nucleus runs a variant of Linux, and the ExaSound does not support Linux Drivers.
Yes, this should work. If you install Roon Bridge on the Mac (download link in our downloads overview page) and leave it on the Mac, it should facilitate the connection to the Exasound. I would also suggest installing the Exasound Mac driver if you haven’t as per Page 10 of the E22 Product Manual.