Hi, all. I recently began ripping (FLAC) all of my cds to a WD MyCloud (6TB), which is connected by my router in the basement of my house. In terms of equipment, I have an Anthem MRX-710 and an Oppo BDP-105, both on the main floor. Currently, I am using the Oppo Media Center to listen to the files on the WD NAS, but the user interface is clunky and the app crashes often. The Oppo is hard wired to the router. I have been doing a ton of research, and determined the Roon is what I am looking for to replace the Oppo Media Center.
So, the question: How do I get all of this stuff to work together?! I think that I need to download the Roon software to a pc in my house - but I do not have any computers hardwired to the router - all run over wi-fi (the signal is strong, we have a number of WAPs around the house). Is that ok? Assuming it is, can I use my current MyCloud as the NAS? Finally, can I send the audio to the Oppo (so I can use its DAC)?
I am new to all of this - and the terminology has me a little confused. DLNA? Mounting the NAS?
I hope I can help. Roon is comprised of a server portion, an endpoint and a control point.
The server portion is usually a PC (Windows, Linux or a MAC) and the needed specs depend on your library and a lot of other factors. But, in general an i3/5 CPU, SSD for the OS and Roon and 8 GB should work well. The server should be connected via ethernet to the network. Additionally, the music should either be available locally to the server or via ethernet on a network attached storage unit. In your case, you would want to plug your WD into a USB port on the Roon Server PC.
The control point can be a phone, tablet or another laptop/pc that is just running a “client” version of Roon which acts as an interface to control the server.
The endpoint is a device which receives the data stream from Roon and feeds it into your DAC. It too should be attached to the network via ethernet for best performance but wifi can work depending on your environment/network. Endpoints can range from another computer, a DIY Raspberry Pi unit, a pre-done plug and play unit like a sonic orbiter SE, or a DAC or Streamer which have Roon’s protocol installed. The choice of endpoints can vary depending on currently owned hardware, the needs ofstreaming of CD resolution vs high resolution audio, and other personal factors.
In your case, you would need an endpoint like the Sonic Orbiter SE to attach to the Oppo’s USB Audio input. The Anthem is a bit more problematic as it doesn’t have any USB audio inputs. You would need an endpoint that can feed the Anthem’s S/PDIF, Toslink if you wanted to use the Anthem’s DAC. Some of the Raspberry Pi like devices do have an optical out, a Hi Fi Berry I believe. Or have the endpoint feed a new external DAC which connects to the Anthem via RCA inputs, like a 2nd Sonic orbiter Se feeding a Schiit Modi Multibit which connects to the Anthem.
The above is the bare basics. I"m sure if I left something out someone will chime in. What types of music formats and resolutions are you looking to play?
This Roon KB page sets out the material outlined by Daniel above.
There is also a glossary in the Knowledge Base (KB) that should assist with acronyms or nomenclature.
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a protocol for transmitting digital audio over a network. It is not supported by Roon which uses RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) instead.
An NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a device that stores data on a network. They usually consist of multiple bays for drives and some are sufficiently powerful to run Roon Server as a Core ( not, however your WD Mycloud).
Mounting the NAS means making the file system on the NAS accesible to the operating system of a computer on the network.
Thank you for the information. I am going to give this try this week. I was hoping I could stream directly to the Oppo, but it looks like I will need the Sonic accessory mentioned. I will keep you posted on how things go.