How Do You Use Roon As Server to Raspberry Pi Dac

Roon Software Discussion
#1

I am a very “green” newbie to roon and raspberry pi audio. My goal is to use a mac mini as my server (currently use mac mini with pure music software) and use a raspberry pi dac (like to know best dac hat to use with raspberry pi) as an endpoint. Been looking at the Allo Boss. I have a stupid question. How do you input audio from a roon server (mac mini) to Allo Boss? Wireless or ethernet? Seems like those are the only input on the raspberry pi. What input would you use to get the best sound quality from the Allo Boss? I assume the the roon bridge is the software you put on the sd card (repiee??? not sure of spelling). I really appreciate anyones help on these questions. I have spent many ours trying to understand how to input audio in to Boss but only read about output via RCA plugs. Greg

#2

Sounds like you have it figured out. The Roon Core runs on the Mac Mini and outputs digital audio over your home network to the Pi, either with wired Ethernet or with WiFi. The Pi pulls that digital audio off the network and runs it through the DAC hat which converts it to an analog music signal. If you get the Allo Boss Player (instead of just the hat), I believe it will come fully assembled with a working flash SD card already installed, so no need for you to worry about the software. If you go a different direction, like with one of the IQaudio hats, use what they say to use for software.

#3

Moved from a Bluesound node2 to a raspberry pi 3b+ and Allo digione sig(spdif out) to an ADI-2 dac, though if you’re using the Boss you’d just connect to an amp. Simple and better sound.
Use the Mac as the core, Roopieeexl https://www.ropieee.org/.
Easy peasy.
WiFi or Ethernet depends on what you have easily at hand. I use a wired Ethernet connection that was already there.

There’s lots of info out there and there’s an Allo sub forum, don’t be afraid to ask.

Good luck
mdr

#4

Michael,

Thanks for the your response. I was greatly appreciated. Does music sound better via ethernet connection or SPDIF? Thought about the Bluesound node2. Assume you like your current setup verses node 2.

Again thanks for your help. Greatly appreciated… Will check out the forum.

Greg

#5

Greg,
Ethernet only connects the library (music) to the streamer (endpoint), spdif is the external digital protocol connection from the streamer to the dac.

Though some devices (Bluesound) take the Ethernet and internally to the streamer portion and then either outputs it to spdif or toslink for an external dac or sends the signal directly to the internal dac.

Ethernet and spdif have different uses, and are not interchangeable, as far as I know.

#6

Michael,

Thanks for the information. Greatly appreciated.

Greg