Very new to Roon. I have a new 21 MacBook pro that I’m using as my Roon Core. It has the Thunderbolt 3 outputs only.
I have a Bluesound Node (newest model, not the 2i) and I am running a Anthem 540 AV Receiver.
What is the best way for me to hook the MacBook Pro up to the system?
Run a cable from MacBook to the Bluesound or run a cable from the MacBook directly to the AV Receiver?
From the Roon Partners page, it looks like the Bluesound has been certified as “Roon Ready.” This means that the manufacturer has used the SDK provided by Roon Labs to integrate the product with Roon.
Looking at the back of the MXR-540 receiver, it looks like it has a couple of COAX S/PDIF inputs. The best connection option is to use a 75Ω COAX S/PDIF (RCA) cable between the Node and your receiver. If possible, also use a wired Ethernet connection for the Node.
Once you’ve made these connections, the Node should show up on the Audio tab in Roon’s settings. You can enable it as an Output. Once enabled, you can select the Node zone and play music to it.
There’s no need to connect your MacBook directly to your audio system. You’ll be streaming to it over your home network to the Node.
I’ve written more extensively about how to get your Roon infrastructure setup optimally here:
Thank You Very Much!
I have the Bluesound hardwired to my internet with Ethernet cable, and the Bluesound is connected to the Anthem 540 with the coax.
I also have the MacBook connected to the network with Ethernet cable.
Now I just need to locate the Node from the Roon sound settings.
