I am going to buy a Node2i and have some questions. I currently have a PC going to a MyTek Liberty via USB. Would I go from the Node2i to my DAC? Currently I have my music (about 11tb) collection on my PC, but am going to buy a two-bay USB enclosure. Where would the USB enclosure go to? Would it connect to the Node2i or would I connect it directly to my router? I also use Tidal with MQA. Thanks for any help!
The components you listed can be interconnected in multiple ways. What system topology are you trying to achieve?
I believe that if you want a complete unfold of MQA you must use the analog rca outputs on the Node 2i.
Hook up everything to the LAN including the Node and Roon will do the rest.
Connect the Node2i to my receiver, then connect it to the Liberty DAC. Connect the USB drive to the Lan, possibly by connecting directly to the router. That is the ideal setup - just need to see how it works in practice.
Where does Roon get installed - on the USB drive?
I would connect your Roon core to your network using ethernet. Connect your USB drive to your Roon core. Connect the Node2i to your network using ethernet. Connect your receiver to the Node2i.
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Roon core would be installed on your PC and accessed on the LAN. Node 2i is connected to the LAN hopefully by ethernet. If not then wifi but this causes more dropouts IME depending on how close your wifi router is. If there is no LAN cable present then buy a ~$40 wifi extender w/ethernet port (Netgear) and then run ethernet cable to Node 2I.
I mentioned on the other post that if you want the Node 2i to do a full unfold of MQA then you have to use the analog RCA out to a preamp or integrated amp, or receiver using the line inputs. You can connect your USB drive directly to the Node 2i or connected by ethernet like a NAS or USB into your PC. Roon will figure it out. In this setup you really don’t need the DAC. I used my Node 2i as a Roon endpoint for a couple of years in a all analog system and it worked great. I don’t understand going from a receiver to the DAC. Where are you going from there?
Now you need a controller ap. Either an Iphone or Android phone at the very least to run the Roon controller ap. It is very hard to use Roon on a phone, especially with the size of you library. I would suggest an Ipad or Android tablet for a much better experience. You can use the PC as a controller but I don’t know how close the PC is to your stereo.
I find a laptop works best for Roon controller.
Yes a laptop would be great as well. You need more screen size than a phone has.
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Your Liberty DAC will do the MQA unfold so you can use the coax or tos link from the Node 2i to the Liberty. You still have to put Roon Core on something (like your PC) and attach that to your router. Then you can go hard wire or wireless to the Node 2i. Good Luck.
Point is, I am trying to eliminate the PC. I would just like to have a USB drive, DAC, and the Node2i. If I can’t do that easily, I will just return the Node2i and continue with the PC. I do have an Android tablet to use as the controller. If I don’t use a PC, would I just install the Roon core on the USB drive?
You need a place to run the Roon Core. That can be the computer but also a NAS. You told you were going to buy a 2-bay usb enclosure to connect to the Node2i.
You cannot run Roon Core on the Node2i, nor on the USB enclosure. You can put your music on the USB and connect it to the Node2i and play it using Bluesound, but not using Roon.
But if you instead would buy a NAS instead of the USB enclosure, then you can run Roon Core on the NAS and stream via the Node2i.
Keep in mind that the NAS must be one with sufficient power. The cheapest ones won’t run Roon Core. I have a Synology DS918+ and that works. But you can find plenty experiences with other models on this forum as well.
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It is best to run Roon core on something other than a PC. I tried it during the trial period but the solution was to use a Nuclues with internal 1tb SSD drive and I have had zero problems. My six hundred cd’s and some hi-rez files occupied 24% of the drives capacity.
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John, I don’t see why you need/want the Node 2i. If you want to get rid of the PC, you need a Nucleus or NUC running ROCK. That will run your Roon core. You can install an SSD inside the Nucleus or NUC for your music files or plug in a USB drive. This computer should connect to your router using ethernet. You can then go USB to your MyTek Liberty.
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Hi John,
I’m new here and looking for how to connect a new nucleus to my bluesound 2i which is running thru a Mytek liberty into my preamplifier. Do I just connect the nucleus to my network and select node 2i as an endpoint?
Would there be any detriment to connecting the nucleus directly to the Liberty as an endpoint instead of the node 2i?
I have just bought the nucleus and surprised at the lack of info included with it. Just about to get trial with roon but don’t have it yet.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Do both if you want and have two Roon zones. I have my Nucleus connected to Oppo by HDMI and both are connected to my router by ethernet. I use both end-points as the Oppo does multichannel with HDMI.
@William_Jeffers What Jim suggests is fine. Roon suggests in the Knowledge Base that the best sound quality for Roon/Nucleus is with an ethernet connection, not USB and I agree. So you can go Nucleus to Router to Node 2i via ethernet and then to your Liberty by coax or tos link. I would get your Roon trial started first thing. Happy listening.
So Ethernet from router to Nucleus and then Ethernet from Nucleus to Bluesound 2i?
Ethernet from router to Nucleus and ethernet from router to Node 2i. However, depending on where you have these located, it is usually ethernet from router to a non-managed switch, then ethernet from switch to Nucleus and ethernet from switch to Node 2i.