Matrix Audio x-sabre pro MQA set up needs?

Wanting to purchase Matrix x-sabre pro but a bit confused about not being roon read and what I need.
I know I will use an Intel nuc for the core but do I need other components as well. Will be using ethernet.
Is it best to connect nuc by usb directly to the Sabre. Are there any other components I need for best sound quality.
I know the element x is roon ready. I assume all I would need to do is connect the nuc to it by usb but would rather use the sabre.
Any insight would be helpful.

The Matrix X-Sabre Pro is only a DAC. It has no ethernet connections. You can connect it to your NUC using USB, but from what I understand Roon recommend using ethernet. This requires a streamer though. A simple cheap streamer can be built using the Raspberry Pi. This should work/sound quite well, although I my self struggle to understand what benefits one will experience using a Roon Ready device like the Element X instead.

The Element X is a DAC/streamer, meaning you can connect it through ethernet.

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Thanks Hans. The Raspberry Pi seems to be what I will need as well. People talk about the Hat but not sure if I need that too. A bit confusing.
I received this form Matrix Audio.

—You can connect the X-Sabre Pro MQA to an intel nuc by USB to run roon directly, it’s a Roon Rock, so that you can find X-Sabre Pro MQA in the playback zone.
No need other components at all.

Seems a bit confusing since they are not talking about the need of the Raspberry Pi.
Can anyone elaborate?

I think the response you got from Matrix isn’t particularly helpful (probably some translation issues).

You have some choices based on your system. You can certainly connect things as follows: Router>NUC>USB>Matrix X-Sabre>Amp, etc.

However, if you don’t want to, or can’t, have everything located together, then you need a way to stream the music via wifi from the NUC to a Roon Endpoint, which could be a Raspberry Pi, which would then connect to the Matrix X-Sabre via USB, which would result in the following set-up: Router>NUC>Wifi>Pi>USB>Matrix X-Sabre>Amp, etc.

Or: Router>NUC>ETHERNET>Pi>USB>Matrix X-Sabre>Am

Yes, that would also work if you have ethernet available where you plan to listen to music.

I also forgot to mention that you should not need a separate Hat for your Pi device.

Thanks for the info.
What was confusing is the roon ready or a bridge part. Im currently using a PSAudio direct stream dac. Router>Ethernet >qnap nas>direct stream.
Since the sabre isnt roon ready I wasnt sure if I needed an extra component.
I will be connecting the NUC to Ethernet, Nuc to Sabre via USB and Sabre directly to Amp.
Sounds like the cleanest way to go and assume best for SQ?
Thanks for the help.

I have a x-sabre pro with the following setup -

NUC (core) → Project S2 Ultra Streamer (a posh Pi) → USB connection → X-Sabre → Analogue RCA connection → AMP