Hello,
I’m very new to Roon. I have a Yamaha rx-3080 AVR connected via hdmi and wired Lan to a Qnap NAS. I store all my music from downloads to ripped CDs along with photos on the NAS and currently use the DLNA function to access it and play on my AVR. I see Yamaha is not really considered a partner but musiccast is. First question if I install Roon server on the NAS will it keep my current multi-media folders and files intact? I assuming it will but and built the roon database with a pointer to the music file location. Second question. Can I use the roon app on my phone to play music from the roon server to my AVR? I also under stand I can stream music from the roon server to compatible wireless speakers around the house.
Hello @TODD_LEWIS and welcome to the community. I’ve moved your post to the #roon category of the forum because your questions are about setting up Roon.
If your QNAP NAS is equal to the task of running the Roon Server, then you can install it on the QNAP - check out the requirements given in this article:
If not, then you will need to install your Roon Core (which is contained in the All-in-one Roon package or Roon Server) elsewhere, and access your music on the NAS as a Watched Folder in Roon.
In either case, Roon will not modify your music files and folders in any way. However, Roon has the best chance of identifying your music if each album corresponds to a folder containing the album tracks.
If Roon Server is installed on the QNAP, then it can use the HDMI connection to your AVR, and yes, you can use the Roon app on your phone to play music from the Roon Core (in Roon Server) to your AVR.
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Ok, Its seems similar to PLEX which is installed as well. I assume Roon can do much more?
What can Roon do? Over to Enno…
Thanks Geoff. I have a QNAP TS-453D with 4 core Intel Celeron CPU, 8Gb RAM, and 3TB SSD with Raid 1. This should work right?
That is below the minimum recommendation for Roon (Core i3), so unless your library is small, you may well see performance issues and not get the best experience.
You could try it and see how it goes. If it doesn’t pan out, then you should think about putting the Roon Core on another device that conforms to the recommendations. You can leave Roon Server on the NAS, but in this scenario, you would not be using the Core in the Roon Server, but just using the output component of the software to continue to use the HDMI connection to your AVR.
I’ve run Roon on Core2Duo well enough. If your library contains mostly 16-bit FLACs and you don’t require complex DSP processing Celeron with 4 cores will do the job just fine.
“May do” would be more accurate.
It may. It may not.
Try with the existing hardware. It doesn’t work, upgrade.
Let’s be frank about this: This is a process that doesn’t require an extensive amount of CPU for most use cases. You don’t need 10G LAN. You don’t need SSD for the music files.
I’m constantly surprised by the over-convoluted and exaggerated compute hardware users have been investing in to install Roon on.
Naturally, I don’t know what other uses the hardware has, or if dual 10G is for exclusive Roon use or not.
But most Roon installations are overkill.
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As they should be. If most Roon installations were under kill, there would be boatload more problems experienced by users. You really do want some overkill when it comes to hardware.
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Nobody (certainly not Roon Labs) says you do. What Roon Labs says is that you need an SSD for the Roon database. An HDD won’t cut the mustard.
I got it up and running on the NAS. It’s fast!!! Grant it my library is on the small side 350+ albums, 3500+ song and a subscription to Qobuz integrated. I gotta tell ya I like what I’m seeing so far. Finally one app to control streaming from outside sources and music redirection to all output devices in my home all in one and music wikipedia to boot. Question when using cell or computer with room remote and connecting to the NAS to redirect music to output device is the music going directly from NAS to output device? I’m assuming it does and not streaming back through the phone. My cell is android so doesn’t have airplay. I guess NAS does because I connected to my AVR which supports airplay but not Chromecast. There are other airplay only devices that I sent music to with airplay as well. Question 2 My NAS is connected on wifi hardwired as well as HDMI to AVR, AVR on wifi hardwired too. When I tell room to play to the AVR is the signal using WiFi or direct HDMI? I see like 4 HDMI connections that are disabled in the room remote app. Tested enabling but it doesn’t know what they are. Sorry for long response here. Being new to this brings lots of questions and you all are very much appreciated.
Yes, music is streamed from the Core to your output devices. The one exception to this is when you are using Roon ARC, Qobuz tracks will be streamed direct from Qobuz servers to your phone, and don’t go via your Roon Core.
It sounds as though Roon has detected the Airplay connection to your AVR and is using that. The first of the four HDMI devices that are showing in Roon is probably the one you want to enable to use the HDMI connection to your AVR, then you need to switch your AVR to that HDMI input.
Ok so sounds like Qobuz when using room remote will stream directly from NAS to whatever output. As far as HDMI the NAS has been connected on the AVR via a HDMI labeled PC so that I can see the NAS desktop similar to Windows RDP. I don’t really use it but wondering if AVR could see room on NAS this way versus current airplay connection which works fine. Don’t want to over think this.
Next any recommendations for roon ready wireless speakers that sound great but don’t break the bank? I see Denon has a few but they aren’t specialized in speaker development. Denon 150, maybe a couple of them placed in different rooms.
There’s a long thread on the topic here (and probably elsewhere in the forum)
Ah, sorry I thought that you had the AVR directly connected to the NAS via HDMI - disregard my earlier setup suggestions.
Is the AVR connected via HDMI to your Windows PC?
Sorry I probably wasn’t clear. The NAS connects from its HDMI to the HDMI on the AVR but I really only think its for remote desktop purposes as I can see it on my TV which is connected to the AVR in my home theater. It requires the use of a NAS remote control to move around the screen. One purpose it to view photos. So I really don’t know if Roon is communicating over the connection. Like I said early I see the AVR on my list of output devices as an airplay connection and I’m assuming that connection between the NAS and AVR is through the WIFI since both are on it.
Can you post a screenshot of the Settings > Audio screen of Roon showing the devices available on your Roon Core?
BTW, what device are you running the Roon user interface on?
I have dual 10G fibre LAN to my Synology Rackstation. Not only for Roon, though. Bunch of QHD IP cameras with audio recording and with remote access, Plex server, quite a few TB of RAW photos edited on a fibre connected PC in Lightroom/Photoshop, off-site backup, webserver etc.
Overkill? Maybe. But fibre is so cheap these days, plus an 8-core armoured fibre (4 x 10Gb/s) out to the office in the garden is no thicker than an armoured Cat6 (1Gb/s).
One thing I noticed is with using roon remote and sending music from NAS to my Yamaha AVR over airplay it didn’t sound as good as just using the Yamaha musiccast app and selecting the music server (DLNA) for playback. Anyone know why this might be? Maybe I just need to use roon for speakers around the house via airplay from the NAS and not send it to the AVR?