Hello all,
I am hoping that it is possible to sync up my LS50W with my studio system, which is essentially driven by an iMac which also happens to be running my Roon core. I haven’t been able to do it so far; I installed Roon bridge, hoping it would help accomplish this but so apparently not. Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
The Roon implementation on the LS50W does not allow for linking to other zones.
This is true for Roon’s ability to play directly to the LS50W over wifi or ethernet. It is possible to use any of the other inputs on the LS50W and group it like any other USB DAC (for example). You could do this with a Raspberry Pi running Roon Bridge, or something like a MicroRendu.
So in short you can do it if you don’t use the native implementation of the LS50W but rather spend more money so you can link zones. That’s the only additional functionality you get for the extra cash. Otherwise the LS50W works just fine.
Thanks for the responses, guys. I think I’m getting the gist.
True enough, this is a bit of a trifle. It’s not important enough to spend a lot of money just to be able to play in these two rooms simultaneously but it could be kind of nice at times.
I’ve also been pondering the idea of getting a used mac mini at some point. I could use it (sans monitor) just to host my music files and Roon core, place it in the living room, and connect it to the LS50W via usb. Then I’d have an ‘always ready’ Roon core and library that would also enable me to link my living room and studio. Is that correct?
That would work. That said, the knowledge base advises keeping the Core away from the listening area.
Alternatives to the Mac Mini are the £849 Elac Diacovery Server with built in DAC and audio out. If you put something outside your listening room, an Intel NUC with USB drive attached for £700 and Pi USBridge connected to LS50, or an Innuis Zen Mini for £700, or the Innuos Zenith for £2,500.
Again, thanks for the feedback. It’s not a priority but I might look into the Raspberry Pi builds someday. Everything else suggested would be a bit cost prohibitive relative to the value I place on linking these rooms.
One other thought–the LS50W is in my living room and connected to Apple TV via toslink. Would it be possible to group Apple TV and my iMac without additional hardware?
Roon can play to the Apple TV using Airplay, so you might be able to group the Apple TV and the iMac by using some software on the iMac that lets it act as an Airplay client. I don’t know off hand what that might be, but I feel confident that 3rd party apps exist, and maybe something is built into the iMac by Apple.