I will not keep always on PC, there is still no package for all Synology versions, is there any other solution to install the Roonserver? Thanks
Intel 64 bit NUC with circa 8GB RAM and a SSD for the OS and Roon DB, running either Windows 10 (some people run 2012r2) or Linux.
Headless Mac Mini is another option.
Or upgrade your NAS (Synology or QNAP) to one based on i3, i5 or i7).
There’s lots of discussion on options, try searching the forum for more details.
Very good. It’s a more powerful version of the BRIX that I use (see profile). It will easily run RoonServer and will also run HQ Player if you want to use it. It will be future proof as Roon implements more DSP etc.
Put an OS and RoonServer on the M2, and a 1 or 2 TB SSD for local music (depending on library size) with 8Gb of RAM and you will never look back.
The only thing about it is that the fan can turn on when dumping albums into storage or using closed filter in HQP as i7 run fairly warm, but if you stick it next to your router in another room or closet and run Ethernet to a microRendu then short USB cable to your DAC in your audio setup; you’ll have the best available Roon setup in my opinion.
If you want to use it next to your DAC, don’t want fan noise and are happy just running RoonServer then a cooler running i5 will be fine too.
Edit: If you are using a NAS for music then you won’t need the SSD for local files.
You’ll want a backup option, so a NAS in addition to the local storage is a good idea.
If you don’t want to splash out unnecessarily you can replace the microrendu with a raspberry pi or any of a number of $30-$60 Arm based devices on which to run Roon Bridge.
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With current SSD prices, Massimiliano could save a bit of money by using a traditional 1 or 2 TB 2.5" hard disc instead of the SSD for storing local music. And if HQP is not required, then an i3-based NUC is perfectly adequate (I use an NUC6i3SYH).
Massimiliano already has a Synology 416 NAS so that can still be used for music file storage if he wishes.
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I can evaluate a DS415 +, would be a good choice? Do you need to upgrade the RAM?
It’s ok, I decided to change the NAS to a 415+ with 8GB Ram. I have a very high number of disks in the nas, it is worth. The best choice. The 416 goes out for sale
As far as I can see, the 415+ is Intel Atom based, with a maximum of 2GB of RAM. If you have a large music collection, this may be rather slow.
Also: it pays off to run the Roon database off an SDD vs. a spinning disk. I’m not sure whether it is possible in this model to use an SSD as ‘system disk’.
As mentioned above – if you’re investing in new hardware right now, use an i3 or better for CPU and an SSD for Roonserver + database. A NUC (or something like it) running Linux (preferably) would give you far better performance than running Roon on a NAS like the 415+.
The Sonic Transporter by Small Green Computers also seems like a great choice. Can anyone speak to this versus a NUC? I’m also looking for a low powered device I can leave running 24x7 rather than the desktop PC I’m currently using.
I wonder why people insist on making it so hard for themselves. No idea what spec the Sonic Transporter has but there’s at least one report of performance issues on the forum, so for a large collection I’d exercise caution and want to know the spec of anything I buy to host Roon Server. The cheapest and best performance you can reasonably get would be to build/buy a machine using a suitable motherboard, i5 or i7 CPU and 8 GB of RAM. Don’t buy an OS, rather install a headless Linux server such as Debian, Ubuntu or Arch on SSD and store Roon’s database on same. House tunes on local storage (use large 5400rpm NAS drives to minimise power consumption), connect to your DAC using a low power device like an ODROID C1 running a headless Linux and Roon Bridge. Set the music server to sleep after X hours inactivity, leave the ODROID running permanently.
What you get in return is a system that performs very well, can handle a large library (thousands upon thousands of albums) with ease, doesn’t cost the earth and puts you in control rather than being dependent on a NAS specific package being made available. On top of that it’s rock solid…when the day comes that it doesn’t work look for hardware failure, cause it’s not going to be OS related.
Good points and where I ended up. One question, how does one govern sleep mode on a Linux based (Ubuntu server) NUC?
The standard sonicTransporter has a Celeron CPU and 4Gb of RAM, which is low powered in my opinion. I’d reccomend a computer as described by Evan, or a NUC or BRIX.
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