Hi All,
I am currently using Roon (Server + Remote) on a Macbook Pro M2 16GB, but I am thinking at a dedicated device (Intel i5 NUC with ROCK installed).
From a pure sound quality point of view would I get a real improvement or it would be waste of money?
Thanks for your support and advices.
It doesn’t change the sound.
The main benefit of ROCK is that it is simpler to operate and maintain.
Some of us also find it to be more reliable - but that depends…
I don’t believe you’d hear a difference, I certainly don’t. An i5 NUC with Rock makes a great dedicated server, with minimal admin burden, I’d recommend this route.
I’ve had Roon on a Windows PC, a 1st Gen Nucleus, and now it’s on an I7 NUC with ROCK. I’ve never heard a difference in sound quality.
Thank you. I will keep my MacBook and I will save some money.
M2 is faster than Nuc
I have a nuc8i7 with 16 GB ram - and it is to slow after the last softwareupdates
No sound quality difference. I have used core on M1 Mac, Innuos Zen mk3 and 11th gen i5 Nuc. I will say that it runs better on my Nuc though. Less connection issues.
An 8th gen NUC is from 2017. I‘m all out Mac, but I use a NUC with Rock for Roon. Tried M1 and M2 Mac’s, went back to a NUC - and believe me, I really wanted the Mac to work out. Now using a 13i5 NUC.
I love how it runs on mac, but i use a mini.
Started with it on a macbook pro, but i didn’t want it on the same computer I use for everything. So I recommissioned an old 2012 mini from my office, and it’s been a dedicated roon workhorse ever since.
You can find em cheeeeaaaap.
Running Linux or macOS?
Mac OS 10.15.7 Catalina
13i5 is slower than M2 using single core
Core i5-1340P
Except, I’m not running benchmarks, I’m running Rock. But thanks 
I’m impressed with Apple silicon, I just think Rock is the way to go for Roon, is all. Different folks, different usage metrics. And different platforms don’t sound different, that was the concern above.