Roon and iFi Zen Stream

[Luis_Paula]

Roon Core Machine

Windows 10 Lenovo ThinkPad L450 core i5 vPro 8gb ram

Networking Gear & Setup Details

Generic High Speed Router from service provider

Connected Audio Devices

iFi Zen Stream connected to a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 200M

Number of Tracks in Library

More or less 27,000 track (CD and HighRez quality with lots of DSD64/128

Description of Issue

I want to access my library wich is connected directly to the iFi Zen Stream (which is a music transport). I cannot find any path or way to do so.
Is that even possible? Or my library as to be connected to the computer and then the music goes via wifi to the Zen Stream?

[AceRimmer (Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!)]

You may find some answers in this thread, some very knowledgeable members with a lot of ZS experience.

New iFi Zen Stream device

John it’s advice that many disagree with, and i was not saying it’s wrong (and still not) but many users on this site stream from their Nucs (both as Roon Core and Roon Bridge’s) and swear by it. I started that way before utilising one of my Pi’s that I had In the house as Roon is a journey for most of us. After adding an Audioquest Jitterbug and buying a good Audioquest cinnamon cable there really was very little difference to my ears between the audio that came from my headphone amp at the ti…

@Michael_Harris

[Michael_Harris]

Hi Luis I do not use this feature myself but you can get to the web page through http://ifi.local or use the Zen Stream app you can set up the local USB scanner and play from there and I understand it works well for smaller libraries (not sure yours counts as small though).
You cannot do this from Roon though as that needs to be on a NAS Share or on the Roon Core.

Best to explain how you are trying to achieve playback.
You can ask in here or post in the thread that @AceRimmer pointed too as there are a number that will contribute there and I will be away from my Roon and Zen for 12 days from tomorrow afternoon.

[Rugby (aka Daniel or Big Dan)]

Hi Luis,

Even if you could, you might not want to, especially if there is WiFi in the audio path. In Roon all music passes through the Core first. So, IF you could get it working, the music on the Zen would stream first to the Roon core, get processed, and then streamed back to the Zen. A Lot of extra network traffic.

That is why it is always my recommendation to keep your library local to the Roon Core, either on an internal drive or a USB external drive.

[Michael_Harris]

That’s exactly why I was asking what he is trying to do, as the Stream will work better I think with the music coming from the Roon Core.
But I was no sure exactly what Luis was trying to do

[Luis_Paula]

Thank you very much.

[Luis_Paula]

Thank You, Michael. Best regards.

[Luis_Paula]

Thank You, Rugby. I thought that it will be so. But I bought the ZS exactly to take the PC out of the equation. I think I will be stuck with that kind of Volumio. It works ok, but rather have Roon.

[Michael_Harris]

Well if you don’t have Roon then Volumio will manage the music playback from the USB drive, but it is no Roon.
Better to have the music on the PC connected via Ethernet and then use Roon to Stream that to the the Zen Stream over Wifi (if you do not have Ethernet) and that will work really well. Try both options out and see how you go.
My Stream only runs in Roon only mode now and I am extremely happy with it as a Roon Streamer