(Previously) Win7 on an Macbook 2010 laptop - >IFI external DAC
Number of Tracks in Library
190k
Description of Issue
[I am not sophisticated computer user, installer but have modest skill set ]
MOST IMPORTANT to me are 1) use my iPad as remote controller at my chair. 2) No noise from the computer as it is about 5 feet from my listening position
It appears the latest version of Roon will not run on my Mac Laptop running Win 7. I use this near listening chair and I am very sensitive to fan noise. This device makes virtually none. Worked fine until upgrade
I have reviewed options to replace the WIN7 computer and the seem to be
Roll back to an earlier version of Roon (which worked fine). I presume the Core would have to be backed down also - yes/no? Seems will cause issues down the road
-Get a Win 10 or 11 computer - seems virtually any machine would work, even low powered Celeron, etc. A low powered machine would probably be quieter
Perhaps convert the Mac to a Linux install if cant get Win 10 to run on it
-I have a working iphone8 not being used for phone service. Use a usb-> DAC cable. Will this be full resolution or limited in some way? Doable or problematic
-Install Roon on a Raspberry pi. I have a model 4. If used, which installer please?
I would try the RPi4 route since you already have it and install RoPieee as it works very well.
If you get ambitious you could even put a 7" display on it and have limited control and artwork display at the DAC (and a clock if you want when it is not playing).
Take a look here for more info:
Also, there is a section of this forum if you need help:
I use RoPieee. It works well with Roon and will also allow AirPlay from your iPad if you wish.
Yes itâs plug and play with (nearly all) DACs.
This wonât solve the problem of your Core being underpowered though.
As silence is important and you are already using Apple you might consider running your core on a Mac Mini. An older one from about 2018 forward will be fine. (Iâd suggest double checking the Core requirements for Roon 2.0. I canât recall what version of MacOS is required or which Minis are capable of running that)
Roon will also run on some Intel NUCs which are also fanless.
Note that if you install Roon Server on those devices, once youâre set up, you wonât need a monitor, mouse, or keyboard which is nice.
Got the Pi working. Have not seriously listened but will try soon
2 more questions
The DAC is USB powered, no external power hookup available. Will the pi power supply be adequate? If not, please suggest a solution
My initial system description was incomplete/misleading. My Core runs on a Windows 10 PC, with 16 gig ram, an I 7 processor and attached NAS for file storage. Is that underpowered?
What model iFi DAC is it? If it is design ed to run off USB it should work fine. I would run it for a while playing music and monitor the rPi temperature. you can see the temperature on the WebUI of RoPieee on the âdevicesâ page. Mine runs at 58.5â / 137.3â with a 7" display on it. So anything under that should be fine.
As far as the core being underpowered, it depends on the load on the system⌠Is the Core used for other things? If you have been running the core for a while and have not seen any issues then I would say it is not underpowered. If, however, you have been seeing issues with playbackâŚ
If you are planning to do any major DSP in the future or your library grows then you might want to look into upgrading?
My core is WIN 10, 12 GB RAM, SSD, i5 10400F
Iâm also running Plex, minimServer and iDrive. 100,000 tracks.
No issues even when transcoding DSD to PCM.
This is to say I think your Core is just fine for Roon.
Note that Iâm running Roon Server and my Windows install is stripped of all other apps and non-essential background processes.
When I was running the full install of Roon Iâd get hiccups when using DSP with DSD.