Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)
iMac as Roon Core. I control music through iPad.
Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)
Wifi Network with Ethernet coming from my Wifi Extender to the Mac.
Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
iPad plugged into Dynaudio Connect box which streams to Dynaudio Xeo2 Active speakers.
Description Of Issue
As you can see I’m clearly not understanding something here and am a bit of a neophyte with regards to this.
What I am trying to figure out is the difference between a Roon Core and a Roon Endpoint. If I’m understanding this correctly am I using my Roon Core as the endpoint as well and I don’t really have a Roon Endpoint. My issue which I brought up before but possibly I was not understanding it was my Roon freezes about once a day during playback on iPad and I have to reboot the Mac (Roon Core) and then everything works again until it freezes again.
Do I need to add an additional Streaming device that would connect to my Dynaudio Connect so that it (the streamer) is the endpoint? Would this alleviate the problem?
Okay. I understand how you are doing it now.
Your Roon Core is the iMac. Roon Core can’t run on an iPad.
Your iPad is your endpoint. I can’t really comment on how well the iPad>DragonFly>Dynaudio thing will work, but there is a lot going on there, especially with very high resolution files like you show. Do you also have dropouts or other glitches?
To answer your question about a streamer or other intermediary device, there are a whole bunch of them that work well. A basic RaspBerry Pi device running RoPieee is very stable. This is a “RoonBridge”. It talks directly to the Core and passes the music to your DAC, etc. They are cheap and easy to put together. There are others you can buy completely built.
Your iPad is your Roon bridge or Roon end-point. I’m not certain of the correct terminology in this case. In some situations, the Dragonfly will show up, but when connected to an iPhone or iPad, it does not.
The iPad and Dragonfly work flawlessly. If you have a problem, it’s with your iMac or whatever comes after the Dragonfly. I’m guessing it’s the iMac.
Thanks I’m trying to understand the terminology. Is there a difference between an Endpoint and a bridge or is that the same thing?
Does Roon require a Core, a separate endpoint and then the IPADmini?
So if I’m understanding you there is a benefit to having a separate Endpoint (Streamer) as well as core?
i.e. Does Roon require a Core, a separate endpoint and then the IPADmini is just the controller or interface.?
to answer your other question no to dropouts and/or glitches. The only problem I have is Core freezes which freezes playback on IPad and it just looks like a purple horizontal line going back and forth where it should show time elapsing in song
Roon requires a computer to run the Roon core. For best results, this computer should be connected by ethernet (in most cases, not all). This is the brains of the system.
You need a Roon end-point to receive the music files from the core. This end-point is usually connected to a DAC which is connected to an amp and speakers or similiar.
Sometimes, if you are using a non-Roon ready device, you can use a Roon bridge. This device can be connected to just about any DAC and sound system, I think.
Finally, you need a Roon control device which can be a computer, iPhone, iPad, or Android device. It can also be the computer that is running Roon core or, in your case, the iPad that is acting as a Roon bridge to your Dragonfly DAC. You can install the Roon app on multiple devices and use more than one to control Roon.
No. You can play Roon directly from your iMac to a DAC using the iMac as the controller. It’s an ‘all in one’ installation. There are possibly sound benefits to having the Core and Endpoints separate, but actual operation or ‘stability’ isn’t normally one of them.
I agree with @Jim_F. If your Core is freezing its probably the iMac. Is the iMac wired directly to the router? It sounds like it is on an extender. That is not a stable way to run Roon. If there is any way to get that wired to the router, even temporarily, it would help the troubleshooting here.
The Roon Support folks will probably step in here at some point and can help fix this for you.
I have a Mac running the Roon Core connected via Ethernet to Wifi Extender.
My endpoint if I’m using the terminology correctly is the Ipad mini with Dragonfly DAC which is connected to the Dynaudio connect box-Xeo 2 active speakers.
I keep seeing references on here to a separate endpoint/bridge such as the PecanPi® Streamer - HiFi Networked Music Player and am trying to figure out if this necessary.
You have everything you need. You have a core device, Roon bridge, DAC, and sound system. I think your problem is the network extender. Run an ethernet cable from your iMac to your router and see if that solves the problem.
Roon is very network intensive. Way more than ordinary streaming services like Tidal. That’s what makes the user interface so nice.
So, sounds like the bad news is you need to tweak up your networking capabilities. Good news is you don’t need to buy any more stereo equipment.
Good Luck!
Our how Roon works page might help to clarify things. An endpoint is any device in Roon that you’re playing audio to. The Core is where your database is stored and where the processing is done. A control device (or remote) is what you use to control Roon from.
It’s possible to control Roon from the Core machine and play audio to the Core machine, meaning that your Core also acts as a controller and endpoint. These terms aren’t really used to describe 3 specific devices, but rather a function that a device might serve, and it’s possible that they can serve multiple!
It’s hard to say just yet why this happens. The first thing that jumps out is a possible networking issue:
As we note in our Networking Guide, we recommend that you connect the Core machine to the network via Ethernet for optimal performance. As a test, can you connect the Core via Ethernet? Is there any improvement?
