Until we get the actual details from hardware vendors offering these, it’s really hard to tell what’s actually going to be delivered. For instance, doing a 19v power supply is not costly until you consider doing one that’s LPS. That would certainly kick up the end price, and provide a potentially greater sonic result. The guts of the unit seem typical, though it’s not clear which interface the SSD will be using. Until we have these out in the wild for comparison to existing solutions, it’s just guesswork.
You nailed it. The HiFi dealer market requires turn-key hardware. Hard to sell someone $50,000 audio setup and then send them home to install Roon on a Mac.
Yup, exactly… and ROCK is coming out as soon as I get back from Munich (I’ll be back after a short break in Paris and a long sleep).
Turn-key solutions sold through the HiFi retail channel require margins for the distributors and the dealers. If you want to do this cheap, use ROCK + build yourself a NUC. No one can compete on price with that. We will soon have a button on our website that will add the suggested components to your amazon shopping cart.
Exactly. The most amazing thing about this release is that we are still able to provide the NUC + ROCK to the people that want the exact same thing in a more DIY solution for a significant price drop.
That’s why I wanted people to hold off 
Some might not have cared about the price increase and wanted the fancy case.
100% correct assessment. It does not come with a license. You will need to buy that separately.
How about a NUC + SSD + RAM + ROCK for about $400?
$400 for the i3 model.
we are all at the show still
24 Likes
Given that we have been mostly told that the i5 NUC was the sweet spot for this and that the extra heat etc of an i7 could/should be avoided, it’s interesting that the Nucleus actually has i3 or i7 options, not i5
The case is a giant heatsink. It is all heatsink.
Yes, it certainly looks that way. Looks built like a tank (in a good way)
Thanks, Danny. I really enjoy responses like these, touching on specific concerns and questions people have. The Nucleus models look really cool, but yes I think the regular NUC built to the required spec will be fine for my purposes and fit my price range. I really dig the thought of Roon providing NUC shopping list that will populate my Amazon shopping cart. That’s a great idea!
2 Likes
I haven’t seen a very good picture of the Nucleus yet, but it looks like the Roon logo itself. Cool design!
pics and a lot more info coming soon… we are all still travelling.
2 Likes
Enjoy Paris ! Great weather now…
1 Like
I can’t wait to see whats in the date line for these new announcements.
This is all fantastic news.
I’m really pleased that Roon will be available for non DIYers in a lovely looking case with a quality psu. With a low noise USB output for a rack and the ability to stream to endpoints around the house (maybe a simple end point will be next on the hardware list?!) this will appeal to many who have never heard of Roon, ESPECIALLY those who see it on demo in a hi fi store who will undoubtedly fall in love with the interface.
I am also delighted that the business model is clearly not to get everyone to buy the hardware, but to use the hardware to encourage more people to get a Roon subscription.
Thus ROCK will still be released (and soon, Hooray) and I can now order my nuc without fear of compatibility issues or that I’m missing out on something. I’ve been waiting for this for a while!
1 Like
Thanks @danny and congratulations on all counts. I hope this is the starting point for a new wave of Roon adopters!
Earlier this year when I was back in the UK, I visited several dealers whose expertise ranged from “I know just about everything about setting up and troubleshooting Sonos, but that’s it for computer audio” to the dealer who knew a great deal about the subject as long as it fell within the rails of manufacturers carefully curated and marketed ecosystems (Linn / Naim / Sonos).
By and large, there were no sparks of recognition when I mentioned Roon and I fully expect Nucleus to be an important factor in changing that.
One of the biggest differences between our US market and the UK market that I observed, is that the option to buy from a dealer is still very much alive there compared to the US unless you’re a “spending megabucks / by appointment only” customer.
1 Like
Nucleus i3 - Designed for those who just want to casually listen to music and not bother so much about installation
Nucleus i7 - Non-cost conscious Audiophile who want the best and willing to pay for the higher electricity bill 
NUC i5 - DIY and cost-sensitive buyers
Good move by Roon. Relatively reasonable prices for turnkey buyers where $2k is a piece of cake. For us, nut and bolt folks, we should be grateful given we are provided the spec for a successful ROCK install. This is a win-win for everyone.
2 Likes
15 posts were split to a new topic: Devialet support coming … hints in Munich
Is it more or less accurate to say that Nucleus+ is ~ to the ST I7 with Roonserver installed?
Is the fanless case available separately, anyone recognise the brand?
Russ
Hi Rene
I saw that but it does not mean it is necessarily Roon manufactured 
Russ
1 Like
No, we are having it custom manufactured.
Thanks Danny