Roon endpoint questions - One that also support Spotify Connect

Audio Gear Talk
1

I have recently joined Roon. My system so far is an iMac core connecting to a BlueSound Power Node 2i with a couple speakers.

In the living room I have a Rotel A12 amp with an inboard DAC, that I want to connect to Roon.

My wife likes to use Spotify, so I would like the device to be capable of Spotify Connect “happy wife etc.”.

I have had the Power Node for a little over a year and I am not impressed with the BluOS, hence the Roon.

Would a Node 2i be my best choice, or is there a better alternative? I would like play both zones at the same time if possible.

2

Budget?

Amongst other players, I have a couple of these (the older version)

http://www.sonore.us/microRendu.html

3

Get a Raspberry Pi kit and install Ropieee XL on it. Then connect its up to the Rotel with a USB-A to USB-B cable.

If you want a nicer case get the aluminium Flirc one.

That will get you a Spotify, AirPlay, Bluetooth and Roon (RAAT) supporting ‘endpoint’ that will use the DAC in the Rotel to do the actual digital to analog conversion. Think of it as a tiny computer that’s only job is to act as a Roon endpoint. It’s also small enough to hold in the palm of your hand.

You don’t need a keyboard, monitor or any technical skills other than the ability to load Ropieee onto the Micro SD card that you then insert into the RPi.

Have a look in the Ropieee sub-forum here for more info.

4 Likes
4

Would like stay around $500 ish

5

But less money is always OK

6

What @j_a_m_i_e said. Didn’t we go through this yesterday?

7

There’s very little point spending more as you won’t get better performance or sound quality over using ~$80 RPi 4 (2GB) kit.

Not that the RPi is ‘better’ it’s simply because there’s no better way to get a digital signal into your Rotel than using it’s USB input. You don’t need to spend any more as it won’t gain you anything.

If the DIY aspect is putting you off I wouldn’t worry. There’s nothing really to configure. It’s barely a step more complex than setting up a commercial device. Ditto, if the looks are putting you off get a Flickr case or hide it out of sight — a RPi is tiny.

1 Like
8

I just noticed your previous post, have you tried connecting your Rotel to your iMac directly with a USB-A to USB-B cable (aka a printer cable)?

If you’re not interested in having the iMac/Roon Core in a different room to the Rotel just do that, job done.

9

Yes we did kind of. At that point I was going to feed my Rotel with the iMac. I have decided to leave the iMac down stairs and attach an endpoint to the Rotel upstairs. I was considering a Node 2i but certainly would consider a cheaper or better solution with the same performance. Raspberry Pi sounds interesting but I am not very technical.

10

Thanks Jamie

11

Honestly get a Raspberry Pi Kit (2GB) and slowly follow the Ropieee instructions (if anything the instructions make it sound more complex than it is, but I guess better to be verbose).

The only other thing you might need is a SD card reader if you don’t have one already.

There’s plenty of help on here if you get stuck. If you’ve set one up before it takes about 30 minutes. So I’d say give yourself a few hours to do it slowly and you’ll be more than fine. Once setup it will function much the same as a commercial device.

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12

The Pi is ridiculously easy to do. If you can do Legos, you can do Pi. Just the kit jamie recommended, then a USB cable from the Pi to the Rotel, and you’re set.

13

Thanks guys

14

I am in Canada so this looks interesting.

15

That would do the trick!

But if you wanted to buy the parts separately and use a nicer case this is everything you’d need to order:

16

RPI4 is fine. It’s a working inexpensive $$ solution. Mine is sitting in a drawer as a backup up in case my bedroom Sonos Connect crashes.

I like the Sonore interface better than the RPI, but you get what you pay for. Ropieee was developed by a Roon user, and it does function well from all accounts.

Other companies use a variation of the Sonore software. It works good and you can get support.

17

I’ve had a great experience with HiFiBerryOS on a pi4. If you add one of their “hats” (add-on boards) like the Digi+ I/O ($50), you can then feed your Rotel via optical. Without getting into the religious wars about whether USB is noisy or good or bad or better or worse than [pick something else], it looks like the optical input on your Rotel offers a high-resolution option that the Pi can easily support. I’ve also found Hifiberry’s OS to be easy to use, and it auto-updates.

18

I’d normally agree — I like and use HiFiBerry’s hats along with HiFiBerrryOS myself. But the OP (Cliff) has a Rotel that can act as a USB DAC and therefore be connected directly to a standard Rasberry Pi 4 via USB. He’s already demonstrated that works fine by connecting it to his iMac via USB. Therefore there is no need or benefit to him using a hat of any kind.

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19

Just another complication, and completely unnecessary. Skip it.

20

Well its ordered as per Jamie’s list, so we will see how it goes.

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