Hi there
I have a (cheap) Synology DS215J NAS with all my music, photos and movies on it. Currently, I have just over a TB of music in either WAV (Direct copy of cd) or Flac and an expanding selection of files up to DSD512, but mostly DSD64 to 256.
Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
The NAS is connected via ethernet to a Netgear EX7000 extender and so is my Auralic Vega G1 streaming dac. The Vega is connected by unbalanced interconnects to my Pure Audio Pre which in turn is connected to two Pure Audio Class A monoblocks rated at 60w each.
I know the biggest weakness will be the NAS as it has trouble with HD files (distortion is probably the best way to describe it). I use a recent model Ipad (6 months) to control everything. I know that the Vega G1 is ‘Roon Ready’ and I can use the Ipad as a controller but need to know what I can use as a Roon “server” It seems to me most NAS are not the best and was looking at a NUC alternative
Description Of Issue
What do I need to get Roon running? I cannot connect via ethernet cable directly to my router without digging holes in several walls and WAF excludes ethernet cables hanging around in our entrance foyer and living room, hence the extender. Can I use a windows NUC and if so what are the best specs to get rid of the distortion? If windows is not the best, what should I use and what specs please? Also, I have all my music files on 2 x 3.5" NAS drives that mirror each other so I need a storage source for the NUC or whatever you recommend. I am not into Home Theatre, just hifi digital and vinyl.
My wife is a little weary of me spending money on tweaks and upgrades that don’t quite work and she doesn’t want me buying any money no object equipment, just something that does the job. A little noise from a fan or whatever is not a big deal as I can setup a NUC for example behind a cabinet about 5 feet from the rest of my system.
Sorry this is a bit of a novel but all I want is to be able to turn on the system and get high quality sound without any hassle (the Lightning DS is pretty crappy in my current configuration due to frequent loss of connection to the library).
Thanks and kind regards
Sean