I have a ND555 with all other Naim components. I steam tidal 100% as my only source.
What must I have/use/install to have Roon?
Do I purchase anything?
The ND555 is a Roon Ready endpoint. In order to use it with Roon you will need another computer connected to the same network on which you install Roon. You can use the same computer or other mobile devices such as phones or tablets to control Roon from.
Start here for more details.
So as I understand it, I would need to add a “core” like the Roon nucleus?
Yes but your core does not have to be a nucleus. It can be any suitable standard computer or an NUC or another Roon Core Server from one of Roon’s partners.
This has the recommended requirements for core computers.
https://kb.roonlabs.com/FAQ:_What_are_the_minimum_requirements%3F
This link takes you to all the Roon partners
https://roonlabs.com/partners.html
Not to be too dense here, but my nd555 naim is a Roon Ready but I can’t just download Roon on my iPad and start. I think I need to add a core. So, is the nucleus a good core to add to my 500 series Naim home system or is there a better way?
To be as clear as possible.
Yes you do need to add a core.
Yes the nucleus would be a good core and is certainly one of the best.
There are many other ways to add a core, the nucleus is probably the most robust and one of the simplest. There are many other lower cost options and there are also more expensive ones. See the links in my previous post for more on those.
You will eventually download a Roon ‘Control Point’ (ie app) which will replace your Naim app as your front end control application. However, this is different from the Roon ‘Core’.
You could purchase a Roon Nucleus as a plug in purpose built device hosting the Roon Core, but that would be relatively expensive. If money isn’t a concern and you are unsure of your ability to ‘build’ a solution, then this might be your best option. However, the best solution for most people would be to purchase a small computer like an Intel NUC (eg the NUC8i5BEH). This is the latest generation NUC with a relatively powerful core i5 processor that would run the Roon Core (database) perfectly. in fact, if you don’t have a collection of CDs ripped locally and you exclusively stream Tidal then a cheaper NUC8i3BEH would do.
You would need to purchase and fit a small SSD drive (say 128 or 256 Gb) in the NUC to host the Roon software and database, and say, 8Gb of appropriate RAM and then your device would be ready for an installation of ‘Roon’ (core/database)itself. Roon has available on its webstite a purpose built download called ‘Roon Rock’ which comprises a proprietary Linux based operating system and the Roon Core itself. This would need to be downloaded and installed on your Intel NUC device following the instructions provided on Roon’s website. You would then simply connect the Intel NUC to your network (and the internet) via ethernet, and your Roon core would immediately be recognised by your iPad Roon app (or control point). It’s all fairly straightforward although it may appear to be pretty daunting particularly if you don’t have a smattering of PC expertise. However, there are plenty of people on this forum who would help if you were to get into difficulties. Of course, although the Roon Rock download is free (with a small free trial period for Roon), you will also have to pay an annual subscription (around £99) or a lifetime subscription (£400 to £450).
If this just sounds too daunting, then a purpose built Roon Nucleus would be more or less plug in and ready to go, or you could probably persuade a dealer or a knowledgeable friend to build and configure a NUC with Roon Rock pre-installed for you.