"Roonify" your USB drive or NAS with the sonicTransporter

The microrendu also needs to be connected to the hub via ethernet. Other than that, you got it.

And the iPad needs to be connected to the same LAN via WiFi.

Yes @Rogerdn backup functionality is built into the sonicTransporter. You attach a USB drive and press the backup button in the web interface.

Yes @larry_green you have it exactly right. The microRendu, sonicTransporter, and NAS plug into your router via Ethernet and the DAC plugs into the microRendu via USB. You can control the whole thing with your iPad.

If you want Spotify you can use the squeezebox player built into the microRendu and the squeezebox server on the sonicTransporter. Or you could send Spotify from your iPad directly to the microRendu via AirPlay.

Does the USB drive apply if using a NAS ? And I donā€™t see a backup in the ST UI, where is it ?

Hi @agillis, is there a way to stop or even deinstall the Squeezebox App as I donā€™t need it?

Found it, sorry.
:slight_smile:

@Rogerdn You can use a USB drive and a NAS at the same time. The backup feature is designed for backing up internal storage. What are you trying to backup?

Hi @agillis, is there a way to stop or even deinstall the Squeezebox App as I donā€™t need it?

You can do that in the software manager

Is there a WOL option on the ST? I am currently using a laptop where WOL is not an option, this is one of the more important features I look for when looking to replace the laptop. Also is there a european reseller?

No there is not. The sonicTransporter is completely silent and uses very little power. itā€™s best to leave it on all the time. That way itā€™s available when you want to play music.

We donā€™t have a European re-seller but we can ship it from the US to wherever you are located. You will have to pay VAT but it will be cheaper then it would be from a European re-seller.

Andrew, can you talk a little, please, about how the sonicTransporter scales for libraries > 450k tracks? Is the solution to jump to an i7 chip or a more robust RAM/SSD combo? Iā€™ll be cresting 500k within the next couple weeks as I digitize more CDs and LPs and will end up around 800k tracks, give or take. Also wondering what makes the sT preferable to a Mac Mini?

BTW, a VortexBox I bought from you 8 years ago is still chugging away in a friendā€™s system. Upgraded the HD to a 3tb model and it still works great. Kind of ugly, though. :slight_smile:

If I were you, I would also ask about the GENERATION and SPEED of the i5 or i7 Processors available, as these specs are not quoted on the websiteā€¦and even more importantly, if they are Dual Core or Quad Core

For example, i5 processors are available from 1.4Ghz up to 3.3Ghz and beyondā€¦and more Cores obviously can make a big difference to performance

Likewise, the speed of the SSD is a VERY important issue when it comes to Roonā€¦and nowhere that I can see are the Specs of the proposed SSD mentioned

Are they older style SATA 2.5" drives??..or nVMe / PCIe ā€œcardsā€??..which offer FAR greater performance and Speed for the Roon UI

Hardware specs are VERY important for the efficient operation of Roon [as evidenced by the many threads here]ā€¦and I think that TRANSPARENCY in relation to the above and similar specs are Essential to a prospective User making a decision to use these devices for Roon IMHO

Good points, Ronnie, and I definitely agree re: transparency. At the very least, I do expect Andrew to clarify whether the chip is Skylake or earlier, and whether the SSD is M.2 or not. I wouldnā€™t dream of buying a laptop or tablet without visibility into specs; same here! Love the idea of the sT, but if I build a NUC or buy a Mac Mini I know exactly what Iā€™m getting.

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I donā€™t wish to teach you to suck eggs, but 800,000 Tracks / ~65,000 Albums is a LARGE libraryā€¦even by the the standards of the many Squirrels :wink: that we have here

I would also bear in mind that Roon MAY introduce some DSP / Upsampling / Apodizing or other features that will require Processing in the futureā€¦or that you may wish to try HQPlayer etc.

As a result, if I were you, I would look at a QC i5 or i7ā€¦SSD Sata or PCIeā€¦16Gb Ram

Then choose the OS you are most comfortable withā€¦and use that OS on top of the Hardware suggested above

As you mention MacMiniā€™s above, youā€™re probably aware that none of the current MacMiniā€™s would be suitable for what you want IMHOā€¦but the 2012 Macminiā€™s with QC i7ā€™s can be had reasonably on eBay etcā€¦and allow you to upgrade to SSD and likewise upgrade the RAM

You also mention NUCā€™s aboveā€¦and others here can commentā€¦but Cooling and perhaps Throttling can be an issue when using a Quad Core in such a compact environmentā€¦perhaps the newer ā€œGamingā€ oriented NUCā€™s have dealt better with this cooling / throttling issue

As youā€™ve likely gleaned already, Roon works great when itā€™s given the proper hardware on which to shineā€¦unfortunately compromising on hardware almost inevitably leads to a compromised experience IMHO

Currently running Roon on a 6700K/32GB/m.2 box that I use as a general purpose computer. Really just want to offload Roon to a smaller form factor that I can set and forget. The 800k thing is admittedly goofy, butā€¦eh, whatcha gonna do? We all have our issues, right?

We have the i5 unit with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD. This unit works very well with libraries up to 450k tracks. For larger libraries I recommend a custom system. I regularly build these for customers.

As for specs I donā€™t publish them. Why you ask? Because they change all the time!! Intel is forever changing their part numbers and my suppliers are forever changing their boards, specs, etc. If my parts houses are out of one type of SSD so I order another.

If you are a ā€œhardwareā€ guy and love specs email me and Iā€™ll tell you the specs of what Iā€™m shipping that week.

But the point is you donā€™t care about the specs of my products. Why? Because you donā€™t need to. I guarantee that my system with work with your Roon library! If it doesnā€™t Iā€™ll make it right. We spend hours testing all the latest hardware so we can find the most cost effective solutions for our customers.

Also we use our own Sonicorbiter OS. This is much lower maintenance then Windows or OSX your get a purpose built system for Roon not a generic PC.

This way you donā€™t have to pore over user forums looking for the correct specs for your Roon system. If you order from us you know it will work and work well.

We build extremely small and fanless solutions that can handle a music collection of any size.

Itā€™s that kind of disingenuous response that inspires so little confidence in your claims

Intel\s Tick-Tock cycle of change has averaged about every 13 months since Sandy Bridge in 2011ā€¦with only infrequent changes to the Speeds / Frequencies offered

SSDā€™s types & capacities also only change every 12-15 monthsā€¦and M.2 nVMe / PCIe SSDā€™s have now been available for approx 2 years

This lack of Transparency should only make it evident that you have something to hideā€¦if the Transportersā€™ specs were truly bleeding edge, then I have no doubt that you would be trumpeting them front and centre

Hardware Specs and Performance are important for a good experience with Roonā€¦and that is why you need to be Transparent and not just try to obfuscate the issueā€¦Credibility is easy to lose and difficult to get back again

Can you also elaborate on these ā€œTestsā€??

You say that you test some of your Transporters with Roon on a Library up to 24,000 tracksā€¦and some to 450,000 tracks

But can you describe EXACTLY HOW these tests are carried out??

Some questions that will be interest to Roon users

a) What is the Mix of Standard and High Res tracks that you test with??..and what Sample rates for the high res files

b) Do you test with DSD files??

c) How many Endpoints / Zones do you test with SIMULTANEOUSLY to stringently test the system to replicate how a Roon user will use his system at his home

d) What kind of Endpoint / Zones are you testing with??..USB out of the Transporter or Network based Endpoints??..and also what types of high res or DSD files you are using to stringently and properly test your Hardware??

Given the number of people who have already tripped up in ā€œover-burdeningā€ their Transporters with Roon, I feel it only fair that you provide more detail on the actual testing that you claim you are carrying out

Yes but that doesnā€™t mean all these processors are available for that amount of time. Things go in and out of stock all the time. Also new boards that support different chips become available. Same with SSDs. Also prices change all the time based on availability.

Iā€™m sorry for the lack of transparency on open forums. What Iā€™m trying to avoid is people reading this forum then expecting the same specs 2 years from now when this form post will still exist.

Again I would be happy to tell you the specs of what Iā€™m using this week!!

The standard sonicTransport is not ā€œbleeding edgeā€ at all. Itā€™s a Celeron processor. Itā€™s a cost effective solution for people with an average sized music library.

We donā€™t specialize in the latest ā€œbleeding edgeā€ gaming systems etc. We build small, fanless, cost effective, systems for audiophiles,

I have been building computers for audiophiles for over 10 years. I hope I have good credibility :slight_smile: