Hello again @TheraP.
When I mentioned using dbpoweramp vs the Nucleus for long sessions of ripping I was thinking about my situation. My NUC is in a small media closet, standing room only, vs sitting comfortably at my desk with my PC. Not really a fair comparison for ease of use. Sorry about that.
For 1 or 2 new cd’s I do use the NUC to rip but if I have a bunch my preference would be to sit at my deck with dbpoweramp so I can comfortably view the progress. They both get the job done.
I had to wait 22 hours or something to reply. Sorry.
I am guessing now that NUC is short for Roon Nucleus. And that if I attach the external CD drive to the Roon Nucleus, I can rip and somehow laboriously tag classical music (by composer, conductor, musician, singer, work etc.) in order to search.
I am also guessing that part of the problem of the DBPoweramp that I tried related to how the Microsoft Surface (by itself) messed up any ability to search for music I ripped. I’m not going to worry about the whys it happened. But I can try to test Roon via installing first on this Microsoft Surface along with the MacIntosh software that connects the computer to the MacIntosh Receiver, which is connected via MacIntosh Cables to the Speakers.
The problem of the laptop, however, is that it goes to sleep on me after a time. Which is of course annoying. So ultimately it seems to me that the Nucleus is the way to go. But first I’ll at the least test Roon for free, along with how it would help the ripping.
As for streaming services it seems (according to reviews I’ve read) that there’s really NO service (except for FM classical stations) that provides an extensive classical library in HD. Instead these services seem to view “classical” as a bunch of short excerpts or “songs” (as they might call them) to “introduce” people to something which, to me, is light listening - pretty insipid tunes, which offer me next to nothing. (Sorry if this sounds contemptuous. I don’t mean it that way. But I know I’m in a minority as far as these services go.). WQXY from New York City is excellent, with even a dedicated Opera service. (I can already get that and another Classical station from LA -
right via the internet - no need for ROON. But via the computer, which likes to go sleep on me!)
So first I’m going to try Roon on the laptop, even with trying to rip CDs that way. But using an Ethernet connection instead of the wireless one. That should improve things right there.
Thank you all for any assistance! It certainly speaks to having a “community“ of people here.
Thank you, Martin, for your kind assistance. I’m going to try and rip through Roon. And see how much tweaking is needed. And if I can even figure that out.
In the end, I may spring for the Nucleus it self, as it may simplify things for me. Hopefully.
But first I’ll do some testing. Please see my comments above.
I have to work myself up to trying things. As so much of this is new and untested. And testing my mental powers especially. I chuckle a lot according to the number of mistakes I make…
No, a NUC is an Intel computer in a small form factor.
Nucleus is Roon’s branded device.
Qobuz and Tidal aren’t that bad.
Sounds like a plan.
NUC is the brand of a line of small computers made by Intel. Some people buy one of those instead of a Nucleus, and install Roon’s operating system (ROCK) on them. Kind of a do-it-yourself Nucleus.
As I read reviews Quobuz has very little in terms of classical. When you consider the cost, especially, they don’t cater to classical. I do far better with FM classical just via the net. (See longer comment above.
Thank you for your kind response.
I want beautiful classical in HD. As good a resolution as possible. I can download at full price almost anything, of course. Then why pay for Roon? Instead I could spend all that to download directly exactly what I want. Some music companies even allow me to listen first. Even U-tube has HD classical music. That sounds pretty good. (And with Ethernet directly I think I’ll hear it even better.)
I see them as two separate things. Roon is about managing your content, not acquiring it. Of course, in addition you have to acquire it, either via streaming or downloads or ripping CDs.
But I’d urge you to take a closer look at the current Qobuz. All CD resolution or better now (they’ve dropped their MP3 tier), targets classical and jazz fans, works well with Roon, and the Sublime+ subscription lets you buy albums as hi-res downloads for a substantial discount, after you’ve heard them. The human-curated playlists, put together by actual people just like DJs on a radio station, are great (to my thinking).
ALSO to Bill:
I think I’m gonna avoid NUC and ROCK.
I will either stick with the Microsoft Surface Book (that’s very new) with the Roon (and maybe try DBPoweramp again also) or just spring for the Nucleus.
I’ve got a number of options to try.
Many thanks to all who have contributed. I’ll see how it all goes.
I started out with Roon on my Desktop for the free trail in Aug 2019. It met the minimum requirements to run Roon and did work fine. I decided quickly that I wanted a dedicated music server so the choice was a NUC (build your own) or Nucleus which comes ready to go except for the SSD to store your music.
I have 3 zones currently, the surround system in my living room, a roon ready speaker system in my kitchen and my PC in the bedroom area. It is nice to have music throughout the house or something different at each zone location.
I do hope you have a good experience with the trial and enjoy Roon as much as I do.
Thank you for the advice you’ve just sent me.
Quobuz: As for “playlists” - there is no way classical music listening is via “playlists.” (Unless FM Classical. Some stations give a daily list. Then you can pick and choose.)
“Roon is managing.” Ok. Then I must try it.
And Quobuz. Jazz is not my thing. Heavy Duty classical is. Early music. Renaissance. Not tone poem type music like Smetna. Nor extremely modern. Not even Stravinsky or Aaron Copeland Not New Age. I love Bach. Much of Beethoven. Chopin. Palestrina (Bach studied his work intensively).
Now I can’t see what else you wrote.
I will give these things a try. Bit by bit.
Yeah, I love this stuff, too. Was listening to Biber’s Rosary Sonatas yesterday. Wonderful!
But Chopin? Kind of modern 
. Guess technical mastery beats genre fencing!
OK. I enjoy the Gramophone playlists.
Thanks, Mike. I’m in a tiny retirement apartment. So music can be heard in the large kitchen/dining room/living room area. And in each of the two small bedrooms which are on either side.
I suspect your choice of the Nucleus is what I should ultimately do as well. I do love music so much. (As you can see from my “avatar” - which I’ve had for maybe 15 years. It’s called an “appogiatura” and it took a bit of time yesterday Roon to recognize it as “me”).
I’ll try Quobuz as you suggest. We’ll see…
Some limits are imposed on new members by the forum software in an attempt to fence off spammers.
I have upgraded your trust level, so these limits do no longer apply. Post away, @TheraP! 
Thank you, Bill.
I have bookmarked Gramaphone.
I should have said how much I love Piano music. Interestingly I find Chopin is some ways is akin to Bach’s keyboard techniques. And Scott Joplin is like Chopin. So… ok, yes some modern composers please me too.
Rosary Sonatas!!! Heaven… So familiar to me. Thrilling. (Way better than Chopin)
Totally understand.
That’s what I figured.
Thank you so much! I did see that above. Trust level amused me. As I’m a retired shrink.
Yes. Though I think the Romanesca recording with Manze is even better. Yes, wonderfully wrought music.
There are several threads on here covering piano music. I’m a fan of jazz piano as well, and one of the benefits is that you can go and see them in person. Bill Charlap, for instance, is well worth the effort. Wonder what Chopin sounded like in person?
I have Biber’s Rosary Sonatas playing now since @Bill_Janssen mentioned it here. I’ve never listened to classical music but I would like to expand my musical interests.
If you could find the time would you mind listing a few classical selections here so I can give them a try?
Mike, there’s a lot that could be said here, but it would take the thread off-topic even more. But Biber is an interesting case. Probably the greatest composer for violin ever. And the Rosary Sonatas are also notable for being scordatura – the violin is tuned differently for each of the 15 sonatas.
Somebody made this into an entire separate thread! Quite convenient. For me anyway.
So… what brings me back to this amazing group of people who’ve helped me with all this is that I’ve now read a lot of reviews of the Nucleus and Nucleus+. And it would appear that the latter, while more expensive, would be able to “upsample” - whatever that means - but the upshot is that this upsampling would take advantage of the wonders of the upgraded DAC module in the MacIntosh that I just had installed. And even if I have no Zones, it would also, apparently, enable my Speakers to sound better in terms of the room they are in. (All of which would please my dear departed spouse no end, and I’m sure he would have told me to go ahead and get the beautiful box with the lovely heat sinks, which would so well compliment those of the MacIntosh. Plus it stays on standby all the time. As does my machine.
So now I’m thinking, where do I get one of these Nucleus+ wonders? And wouldn’t it be so much easier to connect things up with such simplicity? Cost is relative here. There is the cost of trying to cobble things together and a learning curve for all the cobbling. Versus the lessor cost of something designed to be just a connecting box between my router and my MacIntosh. With the addition of the tiny usb hard drive, which is smaller than a pack of cards, so could be hidden behind the “connecting box. That saves me needing an Ethernet to USB adapter for the laptop. And the addition of noise, as I’m coming to understand.
I thought at first that Roon itself sells its machines. But apparently not?
And what I read in the thread where this all started (and has been moved from) seemed to tell me not to become seduced into thinking I’d need more than just this very simple solution to getting music to the DAC and storing my digitized CDs (along with upsampling them and helping me to tag them better).
So, should I just go for it??? This is where losing one’s best friend and conversation partner of nearly 52 years is felt keenly. So much easier when someone else encourages you to do what seems easiest - despite being costly. (But as I say, “cost” can mean endless hours of trying to fix something or make it work. When you could have sprung for the solution to begin with.)
You will have the one zone that will be the connection to the Macintosh in whatever form that takes.
You will get opposite answers to the question of which Nucleus to get. Some will tell you the less expensive one will be all you need and others will say go for the most powerful one. I’m of the more power mentality. But that is just me.