In fact, in addition will give you one of my backup/spare ROCK servers.
Fully installed, operational - just reuse you existing Nucleus PSU and it will a plug-in replacement.
I have used a SonicTransporter for several years. Very reliable and as others have said, it is ready to go when you get it. Just add your Roon license and user and password for Tidal and/or Qobuz and you are in business. Andrew Gillis at Small Green Computer is very responsive for any issues you have as well as any needed repairs. My SonicTransporter i7âs SSD failed after 3 or so years. I shipped to Andrew and he replaced and upgraded the internal SSD to 1TB for less than $200. Had it back in about a week.
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I should add that the SonicTransporter that I have uses a desktop i7 whereas the Nuceus i7 at the time I bought my ST used the âmobileâ or laptop i7. More processing power. Check with Andrew for details on a specific model.
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Try to fix it. Body is the most expensive part of this device. Inside there is just an ordinary computer which can be repaired or board can be replaced. I wouldnât sell it for sure
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Itâs been said here that Nucleus is just a computer, so let me say that you can just get any other computer to replace it. You can:
- Choose any OS you like that can run Roon core.
- Choose your storage options, e.g. internal SSD for the OS and any large capacity internal or external drive(s).
- Choose your memory based on the size of your library.
- Choose your CPU based on your DSP and multiroom requirements.
Thatâs all there is to it. No fancy cases needed, no expensive repairs. The only non plug-and-play part is installing Roon core, which is like installing any other app.
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I wonder how many realize this. Thank you for reminding/pointing this out.
All true. There are builds of Roon Server (the app) available for Windows, macOS, and many Linux distributions. However, music finantics with no computer skills may find building and maintaining such a solution daunting. Thatâs why the plug-and-play Nucleus/Nucleus+ exists.
To experienced computer users, Nucleus may sound âexpensiveâ, but they are discounting the value of their own knowledge and experience, which not everyone has.
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Many people treat computers as appliances. The only skill it calls upon is installing an app, which is arguably part of the minimum computer skills set. Itâs like being a photographer getting a Mac and installing Photoshop on it. Getting a Nucleus is just a matter of aesthetics.
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Right! Wise advice!
The main reason why I bought the Nucleaus is the aesthetic design of box. I know that there are many ways of setting up the Roon Core.
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I get what youâre saying, but have you spent much time in the Support section of this community? Thereâs plenty of evidence to suggest that the skills required to run Roon Server are not as common as you would think. That, and a network service that runs 24x7 is a very different kind of thing than an app for editing photos. Troubleshooting skills are almost never required to run Photoshop, for example.
Nucleus definitely has its place, both in terms of functionality and cosmetics.
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TBH, I also bought my Nucleus for its aesthetics. I was hoping to get more than 3 years of use without a hardware problem. Especially on that cost $600 to repair.
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Yeah. That is not a reasonable repair cost. I blame supply-chain issues. But, let us know how you get on with the TP-Link USB to Ethernet adapter.
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I also get what youâre saying, but after you install core on a computer, how is running it any different than running Nucleus? isnât it a set-it-and-forget-it experience? If support section tells me anything, itâs that Nucleus has more than its fair share of issues, and the locked nature of it might make people pay unreasonable repair costs for simple solutions they could find on this forum.
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What else can you get for $600? I would fix it.
Actually, I would purchase a NUC and install it in the Nucleus case.
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I checked on this repair and it was determined that the unit was stable, but the board in question had a loose ethernet port. The ethernet cable probably got yanked in a nasty way. It happens to the best of us. Sometimes no damage occurs, sometimes it breaks. Depends on how it was yanked.
Unfortunately, these ports are part of the motherboard, so the answer is to either solder on a new port (something we can not do) or replace the board (expensive board).
This was a Rev A Nucleus purchased ~3 years ago, and Intel no longer makes that motherboard, and the replacement is not something we carry. We had a few until the last Rev A was out of warranty. The technician looked for one but failed to find one. Weâve tried to retrofit with a newer board in the past, but were unable to find a solution that worked.
The quoted price was based on:
- time to find a new motherboard
- the estimated cost to purchase it
- the labor to install it
- shipping both ways
- a tiny bit of margin there since itâs not a defect in the product and it is out-of-warranty
You can do it yourself and save the cost associated with #1, #3, #4, and #5. We have to pay employees, so I know what our time costs are, but your situation might be different (higher or lower).
You can also find a port and resolder it. Probably will cost you <$20 for the part, but the risk and time investment in soldering may be expensive (or not if you are good with that type of thing).
We did send the unit back to @Larry_Gelman at our cost, even though that is not the policy for this type of situation (non-defect, out-of-warranty), because it was a situation that was so unfortunate.
Most RMAs come in with bad network settings or an SSD that went sour which is trivial to repair. I wish we could have prevented the time waste of the round trip.
Yes.
It shouldnât tell you anything because you lack the other side of the equation, the number of units sold. The majority of Rev A units are still up and operational just fine.
Thatâs the cost of turn-key products. Remember, we also give away ROCK for free, while many others charge for their equivalents.
This is a great solution to the problem.
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@danny. Thanks for the detailed explanation. Of course everything cost much more given the current situation. My only point was instead of paying $600 for a new board(that may or may not be the exact problem) I would rather buy a new Nucleus or suitable substitute with a better warranty . Still love Roon! Thanks for taking time to look into my issue and the free diagnostics.
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Makes sense. To be clear, when I said, âThat is not a reasonable repair costâ, I was not impugning Roon Labs. I just meant âreasonableâ in the sense of cost vs. value for having the repair done. Kind-of like totaling a car after an accident vs restoring it. 
But, in this case, if USB to Ethernet is acceptable, @Larry_Gelman should be fine. They did raise a concern about the lack of USB ports, but moving Nucleus to another room and using a dedicated transport would be a nice solution. Or, using a USB to Ethernet adapter that also has a few USB ports might work.
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A local shop thatâs hungry enough will probably do the soldering job for $100. Instead of asking them to diagnose whatâs wrong, just have them solder on a new port.
I doubt that a new Ethernet port or a USB Ethernet port is going to fix the problem.
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Maybe find a used motherboard on eBay?
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