(Feeling guilty still: it’s all in paper so far): to allow me to back it up.
Should I be doing that with Ethernet/SMB?
It was about 4 years ago.
I suspect a poor usb driver, or a problem with the OS scheduling.
I know RME in the pro audio world had issues with some versions of Mac USB drivers.
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The iMac and Nucleus are already connected by Ethernet/wifi. No other connection is needed
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Thanks, Greg. I have read that page once but clearly need to go back and digest it some more.
I typically get Purple diamonds all the time now. And have always believed that my Audio Setup is as close to the recommendations as it should be. But clearly shall revisit once I have everything in place
Are there any changes I should make to the latest configuration which I have posted here in view of that article’s/page’s Rule 5, viz:
## Rule 5: Use Ethernet between Roon Server and Output
Roon has comprehensive and robust support for WiFi, but the sound quality often isn’t the same. For your highest quality rooms, plan on using wired gigabit ethernet connections between the server and the Outputs.
?
Now it looks right
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Looks good
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Thanks, Mario!
However do you have the patience?!
So much appreciated.
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And I’m sure both both your options will work well and sound great!
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Thank you very much, Greg!
As soon as I’ve got it all set up and under my belt, I really hope I can contribute here more 
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As for the USB cable, the same applies as for Ethernet in the sense that any standards-compliant, working cable is fine. It’s simpler because there is no choice of „Cat“. Look on Amazon, Anker is known to build good ones but Amazon Basics should do fine. I am partial to braided ones purely for haptic reasons
Same with the streamer, it only has to reliably receive digital data and pass it on. They differ on features but all you need is Roon Ready. The quality of the wifi can also differ between models but with Ethernet it’s irrelevant. Finally, the quality and reliability of firmware updates can differ - but it’s hard to tell because one can find complaints about anything online. I think the Zen had a bit of a rough ride when it was new. I think it’s probably fine now but I know no details about the current state of things. There is a long thread here, but focus on the new posts and not the old ones:
It’s probably the cheapest plug-and-play option, at least as far as I know. There’s also the Bluesound Node in a similar price range. I used that for a few months to bridge a gap during system changes and it worked as well, but if you search the forum you will find the odd complaint about problems after updates as well. Hard to tell because like I said one can always find someone with complaints.
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Thanks, Mario.
I think I’ll hold off on a Streamer for the moment and see how the configuration you all guided me to here works. Then research again.
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I have just now thought of one extra complication:
the P6 has only one USB port. But I also do use - all the time - other sources on my Mac (Dorico, composition software, from Safari, YouTube etc) which I also like to send to my stereo system and loudspeakers.
When I first started using Roon, I learnt that trying to get it to work with SoundSource was a mistake.
Has that changed; or is there another way to switch USB output at my computer in order to get around that, please?
I don’t know about SoundSource. I’d be tempted to use a streamer in this case after all and e.g. play the other sources with AirPlay if that’s acceptable. It’s what I do from the Apple devices but I don’t have great requirements, just that I can play YouTube to the stereo system and things like that
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Thanks, Mario!
@David_Snyder advised me to exclude SoundSource. And of course he was right. Roon works flawlessly without it.
I really do like to play other sources - especially Dorico (for realism’s sake) through the room’s stereo.
I could live without YouTube etc; and listen on my iMac’s speakers etc.
Would a USB switch like one of these, allowing me to select whether the output from my iMac or the output from the Nucleus went to the P6 (or Streamer) cable degrade or otherwise compromise the sound, do you think?
@David_Snyder always gives good advice
But can’t you use system AirPlay (via macOS) to send any audio to an AirPlay receiver? (I’m on a Mac but I’m still rather new to the Apple ecosystem, so I think this is the case but am not 100% sure)
Regarding the USB switch, I leave that to others who have tried that
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Mario,
Always! He solved it for me than and I was grateful too .
Not sure. None of my stereo equipment is on the same network as my iMac.
Shall look into it.
Thanks!
I mean if you buy the iFi Zen after all. The Zen will have to be on the same network as the Nucleus, and if you want to use Roon on the iMac to control the Nucleus then it will have to be as well. Roon only works if everything is on the same subnet.
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You’re welcome!
Library will be managed by the Nucleus, so the size shouldn’t really matter…
Something like that, but I don’t thibk you need the USB connection between Nucleus and iMac. Both are USB hosts, so it will not do anything without some jumping through hoops.
Any Raspberry Pi with USB output would work. Or any old spare computer. Otherwise, it all depends on what features you want and how much you want to spend. Maybe something like Allo USBridge for a cheap all-in-one piece. If you go for something “audiophile” you can easily spend more on a streamer only than what a better streamer with built-in DAC costs, since those tend to be overpriced audiophile products…
I am not familiar with USB boosters; it is possible it adds some noise to the signal that, depending on how well the P6 is made may or may not (most likely nothave some effect.
Some people (not surprisingly, ones who were sbookered into paying hundreds of dollars for an audiophile USB cables) will swear left and right that a cable makes obvious and dramatic difference, and if you can’t hear it, your system isn’t resolving enough, your ears aren’t golden enough, and anyway you are jealous that you can’t spend so much money, In practice, there isn’t a single measurement or blind test that would show any difference in DAC output attributable to USB cables. None of them (nor manufacturers, of course) can offer any kind of explanation for the alleged effect that would not make their high school physics teachers spin in their graves either,
If you were setting up your system on a factory floor with heavy machinery sending sparks every which way, you might need something well-shielded. But at home… nah, anything that is certified as USB 2.0 compatible cable will work.
If the cable is going to be visible, there’s nothing wrong on spending a bit more for something in a nice jacket and with quality connectors, but that’s about it.
There’s a pretty long thread on ASR about audio dropouts over USB on recent MacOS under somewhat heavy memory load. I haven’t paid too much attention (wouldn’t touch a Mac in he first place) but it’s a possibility. This is, of course, an OS issue, not USB issue.
That’s mostly a CYA from Roon. Ethernet connection is more reliable and they don’t want to troubleshoot every complaint that something does not work when the reason turns out to be WiFI drop-outs. You also don’t need gigabit bandwidth for even the highest resolution music. But overspeccing a bit does not hurt.
Node is pretty good, considering that if anything happens you can still use BluOS for reasonably good control and playback from multiple streaming services (and your library) but isn’t it limited to 192/24 (not that it weren’t enough) even on the digital output? My Powernodes are working pretty well for what I am using them for though.
If this is important, it might be better to plug the iMac into P6. As I recall though, at least some Macs had a digital (Toslink) output hidden in the headphone jack. If yours has that you could wire that to the optical in on the P6.
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