If you go for Pi in Kitchen. We got a Small TV, got a Pi (then quite easy) and put a Justboom AMP HAT on it. Then just ran Speaker cable from the AMP HAT to a pair of small KEF speakers we already had. All this just cable tied to the back of the small TV. Great for 2 years ongoing. Chromecast in the TV for the full display.
Definitely go for CAT Cable where you can. In the, “difficult to get to places” we use Devolo dLAN 550+ plug endpoints. Our Garage and bedrooms all run seamlessly from this without having to drill through walls etc.
I was very anti streaming until it came to ripping my LPs (timewise). CD’s were easy through the NUC. Also some of my LP’s had followed me to drunken parties 30 years ago and had suffered from those excursions . So ended up with Qobuz and am so glad I did. Have been introduced to so many new artists in the last couple of years.
Good luck with your project and hope you are not suffering from the lack of opportunity’s to perform in these recent times.
Volume Leveling is very helpful in normalizing volume level across a range of songs. Especially useful in the kitchen application but I use it all the time even for serious listening. It is not an AGC, just a fixed gain offset per song.
When adding vinyl LPs to a collection, it’s very handy to have each song available with title/artist metadata so they integrate seamlessly into Roon library. I don’t like typing this stuff in so I use a program called VinylStudio. It makes it easy to divide songs into files, tag them and find album art from online data. The developer site has videos to show the process in detail.
Personally, I would recommend building up the library in stages and doing some work on the metadata. And better be selective with the albums you add to enjoy the experience.
PI Shop has been reliable. If they sell you one, they have it in inventory.
I’ll second Vinyl Studio. It does a very good job at guiding you through level setting so you’ll not clip and does a very good job wrangling metadata for things in print. For things out of print, it will let you enter what you have from the sleeve.
Pro-Ject Record Box E
These are very convenient purpose built boxes. They’re data sheet exercises but such things sound quite good when configured by a designer having discerning ears and live music experience. No cabling fuss and task tailored. Simple design without frills that permits automated assembly and test allows these to be good and cheap. The Schiit Audio philosophy.
Pro-Ject DS2 USB
This is a more flexible version of the Record Box E that supports both MM and MC cartridges and can be switched for line input. Cartridge loading is adjustable for fussy MC cartridges. A line level input allows you to record live broadcasts. Tailored to home LP record transfer to digital. An optical output squelches ground loop hum. USB output for connection to “the box” (recording engineer slang for their DAW).
Audio Advisor appears to be discontinuing the Parasound Zphono USB.
I concur with this approach. Start inexpensively. The HiFiBerry hats are fine. I’ve used both the SPDIF and TOSlink outputs to Schiit Audio DACS (Modi, Modius, and Gumby Multibit).
The HiFiBerry boxes look homely but they do the job. I have 3 plus the Allo Digital DigiOne Signature. The Allo is an exercise in jittery slaying but even the HiFiBerry DigiPro is well within Gumby’s jitter tolerance. No jitter warning light!
If you spring for a Blue Sound or Brooklyn Bridge later on, the HiFIBerry devices can live on in casual listening areas.
Thanks, everyone, for all the great tips! I’m sorry I haven’t been able acknowledge them before now, and I think it’s a little late to respond individually, so I’ll just have to issue this blanket thank-you. I’ve noted many of the specific recommendations and will keep them in mind as things move forward and evolve.
Here’s an update of where are are now:
We have received the Intel NUC and related peripherals, which is where I’ll install ROCK. An external drive dedicated to music is attached directly to the NUC. For now I haven’t ordered a NAS but will do so later for general file storage and backup.
We ordered two Raspberry Pi 4s from an Amazon seller who promises they’ll be here by the 24th. Fingers crossed.
HiFiBerry has shipped a DAC2 Pro and a Digi2 Pro, which I’ll use to set up our two main endpoints. The DAC will feed the little bookshelf system, which we use only for casual listening in the living room. I’ll use either the SPDIF or Toslink out from the Digi2 to feed my A/V preamp for critical listening.
A couple of Google Nest Home speakers will provide background music for doing household tasks.
Once everything is up and running, I’ll provide another update, most likely with a lot of questions about why they aren’t working the way I’d expected!
One final update, since any further questions will probably be specific enough to warrant their own threads.
We’re up and running!
The installation of ROCK on the Intel Nuc was fairly easy. I had to adjust slightly for minor discrepancies between the on-line instructions and the actual process for my device, but I was able to work that out.
At the suggestion of a fellow Roon Community member, I opted to flash my two RaspPis with RoPieee, which was ridiculously quick and easy. (Actually, I had expected to find such a package for download from Roon Labs, and I’m still curious why they don’t offer RoPieee or an equivalent Linux build with Roon Bridge built-in.)
The RaspPi with the HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro HAT is running great, and my wife is thrilled. She has already given me two big hugs and said, “This is exactly what I wanted!” (I suspect this is not the most frequent spousal response to home audio upgrades, so I’m happy, too.)
The second RaspPi with a HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro HAT is ready to go. I just have to complete the ethernet extension to the main audio system, which I’ll reconfigure slightly in order to free up a Toslink input. I don’t anticipate any trouble, but if I run into problems I’ll post them in a new thread.
The Google Home speakers have been working fine and do surprisingly well, certainly well enough for the intended use of providing background music.
So, thanks one more time to everyone who responded above and helped us get underway. We’re very happy with our progress so far and are looking forward to more in-depth learning about the world of Roon.
Bruce that’s great news that it has all gone so well for you.
Not the response that most of us get from our partners with anything to do with audiophile purchases, so your wife is definitely a keeper.
The HifiBerry DACS are great and we have a couple in use in our house.
. So ended up with Qobuz and am so glad I did. Have been introduced to so many new artists in the last couple of years.
