Hi @RBM. Thanks for the inspiration. I just realized that I have a Model B lying around. If I only needed Coaxial out for my endpoint, would I basically just have to power it up, flash it, and be done? I’m assuming this RCA out already on my model b would provide what I need without a HAT?
Thanks.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings: RoonBridge for ARM needs ARMv7 (Raspberry Pi 2B / 3B) – and is incompatible with the older models (B included) running ARMv6.
As for HATs: while the Pi offers stereo analog out via minijack, it is very noisy and offers less than stellar audio quality. Depending what coaxial out you need (analog or digital), a DAC HAT or Digi board is recommended.
Gotcha. Thanks for that! Yeah, i just read your beginner’s guide as well. Very helpful. Final decision then is HifiBerry Vs IQAudio Vs. ??? From my cursory research, it seems that HifiBerry offers the most ease-of-use on the software side, with their Mac/Windows image installers. Didn’t see that with iQAudio. Any thoughts for a newbie?
IQAudio offers a ready-to-roll RoonReady image as well (see the Roon RC5 image in the downloads section of their website).
HifiBerry and IQAudio use the same DAC chipset and sound very much the same. IQAudio’s PiDAC+ offers a built-in headphone amplifier, while HifiBerry’s DAC+ Pro has dual oscillators at 44.1 and 48kHz for more precise clocking. Basically, you can’t go wrong with either.
Note that the DAC+ Pro has an incompatibility with the Pi3’s built-in WiFi, so if you want to go that route you may prefer IQAudio or HifiBerry’s DAC+ in the non-Pro version.
After finally getting the Nanopi Neo up and running, and that being the second Linux setup I’d ever done, I decided to repeat the RaspPi 3 and Hifiberry digi(+) board for my third go-round. I like the wifi capability and optical out, especially when I know the component it’s attached to is more about functionality than slavish obsession with signal quality. My main system still runs on a MicroRendu, which I’ve been having more than my share of problems with lately, so when I move into my new house I might upgrade to a Bryson. We’ll see.
I vote for the BeagleBone Black. I added RoonBridge to this very easily. Been running ever since without a reboot.
And then there is the $7.99 NanoPi Neo
Genius. I’ve just got my phone working as an endpoint, outputting via Bluetooth to a powered speaker (the little Bose SoundLink). Great suggestion, thanks.
Totally. Now extend that to the Onkyo DP-X1 DAP and download Roon as an app and the player automatically pops up as an endpoint! So when I’m on my home network I can access my entire library in hi res format.
I just built a Pi Zero with an IQAudio DAC zero and the whole lot came to about £18 plus the case which was the most expensive single part, bought the IQAudio board for £7.50 when it was on offer and the PiZero was £4 and a USb Wifi was £5. SD card using Max2Play squeezelite image and it was off and running as soon as it was switched on.
NanoPi is an amazingly cheap start if you have the basics already (usb power and some kind of enclosure).
$12 deliverd I believe, and it actually streams glitchless over LAN. I used DietPi as OS.
Didn’t power the HiFace chip in my amp though, so had to hack a power inserter cable. Meridian Explorer worked fine out of the box.
While I wait for a better solution involving linear supply etc to make a proper standalone device it is actually powered by two USB ports from the MacMini running Roonserver… 
It was not actually the NanoPi that was to blame… just the crappy phone charger I used. With the ‘real’ power supply it works like a charm.
I would have got the x1 / 300r had I done just a little more research. I ended up with a S1, which cannot do this feature. Thus exact strategy of an endpoint is somewhat redundant, but this family of players does do a fine job of DAC and output.
I am still using the ras-pi and nanopi neo, and now with the new update am hoping to fiddle around with the iPhone as an endpoint. Are there any stickies about this new feature?
The least expensive and almost best sounding endpoint you ever will have is an old iPhone a or Touch with a camerea kit. (Almost Any iDevice will do)
It’s a no brainer, just buy that adapter.
If you’ll need better, you need Sonore UltraRendu or some copycat ®️ 
Now let’s have an iOS Brigde…
An old airport press is even cheaper and has great sound plus spdf… See this article
http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/airport-express-audio-quality-2014.htm
Bob
Have you actually tested that as a Roon endpoint. I suspect it will not work.
And then it has to be with toslink.
If it works with toslink AND act as a Roon endpoint, this may be an interesting solution. Though probably not the best SQ, but I will have to test.
Can you confirm please ?
Sure it works…as an airplay zone. You can’t group with RAAT zones though.
As per the other replies, yes it works really well and sound quality is good enough for music areas but maybe not hiding areas. It’s airplay and easy to set up
