Will my proposed hardware layout work?

Roon Software Discussion
1

Here’s what I think I want to set up, will it work?

I have an external hard drive attached to a Raspberry Pi in the bonus room over my garage acting as a file server. It is connected directly to my router via Ethernet. The drive currently contains, among other things, digital copies of all my videos, and I will be adding digital copies of my CDs. I also have an access point in my living room connected to the router via Ethernet cable. I want to add another Raspberry Pi with a DAC/AMP HAT (probably the HiFiBerry AMP2). This way, I could connect my existing speakers directly to the Pi/HAT, which is hard-wire connected all the way to the drive containing my audio files. I would not be using wireless anywhere in this setup.

Will this work with Roon? I’ve tried to research it, but most of what I found says that a Pi isn’t powerful enough to run the Core (?), but instead would have to run as a Bridge(?), connected to some other hardware (that I don’t have, and have no interest in obtaining).

I’m not really concerned about pin-dropping quality, I’m more concerned about convenience. We have about 350 CDs that we never listen to, because it isn’t “convenient”. We have a half dozen Christmas CDs that we listen to from a little under-counter player in the kitchen that we have to crank all the way up to hear in the living room. Other than that, we basically use Alexa and a small Bluetooth speaker. So anything will be good enough for us.

I also have another Pi in the bonus room running a Plex server, accessing that external drive on the file server, that feeds video to our TV using a Roku. I could also use Plex to play audio files through the speakers in the TV (I’ve already tested it), but the interface would be horrendous with that many CDs. But that is an example of the simplicity and convenience (and cheap-ness) that I’m looking for.

4

Well, technically a Raspberry Pi is a computer device, but I think I know what you mean.

If that’s the case, then that throws Roon out of my interest zone. The only “computer devices” in my house are my and my wife’s laptops, and I don’t want them muddled up in anything other than browsing and such.

Thanks for putting it into small, simple words that I can understand. And for replying so promptly.

5

Nothing stops you picking up a cheap used Intel Nuc. Seen many 7th Gen i5s for less than £200 ($240). Install Roon Server and leave it alone. You’ll forget it’s there!

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6

You can run Roon on any number of <$200 small board computers similar to a Raspberry Pi. See Beelink and MeLE for just two examples. But for now and the foreseeable future, they need to have suitable specs and be x86 architecture, not ARM architecture (unless Apple silicon).

AJ

7

Roon scores big on the convenience factor. But yes, you need a Mac or x86 box to run the Core on. Doesn’t have to be super-nifty, and you can hide it in the same place as your file server device.

Other than that, what you describe will work fine.

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8

Sorry, but that’s still more than I want to spend. And since I’ve been using Unix/Linux/RPi for 35+ years, and disabled with a brain injury, I don’t really want to try to learn something that I have no experience with. New software? Yes. New hardware? Not really. (The DAC/AMP HAT would be pushing it, as it is.)

Thanks anyways.

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9

Roon Server is based on Linux. It’s a stripped down version that only requires to be burnt to a USB.

However, I understand.

For entertainment; have a look at John Darko who set one up and goes through the process. It may help? (You’ll need to skip to 7:00 mark)

10

You can still use Unix/Linux, you just need an x86 box to run it on. Doesn’t have to be a NUC. (There are a lot of Roon enthusiasts here who for some reason which escapes me want to run Roon’s ROCK software, which is a stripped-down Linux, and they keep recommending NUCs. But there’s absolutely no need for that.) There are lots of threads here about inexpensive options for servers. Pretty much any old x86 box running Linux will work. Then you download the program “Roon Server” (the Core) and run it on that server.

11

Keeps the staff happy.

I came from a Dell Optiplex 3050 that cost me £49, and I installed ROCK on that. And that was perfectly adequate, I just wanted to downsize.

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12

I’ve actually gotten perfectly serviceable old Windows boxes for free just by asking on Nextdoor. You have to pay a disposal fee if you take them to the dump, and it seems people have lots of old computers they don’t know what to do with.

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13

@William_Dixon the right solution for you might be Plex. It runs on Raspberry Pi. Doesn’t have all the metadata and interactivity of Roon, but it should get the job done.

14

If you decide to go the core route, as suggested above, another relatively inexpensive option is a reconditioned laptop computer.