 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
70.181.190.203
Abe expressed an interest in my findings of the Roon Nucleus+. The review is now live at Darko.Audio.
Follow Ups:
Steve,
I apologize for jumping into your "For Abe" thread.
Just read your Nucleus review and quite enjoyed it.
I wonder if there are substantial sonic differences between Nucleus and Sonictransporter that you also reviewed postively not too long ago. I actually bought ST i5 mostly based on your review.
Also, do I understand it correctly that Nucleus can be used only for Roon? I finally figured out how to stream Qobuz on ST/mRendu (spoiler: mConnect/DLNA) and don't want to lose this capability ...
Lastly, can Nucleus I2S output be connected to an I2S input of a DAC, like PS Audio?
Thanks again for a quality review.
maxim
Probably not much difference in sound between a Nucleus and Sonictransporter if things are working well for you.
Yes, the Nucleus+ can only run RoonServer.
PS Audio uses a proprietary HDMI connection for their I2S connection. The Nucleus only has a standard HDMI audio output.
Thanks for checking out my review!
Steve,
Thank you for your quick response.
It sounds like you have not been using Sonictransporter recently. I wonder what your current opinion is.
My experience after a couple years of using ST is mostly positive, but I had some rough patches with software updates.
maxim
Perhaps I can review a new SonicTransporter in the future. It has been some time since I played with one.To set the record straight, Michael reviewed the SonicTransporter and was going to review their latest model before he was replaced.
Edits: 08/02/18
I've edited my post below to take out the question regarding the sonictransporter.
Very helpful information. Thanks.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
Thanks Steve.
The Nucleus/Nucleus+ seem like great turnkey solutions for Roon enthusiasts that want something that works reliably and consistently, along with support, unattended automatic updates, and a warranty from Roon Labs. I test drove Roon software for two years on the subscription plan. My initial hesitation was whether these guys would be around for the long haul. I finally paid for the lifetime license last month. Roon is IMHO by far the most user friendly, feature rich, flexible music player around, and it sounds great too.
I have a minor technical 'nit' and some comments.
Roon Labs decided to write their own operating system from scratch based on the Linux OS. It is optimized for the Nucleus / Nucleus+ CPU architecture and the kernel optimized for running RoonServer.
My little nit-pick here, which should be of no concern to someone considering a Nucleus:
- If the Nucleus is based on the Linux OS, then Roon Labs didn't write their OS from scratch. They modified and optimized the Linux OS for RoonServer. Nothing wrong with that. But it would be a stretch for Roon Labs to say they wrote the OS from scratch. The Linux OS evolved over decades with lots of work from open source developers writing and contributing code in support of Linux. Writing an OS from scratch would be a monumental task for a small company not in the business of writing computer operating systems. So which is it, Roon Labs? Is it modified Linux or your "own operating system from scratch". It can't be both.
The Roon OS provides features not found in many other servers. From the Roon Nucleus White Paper:
"Compartmentalized Filesystem Layout. Most media server products utilize a single read-write filesystem that contains the operating system, user-specific databases (including settings and caches) and application components. Roon OS is built with a compartmentalized file system layout to provide increased robustness against user error, hardware failure, and software bugs."
This design of the OS into three partitions - Boot, Application and Data - ensures that the Nucleus+ will always boot-up.
Partitioning the disk in this way is not a bad idea and it may be unique for commercial music servers, I don't know. But it's not unique in the computer industry. However, this does not guarantee that the Nucleus will always boot-up. While more robust than a single large disk parition, there are still many single points of failure and opportunities for Nucleus to not boot-up. Again, just a tech nit-pick ;-)
"Each update fully re-installs Roon OS, including the kernel. This guarantees that devices running the same OS version are always in the same state. Updates are installed atomically, meaning that it's safe to power off the device or reboot during an update without the risk of corruption or a partial install."
This is good. Rather than patching components of the software, re-installing a fully patched product with all patched components pre-tested together is a good practice, especially from a support perspective. From a support standpoint Roon Labs will always know what software level a customer's product is on w/o the potential for a mish-mash of out of sync patches on his Nucleus. It also appears that the entire update bundle is downloaded before it reboots and goes live. Again, good practice for a consumer turnkey product and from a support standpoint.
I'm completely happy with Roon on my Mac Mini. Roon ROCK on a NUC might be fun to build. I also think the base Nucleus is pretty reasonably priced for someone looking for a turnkey system. The Nucleus+ seems a bit pricey IMHO but in my case I probably wouldn't need it's capability over the base Nucleus.
Thanks for the write up!
That Roon comment about the OS design sounds like marketing bullshit. All implementations of Linux split the drive into 3 partitions in this way.
Good points Abe!
Isn't one of the rules with Linux is that anyone who uses it must keep it "Open Source"
Its a shame that they would take credit for writing the core Linux when so many people spent so much time and effort to create it.
Dynobots Audio - Music is the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth
FWIW they don't claim that when they post in their own community forums. The COO and CTO have said it's a customized Linux OS for the Nucleus in the same way that ROCK is customized for a DIY Nuk Core. But it's always been clear to me that they're not claiming ground up development for either.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
You made good points Abe; points I was aware of when writing the review, but I decided to present Roon's look at things.
For audiophiles that hate dealing with computers, the Nucleus will be appreciated. For many of the guys here, the DIY NUC using Rock is a great way to go when one considers the low cost.
But I have to admit, the Nucleus+ is slick and fun to live with.
I enjoyed reading your review, Steve. Of late, I've been a bit obsessed with Roon and the multiple approaches one can take in its implementation. Like Abe, I'm currently using my Mac mini as the Core. I have it with Roon Server only, and use my MBP, iPad and iPhone for remote control. As of now am still on the free trial period for Roon and Tidal, but I love it so far and will almost certainly extend both subscriptions.It's interesting that both Roon on their own community page, as well as my local audio dealer, have told me that the Nucleus+ is not necessary unless you have an enormous library, some crazy number of zones, or if the expanded DSP capability of the plus is essential. My dealer told me that Roon considers it important that consumers not be mislead into thinking they need the big brother because most won't. That proactive approach really impresses me, particularly when I find posts by their own COO and CTO saying the same thing in their own forums. They even openly encourage DIY-ers to try a NUK Rock if the price is an issue and disclaim any SQ differences between those two approaches. Refreshing.
The Nucleus is a very elegant solution for folks like me, though, and I've not ruled it out. Initially I plan to stick to the mini streaming to a Digione or microRendu, or some combination, depending on Zone. I enjoy the incremental changes, and my wife doesn't see the cash dump as easily! LOL.
EDIT: You just answered my question above on the sonictransporter comparison, so I'm deleting that question!.
Thanks again.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
Edits: 08/01/18
.
| FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
