Best Server To Run Roon Core

Get a roon endpoint.  Raspberry pi is your starting point but with a small upgrade to include a well designed HAT (hardware attached on top) you are one step from unbelievable sound at a great price.

For me, the PI2AES was the way to go and beat my mac mini hands down.

https://www.pi2design.com/pi2aes.html

The PI2AES (the so-called pi-HAT) is the roon endpoint.  You can't install roon directly on a raspberry so instead you install an operating system that functions as an endpoint.  I used RoPIeee|XL which is pretty straightforward if you know anything about unix:

https://codexwilkes.com/downloads/ropieee-guide-for-beginners.pdf

The difference between this and running on my mac mini was like night and day.  I would say this was the biggest bang for the buck I have yet experienced on my system.  

I run this into an ADI-2-DAC FS and it sounds amazing.  Here's a great  article that does a showdown using the PI2AES:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/streamer-ddc-showdown-pi2aes-vs-sotm-sms200-ultra-neo.939706/

One major point i want to emphasize.

Everyone focuses on the DAC but most DAC's are pretty darn good.  The weakest link is often the music server.  I have a several thousand dollar mac mini I thought was just fine but it was destroyed hands down by the pi-HAT described above.

So the music server is very important.  

The music server does NOT have to be expensive.  I would be interested to see if others have observed the same as I did.

@decathlon -- 

I have a question. I’m using the Cary Audio DMS600 Streamer/DAC with a Roon Nucleus and a Audioquest Vodka Ethernet Cable. Is there any additional devices that will improve the sound even more like an OpticalRendu, UltraRendu or an EtherREGEN? Any other option available? I am thinking about the Cary Audio DMS700.

The Cary DMSs have a nice network bridge (renderer / endpoint) built in. If you want to improve something, then upgrade to the DMS-700. There is thread in here about a few people upgrading to the 700 and being very happy.

Later on, if so inclined, you can try an EtherREGEN or some other type of Ethernet switch or filter.

Just get a roon nucleus, it’s all you need. Don’t clutter things up with an unnecessary addon streamer, unnecessary.

no one has a clue why they need a streamer and a nucleus. Nucleus is all u need. Maybe add a lps, but this depends on your power quality to home, lps for most is snake oil.

Here's what I have and it has been running great for many months with zero issues:

Roon Optimized Core Kit (Rock) running on Intel Nuc NUC8I7BEH (Intel Core i7-8559U 2.7GHz). I have 16GB of memory, 256GB SSD for the OS and a separate 1 TB SSD for Storage of the music files. I also added a second external 1TB SSD connected via USB for additional music storage.

I wanted zero noise - no fans. So I took the Intel Nuc board out of the Intel case and installed it in an Akasa Plato X8 fanless PC case. You can buy these on Amazon. This black case looks great, and more importantly it keep everything running cool despite my fairly complex Roon DSP settings or when I play DSD music for hours. When I touch the case, it's barely warm, not hot. And I leave my Roon Rock on all the time, it is never turned-off.

My music files are Flac, DSD/DSF, and some Apple lossless. 

I have used this Roon server with USB connected direct to an integrated Amplifier (Lyngdorf TDAI-2170), as well as through Ethernet to a Naim Uniti Nova. I also used it connecting to a DAC that was connected with Raspberry Pi running RoPieee connected to my Oppo DAC, which worked great also.

Hope this helps, but message me if you have any specific questions.