Best Server To Run Roon Core

With Roon my experience is streamer running Core extremely important, I'd never exchange Nuc with the K21 for the Core. Much better option is to run one of the simplified streamers, those dedicated to a single purpose such as running Roon Endpoint as the streamer. I've been through any number of Roon configurations over many years, best sound quality I've attained is running very high end streamer as Core/server with streamers such as SOTM and now Sonore OpticalRendu as Endpoints.

@sns FWIW, I recently bought a Bricasti M3 with the network option, and at the same time bought the used Antipodes CX to try using the direct Ethernet link as opposed to a USB cable. So essentially what you are doing with the lightweight endpoint. I have swapped between using USB and Ethernet and the difference is striking, in favor of Ethernet. I am sold on the network DAC idea.

@zlone I did go that route some years ago with network optioned Okto dac, in my case this didn't prove out to be best option. Perhaps it was the modified Raspberry Pi used in Okto that wasn't up to SOTM endpoint I believe I was using at that point, or perhaps the dac itself? I do see the advantages of bypassing usb altogether. So many routes available for quality streaming!

@lalitk @fastfreight MU1/Tambaqui indeed but the MU2 is all it’s touted to be and no AES needed.  E Grimm has got it down. 

@wsrrsw 

Good to know. I’ve moved on from electronics that rely on AES/USB protocol. IMHO, Ethernet is the way to go as long as you ensure a ‘clean’ signal to your server/dac.