I use the RaspberryPi/HiFiBerry solution in multiple rooms. Have used the digi+ into a NAC-N 272 for awhile. I have two non-naim systems in the office and basement and have recently upgraded my Pi hardware and am using the HiFiBerry Dac2 HD https://www.hifiberry.com/blog/hifiberry-announces-the-dac2-hd/ it is a huge upgrade and a great dac for the money and a great dac overall. So quiet and so detailed it is really a good source period. It also has good isolation and they don’t recommend the use of any kind of more expensive power supplies, the RaspberryPi USB-C psu is just fine… I can’t recommend it enough. I use Volumio which is also terrific and can’t recommend enough…
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These are my RPi setups:
Lounge: RPi 4B/HiFiBerry DAC2 Pro/HiFiBerryOS → Aune X7s headphone amp/Sennheiser HD650
Study: RPi 3B/HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro/HiFiBerryOS → Micromega MyDac/B&W MM-1
Bedroom: RPi 4/RoPieeeOS → Audioquest Dragonfly Red/Sony noise cancelling headphones (doubles for mobile use)
Conservatory: RPi 3B/HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro/HiFiBerryOS → B&W MM-1
Couldn’t be happier.
I have noted HiFiBerry’s comments on power supplies but using ifi xPower in the Lounge headphone and Study setups.
Dave
Sonore microRendu is available from Vortexbox.co.uk based in Kent and provides the Roon Bridge functionality. Available from £305.
I bought one at Christmas and works really well providing a Roon endpoint to my SU via uPnP.
David
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I use a microRendu in my main system for USB streaming to my Naim DAC-V1.
Dave
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A second hand Chromecast audio Puck using its digital out is very cheap… sounds okay too.
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I use their Audiostore server, and I’m very happy with it.
Same here. 
Dave
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can you tell me little more about the Sonore UPnP Bridge… is the case that you put one of these devices on the network and then all the Naim devices see this as a UPnP device and can then play whatever Roon is sending to the Sonore bridge?
Do the track detail etc. also appear on the Naim devices?
You just connect it to your network, point it to your Naim streamer and enable the Squeezebox Support option on Roon.
Roon will then see the Naim streamer.
NB the Bridge is for one device at a time and Roon ‘sees’ the Bridge, the Naim streamer just plays what it is sent.
You are then ready to use Roon.
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Couple of questions re the RoPieee please:
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- What HAT would you need if you had an NDX → Chord Qutest DAC setup?
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- Does the Artist/Track info still show on the NDX screen
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- Is it even worth having the NDX in the middle of the RoPieee+HAT and a Chord Qutest DAC?
I keep looking at the NDX as used prices are so cheap at the moment but wouldn’t want to lose ROON.
Hi if you have a qutest you don’t really need a hat as the qutest takes a USB input.
I dont know why you would want an NDX in the mix here. Pi into quetest, analogue output qutest into pre amp.
If you want something a bit tastier then the same pi can have a pi scree 7 inch attached to it to display whats playing and this software is all handled by Ropiee.
Here is a very bad shot of one such set up in my kitchen.
Cases for all of this area available on amazon and for like 120 quid you have an excellent roon endpoint with display for your qutest. win win in my book.
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…or just make do with your phone or tablet.
Dave
Well yeah, you can always ‘make do’ I suppose.
Make do and mend.
Dave
Ok, I have posted on this subject in a number of topics.
To provide Roon connectivity to the older generation of Naim Network players I looked at a number of options.
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SonoreUPnP Bridge, an out-of-the-box supported solution where the Roon stream is presented on the Ethernet port in UPnP format.
This software runs on a range of equipment, i) an appliance from Small Green Computers at $229
Sonore UPnP Bridge – Small Green Computer
ii) A Sonore Rendu device, the cheapest being a microRendu, available directly or from their Distributors such as Martin at http://www.vortexbox.co.uk/
It also runs on the UltraRendu, OpticalRendu and SignatureRendu
iii) The sonicTransponder server range from Small Green Computers and distributors including Martin at http://www.vortexbox.co.uk/ where you can run your Roon Core plus the SonoreUPnP bridge on the same device. The i5 version has been reported to run Roon and the bridge well. -
The open source LMS2UPNP software which runs on Linux platform. Cheapest solution is a RPi. A Built-it and maintain-it yourself solution. No major hardware requirements involved from CPU or RAM if you run it as a dedicated headless solution.
I have it as a backup solution on a RPi2 which I use to run Asset 7.2 UPnP server. I use DietPi, as a lightweight stripped down OS.
Some Linux knowledge and skill required to build, install OS, install and configure the LMS2UPNP, but there are guides on this forum.
There is also Windows version of the UPnP Bridge, but you would need a Windows platform to be running when listening. This maybe an option if you run your Roon Core on Windows, so have this platform available. However I have found that Music server, Bridges etc. run better on dedicated computing platforms with OS stripped down just to serve them and ideally a lower noise environment. Something you don’t get with normal Windows or a Mac environments.
Again as with the SonoreUPnP bridge the Roon endpoint presents a bit-perfect stream to the Ethernet input in UPnP format.
The Naim Network player will auto select the input when the streams starts. You then have to actively stop the stream in Roon if you want to select another input, otherwise it will jump back to the Ethernet input and continue to play the stream from Roon.
So this solution may not be the best for the Streaming Preamps in the 272 & 172.
Each UPnP Bridged endpoint needs its own Bridge, as it configured for each, and one maintains one stream at a time. So a multi-room system will require multiple, or a configuration of the bridge to direct the stream to a different endpoint.
- A Roon endpoint that outputs S/PDIF based digital output to used on one the digital inputs of the Naim device (this is the only solution if you just have an nDAC or V1 DAC).
There are many solutions here.
- A RPi with a HAT that has a S/PDIF convertor, such as HifiBerry, Allo
- A Chromecast Audio with TOSLINK optical output (limited on the formats supported, but up to 24/92)
- A NAA player with USB output, then a USB->S/PDIF convertor
- A dedicated Bridge product with S/PDIF output, such as Sonore Endpoint Sonore - endPoint, DCS Bridge, Limetree Bridge Lindemann
There are many different products here, all with different merits. However you are converting a packet based stream to a synchronous digital stream to feed into the Digital input on the Naim Network player. In doing so, the format conversion will potentially introduce its own characteristic as well as the possibility of jitter. However this is very dependant of the solution and good designs will strive to minimise this, but it is another set of variables in the playback path that can influence the SQ.
My feeling is that the Naim Network players such as ND5XS, NDX, NDS etc. were designed for a Networked input, and the playback path optimized for a UPnP stream. This is the format Naim still use to showcase their 500 series and Statement products. As such the UPnP Bridge solution is better served, as a Bit-perfect stream.
I have listened to a number of these solutions on my NDS/555DR and before this a ND5XS/NP5XS (and for a while NDS/NP5XS). When comparing different NAA devices into a S/PDIF convertor, I feel they loose to the UPnP Bridge playback in terms of timing & presentation.
I have the LMS2UPNP solution available on the RPI2 and prefer the SonoreUPnP bridge I have running on an UltraRendu/UltraCap LPS 1.0 - but that’s in my system with Sim Audio Moon amp, B&W 805 Signature speakers etc in my room.
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4 RPis here around the house as endpoints - mix of HiFi Berry and RoPieee - all sound about the same, all easy to do, and you can use minimal kit - Pi3, 2Gb (think one of mine is 1Gb), one or other Hat. Simple to plug and play. Don’t even need a case if you like the steampunk look. Or a clear acrylic if you want a contrast…
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No, this is not passed through. You get a ‘StreamingXX’ notation where XX is the number of streams you have initiated.
I have requested it, as the UPnP format allows it, but it may not be available in the right format from Roon, to be parsed over.
Of course if you use a S/PDIF output endpoint, this comes in a digital input (RCA, BNC or TOSLINK) so just the Input name given is used.
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+1
RPi 4B / HiFiBerry Digi_ Pro / HiFiBerry OS → NaimUniti 1 (essentially acting as a DAC) → Lexicon AV…
Very simple to build and commission (30mins) and sounds much better than the Chromecast I was using as an interim.
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Thanks for the responses, for some reason I didn’t get notified of them.
OK, so the Ropieee acts as the transport meaning the NDX would pretty much just be a pass-thru to the external DAC. Agreed, it makes no sense in having it then.
I think I’m just impatient to add another black box as I only have one (SN3) on a rack with three levels 
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Simon, I agree per my own experience. My set up is Roon → ultraRendu → 1st gen Naim streamer * via UPnP → NDAC
(*) originally a UQ2, then later an NDX
I first tried USB from the ultraRendu to a Bel Canto uLink USB/SPDIF converter to UQ2 → NDAC, and found the result was inferior to “native” UPnP streaming, like from Asset on a NAS. Even after adding USB and SPDIF reclockers. However, when I tried streaming from the ultraRendu over the network via UPnP instead, the result was indistinguishable to “native” UPnP, at least to my ears.
Is that purely for sound quality reasons, or otherwise? I have a bedroom system with a UQ2, and was considering LMS2UPNP on a RPi so that when using Roon, I wouldn’t have to take the extra step of repointing my ultraRendu to a different streamer (yes, I’m a lazy boy).
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