I run Roon on a laptop and it works fine. It suits me because I can use it when I’m not at home.
Arguably better to run it on a dedicated computer, which could be a Mac Mini, and Intel NUC or pretty much any computer. A Nucleus is just an Intel NUC with Roon loaded onto it and nothing else, so a good option if you can’t be bothered to install it yourself.
There is no mention of it being roon ready on the ak website.
After googling it, it appears to function as a roon endpoint.
In other words, if you have a roon system running in your house, you can play music to the ak.
Whatever is stored on the ak is excluded from the roon library, I see no mention of the ak file system being visible across the network; it functions as a roon endpoint only.
Muso 2nd gen is also roon ready.
So you would need another device on the network capable of running roon; a Mac mini, laptop, intel nuc, there are many solutions.
The ak and muso still don’t talk to each other.
Aha, so it is Roon-ish…
I am beginning to conclude that doing nothing is the best way forward. My Brennan is now wired to my Muso and it all sounds great. My home is small enough that I do not need anything else … although want and need are of course two different beasts.
One final question - would a Star (almost my entire collection is ripped cds) and a Muso work well as a combo? Does the Star add enough to what the Muso brings me to warrant the extra £3k cost?
Tempting to move the whole current set up to room 2 (Muso far too much for such a small room but…), buy a Star + speakers for the main room…
If you have ripped the CDs already, why would you want a Star? Personally I would buy an Atom or a Nova, depending on how much cash you have available.
My logic for the Star is that I will still be ripping CDs into the future, and I was working on the assumption that getting as much of my core equipment from the same brand as possible would make life easier.
So if I ditch that plan and continue to rip on my Brennan, can you complete the sentence “You want to buy an Atom because compared to your Muso the Atom will …”?
(sorry if the above request sounds cheeky)
The muso is ok as a bit of furniture that makes reasonable noises. But it doesn’t compare for sound quality with a proper system with two loudspeakers. The Atom is the cheapest of Naim’s all in ones.
But all of that is a separate issue to what you rip CDs with.
thanks (although my Muso is looking depressed now). So, to be clear, a Star (with the ripping integrated and the music all stored “in house”) provides no advantage? Better to have an Atom, rip onto a memory card?
The music isn’t stored “in house” in a Star. It’s also stored on a USB store or SD card just like the Atom and Nova.
The right way to do it is to put the ripped music on a NAS (which could be a UnitiCore but doesn’t have to be) and access it over your home network.
that is helpful thanks, and rules the Star out of my thinking at least. I think my problem (well, one of my problems…) is that I am trying to build around my existing kit which is probably too diverse to work in harmony. Perhaps an Atom plus sd card + speakers in my living room is simple and best, move the Muso to my study and play it via the Atom, and keep my Acro for my headphone listening.
That sounds much more logical!
I think that’s now the CI 102.
Roger
Well yes but I don’t know enough about that to recommend it, whereas the Atom is a sure fire piece of kit.
If you have access to a laptop or some form of personal computer, that would allow other options for ripping, which as you know, is (usually) a one time operation.
The Star is not just an Atom with a CD ripper. It’s a more capable device with better sound quality and a more powerful amp. Personally I wouldn’t buy it just for ripping CDs, I’d do that on a computer for added versatility at low cost, but if you have the budget for a Star you may no longer need the Brennan and you’ll have a more capable music player.
Notwithstanding that, I still wouldn’t buy a Star personally. I would buy an Atom or a Nova if I was willing to do the ripping another way.
The Brennan rips to MP3 I think? So that’s a big sound quality issue right there. But it’s a long time since I had a Brennan myself so current devices may well be different.
Hi Raoul, it would be helpful to give some indication of budget available. Do you have particular speakers in mind?
I would endorse HH’s suggestion of Atom HE plus active speaker, but you’re looking at around £7k with the smallest active PMCs. Not sure if that’s within budget.
Roger
I haven’t heard a CI 102 yet, myself, but note @Stevesky says some positive things about them, so thought if funds were constrained they’d be worth adding to the audition list.
Roger
B3 rips CDs and stores them losslessly on SSD/HDD using FLAC.
Budget is around 3k.
I live in a 2 bed flat which is not the largest. I won’t be playing particularly loud and most of my listening (around 80%) is headphones for which I am all sorted (Focal Bathys for out and about, Stellia (still in box, arrived a week ago) for home while working, with an Acro CA1000T (AK SR25 Mk2 while out and about).
Tempting to upgrade SR25 player and spend it all on SP3000M given how much listening I do on the go, but I am hoping the Acro (also new) upgrades me on the SR25 enough.
So, to home…
I rip on a Brennan B3 and then play that wired through a Muso 2. Soon to hook up my Audio technica usb record deck to the Muso as well. I have a Sonos speaker (rarely used at present) for the bedroom.
Options seem to be to move the Muso and brennan out of the main living space and start a new system (Atom + speakers maybe with music on an sd card), or try to find a way to use Muso and build around it or onto it somehow to create something that works.
OK. An Atom and a pair of small stand mounts looks a good way to go, though your budget won’t allow a massive expenditure on speakers, which is why I suggested considering the cheaper CI 102.
I first heard the Atom at a hifi show a few years ago. It was playing into a pair of Dynaudio Emit M20 speakers and that little system had one of the most enjoyable sounds in the show, which included some seriously expensive high end systems. That should just about fit your budget, particularly if you can buy ex dem.
Roger
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