As an owner of the Nucleus rev B, I would say the opposite, it’s just like something constructed by a child, if you look at it closely, not to mention the second-rate Nucleus OS):
Please see my Nucleus below (no secret about the serial # 
)
By hindsight, a mac mini or a good PC (whether it is Ubuntu or Windows) would run the Roon Server much better, and it is future-proof.
Mine sounds better than yours. By a lot.
Ask me why.
Oh and I think you got a dud. Seems Roon or your dealer should have replaced that for you. But saying that a device with active components can function as well as a device with 1/3rd f the motherboard turned off is a little silly, IMHO.
With respect the nucleaus, its literally a nuc in a metal case. Literally a nuc.
A NUC that is running a custom firmware, developed directly with Intel, that optimizes settings and circuits that you will never be allowed to manipulate. Wuth various considerations for long term passive-case use, thermal management, power management, RFI/EMI reduction, etc. It’s all laid-out in the Nucleus Whitepaper.
But, sure, it’s “literally a NUC in a metal case”.
It’s certainly a thing you do not have to buy; that you don’t need. But calling it ~“just as NUC” isn’t the most accurate or truthful way to describe the device.
Quoted from Roon source directly:
“Roon has never advertised the Nucleus as an improvement to the SQ. It’s function is to offer a turnkey appliance that, theoretically, needs no further twiddling”.
I fully understood and accepted what Roon has been saying about their Nucleus when I bought it. I accepted it as some kind of appliance because I am tired of rebooting my PC now and then just to play some music.
What are the differences between the Nucleus and Nucleus + ?
Does the latter offer additional functionality?
I guess it’s just a little difficult to understand the cost of a Nucleus + vs a diy NUC equivalent, allowing for the fact that good, thermally efficient metal cases are also available in the NUC space.
ATB, J
I think the difference is in Ram and the processor with the plus version aiming at large libraries and multiple end points.
The N+ moves from a core i3 to a core i7 CPU. The N+ also comes with 8GB of RAM as opposed to the N’s 4GB. That’s it.
You read all of that and tell me it’s still “literally a NUC” with a straight face:
One of many Nucleus drawbacks is that it does not support wifi. I’ve heard that some people prefer wifi to wired ethernet cable for streaming.
I’ve been running a NUC 7i5 with 8gb RAM in an Akasa fanless case for well on six years now, on 24/7, power by a Zerozone 12v linear power supply, with nary a missed beat. It has a 1tb SSD with my local albums in the case as well. My library is nearly 6000 albums (most of those Qobuz). There is absolutely no need to buy a Nucleus unless one really can’t use a screwdriver and follow a YouTube video.
Ohhh ah white paper! lol.
Its a nuc in a fancy case. White papers are created to assure people of why its so expensive. Why don’t you explain why tweaking firmware of a PC motherboard is going to ‘improve sound’
Keep that straight face mind.
Thing is, if you decide to not use Roon anymore, or it’s not for you, or if something goes wrong with the Nucleus out of warranty, you then have one very expensive (or dead) NUC. That’s it. At least with a Mac you can repurpose or sell on without much loss (plus lots on the used market or refurbished from Apple if you want to save a few $). And my 7i5 with the Akasa case came in around $600 tops (granted this was few years ago). The i5 is really the sweet spot as well - powerful enough but without the power consumption of the i7.
Disabling entire sets of VRM’s, WiFi/BT chipsets, XMOS contollers for newly concealed (and thus unused) USB ports? At minimum, those could have a very meaningful thermal impact, which is going to directly affect longevity of the device.
All via settings that Intel does not, and will never, make available to you.
Keep that straight face now.
Much of that one can do in the bios when setting up a vanilla NUC. Other than Creston control, it’s a NUC in a fancy case. But I do understand the need to be assured the expense was worth it, so be sure to keep that white paper posted near the hifi as it will make it sound much better (Roon themselves say there’s no difference in sound quality with a Nucleus, and most of that white paper are basics that apply to any NUC used with Roon. Lots of verbiage to say very little).
You’re not being honest at all. “Much of that”?? Much of what? Much of your complete lack of specific rebuttal to what I said? Did you even read it?
Also, I bought used and paid under $1k for my N+ with a Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD installed. You are the one who needs to justify paying full retail for a NUC and inferior case.
Roon also has to deal with a large cadre of measureb*tors, so their neutral stance is unsurprising. They have many hundreds of users who have proved that there is a difference in sound quality across multiple different Roon Core solutions.
You are getting very heated for some reason. I would imagine 99% of roons firmware adjustment was for thermals. You can make all myriad changes in NUC (or any other motherboard firmware) including disabling USB/Network, going to single thread performance etc etc.
Its a nuc in a nice metal case.
I’m not emotionally invested in this discussion. It would seem that you need me to be, in order to be a more effective foil for your assertions. Sorry to disappoint.
Roon has discussed this at-length that they collaborated with Intel to make changes that are not available to normal users. The bios settings disable the devices in terms of their availability to be used by an OS, they don’t literally power-down the devices and make the chips and circuit traces dormant of all voltage/current.
I don’t understand why you are trying so hard to justify your purchase decision. Every fact I give to you, you either reject or twist.
If you are talking to me I have no skin in this game, I would not get mugged with a nucleus lol.
I choose to believe roon in respect of their hardware, they make no claims it sounds better, which is reasonable.
Unless you get restless with your money, which is my case. 
