Simplest way to Roonify NDS

Flipe is running innuos zen into ndac, with audiophileo usb/spdif cable.

I guess you can run the sonore upnp bridge on the Sonic Transporter so if you are after a Roon core and the ability to send it via upnp to the NDS then it makes sense to have one over the Innuous. They do supply an LPS as well that could perhaps bring it up closer to the Innous in SQ.

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I am very very pleased with the Innuos Zenith Mk 2 into nDAC/555DR. I donā€™t use Roon although I liked it a lot.

The two are connected by Audiophilleo plus PurePower USB to spdif using computer USB cable. The PurePower charges from the nDAC rear USB port when there is no music playing if it needs charging at all. The Audiophilleo connects direct via BNC to BNC connector to the nDAC. Audiophilleo reckon this to be the best solution and it saves on having to find a suitable cable with all the inherent issues that has.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Spdif as a transport as long as it is free of jitter. The Audiophilleo is down to picoseconds of jitter, and the PurePower is not connected to anything when playing so there are no sources of noise/modulation there.

The Innuos Zenith has galvanic isolation as does the Audiophilleo and I believe the nDAC.

So I am spared having to buy a streamer, but nDAC + 555DR is no cheap solution. Iā€™m glad not to suffer the Naim App although maybe it is now stable.

Phil

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Its not

Whilst the Audiophilleo is a viable solution the options with an NDS compared to an NDAC are slightly different and I think the Sonore bridge (or lms-to-upnp) is potentially a better solution for the NDS.

When I did this my aim was to have exactly the same sound quality through Roon as I do via UPNP using Asset and the Naim application. Nothing else would have been acceptable. The Roon > Bridge > Streamer route does this for me and makes the best use of the NDS.

I would be concerned that using the NDS just as a DAC could compromise things, with the variables of the transport and the USB to SPDIF solution coming into play.

@Camphuw if you are close to Dorset you are welcome to pop in and have a look at my setup same for @Laertes

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@trickydickie I also use lms-to-upnp running on an IMac with the Roon core running on Synology NAS (718+) with database on SSD. I was considering getting a NUC to improve performance but at a bit lost as to what is required i3,i5 or i7 to make significant improvement. Can you advise what inc memory, m2? and SSD you used?
This is to run Roon into a 272. I would connect the NUC to Cisco 2960 at 100 mb to see if any improvement can be obtained from Cisco switch. I donā€™t want to connect NAS to network at that speed.

Thanks for any input.

Cheers

CK

Even Phil Iā€™m not familiar with the audiophillio. But I recall the Zenith and it was impressive, which was why the Zenmini with LPS is an attractive proposition if I can find a way to connect it to the NDS without it being on the same stack.

I donā€™t know why you are all making this so hard for yourselves.

Get a NUC to run Roon Core and install ROCK
Get a SonoreUPnP Bridge, and configure so it presents a RoonEndpoint and then directs the stream as UPnP to the NDS, using the existing Ethernet input.
SQ is excellent, usability is way better than the Naim App, plus you have MQA playback, better Tidal integration, Qobuz integration.
Plus I run 2 other Roon zones, using non-Naim devices as Endpoints, so you can have a complete system running Roon.

Alternatively SGC i5 Transporter - this runs the Roon Core and runs the SonoreUPnP Bridge as a single box.

Anyway you can ā€˜Roonifyā€™ your NDS, leverage the excellent product it is without considering the huge amount required for an upgrade to the ND555

Simon.

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Thanks for the offer - depends where in Dorset, but a trip is always fun.
Iā€™ve read about the lms to upnp but not sure my computer skills are up to it, but itā€™s an attractive option if I setup a dedicated NAS.
Best
Steve

Each of the Innuos models going up the range delivers better and better sonic performance whether by its steamer Ethernet port or USB. The choice is yours.

If you follow the Melco threads which has Innuos posts as well you will get the drift that music servers need special engineering. Of course one important purpose of Roon is multiroom, but that is not for me. Neither is filtering. I didnā€™t want to throw away my nDAC moving from CDX2 to Streaming or splash out big time on a streamer and a ripping solution.

Even a Mini is as good as a NAS with the benefit of simple accurate ripping with easy editing.

The best thing to do is have a demo. I tried Mini, Mini + LPS, Zen and the Zenith that I settled on because it was simply better than the Zen which was better than the mini. I also got a good price it being a Mk 2. It was worth it for a 552/500 System.

If you want to hang on to NDS and have Roon then you have a problem although the NDS uses the same DAC and spdif implementation. So what if you donā€™t use the old Naim Ethernet architecture which seems less than perfect. Iā€™m happy without Roon.

@Camphuw, we should catchup sometime. Iā€™ve still to listen to your system.

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I have just changed from running Roon on a QNAP TS 453-Pro with 8gb ram and database on SSD to an 8th generation i3 and am very pleased with the improvement in speed and consistency of performance. I still have the music on the nas and run LMS in a container on the NAS.

I purchased an NUC8i3BEH3 (i3 8190U) with an Intel 760p 128gb M2 SSD and 8gb of ram. My thoughts were to get an 8th generation i3 as this has similar performance to a 7th generation i5. I donā€™t use DSP and mainly play to a single zone, my NDS but can play to 3 Musoā€™s a second system using a Yamaha streamer and also a Panasonic speaker used in the bathroom.

If you follow the installation and migration instructions you will be up and running in no time. It took me about 1/2 an hour.

The NUC is the taller type which allows a 2.5gb hard disk to be fitted. I may do this at some point but itā€™s working very well Iā€™m not in a rush to do so.

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SImon

Not sure why you are ā€˜aimingā€™ this at me, Iā€™m advocating the same approach. I think we share the view that the bridge approach is the best way to do this, whether this is Sonore product (easiest) or software bridge (cheapest).

Richard

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Steve

Iā€™m in Poole.

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Apologies, my response was aimed the other members in this topic - I used the wrong ā€˜replyā€™ button.

Simon

Thanks for info, I will adopt similar approach although I may just get SSD for NUC storage for future use.

Do you run full LMS package in container and switch everything off or just the lms to upnp standalone program?

Many thanks

CK

Yes I run full LMS in a container with everything turned off. Itā€™s very reliable and seems lightweight.

It would be nice to create a container that just runs the plugin, not sure how you do that though so itā€™s on the todo list.

Thanks

NUC etc orderedā€¼ļø

Keep me posted if you manage to get standalone running in container. I think that would be on my too difficult to do list.

Thanks for advice

Cheers

CK

Iā€™ve been following this and other similar threads for some time now.

Would I be right in thinking the Micro Rendu is sufficient if I use UPNP, not USB to Roonify my NDS?

Iā€™m thinking an Innuos plus Micro Rendu is a lot cheaper than Naim Core plus ND555.

Keith

The Micorendu is an expensive way to add the upnp bridge and you wasting what it was designed for which is high quality Ethernet to USB Bridge playback device. Get the upnp bridge if you can its all you need and is much cheaper. MicroRendu is only worth it if using it to stream as well via its USB output as Roon endpoint which you cant do to the NDSā€¦

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Thanks. So thatā€™s the Small Green Computer $229 box, plus presumably I would need a 5volt power supply from the likes of i-Fi so I can use it in the UK?

Keith

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