I wanted to say I really appreciate how you give the diagrams of how different devices are connected in your videos. It really helps to see what the device is supposed to do. "Is it a server and streamer?" or.... Thank you.
Wow Hans! This Nucleus One took my two channel system to another level! I am using the Volumio Rivo network bridge streamer with the Farad Super3 LPS. The Nucleus One is using the SBooster 19v LPS. The Rivo is feeding my ToneWinner AD-1PRE+ DAC/Preamp via USB and optical with the Douk Audio DDC. I also installed the ifi LAN iSilencer, along with the LHY SW8 network switch. Even the WiiM Pro+ I have in my system with the Nucleus One is taken to another level. I also received the WiiM Ultra the other day, using Chromecast with the Nucleus One sounds incredible, I cannot wait for the Ultra to become Roon certified, it may just give the Rivo a run for the money! Thanks again Hans, you are slowly emptying my wallet. ;-)
Thank you Hans! Yet another superb review. IMHO, you are one of the best Audio Equipmet Reviewers; providing just the right mix of technical and feature information to help us understand the product and how we can benefit by using it. This really helped me understand the benefits of adding a Roon Server to my system and that was something I never understood previously.
This looks a very attractive buy in a very nice case. I'm currently using an Intel NUC i7 which performs flawlesly so I can't see any advantage to change. This new server has a very attractive price that would capture the DIY market looking to build their own ROON ROCK Server, very nice.
The Nucleus One is silent so can be placed near your stereo. It is ready to use, so no fiddling with the bios and USB sticks. Whether it can replace your NUC i7 depends. I plan to use the One and phase out the i7 for convenience reasons. But if you have a large catalog and/or want to do intensive DSP work, stick with the NUC i7
This is the “ thing” i was waiting for. Plug and play without difficulties. Waiting for the releasedate this video gives me the last step to buy one. Thanks.
Going on four months with my Nucleus One, and it has been completely trouble free, unlike my previous experiences using computers of all kinds. If you want Roon, and are on the fence, just pick up a Nucleus One and be done with it. This device worked right out of the box and I was up and running in minutes. Highly recommend! And thanks Hans, you are the MAN!
@@jmp622 I tried several Mac minis and my iMac... For $499 the Nucleus One has been incredible. I have it tucked away, out of sight, out of mind, and it just works.
Roon is a mare for classical music. It classifies the conductor/violinist/pianist as the artist. I want the composer to be the 'artist' so that all my Bruckner Symphonies are in one place. Every Roon update wipes much of this out and I have to start again.
Stumbled upon this video and enjoyed it Hans. 👍 Looking to move away from my NAS being the ROON server. I became a lifetime roon member since 2016 as I transitioned from Meridian's Sooloos. Glad I joined back then and it has improved over the years but relatively still the same in the UI. I was surprised to see now the lifetime membership is around 3 x times what I paid when they first started.
Hans, thank you so much for this. I bought the LGC server last year on your recommendtion. I'm very happy with it, but this is what I was waiting for.... Sorry Roon, you're too late.
Thank you very much for the very informative video! This was exactly the information I was looking for. You presented that in a very structured and comprehensible fashion.
Thanks for the video. I’ve heard and read a lot about Roon. Your explanation was very helpful. Considering getting one to keep all of my music in one place.
Beste Hans, zojuist een analoge voeding aan mijn KPN-router gehangen. Je weet niet wat je hoort ! Wat een verschil op mijn Node 130 in vergelijk met de standaard geschakelde voeding. Je gaat gewoon twee stappen vooruit! Ben benieuwd of jij dat ook al,had gedaan. Met vriendelijke groet, Bram
Thank you again Hans, spending more of my money... ;-) I have played around with Roon for a couple of years. I had nothing but trouble with it, spent more time attempting to get it up and running on various computers and finally gave up. What I did like when it was operational is the sound quality improvement. But, what good is sound quality when the software only works when it feels like it? So, what the heck, I will give the Nucleus One a shot, it either works or it doesn't. If it does, FANTASTIC! If not, I will send it back for a refund and cut the word "Roon" out of my vocabulary.
Als Roon gebruiker van het eerste uur, ben ik nimmer tevreden geweest over de verwerking van de internet data. Eerst gebruikte ik mijn nas en vanaf 2019 ROCK op een NUC met een i5. Gaat deze Nucleus One snelheidswinst opleveren, want snelheid zoals in deze TH-cam post, heb ik nog nooit gezien. [bibliotheek ongeveer even groot en glasvezel internet]
Hans, you make great videos. I've been watching since Easter 2024 when I found ROON. You've been my guy. I love Roon and will have it forever. You've made me love it and continue to teach me things about it. Thanks for that I have about 500 albums of my own in my collection and the rest is TIDAL stuff. Please tell me, will the Nucleus make my system run faster and give me any sound improvement if all I really do is use my streaming service? I have WiiM Ultra plugged into a Cambridge receiver. I'm ready to get the Nucleus but don't want to throw money into the wind. My current core is a 12 year old Dell that never gives me any problems. The only thing that happens is sometimes I get the "tidal is running slow" message but I just start the song over and all is fine. It might happen once a day. Not too annoying. Please let me know your thoughts Should I buy a Nucleus?
So it is now finally available for pre-ordering in Europe. What do you think about the price difference with the Nucleus Titan? Worth it? Any chance of a direct comparison?
oh wow Hans i like your videos. They are so refreshing silent, calm and packed with informations. Thank you a lot for you work. You have any information about how to get a nucleus one? Because the original nucleus was officialy USA only right? Are we able to order it in Europe? Just asking because i have the strong feeling that it will be sold out for months.
It will be available form June 10th and shipment is free in the USA. I suppose shipment to the EU might cost. I speak Anno Vandermeer at the Munich High End Show and will ask him.
Hans thanks again for a great review. How do you back up the content on the Roon Nucleus One? Not just Roon's own files but the flacs and other audio files on the internal drive? Thank you!
I’m a Mac-loving Roon subscriber, and I’ve been considering the Nucleus line. I struggle with the value proposition of these products versus a headless Mac mini. What am I missing? My home network is a provider router bridged and a mesh network, so a vanilla connection via Roon Arc isn’t possible. I use a Tailscale VPN on my Roon core Mac and Arc functions very well.
You could also try enabling ipv6 across the network and escaping CG-NAT that way, assuming that's your issue. Provider router bridged to a mesh network should not cause double NAT.
the value proposition - Roon’s new server is USD 500. Which I think is a bit overpriced given it’s a just low-level very cheap processor in a nice case. But it’s enough to run Roon’s very “small” server software. Mac Mini’s - Probably even the earliest Mini’s would have more power than this. Far more than the software needs. I think Roon recommends the server be on a dedicated device … no other software. If that’s true the extra capabilities of the MM would be wasted. Or am I wrong about that? How much do new Mac Minis start at?
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel With utmost respect, I don't see what you're referring to. Perhaps a bit cheaper and easier to install on a vanilla network for ARC, but a Mac Mini would seem to offer a lot more at the price. Love the channel and the content, and not trying to troll. But having the MM running Roon Server seems difficult to beat for my needs.
I have a BlueSound Powernode and I love it for Roon plus just podcasts via Airplay and Tidal by itself as I sometimes prefer how they display the album It is a great overall system for me to get back into having a dedicated stereo dedicated to primarily music I have a MiniPC with Win10 on it that I use as a Roon server and it works ok except for when updates run. I had thought about getting a NUC that was certified to work with Roon Rock so I can use my miniPC for other things but those are usually pretty expensive ($500-$600). I think all I technically need is to have any NUC11 as they all have UEFI in the BIOS, but I never wanted to mess around with trying to fix hardware compatibility issues in the event they came up I think the Roon Nucleus One may be the best option for me - I only have a library of about 2k songs all on a USB drive and this would look a lot sharper on my stand than the Gigabyte mini PC I have plus it frees up the PC for other tasks No way would I have ever gotten the bigger much more expensive Roon server but this seems really like the sweet spot for me Thanks for the review!
The Roon database can be backed up by Roon to a USB drive or network storage. When you have added a 2.5” drive for the music files, that drive is accessible over the network and thus can be backed up from a computer using a backup program.
I'm waiting on the One. I pre-ordered it as soon as they announced it. Do you have any recommendations on USB CD drives to plug into it? I also have the original Nucleus and am setting it up so I would like to order a good drive to plug into the current one then the One.
Hans due to this review i had the plan for buying such Nucleus but…….do you have information about the availability of it! Seems that there are problems regarding this issue.
I am in Detroit MI, it took roughly 3 or 4 days from ordering to delivery to receive my Nucleus One. And it still said "Pre-Order" on the website. I will say though, it was a very worthwhile purchase. The overall jump in sound quality is simply incredible. Nothing like I experienced when trying Roon on a Mac mini, which was a terrible experience. I had sworn off Roon, as I could never get it stable. The Nucleus One has been rock solid and after setup, very stable. The Nucleus One is the way to go if one is not computer savvy.
The amount of DSL you can use depends on the number of tracks in your catalog. If you plan to do serious DSP work, go for the NUC i7. I don't use/need DSP and find the One great for up to 100.000 tracks.
Thank you for the video. I’ve been running my Roon Server software on a M1 based Mac Mini for about year now. It’s an upgrade for me from my 2014 Quad core i7 Mac Mini. I use several WIIM Pro end point streamers with it and BlueSound Node 2i with it in my house. The M1 Mac Mini has a two bay 2TB NVME SSD and 4TB SATA SSD paired with it to store music. I will hve to compare the new Roon device with this to see if I should upgrade. Any thoughts?
it would be interesting to know how the usb output to a dac sound like compare to a sotm or sonore endpoint to a dac! have you tried that? is it worth getting an endpoint if you only have one listening station?
I would go for an SOtM or Sonore anytime. See the Nucleus One as the server only (as goes for any computer save specially built Audiofile computers of sit to ten times the price of the Nucleus One.
once the nucleus one is connected to my home network, would i realze better sound if i connect the nucleus one to my Moon 280d Dac/streamer via usb a to usb B cable. thanks
My experience with the Nucleus was poor. After hours of effort, I could not get the app to find and configure the device. I have many devices connected to my network through Ethernet and wireless and never has such a problem. Instructions via a scan were vague and oddly did not appear focused on the Nucleus vs. other devices. Also their unusually short return window of two weeks added needless stress to the process. Roon does not appear to have put sufficient resources into instructions and thei oddly separate websites for hardware and subscriptions. Finally my unit arrived double-boxed but neither box was sealed. I saw the Nucleus as an easier and likely simpler approach than buying a Nuc and adding Roon software. Sadly, the device just didn’t work.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel As I mentioned, I have several devices easily and reliably connected from different manufacturers. Much more likely the problem resides in the Nucleus.
Can I use Room to simply upscale tracks that I mixed long time ago and not happy with the quality? not for streaming just to upscale my music. doesn't it work for that?
Will Roon work with my over 60TB Music collection? I've been playing it through my PC which has the best of the best parts and sending it to my SPL Phonitor X Headphone Amplifier via USB. What Server and DAC would you recommend, connecting to my Arcam AV41 processor? I've struggled to find anything fast enough except my PC/Workstation. I'm in the process of making another custom PC just for Audio but need some Music orientated server/storage software that can cache onto a RAID 0 4x GEN5 NVME 4TB drives which benched at just over 40GB/s and a RAID 5 setup for actual storage (10x 20TB Enterprise drives) Would love to keep the DAC just under $10000USD, although the AV41 does sound OK either Via USB or HDMI...
Roon, the software, will work, I thing. Although I have tried it only with 10 TB oof music. The Roon Nucleus One will not work properly with such a large catalog. The limit for properly working is around 100,000 tracks.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel That's the problem I'm facing, maybe one day they will update the hardware and software side to support such large databases, mine is mostly DSD formats (various) WAV and FLAC. I try to be as lossless as possible when attaining Audio and in many of my music I have direct Studio mastering of the Track, which, sometimes, is very hard to attain! Looks like my dedicated Music server build will have to do, just wish there was a UI (Roon) that would service such databases!
Can i use this without a pc? I mean putting an ssd with music in it and use a android phone or tablet with an app to scroll through the music on the ssd??
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Ok, i'm new to this so sorry for the question. Does a roon subscription gives you also limitless acces to music i don't own or is it just a pretty organiser of my own music?
Hallo Hans, 8k wacht al maanden o0 meer informatie over releasedatum en prijs voor Nederland van de Roon Nucleus One en de Titan. Kunt U mij toevallig hier iets meer over zeggen? Groet, Anthony
Hi Hans, I still learning about Roon and would like to implement it to my system. Here are my facts : 1) I don’t listen streaming music, only digital music files. 2) My digital music files are approx. 16 TB : 3 TB SACD ISO (installed in my internal memory ssd in my Eversolo DMP A8), 2 TB DSD 64-256, 4 TB PCM (FLAC / AIFF 24-96 up to 24-192), 6-7 TB FLAC / AIFF (16-44, or 24-44), the music files installed in external SSD closure with RAID 5 (4 TB x 4 drive SSD Sata Samsung EVo) 3) I only listen music through good headphone usch as Abyss Diana TC and Senheisser HD800s. 4) I have desktop DAC Cen Grand DSDDAC 1.0 Superconductor (DAC with 1 bit DSD Technology) with USB input as connection 5) I have Eversolo DMP A8 as my digital music Player (Unofficially will have Roon certificate as Roon end). I have 2 option in building my Roon Rock (Roon Core) : A) Build NUC i7 like yours, and using USB connection to my Eversolo DMP A8 (as my Roon end), then from Eversolo DMP A8 connecting to my external DAC Cen Grand DSDDAC 1.0 via USB cable. B) Purchase the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 plus as my music server and Roon Core, using it as my Music player as well. In this implementation, I won’t need Eversolo DMP A8 anymore. My question are : 1) how do you see the quality of USB connection from USB in option A (NUC i7) compared to USB in option B (Silent Angel Rhein Z1 plus as my Roon Core and player) ?? 2) Is the USB output in Rhein Z Plus (audiophile Roon core with better component than NUC i7) superior enough compared to NUC i7 ? 3) Should I use another external DDC from USB in NUC i7 to improve the sound quality ? Thanks in advance. 🙏🙏
I don't have an answer to your question, but I can tell you that I have been very satisfied with the Silent Angel Rhein V2 as a Roon Core and streamer (combined with Qobuz) for almost 2 years. The Rhein is powered with an SBooster power supply and is connected to my Hegel H590 amplifier via a USB connection (Audioquest Coffee). I previously used a PC with Roon, but this sounds much better and is sometimes indistinguishable from my Hegel Mohican CD player as a source. The Rhein is very smooth, has no malfunctions and updates neatly. With Roon a very pleasant combination!
@@klaverro thanks for sharing. I think I understand now why the Roon Core from pc (or NuC) can’t compete with Rhein Z1, because Rhein is the only Roon Core designed as audiophile grade. Off course, there is other option beside Rhein as Roon core such as Innuos, but the cost is too high.
The Nucleus One is silent so can be placed near your stereo. It is ready to use, so no fiddling with the bios and USB sticks. Whether it can replace your NUC i7 depends. I plan to use the One and phase out the i7 for convenience reasons. But if you have a large catalog and/or want to do intensive DSSP work, sto=ick with the NUC i7
The problem with this device is, that it does not support WIFI in addition. Running the Roon server on my macbook, it can both discover devices on the wifi and wired network which I consider crucial and I want to have that choice without a CEO of Roon telling me I shouldn't and therefore it is not there for my own good :-).
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel That is too general a recommendation. I prefer a somwhat deterministic and well configured wifi network without congestion over a bursty wired one with congestion issues and peaking gateways :-).
That is totally uninteresting. It is the bespoke Roon server combined with the processor that perform equally or better than a NUC 8i3. Bur thanks anyway.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Hans are you suggesting that putting an off-the-shelf computer in a nice case somehow improves the sound? Or is your point more that it's a nice package for people who don't/can't put Roon Server on a PC for themselves?
to be fair I really do not get the concept of this product line. It is ment to be a server, yet it lacks all the server safety features. If I would be to use roon at any point, I would need to be on a unit with RAID6 and 8TB storage, 10G fiber optic out and redundant low noise PSU . I am looking to move my files away on a high storage device, and honestly, nothing less then 10G fiber optic will do for my hi-fi system. It is ether that or a player with local storage like those from AURALiC or Rockna; If you have box that will run 24/7 for years and store all my library is to rely on a consumer level celeron or an i5/7.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel yes but that was not my point. Such a server will be 3-4 times the price without the 4 SAS drives, plus 6-1000€ for each drive. My point was to let them know what features are needed for such a server. They focused on making a decent pc for their software, and it is fine. I just hope to remind them that as a long time storage, we also need these feature and maybe see them make a small server with low thermal output to incorporate them. I mean we run fibre optic just to make our music 5% better, we will pay to have our library safe from data loss and corruption for years 😄
@@ytsgb Well, long wire are just antenna for various radio waves. the longer the cable the larger the more interference, so fiber optic is a better solution. Not only it is not a huge radio antenna, but also does not electrically connect my system with my network. Why 10GBPS? because at that speed I can use a remote storage as it was local storage, even for big audio files, and since we are talking about roon, remember that those large audio files does not go just one way at a given time. You can have 1GB+ file being read and sent at various devices in your home. 25GBPS would require a little too much processing and while it my or not influence the audio, is a little too much for my comfort. There are solutions like the optical bridge from Jcat but for 3000 Euros you just put the fiber optic and get a decent NAS.
@@richardgrant418 Know that. But I imagined that a Roon optimised hardware that doesn't run an operating system instead roon and nothing else would be super fast with the only thing it does. If not you could use an old Mac mini or something else instead. What's the upside if it's just a slow PC in a designed box?
I wanted to say I really appreciate how you give the diagrams of how different devices are connected in your videos. It really helps to see what the device is supposed to do. "Is it a server and streamer?" or.... Thank you.
👍🏼
Wow Hans! This Nucleus One took my two channel system to another level! I am using the Volumio Rivo network bridge streamer with the Farad Super3 LPS. The Nucleus One is using the SBooster 19v LPS. The Rivo is feeding my ToneWinner AD-1PRE+ DAC/Preamp via USB and optical with the Douk Audio DDC. I also installed the ifi LAN iSilencer, along with the LHY SW8 network switch. Even the WiiM Pro+ I have in my system with the Nucleus One is taken to another level. I also received the WiiM Ultra the other day, using Chromecast with the Nucleus One sounds incredible, I cannot wait for the Ultra to become Roon certified, it may just give the Rivo a run for the money! Thanks again Hans, you are slowly emptying my wallet. ;-)
Enjoy the music (and the empty wallet🥴)
Thank you Hans! Yet another superb review. IMHO, you are one of the best Audio Equipmet Reviewers; providing just the right mix of technical and feature information to help us understand the product and how we can benefit by using it. This really helped me understand the benefits of adding a Roon Server to my system and that was something I never understood previously.
Wow, thanks!
This looks a very attractive buy in a very nice case. I'm currently using an Intel NUC i7 which performs flawlesly so I can't see any advantage to change. This new server has a very attractive price that would capture the DIY market looking to build their own ROON ROCK Server, very nice.
The Nucleus One is silent so can be placed near your stereo. It is ready to use, so no fiddling with the bios and USB sticks. Whether it can replace your NUC i7 depends. I plan to use the One and phase out the i7 for convenience reasons. But if you have a large catalog and/or want to do intensive DSP work, stick with the NUC i7
I got a Nuc i7 as well. It’s a game changer. But that nucleus one looks nice, if my Nuc goes down and I’ll grab one of these.
Yep NUC user here, works flawless. Love the look of the Nucleus One, but that’s about it. Not saying I won’t hahaha but saying I don’t need it.
There's always the Akasa chassis for the nucs, which will allow you to run silently.
@@qj1247 👍
Hans is one cool cat. I could listen to him talk about Roon all day
Thanks for all of your content.
👍🏼
This is the “ thing” i was waiting for. Plug and play without difficulties. Waiting for the releasedate this video gives me the last step to buy one. Thanks.
👍🏼
Plug and play. Need to get a hard drive.
Going on four months with my Nucleus One, and it has been completely trouble free, unlike my previous experiences using computers of all kinds. If you want Roon, and are on the fence, just pick up a Nucleus One and be done with it. This device worked right out of the box and I was up and running in minutes. Highly recommend! And thanks Hans, you are the MAN!
....Blush...
Never had issue using M1 Mac mini. there was so many issues with previous model I won’t fall for it again.
@@jmp622 I tried several Mac minis and my iMac... For $499 the Nucleus One has been incredible. I have it tucked away, out of sight, out of mind, and it just works.
Roon is a mare for classical music. It classifies the conductor/violinist/pianist as the artist. I want the composer to be the 'artist' so that all my Bruckner Symphonies are in one place. Every Roon update wipes much of this out and I have to start again.
I underhand what you are going through with Roon. I'll publish a video coming friday to give proper response on your post.
Stumbled upon this video and enjoyed it Hans. 👍
Looking to move away from my NAS being the ROON server. I became a lifetime roon member since 2016 as I transitioned from Meridian's Sooloos. Glad I joined back then and it has improved over the years but relatively still the same in the UI. I was surprised to see now the lifetime membership is around 3 x times what I paid when they first started.
Yep, that was a good investment. Go for the Roon Nucleus One.
Hans, thank you so much for this. I bought the LGC server last year on your recommendtion. I'm very happy with it, but this is what I was waiting for.... Sorry Roon, you're too late.
😄
This is the product that will probably get me to make the jump to Roon.
👍🏼
Thanks!
Most appreciated 🙏
Thank you very much for the very informative video! This was exactly the information I was looking for. You presented that in a very structured and comprehensible fashion.
🙏
Thanks for the video. I’ve heard and read a lot about Roon. Your explanation was very helpful. Considering getting one to keep all of my music in one place.
👍🏼
Beste Hans, zojuist een analoge voeding aan mijn KPN-router gehangen. Je weet niet wat je hoort ! Wat een verschil op mijn Node 130 in vergelijk met de standaard geschakelde voeding. Je gaat gewoon twee stappen vooruit! Ben benieuwd of jij dat ook al,had gedaan. Met vriendelijke groet, Bram
Nee, maar bedankt voor het delen
Welke voeding? Merk, type?
Ordered one as well. Going to install Gentooplayer on my Magna Hifi Mano Ultra MK3.5 streamer. Supposed to be a good combo with Nucleus One.
👍🏼
Thank you again Hans, spending more of my money... ;-) I have played around with Roon for a couple of years. I had nothing but trouble with it, spent more time attempting to get it up and running on various computers and finally gave up. What I did like when it was operational is the sound quality improvement. But, what good is sound quality when the software only works when it feels like it? So, what the heck, I will give the Nucleus One a shot, it either works or it doesn't. If it does, FANTASTIC! If not, I will send it back for a refund and cut the word "Roon" out of my vocabulary.
If you keep the number of tracks within limits and your network is in good shape, you’ll be very pleased
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you Hans! Will be looking forward to getting back to you with my findings and results. ;-)
Thanks for the great review Hans.
👍🏼
Als Roon gebruiker van het eerste uur, ben ik nimmer tevreden geweest over de verwerking van de internet data. Eerst gebruikte ik mijn nas en vanaf 2019 ROCK op een NUC met een i5.
Gaat deze Nucleus One snelheidswinst opleveren, want snelheid zoals in deze TH-cam post, heb ik nog nooit gezien. [bibliotheek ongeveer even groot en glasvezel internet]
Nee, die is niet sneller
Hans, you make great videos. I've been watching since Easter 2024 when I found ROON. You've been my guy. I love Roon and will have it forever.
You've made me love it and continue to teach me things about it.
Thanks for that
I have about 500 albums of my own in my collection and the rest is TIDAL stuff.
Please tell me, will the Nucleus make my system run faster and give me any sound improvement if all I really do is use my streaming service?
I have WiiM Ultra plugged into a Cambridge receiver.
I'm ready to get the Nucleus but don't want to throw money into the wind.
My current core is a 12 year old Dell that never gives me any problems.
The only thing that happens is sometimes I get the "tidal is running slow" message but I just start the song over and all is fine. It might happen once a day. Not too annoying.
Please let me know your thoughts
Should I buy a Nucleus?
The. Nucleus One is great but I can’t judge if your current computer is the cause of your problem.
Another great review! Thanks again ❤
👍🏼
So it is now finally available for pre-ordering in Europe. What do you think about the price difference with the Nucleus Titan? Worth it? Any chance of a direct comparison?
The titan is only needed for a very large collection of albums.
Thanks
Thank you too
Hi would you recommend added a liner power supply to the Nucleus one ?
That depends. If you connect your DAC directly to the Nucleus, perhaps I would. Otherwise, no.
I've been pleased with my original Nucleus. 3+ years with maybe 4 hiccups that were all resolved quickly with a manual reboot.
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Thank you for the video, was informative and helpful. Can this be used without installing a hardrive as a server?
Yes, absolutely
Very helpful review .👍
🙏
Is it better to connect the Roon One to the DAC via Ethernet or USB? My DAC accepts both
In general Ethernet is better
oh wow Hans i like your videos. They are so refreshing silent, calm and packed with informations. Thank you a lot for you work.
You have any information about how to get a nucleus one? Because the original nucleus was officialy USA only right?
Are we able to order it in Europe? Just asking because i have the strong feeling that it will be sold out for months.
It will be available form June 10th and shipment is free in the USA. I suppose shipment to the EU might cost. I speak Anno Vandermeer at the Munich High End Show and will ask him.
Hans thanks again for a great review. How do you back up the content on the Roon Nucleus One? Not just Roon's own files but the flacs and other audio files on the internal drive? Thank you!
I use a backup program on the Synology NAS.
I’m a Mac-loving Roon subscriber, and I’ve been considering the Nucleus line. I struggle with the value proposition of these products versus a headless Mac mini. What am I missing?
My home network is a provider router bridged and a mesh network, so a vanilla connection via Roon Arc isn’t possible. I use a Tailscale VPN on my Roon core Mac and Arc functions very well.
You could also try enabling ipv6 across the network and escaping CG-NAT that way, assuming that's your issue. Provider router bridged to a mesh network should not cause double NAT.
the value proposition -
Roon’s new server is USD 500. Which I think is a bit overpriced given it’s a just low-level very cheap processor in a nice case. But it’s enough to run Roon’s very “small” server software.
Mac Mini’s -
Probably even the earliest Mini’s would have more power than this. Far more than the software needs.
I think Roon recommends the server be on a dedicated device … no other software. If that’s true the extra capabilities of the MM would be wasted. Or am I wrong about that?
How much do new Mac Minis start at?
I am afraid you miss the true benefits of the One. Browse through the comments here and you'll see.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel With utmost respect, I don't see what you're referring to. Perhaps a bit cheaper and easier to install on a vanilla network for ARC, but a Mac Mini would seem to offer a lot more at the price.
Love the channel and the content, and not trying to troll. But having the MM running Roon Server seems difficult to beat for my needs.
@@shockwavecity I will check that - thank you for taking the time to suggest this!
Hi Hans, great video, could this be used using a Powerline Adapter? thanks
Technically it is possible but running a server over a power line adaptor does limit the number of endpoints.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Hi Hans, thanks for the update
Would have liked your comments on using the Nucelus as a streamer with external dac, as I do. Thanks you for the video
The One is a computer and connecting a DAV directly to a computer does not give the optimum result.
👍 Seems to work pretty well for me. But I guess I would need to hear a very high end streamer in my system
Thank You.
You're welcome
I have a BlueSound Powernode and I love it for Roon plus just podcasts via Airplay and Tidal by itself as I sometimes prefer how they display the album
It is a great overall system for me to get back into having a dedicated stereo dedicated to primarily music
I have a MiniPC with Win10 on it that I use as a Roon server and it works ok except for when updates run.
I had thought about getting a NUC that was certified to work with Roon Rock so I can use my miniPC for other things but those are usually pretty expensive ($500-$600). I think all I technically need is to have any NUC11 as they all have UEFI in the BIOS, but I never wanted to mess around with trying to fix hardware compatibility issues in the event they came up
I think the Roon Nucleus One may be the best option for me - I only have a library of about 2k songs all on a USB drive and this would look a lot sharper on my stand than the Gigabyte mini PC I have plus it frees up the PC for other tasks
No way would I have ever gotten the bigger much more expensive Roon server but this seems really like the sweet spot for me
Thanks for the review!
👍🏼
does it have i2s output to a DAC? thanks
Did you watch the video?
How do you backup the internal SSD? Great post 👍
The Roon database can be backed up by Roon to a USB drive or network storage. When you have added a 2.5” drive for the music files, that drive is accessible over the network and thus can be backed up from a computer using a backup program.
I'm waiting on the One. I pre-ordered it as soon as they announced it. Do you have any recommendations on USB CD drives to plug into it? I also have the original Nucleus and am setting it up so I would like to order a good drive to plug into the current one then the One.
I have tried only one portable USB optical drive and that worked.
Hans due to this review i had the plan for buying such Nucleus but…….do you have information about the availability of it! Seems that there are problems regarding this issue.
They are starting up delivery in the US. The rest of the world will follow later.
I am in Detroit MI, it took roughly 3 or 4 days from ordering to delivery to receive my Nucleus One. And it still said "Pre-Order" on the website. I will say though, it was a very worthwhile purchase. The overall jump in sound quality is simply incredible. Nothing like I experienced when trying Roon on a Mac mini, which was a terrible experience. I had sworn off Roon, as I could never get it stable. The Nucleus One has been rock solid and after setup, very stable. The Nucleus One is the way to go if one is not computer savvy.
Mid Q4 in Europe according to Roon
@@larsv6144 Grab one if you can. Rock solid, and add a good LPS. I use an Sbooster.
Would using an better power supply, e.g. iFi Audio iPower Elite 19V, improve the SQ?
Only if you connect your DAC directly to the Nucleus. If you connect a Roon Ready streamer over the network, there is no need.
@ thanks. I connect it over cabled network.
Did you test dsp functionality and did you run into any hardware limitations vs the i7 nuc?
The amount of DSL you can use depends on the number of tracks in your catalog. If you plan to do serious DSP work, go for the NUC i7. I don't use/need DSP and find the One great for up to 100.000 tracks.
Is the power supply on this capable of running on both 110 and 220?
Yes it is. 100 to 240 volts 50/60 Hz
Thank you for the video. I’ve been running my Roon Server software on a M1 based Mac Mini for about year now. It’s an upgrade for me from my 2014 Quad core i7 Mac Mini. I use several WIIM Pro end point streamers with it and BlueSound Node 2i with it in my house. The M1 Mac Mini has a two bay 2TB NVME SSD and 4TB SATA SSD paired with it to store music. I will hve to compare the new Roon device with this to see if I should upgrade. Any thoughts?
I have not tried the M1 based Mac mini so I can't say for sure. But my guess is the One will not bring an improvement.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you. Will try to do more investigation. Appreciate your videos very much.
it would be interesting to know how the usb output to a dac sound like compare to a sotm or sonore endpoint to a dac! have you tried that? is it worth getting an endpoint if you only have one listening station?
I would go for an SOtM or Sonore anytime. See the Nucleus One as the server only (as goes for any computer save specially built Audiofile computers of sit to ten times the price of the Nucleus One.
once the nucleus one is connected to my home network, would i realze better sound if i connect the nucleus one to my Moon 280d Dac/streamer via usb a to usb B cable.
thanks
The Nucleun One is best connected via the network.
Is there any advantage to having this over a Nuc, which is what is what I currently use? My Nuc is fairly silent.
Depending on the NUC you have the Nucleus One might be slightly more powerful (i3) or slightly less powerful (i7)
The screenshot from Nucleus One shows a CD Ripper. Does that mean a CD drive is connected directly to the Nucleus One via USB?
Correct
My experience with the Nucleus was poor. After hours of effort, I could not get the app to find and configure the device. I have many devices connected to my network through Ethernet and wireless and never has such a problem. Instructions via a scan were vague and oddly did not appear focused on the Nucleus vs. other devices. Also their unusually short return window of two weeks added needless stress to the process. Roon does not appear to have put sufficient resources into instructions and thei oddly separate websites for hardware and subscriptions. Finally my unit arrived double-boxed but neither box was sealed. I saw the Nucleus as an easier and likely simpler approach than buying a Nuc and adding Roon software. Sadly, the device just didn’t work.
My guess is that a NUC will give the same problems. It really sounds as a network problem.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel As I mentioned, I have several devices easily and reliably connected from different manufacturers. Much more likely the problem resides in the Nucleus.
Beste Hans,
Al iets bekend over de leverings datum?
On the Roon site it says shipping from June 10th.
@@hennied okay,dank je wel Hennie.
👍🏼
Is anything more known about delivery in Europe/the Netherlands?
I can't find anything about that and ordering through the US site is not possible.
Can I use Room to simply upscale tracks that I mixed long time ago and not happy with the quality? not for streaming just to upscale my music. doesn't it work for that?
You can upsample using Roon on the Nucleus One. Whether that will improve the sound quality of tracks depends.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel is there a way for me to check on that? Can I send you the file and pay you if it got upscaled?
Sorry, no. But perhaps someone else.
You meantioned you used it with the MU2 right..? Does it make difference how to get the signal in the MU2? By network or by using a usb connection?
I havent' tried but I would be surprised if it makes a difference. Try it for yourself, it's easily done.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel i will as soon as its available in the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Cheaper coz Harman bought them out?
And had it fixed in a few weeks. Don’t think so.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel
Fair cop 👍
Will Roon work with my over 60TB Music collection? I've been playing it through my PC which has the best of the best parts and sending it to my SPL Phonitor X Headphone Amplifier via USB. What Server and DAC would you recommend, connecting to my Arcam AV41 processor? I've struggled to find anything fast enough except my PC/Workstation. I'm in the process of making another custom PC just for Audio but need some Music orientated server/storage software that can cache onto a RAID 0 4x GEN5 NVME 4TB drives which benched at just over 40GB/s and a RAID 5 setup for actual storage (10x 20TB Enterprise drives) Would love to keep the DAC just under $10000USD, although the AV41 does sound OK either Via USB or HDMI...
Roon, the software, will work, I thing. Although I have tried it only with 10 TB oof music. The Roon Nucleus One will not work properly with such a large catalog. The limit for properly working is around 100,000 tracks.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel That's the problem I'm facing, maybe one day they will update the hardware and software side to support such large databases, mine is mostly DSD formats (various) WAV and FLAC. I try to be as lossless as possible when attaining Audio and in many of my music I have direct Studio mastering of the Track, which, sometimes, is very hard to attain! Looks like my dedicated Music server build will have to do, just wish there was a UI (Roon) that would service such databases!
Can i use this without a pc? I mean putting an ssd with music in it and use a android phone or tablet with an app to scroll through the music on the ssd??
Yes, provided you have a Roon subscription
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Ok, i'm new to this so sorry for the question. Does a roon subscription gives you also limitless acces to music i don't own or is it just a pretty organiser of my own music?
It's 'just a pretty organiser'.......
Hallo Hans,
8k wacht al maanden o0 meer informatie over releasedatum en prijs voor Nederland van de Roon Nucleus One en de Titan. Kunt U mij toevallig hier iets meer over zeggen?
Groet, Anthony
Sorry, nee.
Volgens Roon midden Q4 te bestellen op hun website voor verzending naar EU.
Hi Hans,
I still learning about Roon and would like to implement it to my system.
Here are my facts :
1) I don’t listen streaming music, only digital music files.
2) My digital music files are approx. 16 TB : 3 TB SACD ISO (installed in my internal memory ssd in my Eversolo DMP A8), 2 TB DSD 64-256, 4 TB PCM (FLAC / AIFF 24-96 up to 24-192), 6-7 TB FLAC / AIFF (16-44, or 24-44), the music files installed in external SSD closure with RAID 5 (4 TB x 4 drive SSD Sata Samsung EVo)
3) I only listen music through good headphone usch as Abyss Diana TC and Senheisser HD800s.
4) I have desktop DAC Cen Grand DSDDAC 1.0 Superconductor (DAC with 1 bit DSD Technology) with USB input as connection
5) I have Eversolo DMP A8 as my digital music Player (Unofficially will have Roon certificate as Roon end).
I have 2 option in building my Roon Rock (Roon Core) :
A) Build NUC i7 like yours, and using USB connection to my Eversolo DMP A8 (as my Roon end), then from Eversolo DMP A8 connecting to my external DAC Cen Grand DSDDAC 1.0 via USB cable.
B) Purchase the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 plus as my music server and Roon Core, using it as my Music player as well. In this implementation, I won’t need Eversolo DMP A8 anymore.
My question are :
1) how do you see the quality of USB connection from USB in option A (NUC i7) compared to USB in option B (Silent Angel Rhein Z1 plus as my Roon Core and player) ??
2) Is the USB output in Rhein Z Plus (audiophile Roon core with better component than NUC i7) superior enough compared to NUC i7 ?
3) Should I use another external DDC from USB in NUC i7 to improve the sound quality ?
Thanks in advance. 🙏🙏
I. haven't reviewed the Rhein so I can't say.
I don't have an answer to your question, but I can tell you that I have been very satisfied with the Silent Angel Rhein V2 as a Roon Core and streamer (combined with Qobuz) for almost 2 years. The Rhein is powered with an SBooster power supply and is connected to my Hegel H590 amplifier via a USB connection (Audioquest Coffee). I previously used a PC with Roon, but this sounds much better and is sometimes indistinguishable from my Hegel Mohican CD player as a source. The Rhein is very smooth, has no malfunctions and updates neatly. With Roon a very pleasant combination!
@@klaverro thanks for sharing. I think I understand now why the Roon Core from pc (or NuC) can’t compete with Rhein Z1, because Rhein is the only Roon Core designed as audiophile grade. Off course, there is other option beside Rhein as Roon core such as Innuos, but the cost is too high.
I'm interested. When you first said the price, I thought I misheard you.
It really is a fine product for use with op to 100.000 tracks
I'm just not sure why I'd replace my NUC11i7... I don't think I'm the target market for this device.
The Nucleus One is silent so can be placed near your stereo. It is ready to use, so no fiddling with the bios and USB sticks. Whether it can replace your NUC i7 depends. I plan to use the One and phase out the i7 for convenience reasons. But if you have a large catalog and/or want to do intensive DSSP work, sto=ick with the NUC i7
The problem with this device is, that it does not support WIFI in addition. Running the Roon server on my macbook, it can both discover devices on the wifi and wired network which I consider crucial and I want to have that choice without a CEO of Roon telling me I shouldn't and therefore it is not there for my own good :-).
That might be a problem to you. Many manufacturers of music servers, Roon and myself advise to always connect a server over cable.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel That is too general a recommendation. I prefer a somwhat deterministic and well configured wifi network without congestion over a bursty wired one with congestion issues and peaking gateways :-).
@@GernotSchmiedand then when you get the Swiss Army knife does all, you will complain about SQ or price, right? Just choose another brand/product.
@@larsv6144 Please elaborate on the value of this response or advice.
Roon’s DSP - would anyone using it like to comment on its effectiveness and ease of set-up?
Does it run on the server or the “end-point”?
Works. Helped me with room correction eq
It is easy to set up.
It's a Gigabyte Brix GB-BMCE-5105 quad-core Celeron 5105 processor.
That is totally uninteresting. It is the bespoke Roon server combined with the processor that perform equally or better than a NUC 8i3. Bur thanks anyway.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel The only thing bespoke is the enclosure. It's an off-the-shelf computer, just like it was with the previous generations.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Hans are you suggesting that putting an off-the-shelf computer in a nice case somehow improves the sound? Or is your point more that it's a nice package for people who don't/can't put Roon Server on a PC for themselves?
I think it’s ridiculous that they don’t come with atleast a year of subscription
and pay import duty and trade margin over it. For there would have been a price increase then.
to be fair I really do not get the concept of this product line. It is ment to be a server, yet it lacks all the server safety features. If I would be to use roon at any point, I would need to be on a unit with RAID6 and 8TB storage, 10G fiber optic out and redundant low noise PSU . I am looking to move my files away on a high storage device, and honestly, nothing less then 10G fiber optic will do for my hi-fi system. It is ether that or a player with local storage like those from AURALiC or Rockna; If you have box that will run 24/7 for years and store all my library is to rely on a consumer level celeron or an i5/7.
Then the product is not for you.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel yes but that was not my point. Such a server will be 3-4 times the price without the 4 SAS drives, plus 6-1000€ for each drive. My point was to let them know what features are needed for such a server. They focused on making a decent pc for their software, and it is fine. I just hope to remind them that as a long time storage, we also need these feature and maybe see them make a small server with low thermal output to incorporate them. I mean we run fibre optic just to make our music 5% better, we will pay to have our library safe from data loss and corruption for years 😄
again, this product is not for you.
Hi Kurt, what benefits are you hoping to achieve by using a 10Gbps fibre-optic network for your audio system?
@@ytsgb Well, long wire are just antenna for various radio waves. the longer the cable the larger the more interference, so fiber optic is a better solution. Not only it is not a huge radio antenna, but also does not electrically connect my system with my network. Why 10GBPS? because at that speed I can use a remote storage as it was local storage, even for big audio files, and since we are talking about roon, remember that those large audio files does not go just one way at a given time. You can have 1GB+ file being read and sent at various devices in your home. 25GBPS would require a little too much processing and while it my or not influence the audio, is a little too much for my comfort. There are solutions like the optical bridge from Jcat but for 3000 Euros you just put the fiber optic and get a decent NAS.
Hmm seems slower than Roon on my Macbook Air M1.
Is that a surprise(??) the M1 is a VERY powerful processor
this device just runs a Celeron!
@@richardgrant418 Know that. But I imagined that a Roon optimised hardware that doesn't run an operating system instead roon and nothing else would be super fast with the only thing it does. If not you could use an old Mac mini or something else instead. What's the upside if it's just a slow PC in a designed box?
@@Forollo9210 I agree ……No upside
It's surprisingly fast for a Celeron (it's the newest iteration though) but it's nowhere close to the M1.