Unitiserve and Roon

Stebro 

mom afraid your UnitiServe is definetly not a Roon end point . If your music is stored on your PC then your only option I believe is to make your PC the Roon endpoint and connect the PC to your DAC 

Thanks.  I did make my PC the endpoint (after figuring out that the US couldn't be used for this).  Now my issue is how do I connect the PC to my DAC.

The Unitiserve is not a Roon endpoint, but Roon should still be able to find the music stored on it and play that into a Roon setup. 

stebro posted:

Thanks.  I did make my PC the endpoint (after figuring out that the US couldn't be used for this).  Now my issue is how do I connect the PC to my DAC.

I guess the simple answer would be via USB, or SPDIF/Toslink if your PC has it. Either that, or via a streamer on your network. 

The pc and dac are in different rooms and a wired connection isn’t feasible.  I’m trying to figure a way to do a wireless connection.  Roon didn’t automatically  find my Aurilac dac or Unitiserve on my network.  Sorry but I don’t know what a streamer means.  

you need a “digital transport”  to feed your DAC.   A streamer combines the digital transport and DAC functions in one box. If you cannot link the PC and DAC you can use your PC as Roon “server” but include a new Roon “end point” innthe chain and connect via USB to your DAC.

one such device built in your neighborhood is the microRendu. Another could be the SoTM 200. Both are Roon end points with USB output. 

stebro posted:

I thought the Vega and US were Roon compatible.  

If you have the Vega G2, it is Roon ready (i.e., a Roon endpoint). If you have the earlier Vega, it is not, but there is a workaround (and the UnitiServe is completely compatible with Roon as a music source ) : 

Assuming that the PC on which you installed Roon has a USB output, connect that to the USB input of the Vega. Your Roon installation on the PC will act as the Roon Core and the Roon endpoint. Make sure that you've pointed Roon at the US.

I'm currently running Roon on an Intel NUC, using the latter's USB output into a USB-equipped DAC. No extra hardware bridge or digital transport is required, as Roon fulfills that function.

Let us know how it goes,

Jan

J-E, the OP states that he cannot connect the PC and DAC as they are in different rooms...hence my comment to decouple the server and endpoint functions....

Thanks DRPO and J-E.  I really appreciate your help.  

My Aurilac Vega is the original model. It’s listed on the Roon web site as “Roon tested”.   Not sure what that means.  From what you say, there are two ways to make this work: run a usb cord between my pc and Vega or buy a streamer.  As I mentioned, the cord option doesn’t work because the cord would have to run 50 feet or more through our house.   Not good WAF (and I wouldn’t like it either).  The streamers seem to be in the $500 range in the U.S.  Based on all this, I’m inclined to cancel Roon after the trial period and save the $500 until I’m ready to buy a new DAC.  It’s not worth $500 to fix the Unitiserve issue since most of my CDs were burned under the old cataloging system and are properly listed by composers.  Only the ones I’ve burned fairly recently have a problem and that’s a fraction of all my CDs.  

Thanks again.  This board is great.  

stebro posted:

Thanks DRPO and J-E.  I really appreciate your help.  

You're welcome. Sorry I missed the bit about the computer being in another room.

My Aurilac Vega is the original model. It’s listed on the Roon web site as “Roon tested”.   Not sure what that means.  From what you say, there are two ways to make this work: run a usb cord between my pc and Vega or buy a streamer.

Three actually : via a USB cable, via a streamer, or via a small dedicated computer that you can locate next to the DAC.

As I mentioned, the cord option doesn’t work because the cord would have to run 50 feet or more through our house.   Not good WAF (and I wouldn’t like it either).  The streamers seem to be in the $500 range in the U.S.  Based on all this, I’m inclined to cancel Roon after the trial period and save the $500 until I’m ready to buy a new DAC.  

If you're happy with the Vega, there's no reason to change it. All you need is a streamer front end or a small computer (like the Intel NUC) to serve as your Roon endpoint. The Intel NUC option will be cheaper than a dedicated streamer. 

It’s not worth $500 to fix the Unitiserve issue since most of my CDs were burned under the old cataloging system and are properly listed by composers.  Only the ones I’ve burned fairly recently have a problem and that’s a fraction of all my CDs.

You could always re-rip the recent ones using dBPower amp (which should correctly identify them) and copy them to your US downloads folder. 

Thanks again.  This board is great.  

As your devices are in separate rooms, you might consider buying a set of homeplugs to link them. I use Develo powerline homeplugs (with integral mains noise suppression).

Interesting!  Develo doesn't seem to be sold in the US but other powerline adapters are available.  Could I connect one adapter to the USB port on my PC, plug that into an electric outlet, connect another adapter to my Aurilac Vega and an electric outlet and stream Roon that way?  I’m already using a powerline adapter with my Unitiserve to allow Internet access.  Would the adapters interfere with each other?

stebro posted:

Interesting!  Develo doesn't seem to be sold in the US but other powerline adapters are available.  Could I connect one adapter to the USB port on my PC, plug that into an electric outlet, connect another adapter to my Aurilac Vega and an electric outlet and stream Roon that way?  I’m already using a powerline adapter with my Unitiserve to allow Internet access.  Would the adapters interfere with each other?

These Ethernet over mains devices work by putting extremely high levels of RFI onto your entire mains circuit, so I would avoid them. They probably will work, although if you search the forum, you will also find many reports of people having issues because of them. If you do try them, they generally use Ethernet, although some also have USB ports too.

I used the av500 or 600 types until I got the ubiquiti unify wireless systems  and had no issues but I  when i tried the faster av1200 ones my phono stage picked up noise so switched back. When I finally  removed them recently  I noticed no difference not to say you won't though.

AFAIK, the only method for connecting USB DAC’s to Ethernet is via a microRendu.

spinaltap posted:

AFAIK, the only method for connecting USB DAC’s to Ethernet is via a microRendu.

Im just learning this space, but given that he's using Roon, he can use a Bryston BDP-Pi or an Allo USBridge.  Both are based on the Raspberry pi, and while the Bryston costs about $1300 the Allo costs under $200.  Both are Roon compatible endpoints and do ethernet in and usb out.  (The Allo DigiOne does SPDIF out on the other hand.)

Since my last post on the subject, I've discovered that microRendu isn't the only game in town.

PS Audio's LANRover would appear to be a much better audiophile alternative...

https://www.psaudio.com/lanrover-usb-transporter/

SOtM devices as well.  Various price points.  They aren't for me as they only do USB output and I need BNC for my NDS.