morphsci

OK, that pushed me over the edge.

That is exactly where I am at this point. I have until December to decide. I also agree about Roon support. My longest running problem was getting Roon Arc to work for me. To be fair it was basically a network configuration issue so not sure they could have done more for me than the few clues they provided. My other disappointment is that they only have IOS and Android versions of Roon Arc, not even an iPad version so I do not get to use the screen real estate on it. Pretty minor for me but still the lack of support is a negative point for many. The community is pretty helpful though.

I kinda like Roon Poon. I would probably buy one just for the name.

So I bought a pair of Edifier S1000W Wireless Speakers for our rec room, which we call, “The Lodge Room” for obvious reasons as seen below They use the wireless network and connect through Roon using airplay2. Pretty easy setup. Plugged the speaker in and connected the other pair, turned them on, downloaded the Edifier Home app to my ipad, connected the speakers to my network using the app, opened Roon, renamed the speakers, set them as the audio output zone and we now have music in the lodge room. Not exactly audiophile quality, but for their purpose, background music for gatherings and while I am puttering around downstairs, they work pretty well. A question: How do I rename this topic to just “Roon”? Edit: Dan, thank you for an excellent renaming.

Last night, a sashimi dinner and two orders of uni

After moving to Vermont, I have a new appreciation of Newhart, especially with my neighbors Larry, Darryl and Darryl. RIP Bob.

Yes to what Doug said. If you have a digital library then Roon is very useful. So the Nucleus One acts as my server, you tell it where your digital files are and it aggregates those into a library for you. You also tell it what services you have, which includes Tidal and Qobuz here in the States, and also makes those libraries available to you in Roon. You can use any Windows, Mac or Linux computer as you server as well as several different NAS systems. When you are listening you can also call up Lyrics, songwriting and performing details, etc. and you can then branch out from a particular song to listen to other similar style music within your library or services. So what you listen on can be any zone within your area. So my current zones include the Oppo and then my KEF LSX speakers. The reason they are set up separately is that the Oppo also connects to my Headphone amps. I control the Nucleus One output from one of my computers which also are running Roon or from my iPad which runs an iPad version of Roon Remote. I could also run Roon remote from my phone but I am old and benefit from a bigger screen and keyboard. There is also another program, Roon Arc that allows me to access my Roon server (the nucleus one) from outside my local network. So I have been able to access my Roon library from my iPad at work, airplaying to my office speakers as well as listening in my car while tooling around VT on my phone using Roon Arc on Carplay. Roon Arc is still a bit primitive as it is only available as a mobile IOS or android app. They do not even have a separate iPad OS version. So if you have a digital library, Roon works well and allows you to access your digital library easily from anyplace on your local network as well as from off network as long as you have a network connection. I am in no way an IT guru so I consider it a pretty good testament to its effectiveness. Most streamers are Roon capable at least and you can use a Ropiee appliance or any number of commercial products such as the Pecan Pi’s to make any DAC Roon capable. Anything you have connected to a computer you are using to run Roon automatically becomes a Roon endpoint.

In its present configuration there is no advantage in having the Oppo connect via Ropiee directly to the network. However, the Oppo will eventually be replaced with a minDSP SHD so I can use Dirac Live since I now listen mostly with speakers. The Oppo will be moved down to my bedroom so I can listen via headphones at night. The network connection will make its move totally seamless.

So I have been running Roon as my go to audio software for listening to my digital library and integrating it with Tidal and Qobuz. The software works very well and they have kept upgrades. I have been using a 2018 Mac mini to run my Roon server and it has worked very well though not without a few hiccups in keeping it running on a continuous basis. A picture of that setup is below. It consisted of the mac mini and a 10 TB USB disk to hold my library and Roon backups, a 27” monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse. The previous generation of Roon nucleus appliances were quite pricey compared to the Mac mini so I never really considered buying one. However when they announced the Nucleus One for $499 that changed everything. The nucleus has an advantage over the Mac mini as you can install an additional drive internally to hold your library so even with my $600 8TB SSD the price was actually less than the Mac mini and external USB drive. Obviously the Mac is capable of doing more than the Nucleus but I was only using it as a Roon server. So the primary goal was to simplify the setup and hopefully provide a more stable platform with higher up time. Replacing the Mac with the Nucleus One allowed me to get rid of the pieces below. This is all now doing duty as an additional workstation in our guest room. The new audio system is below. It has been very reliable and has been running continuously as long as power and the network is up. It also comes back up with absolutely no intervention when power/network connectivity is restored. It has also motivated me to reconfigure my network as we have both a personal network as well as the University network. Prior to this last week neither my Ropiee devices nor Roon Arc worked. But after a weeks worth of network reconfiguring and port forwarding hell, everything works correctly. I now have the Oppo attached directly to the network via a Ropiee device and I was able to use my iPad to connect to my Roon server from work using Roon Arc. I am happy with the purchase and most people with standard home networks should be able to get everything working in a day. The longest part will be transferring your library to the internal disk if you decide to go that route. It does have two USB ports on the back so you can also use an external disk. EDIT Note. Corrected price of Nucleus one from $599 to $499

Hah! That last one was my High School, but I was long gone by 1982!

Happy Birthday redux, Jose!

Happy Birthday, Jose!

Happy Birthday, Birgir!

I think I would have used the term didactic cuntery just because it sounds more descriptive, but that is me.

Happy Birthday, Kerry!

One of the true class acts in both sports and life. We lost a great one. Say hey to the big guy for me. You will be missed.

I hear The Donald is looking for work and he has tiny hands.

Built a vent board for our van AC unit that fits in the back window since they do not provide one and the only prebuilt one was really pretty cheap. This one is much more solid. Outside view inside view. We are almost ready for van life, which starts this Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

So Thursday we drove to Manchester, VT and toured Hildene for most of the day and then went to dinner at The Copper Grouse where Karen had a super Coq au Vin and I had an excellent orange duck. On Friday we attended a one-day Fly-fishing course at Orvis which was a hell of a lot of fun. After the course was over we used our 20% off coupon to buy two of their mid tier fly-rods and reels. Then we went for dinner at The Reluctant Panther and had an excellent lobster and Brie fondue appetizer. Karen had a nice, thick bone-in pork chop and I had an excellent lamb sirloin steak. Drove home on Saturday and picked up the dogs from the doggie pet resort. Nice relaxing mini vacation that we both needed.

I agree with this 100%. I thought he was outstanding in that role.

A Belated Happy Birthday, Doug!

I can’t believe I missed this A very belated birthday wish for you. Cheers to another year of fabulous cocktails!

Well that was the Canadian side. I will say nothing more. It was a pretty whirlwind trip. We drove to Niagara Falls and stayed overnight on the Ontario side. The las photograph in the previous post was from our room on the 30th floor of the Marriott Fallsview Hotel. Tuesday we drove back over to the US side and went on a three-hour tour of the various state parks associated with the falls. Stayed overnight in Utica, NY which is approximately half way. Had an excellent lasagna pizza for dinner. We drove back today and picked up our new rescue dog, Junie and now we are chilling at home until we pick up BearCub from the Doggie Spa at 4:00 pm.

A Belated Happy Birthday, Nate!