Roon Server for Lumin X1

[kzs70]

Hello!

 

I have more or less finished the network in my media room for the new Lumin X1 with fiber connection. I have tried to isolate it as much as I could from the rest of my home network. At the moment the Roon Server is located on a different floor in the office and the core is running on an old Win Server PC. This PC is getting very slow so I have to upgrade it soon.

 

I have been doing A-B tests, playing some demo tracks from a USB stick directly plugged into the X1 using the Lumin application, vs streaming the same tracks from the Roon server with Roon.

Before "optimizing" the network the USB playback was clearly better. Now it is very close but I still prefer the USB version on some tracks.

 

The question is: would it be any better to install the Roon Core on a new quiet PC server with LPS closer to the Lumin (connecting it to the ER)?

Or in a system like this the location of the Roon Core does not affect the sound quality, so I can run it on a "noisy" PC in the other room?

 

Thanks,

Zsolt

[jcn3]

I'd add a fanless NUC server running ROCK (or whatever OS you prefer, replacing the noisy pc), connecting it to the A-side if the ER. I'd do fiber from the ER-X-SFP to the ER and move the Lumin X1 to the B-side of the ER.

[wklie]

My standard recommendation for Roon Core is an NUC8i7BEH with a fanless chassis, m.2 SSD for OS, 8GB RAM if you run ROCK without a huge library, 16GB RAM or more if you run Windows.  If you can wait till next month, see if ROCK support for NUC10 will be available by then or not.

 

As for whether closer is good or not, the Roon Labs recommendation is: as far away from your audio equipment as possible.

 

There is an alternative setup you can try.  This is not the Lumin standard recommendation, and this defeats the optical isolation, but apparently a lot of people in this forum like this kind of bridged setup, where the Roon Core (or MinimServer) with LPS is directly connected to the RJ45 port of the X1 without going through any network switch.  The X1 SFP remains connected to the network as in your diagram.  This is possible because the RJ45 and SFP ports inside the X1 are internally bridged.  (Take care not to create a network loop such as switch - computer - X1 - switch, this will be really bad.)

[kzs70]

7 hours ago, jcn3 said:

I'd do fiber from the ER-X-SFP to the ER and move the Lumin X1 to the B-side of the ER.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I have tried Cat 8 from the ER B-side to the Lumin (but with the noisy Server) and to me the fiber from the A-side sounded better....I will try it again once I have a new server.

[kzs70]

4 hours ago, wklie said:

the Roon Core (or MinimServer) with LPS is directly connected to the RJ45 port of the X1 without going through any network switch

 

Thanks Peter, I might try this too. I assume I would need a Jcat Femto Net card or something similar in the server. I will investigate whether if that is possible with a NUC/ROCK or not...

[wklie]

20 minutes ago, kzs70 said:

Thanks Peter, I might try this too. I assume I would need a Jcat Femto Net card or something similar in the server. I will investigate whether if that is possible with a NUC/ROCK or not...

 

No, you don't need that unless you want femto clock in the network.

Since X1 already has two network ports, you don't need to have two network ports in the Roon Core for a bridged setup, i.e.

 

SFP switch or EtherRegen SFP - SFP port of X1 - RJ45 port of X1 - Roon Core

[wklie]

Duplicate post deleted.

[kzs70]

I see....In this case it is even simpler to try it with a NUC and a LPS.

[wklie]

11 hours ago, wklie said:

If you can wait till next month, see if ROCK support for NUC10 will be available by then or not.

 

I'll retract this statement.  I did more reading of NUC10 vs NUC8, and my preliminary analysis that NUC8 is better than NUC10 for Roon.  Get the NUC8i7BEH while you still can.

[kzs70]

19 hours ago, wklie said:

 

NUC8 is better than NUC10 for Roon.

Yes, I have come to the same conclusion reading comparisons. And I have a 12V LPS which might not work with NUC10 if that is really 19V...

[wklie]

Do not use 12V LPS for any NUC, because you have no margin for common voltage drop.  Use 19V only. 

[wklie]

On 8/6/2020 at 10:00 AM, wklie said:

My standard recommendation for Roon Core is an NUC8i7BEH with a fanless chassis, m.2 SSD for OS, 8GB RAM if you run ROCK without a huge library, 16GB RAM or more if you run Windows.  If you can wait till next month, see if ROCK support for NUC10 will be available by then or not.

 

Update: The latest ROCK supports NUC10 on-board Ethernet driver.

 

However, NUC8i7BEH is still preferred to NUC10i7FNH.

[wklie]

For those using ROCK or Nucleus, I suggest holding off update to Roon OS Build 221. Wait for a few days.

[wklie]

18 hours ago, wklie said:

For those using ROCK or Nucleus, I suggest holding off update to Roon OS Build 221. Wait for a few days.

 

The problem has been found and affects only some users with Transcend SSD drives. If you're not using this brand of SSD to host the Roon OS, it'd be safe to upgrade.

[Bazinga]

I just setup a 2nd system at another location , I’m using a X1 with a 2.5 non powered drive for music. I have a Takio Extreme at my other home but really don’t want to buy another . Any recommendations ? 

[further]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:00 PM, wklie said:

There is an alternative setup you can try.  This is not the Lumin standard recommendation, and this defeats the optical isolation, but apparently a lot of people in this forum like this kind of bridged setup, where the Roon Core (or MinimServer) with LPS is directly connected to the RJ45 port of the X1 without going through any network switch.  The X1 SFP remains connected to the network as in your diagram.  This is possible because the RJ45 and SFP ports inside the X1 are internally bridged.  (Take care not to create a network loop such as switch - computer - X1 - switch, this will be really bad.)

 

Peter,

I am awaiting an Antipodes K40 to audition.  It would be my Roon Core server.  It has RJ45 input port and has a direct RJ45 output port to end point player.  I currently am using fiber to SFP on the Lumin X1 from EtherRegen from switch for this.  I will be also getting upgraded switch with both SFP and RJ45 ports.  Per the quoted post from you, do I understand that I should not have both SFP to Lumin X1 connected to the switch and the direct RJ45 to X1 connected at the same time?  Both the RJ45 to K40 and SFP to Lumin would come from the new upgraded switch.  I may experiment using EtherRegen from A side with both RJ45 and SFP.  I am doing that now with different DAC and separate linear power supplies.

[further]

Bazinga,

 

The K40 has slide out trays in the rear for installing hard drives.  I will use a Samsung EVO 860 SSD for this.  Not sure if this could be a possible alternative for you.  It will not be an inexpensive option but not in the mighty Taiko Extreme pricing category either.

[Bazinga]

36 minutes ago, further said:

Bazinga,

 

The K40 has slide out trays in the rear for installing hard drives.  I will use a Samsung EVO 860 SSD for this.  Not sure if this could be a possible alternative for you.  It will not be an inexpensive option but not in the mighty Taiko Extreme pricing category either.

Might be , I will look into it . I’m also looking for a good switch with (2) SFP to use with these items 

 TP-Link TL-SM311LS Single-Mode MiniGBIC Gigabit SFP Module

 

1M LC UPC to LC UPC Single Mode Duplex 9/125 Fiber Optic Optical Patch Cable PVC

[wklie]

20 minutes ago, Bazinga said:

I’m also looking for a good switch with (2) SFP

 

As a baseline, take a look at one of those Cisco unmanaged switches members here use.

[wklie]

1 hour ago, further said:

I am awaiting an Antipodes K40 to audition.  It would be my Roon Core server.  It has RJ45 input port and has a direct RJ45 output port to end point player.  I currently am using fiber to SFP on the Lumin X1 from EtherRegen from switch for this.

 

The key point is that you must not form a network loop, this may bring down the whole network.

 

Without considering your next upgrade for the switch, I think you can try these two connections and see which sounds better to you.

 

1. Main switch or router - (network cable) - K40 RJ45 input - K40 RJ45 output - (network cable) - EtherREGEN B side - EtherREGEN SFP - (fiber) - X1 SFP

 

2. Main switch or router - (network cable) - K40 RJ45 input - K40 RJ45 output - (unshielded CAT 6) - X1 RJ45

[Bazinga]

Is there a easy wireless option for the X1 ? 

[wklie]

9 minutes ago, Bazinga said:

Is there a easy wireless option for the X1 ? 

 

No, other than using a WiFi to Ethernet adapter or a WiFi router operating in WiFi client bridge mode like this: (only some routers have this mode)

 

Wireless is not recommended, especially in case of Roon.

[Bazinga]

The issue with this 2nd system is its location , the house is out in the middle of nowhere and I’m stuck using a hot spot at a high cost just to get 2-3 mb of internet . The hot spot is on main floor and audio room in basement . So I use a router with no internet just to use a iPad to control the lumin with app 

[wklie]

If you only need to play local music files instead of Tidal / Qobuz / Spotify Connect / internet radio, you just need a WiFi router at the basement to set up a private network, and preferably a NAS or computer running MInimServer to host the music library.

 

You do not have to have internet access to use Lumin, but Roon does require internet access.

[wklie]

Duplicate post deleted.