Last May, Roon Labs announced they would be releasing a Intel NUC based Music Server called Nucleus for their Roon Music management software, and it seems like they are beginning to ship to US Dealers. It also looks like Roon is promoting the newly available Nucleus by Roon with this flashy vid showing off the nice looking case design.
The Nucleus is Roon Labs first hardware product, and it is aimed at those who want an off the shelf, optimized Roon Core, which is basically the computer that sits at the center of the Roon experience. Then you can control it with an iOS, Android or PC device, playing music from a NAS, a USB connected drive, or a variety of Roon-compatible products on the market.
There are two configurations available, the Nucleus and Nucleus +, ranging from about $1400 to $2500 so they are not cheap, but if you are sold on the Roon platform and you need a serious heart of your digital hi-fi system, it may be a worthwhile investment.
Here are some specs taken from the Paragon Sight and Sound website:
There are two variations of the new Roon Nucleus, the standard Nucleus (i3, 4Gb RAM, 64Gb OS SSD) and Nucleus+ (i7, 8Gb RAM, 128Gb OS SSD). The Nucleus has been specially designed to skillfully store and play your music via Roon’s software/operating system.
| Nucleus | Nucleus+ |
|---|---|
| i3 processor | i7 processor |
| 4GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| 64GB OS SSD | 128GB OS SSD |
| Store libraries up to 12,000 albums (120,000 tracks) | Store libraries OVER 12,000 albums (120,000 tracks) |
| Multi-room systems up to five zones | Multi-room systems OVER five zones |
| Gigabit ethernet | Gigabit ethernet |
| 2x USB 3.0 port | 2x USB 3.0 port |
| Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 3 |
| Internal 2.5″ HDD/SSD bay | Internal 2.5″ HDD/SSD bay |
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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