Do you need a Roon Ready device to stream Roon?

You can use the Nucleus as both the Roon Core and a streamer too. Digital out from Nucleus will be compatible with any DAC

Yes. You can stream a streaming service (Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, etc.) using Roon as your interface with the service through a Roon Nucleus by its USB out into your Hegel or other USB DAC.  If the other USB DAC is not Roon Ready it may need a little more setup to work.

Look out for Roon Ready certification on your playback devices. These are the guaranteed Roon integrated bits of kit which have Roon's hi-res streaming RAAT technology inside. Roon will discover these without a problem and automatically deliver the highest possible audio quality to them.

As others have said, it is no problem to connect Nucleus to any DAC on USB. The requirement of Roon Ready is for DACs that connect on a network such as WiFi or Ethernet. You can connect to the Hegel with USB, but not over WiFi until it is certified as Roon Ready.

You can stream a streaming service (Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, etc.) using Roon as your interface with the service

Only Tidal and Qobuz are supported (not Spotify, Apple, Amazon or others).

My Matrix Audio Mini-i 3 Pro DAC was not ROON READY on the day I bought it (Black Friday). So the only way to stream was either through AirPlay2 or my Sonore microRendu. 

Maybe 2 weeks ago they got ROON READY certification and I was able to enable the Ethernet streaming on the DAC. Prior to that I got a message saying the device could not be enabled because it had not passed ROON READY certification.

So now I can stream from ROON 3 ways (this DAC offers even more options). This DAC also has album art on the display and only AirPlay2 and the new Ethernet streaming support that.

Situation: Connecting Ethernet to Nucleus Ethernet input and connecting ethernet to Roon Ready endpoint. For Roon Ready devices that do not have WiFi, regarding this situation outlined, I'm having trouble comprehending how they receive the data if feed ethernet from your router, yet the Nucleus is not sending information via a hardlined output. How does a hard-lined Roon Ready device such as a Lumin D2 (No Wifi, unless you through on your own adapter, which I would prefer not to do) receive information from a Core device that isn't directly feeding the hard-lined ethernet endpoint? 

I’m not sure I fully understand your question, but both the Roon Ready device and the Nucleus would need to be connected to ethernet on the same router (or at least the same network) to see each other.

I've done this with former end points, I'm just not sure how the hardwired device is receiving data from the Nucleus that isn't feed from the Nucleus directly nor am I understanding how a Roon Ready device digests RAAT from the Nucleus. Or how RAAT works in general. My silly brain thinks that RAAT would need some hardware to receive RAAT, but that doesn't make sense since many endpoints become Roon certified via firmware updates. I'm ignorant as hell.

They’re both connected to the router and therefore on the same network and able to “see” each other and send information back and forth. Both are also connected to the internet in this scenario and able to check Roon’s site for updates.

No different from two devices connected on wifi being able to see each other and interact, I think you’re overthinking it maybe?

Thanks @for the direct answer. Yes. I guess overthinking for the remedial is a curse. I lost site of the fact that internet data can flow in both directions. Thanks

Thanks @for the direct answer. Yes. I guess overthinking for the remedial is a curse. I lost site of the fact that internet data can flow in both directions. Thanks

To make it even more fun for you the easiest way to control roon core and endpoint is through a third device like a tablet which runs the roon interface. The tablet needs to be on the same network and this is where you’ll find and play your music and integrate with Tidal or Qobuz.

@djones51 Absolutely hilarious. Thanks for the laughter and smiles 😂

I’m not sure I fully understand your question, but both the Roon Ready device and the Nucleus would need to be connected to ethernet on the same router (or at least the same network) to see each other.

This is not correct. Your Hegel receives the stream from the Roon Nuc through the USB interconnect. The Roon Nuc hosts the Roon Core and also serves as the streamer from your wifi router.

The cables you need are ethernet from wifi router to Roon Nuc (or you can connect by wifi) and a USB cable from the Roon Nuc to the Hegel.

To control the Roon Nuc (streamer) you download a free app to your tablet or phone which you use to browse, search, select music to play, read metadata, etc.. Your tablet or phone connects to your wifi router by wifi.

It’s really not complicated at all. If you get a Roon Nuc, just follow the setup instructions and you’ll be listening in no time.

@tomcy6 - @hudsonhawk was referring to a scenario with a router > Ethernet connected to Nucleus and a certified Roon endpoint connected via Ethernet from the router. I just lost site of the fact that Ethernet data flows bi-directionally. How a Nuc feeds data to a dac via usb wasn’t in question. I was just bringing up USB to confirm that a Roon could be operated on a non-Roon certified feed via usb from the nucleus. Anyways, sorry to consume time on such elementary concepts.