Roon Nucleus as a Streamer

I decided against the Nucleus, because it’s not easy getting human support. I got a Small Green Computer Sonictransporter Roon server instead, and it’s been excellent (and Andrew has offered excellent tech support when needed). I paired mine with a MicroRendu streamer into my DAC. Not sure they sell the Micro, and maybe only the UltraRendu now.

SGC Roon server

SGC Sonictransporter Server + Rendu and power supply

Looks like the MicroRendu is discontinued
Sonore

 I have a Roon Nucleus and have utilized it as a server/streamer. In my opinion, it was decent, very enjoyable, but not great.  Together with an Sbooster LPS in place of the stock power supply and a decent USB cable (in my case Curious), I thought it was somewhat better (say a smidge better) than a Node 2i hooked up via coax to the same Chord Qutest DAC.  Then in March of this year put a Bricasti M5 in play as my network player and Roon enpoint via Coax to the Qutest, and this took things to a whole other level. 

I agree with lalitk. There is no need to purchase a separate server if you already own a Windows or Apple computer. I used a ten year old MacAir, on which I installed Roon Core. The resulting digital signal can be conveyed to a Roon-ready DAC (in this case PS Audio) via WIFI or USB. The sound is great, and is indistinguishable from that produced by a Roon nucleus, or any other server that has a CPU powerful enough to run Roon software.

Roon themselves recommend keeping the Roon core away from the Hi-Fi and not connecting it directly to the DAC. I am not sure why they would recommend this unless they had done trials to determine it as the optimum method. I would therefore accept their recommendation as being correct.

Last month I bought an inexpensive Intel Nuc to use as a Roon core.

If house layout was different, I would have used my MacBook.