No it just takes two apps. One app to convert the the Volumio download and put it on a micro SD card and then the Volumio download.
What it provides is an extremely clean signal to your DAC. I can’t find the review but it out performed some really expensive streamers. Volumio free version allows you to play all the music from your hard drives, all the web radio programs and Spotify. If you want to use Tidal or Qobuz they charge you a yearly fee.
I can’t use it because my music comes from Amazon HD and Amazon doesn’t support Linux so I have to use a PC and attach my DAC using a USB cable.
Volumio is cool in that when it’s installed it has it’s own WiFi network that you log into and then set up your own WiFi and choose the correct DAC hat. You then reconnect back to your network and use your browser to access your music. You can use USB hard drives or if you have a NAS (networked attached storage) it indexes everything and then presents it like an internal web page. Volumio has a great user interface As long as you’re on the same network you can control your music from your phone, tablet or PC. With Volumio you now have a NAS. The Volumio software will share your hard drives anywhere on your network so by just adding another PI you can access your music in another room. There are also DAC cards that plug into the PI and you don’t even need another DAC. The DAC hats are pretty good but won’t compete with a $1000 DAC.
It’s really pretty strait forward and the instructions on how to set everything up are really good. I felt like such a Guru when I got it working but actually it was more like virtual Ikea furniture. It was already built I just had to screw it together.