Roon Customers: Which Products Are Right For Me
Product selector · Small Green Computer
Which products are right for your Roon system?
Roon works best when the Core runs on a dedicated, silent machine and your DAC is fed by a purpose-built endpoint. This page walks through both choices in order — first the server, then the player.
Everything below also runs Audirvāna, HQPlayer, Lyrion Music Server, Squeezebox, MinimServer, and Plex, so you are not locked to one app.
Step one
Choose your server
The server runs Roon Core — your library, metadata, DSP, and every zone in the house. It can live anywhere with power and an Ethernet connection, including a closet or another room.
sonicTransporter i7 (Gen 4)
The one most people should start with- Your music lives on a USB drive, a NAS, or up to 8 TB of internal SSD
- Libraries up to roughly 30,000 albums
- Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM — comfortable headroom for Roon DSP and multiple zones
- Best value in the lineup
sonicTransporter WhirlWind
Server, streamer & DAC in one- You have an equipment rack and want a 1U component that fits it
- Four Roon Ready zones, each with its own built-in DAC — four rooms of analog audio, up to 24/192 PCM, with no endpoints required
- Per-zone optical and coaxial S/PDIF outputs if you would rather use your own DAC
- Up to 8 TB internal SSD via a tool-less drive bay
- Fanless, like everything else we build — a rack unit that stays silent
sonicTransporter i9 (Gen 6)
For demanding upsampling and large libraries- You want DSD512 upsampling or heavy HQPlayer filters
- Libraries up to roughly 50,000 albums
- Intel Core i9, 64 GB RAM
- Six or more simultaneous zones without strain
Have a CD collection? Add the External CD Ripper to any sonicTransporter. Insert a disc and the server rips, tags, and files it in FLAC on its own — no computer involved.
Step two
Choose your player
The player — sometimes called an endpoint or streamer — sits next to your DAC and does deliberately little. It takes music off the network and hands your DAC a clean signal, with the computing noise left behind in the other room. All three are Roon Ready. (If you chose the WhirlWind and its four built-in DACs cover your rooms, you can skip this step.)
ultraRendu Plus
Where most people start- You want a clear step up from a DAC plugged straight into a computer
- Connects to your network over Ethernet, to your DAC over USB
- The simplest way to add a proper endpoint to an existing system
opticalRendu Deluxe
Adds full network isolation- You want the electrical path from your home network broken completely
- Fiber input — light carries no ground noise from the rest of the house
- Needs a fiber source: see the network section below
Signature Rendu SE Deluxe
The reference endpoint- Your front end is now the limiting factor in the system
- Linear power supply built in, not bolted on — no outboard box or DC cable
- Optical input and a machined chassis heavy enough to sit dead still
You can run more than one player. Roon handles multi-zone natively — one server can feed a Rendu in the listening room, another in the study, and a Sonos in the kitchen, all at once.
Step three · optional
Network and power
Two upgrades make an audible difference once the server and player are in place. Neither is required to get started.
Get fiber to your player
Required for an optical endpoint- The opticalModule Deluxe converts Ethernet to fiber with an audio-grade power supply
- The 4-Port Gigabit Switch with Fiber Port is the simpler, lower-cost route
- Either one feeds an opticalRendu Deluxe or Signature Rendu SE Deluxe
Replace the switching supply
The least glamorous upgrade, and one of the most audible- Stock wall adapters are switching supplies — efficient, and electrically noisy
- A linear supply gives the same voltage from a toroidal transformer and low-noise regulation
- Start with whatever sits closest to your DAC
Not sure yet? That is what we are here for.
Every product includes lifetime free technical support from a person in the US, a one-year warranty, and 30-day returns. If you would rather talk it through than choose from a page, read the Music Server Buying Guide or the comparison guide — or just get in touch and describe your system.