Roon has enjoyed tremendous success among computer audiophiles and other tech-savvy enthusiasts, but our long-term goal is to reach everyone who loves music. To do that, we created Nucleus, a product which requires nearly no computer knowledge or networking skill. You literally take it home, plug it in, and control it with the Roon Remote app for iPad, iPhone, or Android device (and of course the Roon app for Mac/Windows). Because it’s running Roon, Nucleus finds the audio devices on your network and makes it easy to stream to them.
ROON-CLASS PERFORMANCE
Unlike simple music player apps, Roon is designed to make use of modern computing power (and the more of it the better). So we’ve worked with Intel to develop Nucleus on their highest-performance NUC platform, which means that using Roon with Nucleus feels incredibly fast, and there’s horsepower to spare for handling large music libraries, multi-room streaming, and digital signal processing.
In the white paper you’ll learn what design decisions led to our choice of CPU, boot media, internal storage options, and more.
AN OPERATING SYSTEM BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP
Rather than use a desktop or server operating system like Windows, a Linux distribution, or a system-builder tool, we realized that a truly bespoke operating system is an area in which we can add real value. Roon OS an optimized Linux-based operating system developed by Roon Labs to provide the best reliability and performance for what Roon does – networking, storage, and fast database access – and nothing else. The white paper provides loads of detail about how we achieved this, and what’s unique about our over-the-air software/firmware update process.
RELIABLE, ROBUST, AND TAMPER-RESISTANT
We’ve seen our share of audio products with network capabilities, and often it’s clear that they were designed without network security in mind. Learn what’s unique about the way Roon OS powers Nucleus, protects itself from “enterprising hobbyists”, and ensures reliable and robust operation even in extraordinary network conditions.
DESIGNED TO AUDIOPHILE STANDARDS
Nucleus is for people who love music, so it has to stand up to the scrutiny of the toughest customers out there. Designing Nucleus without fans, spinning disks, or other moving parts – while maintaining the level of computing performance Roon requires – brought some interesting thermal and mechanical challenges. Learn why Nucleus is the best way to run Roon whether you have a top-spec listening room, a home theater, or a dedicated multi-room equipment rack.
FEATURES
- Manages your music stored on USB hard drives, NAS, and streamed content from TIDAL
- Runs Roon OS and is controlled by the Roon Remote apps for iPad, iPhone, macOS, Android, and Windows
- Streams music to USB, Sonos®, AirPlay®, Roon Ready™, and many other audio devices
- Silent design with no fans or moving parts
- Requires a Roon subscription
| Nucleus |
Nucleus+ |
| i3 processor |
i7 processor |
| 4GB RAM |
8GB RAM |
| 64GB OS SSD |
128GB OS SSD |
| Libraries up to 12,000 albums (120,000 tracks) |
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 |
