The Roon ecosystem includes rich control apps for iOS and Android, and allows streaming to many different types of audio hardware. The one thing that the Roon team keep hearing is that users wish they had more options for where to run their Roon Core. Today, Roon have announced Roon Server for compatible QNAP and Synology NAS devices, which means you can enjoy the Roon experience without a PC. Chris Rieke, a member of the Roon users community, had started working on the Synology version of Roon Server on his own, so Roon contacted him and arranged to work together on these projects. Chris will be involved in the maintenance and support for both of these NAS packages in the future.

NAS devices come in many shapes and sizes. Just as it’s important to pay attention to hardware specs when choosing a PC, you’ll want to be sure the NAS you choose has the performance necessary to run Roon Server now and in the future, as they add even more features. Any NAS with a 64-bit Intel CPU is compatible, but to get the best experience, Roon strongly recommend a top-of-the-line (Core i3 or i5) NAS with expanded RAM (4GB or more).