Roon can watch multiple storage locations at the same time, so you can use any or all of the options below together. This article also covers the ways you can connect audio devices to your Nucleus.

Some features below, such as Check & repair and the HDMI display, need RoonOS 3.0. Nucleus One and Nucleus Titan get RoonOS 3.0 once it reaches them. Nucleus and Nucleus+ (Rev A and Rev B) stay on RoonOS 1.0.

Storage Devices

Devices connected directly by USB

If your music is on an external USB drive, plug it into your Nucleus. Nucleus supports drives formatted as:

• exFAT or FAT32: we recommend exFAT if you're formatting a new drive.
• NTFS: supported. On Nucleus and Nucleus+, we've seen occasional reports of NTFS drives not being detected reliably. If that happens, reformatting the drive to exFAT often fixes it.
• HFS or HFS+: read-only, so Nucleus can't add music to the drive or make changes to it.

On RoonOS 3.0, your Nucleus checks USB drives that weren't safely removed. It repairs FAT and exFAT drives automatically. An NTFS drive that needs repair mounts as Read only. To fix it, please click Check & repair in the USB Drives section of the Web Administration Interface. To avoid this, click Eject there before you unplug a drive.

An internal SSD connected via SATA

For the most reliable internal storage, we recommend an SSD. The maximum size depends on your model:

• Nucleus (Rev A and Rev B) and Nucleus One: up to 4TB.
• Nucleus+ (Rev A and Rev B) and Nucleus Titan: up to 8TB.

For step-by-step instructions, please see the installation guide for Nucleus and Nucleus+, Nucleus One, or Nucleus Titan. Your Nucleus must format the drive before you can use it. For details, please see Formatting Nucleus Internal Storage and Nucleus Internal Storage.

Network shares (such as a NAS)

Make sure your NAS is turned on and connected to your network. If your share needs a username and password, please have them ready. We recommend connecting networked storage over Ethernet. For details, please see setting up your NAS.

With the latest version of Roon Server, Roon tries SMB3 first, so shares that require encryption connect as expected. If a guest share that used to work stops connecting, please edit it and enter guest as the username. A share with a blank username and password now connects anonymously.

If a drive doesn't appear after you connect it, please check that it's formatted as described above, and try a different USB port or cable. On RoonOS 3.0, you can also check its status on the Storage tab of the Web Administration Interface.

Audio Devices

Devices connected directly by USB

If you're using a DAC, headphone amp, A/V receiver, integrated amplifier, or active speaker system connected directly to Nucleus over USB, please connect it to one of the back panel USB ports and make sure it's powered on.

Devices connected directly by HDMI

If you have an A/V receiver or another device with an HDMI audio input, please connect it to your Nucleus's HDMI output. This output supports both stereo and multichannel audio.

On RoonOS 3.0, Nucleus One and Nucleus Titan can also show Now Playing on a TV over HDMI. To use multichannel audio and the display at the same time, connect an A/V receiver or HDMI audio extractor between your Nucleus and the TV. For details, please see Using Your Nucleus or ROCK as an HDMI Display.

Network audio devices

Many audio devices, including active speakers, DACs, integrated amplifiers, and A/V receivers, connect over your network. If you're using a Roon Ready, AirPlay, Sonos, or other supported streaming device, please make sure it's powered on and connected to your network. We recommend Ethernet where possible.

If a connected audio device doesn't appear as a zone, please make sure it's powered on, then check its status in Roon under Settings > Audio.

Still having trouble setting up your storage or audio devices? Please get in touch with our Technical Support team here.