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[rockson61]

Just wanted to let the group know that I just installed a Kangaroo PC ($99 at NewEgg) running JRiver 21 (audio only) for Windows with no issues. This PC is about the size of a smartphone, comes with a 32GB SSD, 2GB of RAM and built-in 802.11 AC WiFi as well as Windows 10 preinstalled. It has two USB ports as well as a card and fingerprint reader. My music library is all uncompressed WAV files and streaming from a 2TB drive attached to my router. Everything works flawlessly in case anyone out there is looking for a cheap mini server for MC.

[JimH]

Nice.  Thanks for the report.

[blgentry]

I would enjoy seeing the JMark score of this PC.

Help > Benchmark > Run Benchmark

Brian.

[mwillems]

I recently got one of the Kangaroo Plus units at home, it's a really neat device.  The Plus unit ships with higher specs (4GB Ram, 64GB ssd), a higher price ($170), but no OS.  A word of caution to any prospective purchasers of the no OS version:  the audio on the HDMI output doesn't work in Linux at the moment, but works fine in windows.  Neither kangaroo device has an onboard ethernet port, but the i/o connector is modular, and they're allegedly working on a version of the i/o dock with ethernet.

FWIW, JRiver runs great on the device in Linux (provided of course that you're using a USB DAC for audio output), and the wifi is fast and very stable.  I haven't done much video testing yet, but will report back when I do (assuming I don't repurpose it for non-media applications first).  I'll post the linux JRMark when I get home for the curious.  The passmark on the processor is almost double that of processor in the Id classic. Compare:

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Atom+x5-Z8500+%40+1.44GHz
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Celeron+N3050+%40+1.60GHz

[JimH]

We recently switched the NUC we use for the Id to the 5CPYH.  It has a 2.16 GHz N3050

[mwillems]

The Linux JRmark on the kangaroo plus is 1272 for anyone curious; the linux JRMarks are usually a a few hundred points lower than the windows JRMark on the same hardware in my experience, but I don't have windows on my Kangaroo right now so can't confirm.  Hopefully OP can chime in with his windows experience.

We recently switched the NUC we use for the Id to the 5CPYH.  It has a 2.16 GHz N3050

Oh neat, I hadn't seen that.  What's the JRMark/passmark like on the new IDs?

[BradATIMA]

Here are the benchmarks for the old and new model NUC based Ids.

NUC model DN2820FYK Id (old)

Math benchmark: 723
Image benchmark: 1107
Database benchmark: 1325

JRMark: 1051


NUC5CPYH Id (new)

Math benchmark: 659
Image benchmark: 1057
Database benchmark: 1260

JRMark: 992

[blgentry]

I get confused.

Is JMark at all comparable across platforms?  It *should* be, as it's a benchmark.  But I thought I read it wasn't comparable at some point.

My 2011 MBP is around JMark 2200.  Is it nearly twice as capable as the Nuc, when using JRiver?

Brian.

[mwillems]

Is JMark at all comparable across platforms?  It *should* be, as it's a benchmark.  But I thought I read it wasn't comparable at some point.

They are not comparable across platforms.  I see a significant delta on the exact same hardware when dual booting.  Non-windows OS's tend to have lower JRMarks (i.e. I generally see a dip of ~10% more on the Linux side on the same machine).  Most humorous: I have a windows virtual machine on a linux host where the virtualized windows instance has a higher JRMark than the baremetal linux instance!

[dmarkovi]

I ordered the kangaroo (non-plus) yesterday. Was waiting for it to come back in stock at the Microsoft store. I will report back with Jmark scores as soon as it comes in.

[mainerobinson]

Thanks rockson61, have been looking at the Kangaroo and some others closer to $200. In your OP, you mentioned that the Kangaroo would make a good mini MC server -- are you running it as a library server, or was that your sense after seeing the performance? I'm looking to move my library server to the main listening area from my office, and go 24/7 on it. Thanks in advance.

[rockson61]

 Hi, Yes, I keep the Kangaroo PC on pretty much all the time. As it has no fan, it's completely silent and does not draw too much power. It's my MC server for two separate stereos that use Chromecasts to stream my music library in different rooms of the house as well as my headphone listening server. I have a Schiit Bifrost DAC (amazing with the multibit upgrade) attached to it via USB and I amplify it through a Burson soloist amp and from there to a pair of Sennheiser HD800 headphones. Everything controlled via JRemote on either my iPad or Android phone. I should also add that the Kangaroo comes with a great app that allows you to connect it directly to an iPad so you can use it a touchscreen monitor.

[rcblackwell]

I recently got one of the Kangaroo Plus units at home......

A word of caution to any prospective purchasers of the no OS version:  the audio on the HDMI output doesn't work in Linux at the moment....

FWIW, JRiver runs great on the device in Linux (provided of course that you're using a USB DAC for audio output)

Apologies for resurrecting such an old post.

I own a Kangaroo with Windows 10 installed. I've been having trouble with its operation for some time. Even though the OS is configured to remain awake, it often becomes non-responsive and the Kangaroo needs to be rebooted (Using the power switch). I'm thinking of converting to Linux and came across this post in my research.

Can you advise which version of Linux you're running. Also, do this version still require a USB DAC for audio output?

With appreciation

Robert

[astromo]

Apologies for resurrecting such an old post.

I own a Kangaroo with Windows 10 installed. I've been having trouble with its operation for some time. Even though the OS is configured to remain awake, it often becomes non-responsive and the Kangaroo needs to be rebooted (Using the power switch). I'm thinking of converting to Linux and came across this post in my research.

Can you advise which version of Linux you're running. Also, do this version still require a USB DAC for audio output?

With appreciation

Robert

You might want to check the Linux board, e.g. MC24:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/board,57.0.html
I can see a post there where a user refers to Ubuntu. I'd suggest a plain vanilla install with Debian given that it's the supported distro. Work out what suits and take it from there. With Linux there's no shortage and people have favorites for idiosyncratic and technical reasons. Too hard to boil down to 1 best option.