If it was more effective in its selections, I might agree.
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Why Roon?
- Thread starter sritacco
- Start date
Loathecliff
Senior Member
FWIW I bought this fanless pc a year ago.
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B087H4M7NL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's been fast and reliable with utter silence, and low consumption.
Cost circa €170.
NLA, but Minisforum have other models.
Update:- ex https://www.amazon.es/MINIS-FORUM-P...1&keywords=MINIS+FORUM&qid=1619647750&sr=8-14
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Burning Sounds
Addicted to Fun and Learning
JRiver's WDM driver enables all external audio sources to be routed through its audio processing. I have Qobuz sitting in a window in JRiver - works perfectly.
Anyone tried Plex? It's a pretty robust media center with apps for all kinds of platforms. Basic version is free and you can snag a lifetime license for $70 if you look around. It's mostly known as movie / TV show library manager but it works with music too. Paid license gives access to their dedicated music app "PlexAmp" which has been working very well for me - good UX, reliable lossless streaming / downloading, lots of auto-generated "smart" playlists. The only downside is the built-in EQ is very basic.
It is for me as well. I discover 90% of my new music through this feature of Roon.
A few times but seems very primitive compared to Roon.
Here are some critical features of Roon for me:
1. Same player runs on every device. You want to change your DAC settings? You can do that from Android as well as Windows. Others put some thin client out there for mobile that is not fully capable like this.
2. It can play simultaneously to multiple devices. Any player can play any DAC connected to any system. I can on my workstation control my main 2 channel system, or my laptop, or even Android player.
3. You can use the above for gang up two devices for example and perform AB blind tests! Roon will pay them in sync on two DACs simultaneously.
4. Built-in signal processing and EQ. You have seen me use the parametric EQ all the time.
5. Tidal (and Quobuz) streaming integration. It is completely seamless. Your streaming library sans the indicator, looks and acts just like the rest of your physical library. What a joy. You don't need to go into and out of the service unless you haver a reason to.
6. It has clever things like a single button update of all players on all devices. Reinstall is as short as a few seconds.
7. As I noted, I use the auto-generated content all the time. It is right 90% of the time in finding what else I might like after the album I am listening to.
8. The cost is not much if you pay it once and consider it as if you bought a piece of hardware. Unlike said hardware, it will last forever.
9. Streaming to roon endpoints -- sans some security issues -- just works. I just post a review of streamer. Plugged it, it was ready to stream. Networked playback has never been simpler.
1. Same player runs on every device. You want to change your DAC settings? You can do that from Android as well as Windows. Others put some thin client out there for mobile that is not fully capable like this.
2. It can play simultaneously to multiple devices. Any player can play any DAC connected to any system. I can on my workstation control my main 2 channel system, or my laptop, or even Android player.
3. You can use the above for gang up two devices for example and perform AB blind tests! Roon will pay them in sync on two DACs simultaneously.
4. Built-in signal processing and EQ. You have seen me use the parametric EQ all the time.
5. Tidal (and Quobuz) streaming integration. It is completely seamless. Your streaming library sans the indicator, looks and acts just like the rest of your physical library. What a joy. You don't need to go into and out of the service unless you haver a reason to.
6. It has clever things like a single button update of all players on all devices. Reinstall is as short as a few seconds.
7. As I noted, I use the auto-generated content all the time. It is right 90% of the time in finding what else I might like after the album I am listening to.
8. The cost is not much if you pay it once and consider it as if you bought a piece of hardware. Unlike said hardware, it will last forever.
9. Streaming to roon endpoints -- sans some security issues -- just works. I just post a review of streamer. Plugged it, it was ready to stream. Networked playback has never been simpler.
I'll check back later.
Au contraire -- what is the primary route through which iOS apps are sold? The App Store, over which Apple has total dominance. Anything that appears, to Apple and its lawyers, not to be a neatly fitting jigsaw piece within the grand design specified, operated and maintained by Apple will not be granted sanctuary within the Apple ecosystem.
Zensō
Major Contributor
But in this case the reason is not what you’re describing. This has been discussed at length on the Roon forums for years, with direct explanations by Roon staff. Again, the reason is Roon’s insistence upon a non-native, consistent interface across all platforms where it’s offered.
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symphara
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I gather that it's very slick (unless on iOS, which I use), although I don't need any of the features listed by @Amir, especially since I don't need the "Sonos features" of multi-room audio, simultaneous playback etc.
It doesn't work with my Apple Music subscription (hopefully soon-to-be lossless Spotify), nor with my wife's Spotify subscription, and I generally have no issue using my UPnP NAS with my streamer.
It ties you into needing Roon endpoints for playback.
You have to either pay a subscription inspired by the Adobe rip-off model of monthly payments, or $700 upfront. In my humble opinion, unless you're a pro and make money from the software, you should think more than twice about paying that.
The monthly pricing is something to behold. $12.99, for a front-end with no music, vs a $9.99 Spotify subscription, with basically any music you'd care to listen to, and the front-end, the recommendations etc.
It requires an always-on computer. You can purchase the always-on computer directly from them, the cheapest being a very basic PC in a very nice case, with no storage, for $1459. They generously offer 2TB for only $400, which is a steal at only twice the market price.
I'm waiting for them to start offering $1000 audiophile power cables, and then I'll think about it.
It doesn't work with my Apple Music subscription (hopefully soon-to-be lossless Spotify), nor with my wife's Spotify subscription, and I generally have no issue using my UPnP NAS with my streamer.
It ties you into needing Roon endpoints for playback.
You have to either pay a subscription inspired by the Adobe rip-off model of monthly payments, or $700 upfront. In my humble opinion, unless you're a pro and make money from the software, you should think more than twice about paying that.
The monthly pricing is something to behold. $12.99, for a front-end with no music, vs a $9.99 Spotify subscription, with basically any music you'd care to listen to, and the front-end, the recommendations etc.
It requires an always-on computer. You can purchase the always-on computer directly from them, the cheapest being a very basic PC in a very nice case, with no storage, for $1459. They generously offer 2TB for only $400, which is a steal at only twice the market price.
I'm waiting for them to start offering $1000 audiophile power cables, and then I'll think about it.
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And I am confident that every party involved is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
- Thread Starter
- #33
If you are looking for conspiracies and pay-offs, I think you should investigate why Roomie Remote won't port to Android.
There is much more likely to be a tawdry tale there. Roon's public explaination makes perfect sense to this guy who has been in software development for over 30 years.
Whaa? i would love to learn more. I scoured the Jriver site for a way to do this but so far nothing. Congrats
No, but for a wannabee player in the music playback game not to fully support the Apple platform, you have to admit, is err… odd.
- Thread Starter
- #36
There are certainly "issues" with the platform and I don't disagree with many of your points. My initial impression was that I was not going to pay a subscription to listen to my own music. the one time price is high too, at least from the perspective of what we have all come to expect. The business models around software applications has changed a lot in the last few decades. The insanity around "audiophile" products, cables, etc. pushes prices up to tap into the more money than sense crowd. The Roon product certainly has something of a premium price, but it isn't INSANE. I'm impressed with it enough to give it a year to see if I continue to appreciate it. If I do, I will probably buy their lifetime version. Software is expensive to build and maintain. I've worked in the field my whole adult life and I appreciate that. The idea that software has to be free only results in people like myself being paid nothing, and honestly it is hard and painstaking work to build good software. Our lives are negatively impacted by all the half-assed software we are all forced to deal with every day. Quality is worth something.
symphara
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It’s not my position that software should be free. What I wrote was that $700 is in my humble opinion pricing for a professional software product, i.e. a product you use to make money with. For a frontend (slick as it is, but with numerous shortcomings) grouping a couple of streaming services and my own music, I really question the pricing, which again in my opinion is flatly insane.
Everything else (their hardware products) is such a clear swindle that it’s not worth talking about.
I personally find it rather amusing that ASR, which to my mind is the place to get down-to-earth advice for finding cost effective, well performing audio products, and is scathing towards the lofty “audiophile” snake oil, seems to look very favorably at Roon, which to me falls very clearly in the latter bucket.
- Thread Starter
- #39
I bought an i5 NUC on ebay for $130. I'll pay another $100 for a year of Room. A Sonos Port costs $449.
Ok, you have the sonos until it breaks, but I still have Roon for 3 years for about the same dollars. It's hard to argue that's a "massive rip off." Roon seems well done and will play every format I throw it it (fairly) optimally.
Zensō
Major Contributor
I went down the Roon rabbit hole and emerged out the other side feeling as if it doesn’t provide enough benefit considering the cost and the drawbacks that come with using non-native software. Of course, others will come to different conclusions based upon their specific needs.
If anyone needs a mint Intel NUC that’s ready to go as a Roon server, I’ll make you a smokin’ deal.
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