I would get a roon licence, but tbh I already had equipment to host my own custom made stuff that suits me better, but otherwise it has to be the most feature rich and simple/reliable music software I have used.
If you have a large collection and invested in a good system already, it makes sense. Otherwise I would not suggest it if you are anywhere near just starting out, as you should focus your budget elsewhere
I don’t get Roon. I thought it was the most complete and promising streaming service ever, and then realized, what the hell, it isn’t even a streaming service (like tidal/spotify), just an interface. To each their own, but to me that’s like paying 10$ a month for wikipedia. And you need a server for it.
I just don’t get it. Roon is like, enterprise-audiophile stuff.
If any actual streaming service one day includes Roon in the price, in the app/website, hell yes, I’ll be interested. But right now Roon is definitely not for everyone.
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Some info on Roon since I’ve spent the better part of a month looking for what I wanted. Roon isn’t about music quality or selection. Roon is about your experience listening to your music. So basically if listening to music for you isn’t an experience or dare I say occasionally a “ritual”. You don’t need it, save your money.
I had a similar reaction when I first started looking at it, why should I give them money when all they’re doing for my money is showing me my own content in a pretty and organized way? It’s certainly not of value if that’s your perspective. Where Roon shines is in the associations it creates with your music, being able to deep dive into producers, musicians, bios, and a myriad of other associations between the music you’re listening to or music you enjoy and opening up an infinite branching out point from there into other new content.
Even if you add this IMO it’s still not enough for someone like me that listens to music in my car, with a iPod. My desk with a local library shared for iTunes & Foobar and in a living room stereo setup where I stream music from or listen to CDs. In other words, I don’t have multi room, multi environments, multi homed systems and management of my systems is limited to right there and now type of control. In other words I don’t need to control a downstairs den listening area and have a system that I also want my music in when I’m summering/wintering in a vacation home. No vacation home.
So for a guy like me Roon is nice from an experience standpoint but I’m leaving a lot of the benefits of it on the table. Enter the Elac DS-S101G Music Server. It includes a perpetual Roon server/endpoint license that allows me access to most of the Roon services that index and branch your music into the infinite realm of artist and genre music association and it does it for no $500 lifetime Roon license or monthly recurring charge. Elac obviously worked a deal with Roon, but the failure of the system to get traction means that the device now can be found for way less than its original $1100 price, typically under $400. Basically you get a lifetime Roon license for ONE endpoint location, for free.
For me, that’s a perfect scenario. I get the benefits of Roon without cost but limited to the one place where I sit to have a musical experience listening while browsing an iPad for the Roon content.
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Oh wow, that’s great. That’s a nice find indeed. Thanks for the info!
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Ok, edit to myself; use the app at each location. But now have to hardwire to ethernet to tap the server, hmmm. But i don’t have any music on files, i only stream services, thus for someone like me i still can’t justify it or the added expense of having to figure out how to hardwire my other systems, and no idea how to add the 2 HOme theaters to it…
Dammit, still can’t make it worthwhile.
Ok, so if i were to buy one of these things i would have to hard wire it to my internet in one location and then for the other 4 locations where i usually stream my music via bluetooth or xbox i need more Roon endpoint equipment. Is this correct? I could not get music to my other systems otherwise.
I’d go with Amazon HD or Ultra HD or Qobuz. Tidal uses MQA but you need a MQA dac to decode it. And MQA is a lossy codec anyway.
So I saw an offer from Tidal on my F.book yesterday. 5 months of HiFi for 5 bucks. I bit that lure. Set a calendar event in 5 months to cancel it. But thought I’d let other know that offer is avail.
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oh wow that’s pretty amazing! I don’t stream, and find all of my music through recommendations but i’ll consider it
Honestly, I think Tidal’s integration with roon is crappy. I failed to log in every now and then. Wonder if anyone have similar connection problem?
I’ve been using Tidal for 3 months now and it is also my opinion that the app sucks compared to say Spotify. Music quality is nice though, I got the 4 months trial for 4 USD. I’m not gonna pay 20 per month for a service that doesn’t even know how to recommend music. Why in the hell would I want to listen to R&B and Hip Hop if I only listen to early 60’s jazz?. If I stay with Tidal will be in another account for cheap. Unfortunely it seems that Amazon and Spotify don’t offer lossless in Spain yet…
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Quick update: Recently I tried download Tidal to MP3 via AudFree Tidal Converter and then load them into Roon. Working perfect so far. I’m too glad.
Shame that mp3 is lower quality though. Tidal gives you lossless but a converter to mp3 would just make your download the same quality as Spotify
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Anybody, please recommend alternatives to Tidal… Any solutions, please.
Dumped Tidal about a year ago for Amazon HD never looked back.
Qobuz and Deezer, depending on availability wherever you live.
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May I ask why?
Nowt wrong with Tidal mate just a combination of little things really…I find Amazon HD more user friendly, their library covers more of what I listen to/search for, not bothered about MQA and am already a prime member 
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TIDAL News:
TIDAL NORMAL 160 kbps = for free
or HiFi 1411 kbps = 9,90
or HiFi Plus 2304-9216 kbps = 19,90
incl.
Direct Artist Compensation Up to 10% of your subscription goes to the artists you listen to the most
Fan-based royalties
AVAILABLE IN 2022
The artists you stream are paid based on your streaming habits
PS:
Amazon HD kbps rate is ~ 850-3730 kbps
Just got this email:
Great news! You’ve been upgraded to TIDAL HiFi Plus at no extra cost to you.
My subscription expires in a couple weeks and I was looking at other options. This new Plus tier is $20 a month. Yikes. These prices keep going up and up 
