I use Roon for my Headphone setup only, for my Atom and Qute I’m happy to use the Naim app
The Roon website says that to run it I need a dedicated server with a SSD. I don’t have a spare server equipped with a SSD and IIRC the Roon website specifically advises against running it on a NAS where your music library resides. My NAS has an Intel Celeron, 2GB RAM and no SSDs which is absolutely fine for serving up hi res audio and HD video which is what I use it for but probably not up to the job anyway for a Roon core server if the system requirements they state are anything to go by. That seems like a big ask for little benefit that I can see, even to just try it out.
Again, if my understanding is wrong I’m welcome to be corrected.
Yes that’s pretty much how I feel about it. Likewise the booklet, if I’m that interested there’s always wikipedia
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I always said the same but in reality, I never go off and google it, it’s so easy when it’s all there on the page you are on. Everything including concert dates.
To try it out the NAS will probably be fine. It’s really easy to do.
I used my QNAP TS-453 Pro for a while to run Roon. I did install an external SSD to hold the database but it was just fine with the spinning disks too. Note, the SSD is to hold Roons database, not your music so it doesn’t have to be large.
I did move to an NUC later which improved performance but it was still very usable on the QNAP.
Indeed, but only if you actually know the name of the guitarist who appeared on the track. Of course you can spend time looking on Google for someone who may have been the guest guitarist on that track, then more time using Google to find out about the guitarist and his discography.
Roon does all this for you virtually instantly. You click the link for the guitarist and Roon instantly displays information about him/her - granted you may or may not be interested in this information. But it also displays album covers, album & track details and links to everything the guitarist has released or guested on. A simple click and you are viewing the album details from Tidal or Qobuz and playing whatever it is that you want to hear. A grand total of maybe 10 seconds from checking out the name to playing a selection of music.
I’m afraid Google just cant compete, and of course this is just one specific example of the very many things that Roon offers over other front end interfaces.
Of course, if you would like to check out some specific information about say ancient Greek history, you could always pop down to your local library and borrow a book that just may (or may not)contain that specific bit of information. Alternatively, you could look it up in Volume 12 of your Encyclopedia Britannica that’s stored in your loft. Or, you just may choose to Google it or subscribe to the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. I know what my choice would be 
. Roon hasn’t quite mastered ancient classical history yet.
Reminds me of something a young nephew of mine said when told that in his mother’s generation as a young child there was no internet. His reply was - “But how did you Google stuff”?
My experience is the same as Trickydickie with a QNAP 453 previously without and then with SSD cards installed. It will work fine if you’re not playing with any digital processing - certainly good enough for you to evaluate whether you like what it brings to the party.
The premise is that if you are interested yo will go and look it up. What Roon does, perhaps, is prompt your interest, and if you are susceptible you will click and look, and follow through the links etc (while playing the music, perhaps, but stopping listening to it?)
As for “everything”, that, at least when I trialled it, excluded the original album notes etc - which to me is more important than most other stuff. Or have they added that in now?
I am not suggesting the links are negative - they’re not as long as it is your option to look rather than thrust upon you (as Roon did several years ago) - but to me they really have no benefit 99% of the time, so not something I’d pay for. However, automatic or one click bringing up the original album sleeve/liner images in full would be a real bonus, and if from that clicking on, say, the guitarist’s name would lead to info (e.g. the Wikipedia page if there is one) about him/her, than that would be a potentially useful tool.
I agree, it’s actually a negative as well as a positive.
I actually don’t want to be reading and looking at all sorts while I am listening.
We obviously look at this sort of thing very differently. In place of your choice of the word "susceptible" I would substitute the word “fascinated” or the words “if your interest is piqued”. A nuance perhaps, but a very different perspective. I have no issue about whether or not I stop listening to a certain track in order to explore what Roon can offer me. It’s my choice, and I can always play that track or album in full again later on if I wish to do so.
I would say ‘it’s a musical journey’ if I didn’t absolutely hate the expression ‘it’s a journey’.
Totally agree - to me all that spurious information is clutter, but to others it will be paradise. I think Roon is more to do with information retrieval than listening to music. If I’m really interested I can say “Hey Siri, who is playing the amazing keyboards on the first Emerson, Lake & Palmer album” - Siri replies “It’s Rick Wakeman” and offers to play The Strawbs.
Lets agree on that as a form of words!
But yes, different people do and think differently from others - which of course accounts for the fact that of the now nearly 160 people who have come to this thread and voted, there is a near even split between those who have opted for Roon and those not.
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Lol. I’ve been using it to listen to music all day, if that’s not its primary purpose then I must be using it wrong.
I was sold on Roon almost immediately during free trial and bought a lifetime license, albeit at old price. The integration with Qobuz is a major plus, as is the ease of finding exactly what I want to hear right now. Roon Radio, while not perfect, works surprisingly well; I’ve discovered and added some wonderful recordings to my library.
It has also proved invaluable during the Covid lockdown. We live in a one bedroom apartment, and my significant other is also working at home now. This means that I’m working in the bedroom. Sometimes I stream to secondary system (airport express to Schmitt dac to powered speakers) for background while I’m working (not something I can do using Naim app) or for more serious listening, to my iPad Air to ifi Hip dac to HiFi Man Sundara. In either case, I have my full library of music to choose from. Set up was relatively simple and inexpensive (Small Green Computer i5 with 2 TB SSD) (roughly $1,200 all in).
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How do you find the Sundaras? Been eyeing them up but put off by stories of poor QC and that they are not that adjustable as no pivot.
Quality of headphones was excellent. I’ve not found lack of pivot to be uncomfortable.
Jolly good. Very tempted as never heard planars and dont have any decent openbacks to try with my RME ADI 2.
Those that use roon, can you confirm that the “discover” function only discovers within your own library and what you already own/ have favourited from say Qobuz?
Is there a way for Roon to “discover” from Qobuz what you haven’t got already or favourited but based on what you already like and have?
Hope that makes sense, think I maybe missing something.
Cheers all.
Roon has a specific discover page which only highlights items that you already ‘own’. I.e. music stored locally and already added to the libray from Tidal/QoBuz. It’s a good place to go if you are undecided what to play.
Roon does unobtrusively highlight music that could be of interest when you are playing something, see the screenshot below in the recommended for you area on the right hand side. You can see the QoBuz logo on the albums.
The overview page also showcases new music that could be of interest. This extracts from Tidal/QoBuz and uses some intelligence to come up with meaningful suggestions. It can be way off but it is on the whole very useful. Below is a screenshot of the expanded view of this. Must check out Lang Langs new EP!
Roon radio works by automatically selecting music similar to what you are currently playing. This can easily be disabled but can be set to automatically carry on playing after your selection has finished. I have discovered much new material this way and it does choose from local and streamed services material.
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While I enjoy listening to my primary Naim/speaker based system more, I’m finding these very engaging for relatively modest outlay ($350 for headphones plus $150 for ifi Hip DAC). Definitely worth a try in my view.