Roon is really all about music discovery and being able to collate your local ripped library together with your streaming library (currently only Tidal and Qobuz). If you don’t care about that then it’s not worth the $. For me it re-invigorated my love of music so was worth the hassle and $ (lifetime sub was $500 then). I went from Tidal initially to Qobuz when it introduced to the US. For me I prefer the curation on Qobuz, and straight up hi-res vs MQA.
You’ll be spending a LOT more money for a 372 (or whatever comes along from Naim) then you will setting up Roon and/or a dedicated server with other server software and hardware.
Well, if you compare a posh version of Roon (e.g. Roon Nucleus+ and perhaps LPSU?? and lifetime sub) to the cost of a possible PX of a 272 for a new gen Naim streaming preamp, it may be roughly the same.
and, more importantly, I’d definitely get a SQ uplift from a 372 - and if not would be able to return it.
You absolutely do not need a Nucleus+, let alone a PSU for it, to run the Roon Core for a single endpoint. A basic i3 NUC to Roon’s spec, or a Mac or PC you already own, will be just fine, and that probably includes the laptop you mentioned earlier.
For me the metadata / user experience from Roon has made a big difference to my consumption of music and discovery of connections between artists and new ‘stuff’ to listen to.
I don’t think the sound quality is compromised by Roon- and that’s good enough for me. If I can get the same quality with the Roon user experience then I’m happy.
Also a lifetime subscriber, if I had to pay again I think I would even at the new higher rate.
I got a NUC 7i5BNH with 8gb of RAM and a 250gb SSD for $350, and the LPS I already had, a Chinese Zero Zone for $160. Put an internal 1TB SSD in the NUC for another $100 for music storage, though an external SSD or 2.5" HDD works just as good. No idea if the LPS makes any difference but since it was no longer being used I figured why not (optimal would be a 19V but NUC’s accept anywhere from 12-24V; just makes sure enough amperage). A Nuclear+ is just a NUC in fancy clothes, priced for those who drop four figures on cables without batting an eye. A turnkey solution for dealers essentially.
Sounds like you really don’t want to go the ROON route, which is fine, plenty of other ways to get Qobuz to you, though even then it sounds like you may as well stick with Tidal. I think you may need to check your excuses - esp with older gear it will take a bit of time, money and ingenuity but nothing near the cost level of a Naim streamer. Perhaps this info can help somebody else not be dissuaded from checking out Roon.
Not been here for a few days, thought it was you Jim on the Roon forum. You dont need to spend a lot for Roon, but as others have said, if you dont care for its curation and the way it works look for other solutions. I would suggest AudioVarna you can get a free trial, run it onyour laptop and it supports UPnP although I found it flakey. They are throwing in the phone app as well now.
I’m a big Roon fan: What makes it indispensable for me:
-The interface/music discovery. Nothing else comes close to the power and elegance of the interface. You can spend hours getting lost in exploring artists and genres you like. I know, I’ve done it.
-Combing your library with Tidal or Qobuz selections. This is a major benefit in terns of efficiently accessing titles quickly.
-The Windows and Mac desktop apps. This a is big help for me as I’m frequently at my desk top rig while listing to music.
I also think we should support music streaming software this good if we want alternatives to captive apps. I think it’s cheap for what it offers.
It didn’t ADD to the ability to access the music I love, therefore provided no benefit. My music, whether local or Tidal, became intermingled with Roon’s suggestions, which are nothing more than an algorithmic interpretation of my taste. With a family subscription to Tidal, that means a whole spectrum of music, most of which is of no appeal to me. It has (to me) the look of an online music magazine. Naim’s own app, for all its limitations, is far better for me.
I have to say, I’ve found an insane amount of new music I would never have heard of via Roon, mostly under the recommended for you in the album track view, not so much on the front Overview page.
@w33logic One of the issues that people have with Roon is the family aspect. At some point hopefully they will find a way to have entirely separate libraries for different users on the same account. That would hopefully clear up the algorithm issue you are having. The UI is also somewhat dated, confusing in parts, and I always criticize them by saying, what others can do with one click, Roon takes three! That said, there’s really nothing else like it on the market imo. But if you only have a Naim ecosystem, then it might not make as much sense $ wise, esp if the discovery and curation aspect doesn’t work for you.
I get that Charles and I’m sure it works better for some than others. Personally, I found the “similar albums you may like” within the Naim app to provide better results. Roon tended to take me towards genres where I’d shown no interest. Nor had any of the “family” members. There were numerous artists and styles, excellent though they may be, who had never featured on a play queue but they always appeared on Roon.
The problem for me is that it’s still just an app, a means of taking music from source to speakers. It doesn’t give me access to new music for the exorbitant price. I still need Tidal or Qobuz, whose subscription models I fully understand and support. The other issue I find is that critics of Roon are often seen as heretics or lacking understanding of what it does. Hence my use of the term Emperor’s New Clothes…
Well, some of us Roon users that criticize Roon are considered heretics, so that must make you the devil! No worries, best to use what works for you, though good thing you trialed it and came to your own conclusion. The Naim app doesn’t work for me as I use a different brand streamer. I actually trialed Roon early on and came to the same conclusion as you, then trialed it a couple of years later and it fit much better into my system, and was a better product a few software iterations on. Best, CP
It’s one of the reasons, by no means the sole one. I can find new music hy subscribing to an appropriate magazine (which I do) and can then enjoy the detailed reviews from aficionados that I trust. Costs me a chunk less than Roon, which just throws up an album or artist, and gives me so much more in return. I then use Tidal to listen to the music in question, and purchase it if it tickles my fancy. The money all goes in the right direction and not to support an app that in reality should cost less than £20
can you say which mag and which reviewers?
the best and almost the only reviewer I can trust is Thom Jurek, but I get him for free on the Naim app on many LPs
My taste is mainly guitar based rock, which is perfectly suited to Naim with its skills on a “forward” presentation, dynamics and speed of transients. In my youth it was Kerrang, but that morphed into a fanzine for sub-genres that didn’t float my boat. Later came Classic Rock, which had some of the main ex-Kerrang reviewers I respected, such as Dave Ling and Geoff Barton. Geoff"s CV goes all the way back to Sounds in the 70s. It’s a must read for me each month!
No worries, best to use what works for you, though good thing you trialed it and came to your own conclusion. The Naim app doesn’t work for me as I use a different brand streamer. I actually trialed Roon early on and came to the same conclusion as you, then trialed it a couple of years later and it fit much better into my system, and was a better product a few software iterations on. Best, CP