I have a library of offline stored music, and don’t stream online.
My existing music app is good for sound quality but only just tolerabke for library handling due to a good chunk of my files having poor metadata.
I trialled Roon and it did made no positive difference re either, and so certainly not worth the cost. I get the impression that most people who do think Roon is worth it stream online and find benefit from things like suggestions for other music to trial, and where they also have a library offline they find benefit in the integration of offline and online.
It’s often the case that the manufacturers app is missing some features / functionality that Roon or other software solutions offer. I think Naim has made a reasonable attempt and I do think it sounds better. I think the best I’ve come across (manufacturer wise) was the app that comes with the Auralic Hardware such as the G1 etc.
Roon isn’t perfect, it’s just more complete than the others (for me). While sound quality is king, the interface is an important part of the ritual of selecting and playing music so does add to the enjoyment. But as can be seen here, it’s very subjective and not everyone is that bothered about that part of the process.
Tidal does that too. It’s called ‘My Daily Discovery’ and the most valuable feature from Tidal over Qobuz imo. I’ve discovered so much new music from this daily 10 track selection.
I did have Tidal for a while but preferred the Qobuz library and HD files but, that was a good feature on the Tidal app and if Naim / Qobuz could replicate that it would be a big step in closing the gap with the likes of Roon.
Yes, it’s a personal preference.
I had the opposite with the libraries and after months of having them side-by-side, I’ve not been able to hear a consistent better SQ from QB/HD. It was hit and miss for me. Some sounded better, some didn’t or I couldn’t hear a difference. So Tidal Connect and the DD tipped the scale for me.
Roon Radio is a similar feature and as the Tidal app for you, it’s allowed me to find a lot of music I’d otherwise of missed. The more apps that offer this the better I say!
I for one find Innuos Zenith works well into my nDAC/555DR via USB to SPDIF. I really think Naim should bring out a new DAC for 500 series perhaps to test a more Eco power supply also as well having the option to use the 555DR, which would please many. I think other companies have the music curation sorted.
Two things frustrate me about Roon. First, the lack of a search by folder facility, which is where the Naim app has the advantage. But, I don’t have a streaming subscription so I rely on the Roon recommendations rather than thinking ‘what would I like to listen to. The second thing I don’t like about Roon is the ‘missing’ recordings; ok this is mainly for classical music. Overall, the interface makes it a winner for me.
I should think naim are very busy working on a new streamer/dac and i guess it will be very different to the old nd555, which is very old tec these days (dac chip related).
So new dac design, as others have said new power, using less power etc and probably new style black boxes with it all in
Because one can search/browse one’s own collection, simply curated by album folder within artist folder within genre folder, regardless of how good, bad or incomplete may be the metadata. It beats me why on earth don’t software writers provide such a simple yet incredibly useful facility alongside the searching by metadata - this is the most frustrating thing of software I’ve used since moving on from a Naim streamer controlled by the Naim app, which did allow such searching.
I am always baffled as to why anyone would insist on the antediluvian practice of searching folders when tags can, at the very least, provide the same search options, and at their best provide a hugely more versatile and more easily managed database.
The folder model is not by itself bad, but this is not a good model for humans (even though it is a great model for computers and programmers). Some modern software models (e.g. Google email, etc. ) have moved away from it, to add more human-oriented models such as labels or tags.
Because of the aforementioned ‘missing’ albums.
And of course, I sometimes find searching by folder, where the album art is visible, jogs the memory when searching for something to listen to. Hence, Roon’s discovery function is valuable.
If you had a lot of files with poor or missing matadata you would understand! In my case to fix the metadata that when I ripped all my CDs and LPs and did my first downloads I didn’t realise was going to be critical, will take a lot of time and effort, and likely rob me of the will to live! And for my purposes, with a simple but logical orderly filing system (exactly the same as I used for physical media when I had it), metadata-based browsing/searching offers little if any benefit.
Not sure I agree with that - at least not for humans who have grown up with and used filing systems for physical media, whether music, or books, magazines, and probably other things like coins, fishing flies etc etc!
While Roon does not offer a folder browser within the Roon application, there is nothing preventing the user from using a file manager to arrange Roon’s music store by artist/album (which is what I have done as well) or any other folder structure, and to browse it this way in the rare case that an album cannot be located in Roon (I don’t know how this could happen, though), so I don’t really get the complaint by some Roon users.
Yeah we have discussed this in the past, though I don’t recall what the conclusion was Certainly this should not happen. I just don’t think that implementing a folder browser in Roon is the right solution for something that should be fixed another way.
Certainly this should not happen. I just don’t think that implementing a folder browser in Roon is the right solution for something that should be fixed another way.