a remarkably basic question about Roon

Enough, please.

Yours truly,

The OP

Well quite. It’s been reported. My understanding was that ad hominem attacks were prohibited.

Far from it @shooter41. If it’s not relevant then I don’t raise it. Struggling to see how it would not be directly relevant to how people found a UI. 

@northman do you have outstanding queries about Roon? How have you been finding it since you started your trial? You’ve not posted at all on this second page aside from the above request. Thoughts on the interface? Recommendations “engine” etc?

I feel fortunate in that my initial trial with it left me feeling somewhat under-whelmed by sound and UI but then I was rather over-taken by events and the Innuos Sense app. However, it’s always interesting to get other sensible impressions in case there’s some “must have” that you’ve/I’ve missed. 

There has been some dissatisfaction from some older users in relation to 1.8 and an overwhelming sense that Roon are becoming a little Devialet like in their approach to customers in terms of largely disengaging. New users seem less unhappy so I’d be interested to hear where you sit. 

I and others have tried engaging them with regard to the UI and accessibility. It seems they will go their own way regardless. That seems to me to carry risks. Although it was suggested earlier that they’re not small I would say that there is some confusion on the matter. The user base world wide is 100,000 or less. That should not be confused with the number of manufacturers who have signed up to certify etc. That potentially provides a false sense of security in terms of things like lifetime membership. Lots of devices come with Spotify or Tidal Connect. Partly because some people use them and partly because manufacturers cannot afford to be perceived to be providing less functionality than others. Much as I love Qobuz I do wonder whether I’d have bought an Innuos if it only had full Qobuz integration. Not everybody with Roon Ready or Certified devices will use Roon and indeed the stats suggest the exact opposite. Indeed Innuos devices are a fine example. All work brilliantly with Roon but most users are dropping it because it can’t now match the SQ via Sense.

Thanks for asking. I haven't joined the fray here simply because I know so comparatively little about streaming technologies and equipment.That said, I've had Roon for about a week and I love it! I admit, though, that I may be like a man who has never seen a flower and is overwhelmed by the discovery of a dandelion. Perhaps there are orchids and birds of paradise up ahead.... 

Like others, I never understood why I should buy something that seems like just a nifty version of what I already own. For a few years now I annually have looked at the Roon website and found it bright and shiny--and not in a good way. So I'm quite surprised by how much I like it. Call me shallow but I love the easy interface that allows me to move easily between internet radio, my stored music files, and Qobuz.  (Yes, I KNOW--I could do all this before I got Roon. But it's so much nicer now!)

I can't yet respond to the big question: how does Roon affect sound quality, if at all. There are too many variables in play for me at the moment (in my system but also in my life). That's up ahead. 

I have a few quibbles, naturally, though I may just not yet understand all the features. While they talk the "audiophile" game, I wouldn't bet a nickel on their customer support. It looks to me like they put a lot of their energy into marketing some kind of bougie lifestyle. Blah. Still, I will report that I've already been emailing with Andrew at Small Green Computer, researching $$$ ethernet cables, pondering "bridges," and the like. Better and best, I've been listening to music. This may be the honeymoon period but I am enjoying it. (Ask me again in three months....)

Oh, and yes, plenty of queries, coming soon.