What exactly is ROON?

Roon is a music management and playback software that organizes your music library and streams it to many devices. It's designed to provide high-fidelity audio and a rich experience for exploring your music. 

That's what Google says.

I tried Roon and it is very slick.  I really liked it.  But, what I think I learned is that it's very processor intensive and you need hardware optimized for Roon if you want optimized sound quality.  I don't have that, so I'm using the Sense app from Innuos.  It works really well and it sounds better with my hardware.

I was going to write it out but honestly it's all here:

https://roon.app/en/how-roon-works

While it’s ultimately software that can run on your computer, it runs best on Roon’s own server, the Nucleus.

and you need hardware optimized for Roon

I had it for a while but didn't really use it much. I confess I can't sit still for streaming music (or CDs for that matter) for very long before I am distracted and lose interest. 

The people who do like it seem to REALLY like it though so your mileage may vary.

I think if you like reading liner notes you would like Roon.  If you don’t know what liner notes are because your music appreciation evolved with iTunes you can read about them here:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liner%20notes

 If you don’t know what liner notes are because your music appreciation evolved with iTunes

This might be the greatest sentence (or partial sentence) ever posted on here!

@sls883

+1

Roon adds a comprehensive music exploration and management tool to streaming at the cost of complexity, and sometimes sound quality and added cost. Unless you are interested in mostly exploring music (as opposed to listening), and playing with technology (cause it adds a fair amount of IT complexity to your system) and cost... then using the native streamer software is a much better choice.

Learning, for instance, the Conductor App for Aurender streamers... or whatever the software provided with your streamer will provide great exploration tool that can help you find music... just learn to use them. If really elaborate musical exploration is desired... go to AllMusic.com. or the internet to find music and then use your streamer software to listen to it.

I personally want to listen to music, not go back to being an IT person and get deeply involved in software. Some folks are deeply involved in exploration and software.

Another choice to investigate would be Audirvana. A better way to stream from a laptop.If you use a computer to stream music this software has an exclusive mode that bypasses the crappy volume controls and allows for a straight signal to an external DAC.  Has other sound related features such as upsampling and high quality digital volume control. Works ONLY with Tidal or Qobuz.

@gdaddy1 I've used Audivarna when streaming with my dac.  Sound quality is excellent. 

Roon is a sophisticated music management platform designed for audiophiles and music enthusiasts. It serves as a centralized hub for accessing, controlling, and playing digital music from various sources. Here are some key features and functionalities of Roon:

1. **Music Management**: Roon organizes your digital music library, including local files, streaming services, and internet radio. It cleans up metadata and creates a cohesive library that enhances the listening experience by providing rich content such as artist bios, reviews, and concert dates [[2]](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know).

2. **Multi-Device Compatibility**: Roon is compatible with a wide range of audio devices, allowing users to stream music across multiple rooms and devices. It supports various technologies, including Roon Ready, AirPlay, and Chromecast, ensuring that you can play music on almost any device in your home [[1]](https://roon.app/en/)[[3]](https://roon.app/en/how-roon-works).

3. **High-Quality Sound**: Roon is designed to deliver audiophile-grade sound quality. It supports bit-perfect playback of various audio formats, including high-resolution audio content, ensuring that music sounds as lifelike as possible [[1]](https://roon.app/en/)[[2]](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know).

4. **Roon Core and Remote**: The Roon Core is the central component that manages music playback and library organization. Users can control the Roon Core through the Roon Remote app, available on smartphones, tablets, and computers, allowing for seamless interaction with the music library [[2]](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know)[[3]](https://roon.app/en/how-roon-works).

5. **Roon ARC**: This feature allows users to access their entire Roon library on mobile devices, enabling offline listening and direct access to streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz [[2]](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know).

6. **Community and Personalization**: Roon offers personalized features that adapt to users' listening habits, providing tailored recommendations and insights into artists and music [[2]](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know).

Overall, Roon is not a music streaming service itself; rather, it enhances the music you already own or subscribe to by providing a rich, organized, and high-quality listening experience.

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Learn more:
1. [Roon](https://roon.app/en/)
2. [What is Roon? How the music platform works and what devices are Roon Ready | What Hi-Fi?](https://www.whathifi.com/advice/roon-everything-you-need-to-know)
3. [Roon - How Roon works](https://roon.app/en/how-roon-works)

Roon is a software program that does three main things:

Combines your music: It takes all the music you own (on your computer, hard drives, etc.) and all the music you stream (like from Tidal or Qobuz) and puts it all together in one place. You don't have to switch between different apps.

Makes your music experience better: It adds a lot of extra information to your music, like artist biographies, album reviews, and connections between artists. It also displays your music with high quality images. It's like having a super-detailed music encyclopedia.

Plays your music everywhere: It lets you play your music on different speakers and devices around your house, all controlled from one place. It also focuses on making your music sound the best it possibly can.