American competitor to Audirvana, Roon is an audio playback and library management software. The particularity of Roon software is that it allows both management of your files stored locally on a computer or your NAS, but also management of your online files stored on streaming platforms such as Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer etc. All in an ergonomic and intuitive interface.
Roon has the big advantage of supporting the majority of audio formats like WAV, AIFF, AAC, OGG, ALAC and FLAC. It is therefore the ideal tool for informed audiophiles.
How does Roon work?
The easiest way to use Roon is to install the software directly on your computer (available on Windows and Mac) to retrieve and share your entire music library. The configuration is particularly simple to implement. Roon will automatically recognize your local files and all you need to do is enter your connection details to a streaming platform in order to access your files stored online. This configuration mode will obviously require your computer to be turned on to stream.
To free yourself from your computer and benefit from a completely autonomous solution, you can also configure your Roon server directly on your NAS. In order to facilitate this configuration, which is often complicated to set up and which requires solid knowledge, Roon has developed its own servers, Roon Nucléus and Roon Nucleus Plus. Specially dedicated to the software, they allow, in the same way as Roon on a computer, to store and group your music for easy distribution.
A mobile app is also available to allow you to control your music. To be able to use it, the Roon application must be launched on a computer that is on the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile phone or tablet, or you must be equipped with a Roon Nucleus server.
An intuitive interface
Particularly intuitive, Roon's interface has been designed to make your life easier. In addition to its ease of use, Roon will automatically index all album covers, artist biographies and photos, lyrics, etc. Beyond simple management software, a whole environment dedicated to music will be accessible to you. Designed like a magazine, it has the enormous advantage of offering rich and extremely well-documented editorial content.
You can manually create your own playlists (playlist) and queues. However, Roon is also able to offer you suggestions very relevant (custom queues) with the Roon Radio option.
How to stream from Roon?
No matter your type of configuration, whether you use the web version, a NAS or a Nucleus server, the distribution and management of your music will always be done from the web interface or the mobile application. To take advantage of the features offered by Roon, you will need to have an internet connection. Then you have the ability to browse your music collection, sort tracks by artist, album, genre, resolution, decade, and even manage various custom tags to create playlists. Once you've selected your music, all you need to do is choose the system you want to stream to.
How to stream from Roon to Octavio products?
It is possible to stream from Roon to Octavio devices using the AirPlay 2 functionality which is available on all products (The Octavio Stream network player, the Octavio Amp compact amplifier and the Octavio Maestro connected speaker). The advantage of this mode of use is that it opens the doors to multi-brand multiroom. With Roon multiroom, all your AirPlay 2 equipment can work in complete synchronization.
How much does a Roon subscription cost?
The Roon subscription starts at $12.49 per month with an annual commitment. This price increases to $14.99 without commitment. You can also opt for the lifetime option for $829.99.
