|
Post by boomzilla on Nov 6, 2018 2:07:07 GMT -5
One can pay $10 bucks a month for a year-to-year Roon membership, or $500 for a "lifetime membership." How confident are youse guys that Roon will still be around in five years? In 10?
Or more to the point, should Roon change their software or business model in the future, do you think they'd still honor that "lifetime membership?"
Being a new (and relatively cutting edge) technology in a field where there is increasingly rapid change, will Roon be able to keep up?
If future technology is devised that allows better streaming, will Roon stick their lifetime members with "you get the service level that was in place when you bought your membership, but if you want the new, higher service level, you have to pay extra?"
What's your take?
|
|
|
Post by fbczar on Nov 6, 2018 8:19:09 GMT -5
One can pay $10 bucks a month for a year-to-year Roon membership, or $500 for a "lifetime membership." How confident are youse guys that Roon will still be around in five years? In 10? Or more to the point, should Roon change their software or business model in the future, do you think they'd still honor that "lifetime membership?" Being a new (and relatively cutting edge) technology in a field where there is increasingly rapid change, will Roon be able to keep up? If future technology is devised that allows better streaming, will Roon stick their lifetime members with "you get the service level that was in place when you bought your membership, but if you want the new, higher service level, you have to pay extra?" What's your take? It is fairly obvious, given the industry wide participation from multiple, big-time, equipment manufacturers that Roon is in the strongest of the companies that provide music playing software. It is difficult to conceive of a situation that would allow Roon to remain in business if they reneged on the Lifetime Membership contract. Roon is clearly the most capable of the music player software companies as far as research and development is concerned. Keeping up is not a problem for Roon. Personally, I think Audirvana sounds better than Roon, but Roon is totally dominant relative to the management of metadata and many love the way Roon manages their music libraries. The cost of Roon is a big disadvantage from my perspective, but given its industry wide acceptance cost does not seem to be a major impediment for Roon. Roon offers 60 and 90 day free trials all the time. Try it. You will probably like it.
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Nov 6, 2018 9:19:58 GMT -5
I had some reservations about the Room lifetime myself. Ultimately I bit the bullet and went for it. Do I worry it will go away? Some...but I am not really concerned given their dominance, as noted above.
Mark
|
|
|
Post by wilburthegoose on Nov 6, 2018 9:53:21 GMT -5
I'm frugal (I'm German-American - same thing)...
I bought the lifetime and I'm happy that I did.
|
|
|
Post by boomzilla on Nov 6, 2018 11:33:21 GMT -5
OK - It's unanimous. Buy some of my stuff & I'll buy a lifetime Roon membership with the proceeds!
|
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,333
|
Post by DYohn on Nov 6, 2018 11:59:04 GMT -5
When people I talk to say the Roon lifetime subscription is too expensive, I ask them if they have ever purchased Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Studio, and if that fee includes 100% free upgrades for life?
|
|
novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,213
|
Post by novisnick on Nov 6, 2018 12:06:29 GMT -5
When people I talk to say the Roon lifetime subscription is too expensive, I ask them if they have ever purchased Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Studio, and if that fee includes 100% free upgrades for life? How about that piece of hardware that has a limited life span? Was it worth the purchase? Is it now outdated? Did it accomplish the goals you required at the time? “Lifetime” what it that really? How long is yours? Hmmmm! 🤔
|
|
novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,213
|
Post by novisnick on Nov 6, 2018 12:09:11 GMT -5
OK - It's unanimous. Buy some of my stuff & I'll buy a lifetime Roon membership with the proceeds! Buy a sotm sms-200 and get a year for $60.00 to think about it! LOL BETTER YET, I received 15 months BETTER YET, buy the sms-200 Ultra Neo SE for TOTL 😁🎶🎶
|
|
|
Post by Loop 7 on Nov 6, 2018 12:13:39 GMT -5
I agonized as well.
It will suck migrating to another system if Roon dissolves or changes their model at some point.
|
|
|
Post by brubacca on Nov 6, 2018 12:17:59 GMT -5
Boom,
I share your concerns. I plan on living and hearing for at least 40 more years. Assuming that how can Roon Stay financially viable for 40 more years if everyone is buying lifetime licenses?
I can't see how Room will not reach a crossroads where a difficult decision must be made.
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Nov 6, 2018 12:41:51 GMT -5
OK - It's unanimous. Buy some of my stuff & I'll buy a lifetime Roon membership with the proceeds! You have plenty you can sell, that's for sure! If I needed anything, I'd come visit to shop and bring home a U-haul full. Mark
|
|
|
Post by Casey Leedom on Nov 6, 2018 14:01:57 GMT -5
... Personally, I think Audirvana sounds better than Roon, but Roon is totally dominant relative to the management of metadata and many love the way Roon manages their music libraries. ... Wait, what? They're both just client/server models to allow the exact same Digital Audio Data to be delivered to your DAC. I can understand not liking the pricing, worrying about Roon's financial future/market penetration/availability of a Roon Bridge for your favorite DAC, or liking/not-liking their User Interface. But "sound" ? ? ? Casey
|
|
|
Post by Loop 7 on Nov 6, 2018 14:12:02 GMT -5
Personally, I think Audirvana sounds better than Roon, but Roon is totally dominant relative to the management of metadata and many love the way Roon manages their music libraries. I agree completely on the sound. Amarra and Audirvana, to my ears, offer superior sound over Roon. But, as you said, Roon's music management and endpoint ecosystem seems unrivaled. I wish I could use Amarra's audio engine with Roon.
|
|
|
Post by Casey Leedom on Nov 6, 2018 14:32:41 GMT -5
So are you guys talking about the Digital Audio CODEC algorithms which are needed to translate Digital Audio Data in one format into another when the DAC Endpoint isn't capable of rendering the original Digital Audio Data Format? For instance, you have a Digital Audio Asset in DSD format, but the DAC only supports PCM? That's the only thing where the Audio Server Software could have any effect on "sou8nd".
Casey
|
|
|
Post by wilburthegoose on Nov 6, 2018 14:37:07 GMT -5
Roon doesn't change the audio unless you want it to.
|
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,333
|
Post by DYohn on Nov 6, 2018 14:40:05 GMT -5
So are you guys talking about the Digital Audio CODEC algorithms which are needed to translate Digital Audio Data in one format into another when the DAC Endpoint isn't capable of rendering the original Digital Audio Data Format? For instance, you have a Digital Audio Asset in DSD format, but the DAC only supports PCM? That's the only thing where the Audio Server Software could have any effect on "sou8nd". Casey I used to think that too. Theory tells you that must be the case. So the only thing I can use to explain why in my system with the same hardware, Roon sounded significantly better than LMS, is the software. There is something about the way the Roon server handles the data VS the way the Logitech server did, or about the way the Roon Ready player handles it VS Squeezelite, that sounded much better. (To me, YMMV, yadda yadda.) But the bottom line is it is NOT just about the data... So is there another system that sounds better than Roon? There sure might be.
|
|
|
Post by boomzilla on Nov 6, 2018 15:01:31 GMT -5
Have you hard Audirvana, David? If so, I'd be very interested in your take vs. Roon...
|
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,333
|
Post by DYohn on Nov 6, 2018 15:06:21 GMT -5
Have you hard Audirvana, David? If so, I'd be very interested in your take vs. Roon... No, I haven't.
|
|
|
Post by Loop 7 on Nov 6, 2018 15:07:52 GMT -5
Roon doesn't change the audio unless you want it to. That is a can of worms for sure. I'm a fan of Amarra's sound. I guess we need to define "change."
|
|
KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,902
|
Post by KeithL on Nov 6, 2018 15:10:11 GMT -5
I haven't used a Squeezebox in many years - but I have owned several, of a few different models, in the past. (I think I had two Squeezebox Touch and one or two Squeezebox original clients; although I never tried the software client.)
The original Logitech SqueezeServer absolutely DID re-sample the audio under some circumstances (depending both on the sample rate supported by the individual client and on several user settings).
Perhaps your Roon is delivering a bit-perfect data stream - while the SqueezeServer was not???
So are you guys talking about the Digital Audio CODEC algorithms which are needed to translate Digital Audio Data in one format into another when the DAC Endpoint isn't capable of rendering the original Digital Audio Data Format? For instance, you have a Digital Audio Asset in DSD format, but the DAC only supports PCM? That's the only thing where the Audio Server Software could have any effect on "sou8nd". Casey I used to think that too. Theory tells you that must be the case. So the only thing I can use to explain why in my system with the same hardware, Roon sounded significantly better than LMS, is the software. There is something about the way the Roon server handles the data VS the way the Logitech server did, or about the way the Roon Ready player handles it VS Squeezelite, that sounded much better. (To me, YMMV, yadda yadda.) But the bottom line is it is NOT just about the data... So is there another system that sounds better than Roon? There sure might be.
|
|