Roon 1.8 Update: Go Your Own Way
Words by Rafe Arnott
Described by some as the second coming of machine learning for computer audio, network music playback platform Roon has released version 1.8. Hot-rodded with updated coding under the hood, Roon 1.8 is further tweaked to tailor Roon interaction as a reflection of personal listening tastes. It also received an eye-pleasing GUI makeover reminiscent of Saul Bass at his best.
Regardless of your descending order of preference, be it vinyl/CD/streaming, or streaming/vinyl or just streaming/streaming, you’re going to want to sign-up and take Roon 1.8 for a test drive to see what the fuss is about, particularly if you’re not already familiar with it. Those with a knowing nod already vibe what the ride is like, so this update only sweetens the pot for them, but if you’re new to the computer audio scene and want to step things up in your user experience from Spotify, TIDAL or Qobuz – your whole streaming gestalt – then Roon is the wheel you’ll want to be sitting behind.
The new Roon 1.8 interface would make Saul Bass proud.
What is it? Simply put, it allows users to route their favourite streaming service through it’s superior GUI, networking/file handling capabilities, and preternatural algorithms for choosing what comes after your music choices. Then there’s the eye-candy and intuitiveness of the interface… it’s not like holding a record in your hands – nothing is – but they’ve gone to great lengths to emulate what that experience involves as close as a touch screen will allow. There’s too much of what it does exactly to list, so check out the video below for everything that’s new, and go to Roon Labs to read more and sign up for a trial.
