Tidal launched Tidal Connect in October 2020, which allows Tidal desktop or mobile apps to stream directly to music endpoints. Ideally, Roon endpoints would be available in this list. This would allow folks to use the Tidal app to its fullest potential while leveraging the Roon transport technology stack.
3 Likes
Isnât the whole point that it tells the end point what to play.
That kinda gets rid of Roon, unless you want to tell Roon what end points to play then tell Tidal to play to Roon counting it as an endpoint?
Either way it wonât happen.
And why do you need Roon for this?
There are tons of use cases for Roon. Personally, I use RoonBridge to connect several different HiFi systems from different vendors, as well as for personal âon-premiseâ library management. Roon is great for these tasks but fails miserably for me as a Tidal streaming platform. The best features of Tidal, like My Mix, and Tidal Radio, are not available in Roon.
Roon as a Tidal Connect endpoint would allow us to use the native Tidal apps to inform Roon as to what Tidal content to play. Roon could then take over and distribute the Tidal Track through any combination of Roon endpoints and Roon bridges, which Roon does excellently.
2 Likes
Roon has little to no incentive to do this as it would minimize their value to just being a transport or as you say, that âwould allow us to use the native Tidal apps to inform Roon as to what Tidal content to play. Roon could then take over and distribute the Tidal Track through any combination of Roon endpoints and Roon bridges, which Roon does excellently.â
This minimization of user utility/value is also why Spotify will never give deep data dump (not just api) access to their data to Roon to integrate the way Tidal and Qobuz are. They donât want to be minimized to just a song delivery system, vs a full featured music service that enables them to harvest extensive personal information they use throughout their service.
1 Like
If you love Tidal Connect, you can replace your Roon Bridge endpoints with Tidal Connect endpoints.
Something like Bluesound Node 2i can be bothâŚ
Yea⌠Iâve been thinking about that. Problem is, Iâve got a 5 figure investment in Sonos at this juncture.
That said, Roon has the underlying technology required to essentially mimic a software implementation of what Bluesound would be doing for me. I have a series of computers running Roon Bridges on my HiFi systems where Sonos doesnât cut it.
1 Like
Yes but I have the same issue - the Tidal app itself is really good now.
Lots of improvements compared to when I got my Roon lifetime membership nearly 5 years ago.
The Node 2i supports Spotify Connect too so should support their upcoming HiFi plan also
1 Like
I guess Iâm just butthurt that Roon canât be my one stop shop because, as someone else pointed out, they seem to be dead set on wanting users to use their app exclusively. Problem is, it is â â â â for the kind of music I listen to and the streaming services I use.
Sad they canât realize that they are much more than an app with all of their transport technology. They really should be a Software Based solution that can accept inputs like AirPlay 2 as well as embrace things like Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. No reason a fully blown server running Roon Core couldnât handle all of this.
Bluesound Node 2i literally ticks all your boxes
Time to put the Sonos gear up for sale 
Eh⌠not quite all, but very close. I have a Moon ACE that has MQA decoding and rendering built-in. Iâd prefer to use the Moon render if possible, but Bluesound MQA appears to be all or nothing at this juncture. It does appear that I could still use Roon to stream Tidal MQA to both the Moon ACE and a Bluesound Node 2i, though, since both have RAAT built-in.
Thatâs it, Iâm about to pull the trigger on my first Node 2i.
2 Likes
Just make sure all your Bluesound devices use wired LAN connections. Getting them to work well wirelessly is a real crapshoot âŚ
1 Like
Cambridge Audio CXN V2 also supports Tidal connect, et. al. While I donât own one yet (saving my pennies), it seems to not have the compatibility issues of the Bluesound Node 2i. Though it is at a higher price point.
My initial thought was âWhy would you want do this, surely this is what Roon is for?â
But actually you make a convincing case for a wider Roon feature. Namely that of exposing your underlying speakers and more importantly grouped speakers as âvirtualâ AirPlay, Tidal Connect or hell even Spotify Connect âendpointsâ.
Obviously if Tidal Connect or Airplay v1 would let you select multiple outputs/speakers then this would be less of an appealing feature. But given that many of us are using Roon to tie together lots of audio devices from different manufactures in multi room setups (and already have network streamers and endpoints to allow that). Allowing Roon to expose those devices (and better still grouped devices) âvirtuallyâ to 3rd party applications would be a useful addition.
2 Likes
Sonos already supports Tidal connect and Spotify, so you just need a steamer for the hifi for the high definition stuff.
Thatâs the way I use it, but I have a Sonos connect to the hifi plus a LUMIN D2 for high res that also supports Spotify connect and the are investigating developing tidal connect.
It would be great, if ROCK/Nucleus could support Tidal Connect (or AirPlay). On iPhone I hate to use two hands for just going back a page where most other apps like Tidal support gestures.
My girlfriend feels more comfortable to hear through the iPhone speakers than using the Roon App to gain better sound. 
She also hates Tidal (bad Playlists, missing lyrics), but prefers the UI to quickly find what she wants to listen.
2 Likes
Tidal connect sucks . Nothing like Spotify connect and is buggy as hell
