People missed out on the $499 lifetime because they chose not to take it up when it was available. Others decided to go for Lifetime immediately after the 14 day trial. We all make choices, and therefore must live by the consequences of those decisions.
And move on rather that whinging and whining on and on about how unfair it is. Life is unfair, and this little bit of unfairness is such a First World problem; all about fair rights rather than personal responsibility.
Like 3 or 4 tankfuls of petrol for the car… Walk more, save money, buy Lifetime hehe
Approaching 500 posts…
Topics like this do grab my attention and I guess like newspaper headlines it’s about the sensational and polarised views.
What has been forgotten is the value proposition of ROON, the vast majority of discussion has been about the price increase but not the changing and for me, increasing value of ROON.
If you can’t equate the price and value then it’s not for you.
If you don’t agree with the decision making process or perceived ethos at ROON it may not be for you.
We all have choices to make…
I’d considered going back to school for an MBA, but after reading this thread I’ve learned so much about marketing, economics, the psychology of buying, budgeting, and even philosophy, that there’s no need. It’s like a long TED Talk.
Lifetime is a burden, annual is an asset
If Roon wish to sell up in future they want less of the former and more of the latter
It occurs to me that those who purchased a lifetime subscription for $499 are in a way (and perhaps in hindsight) being rewarded for taking a risk. When I bought mine about four years ago, a week into my free trial, there was obviously more uncertainty about Roon’s staying power as a business. One had to weigh the longer-term benefits of a lifetime subscription against the possibility that Roon might not last for a “lifetime,” or perhaps even for a few years. Many asked “what if Roon goes out of business?” Some in this thread have asked that question even after the price increase.
Early “adopters” knew they were taking that risk. Today, with Roon subscribers reportedly numbering more than 100,000 and the business and product maturing, it seems those survival doubts have lessened. So, at $699 you’re taking less of a chance and getting more “insurance”—keeping in mind, of course, that anyone familiar with Roon had the $499 lifetime opportunity until very recently.
So, $499 for some time was a venture capital price at which people expected greater reward for their investment in return for supporting a young business. Many, like me, received that reward as their lifetime sub has paid, or nearly paid, for itself and Roon essentially becomes “free”. Our risk paid off. Now, $699 is a maturing business price. The tradeoff is more security for your investment, at a higher buy-in cost.
I have the node 2i - works perfectly with Roon.
Deal or no deal.
I own the ones I wrote, produced and performed though 
I must say both you and @Coltrane raise a very good point. That said if they did that in 10 years I’d be upset but at least it would’ve paid for itself for a few years before that happened. But yeah lifetime subscription would suck if they pull that stunt.
That’s fair. Thank you.
Exactly. That’s usually the way lifetime subscriptions work, and that’s precisely how I viewed it when I ponied up $500.
The same basic situation remains at $700. Maybe there’s less risk if you believe the company’s more stable now and there’s less chance of them going away before the investment pays off, but the exposure period’s now a bit longer because of the price hike.
Regardless, still a case of pay more now to pay less in the long run, with a risk that the service will be gone before your investment pays for itself.
And this is exactly why the world is at is it today: a lot of people today live with the impression that if they read something on the internet automatically they know how to do it!
Sorry, I read your post as they are going to…
So apparently, I can’t. 
LOL, I feel better knowing that.
Well… you’re right! Duly noted (and edited).
@danny
Have you guys ever thought of doing a paid upgrades for lifetime subscription instead of increasing the overall price? This is definitely good for attracting new sign-ups. Besides existing users who want to upgrade can pay a small fee. This method can guarantee some kind of incoming fund for the development of the product.
Hi all! If you meet the upgrade requirements and sent us an email over the weekend or today, please hang tight. 
We’re making sure everyone is taken care of, but with increased demand due to the price change and 1.7 release, response times are currently 1-2 days.