Partner with Tesla for their Audio Solution!

I love the UI and workflows and audio focus of Roon. A The very things that Tesla lacks in how it connects you to your media in their cars. It would be wonderful, in my opinion, if the two companies could find a way to collaborate.

Tesla makes exceptional vehicles, and their engineering is top notch but they do not understand, at least in their current iteration, how people want to interact with their music (and streaming radio, podcasts). This is something that Roon gets very well, but on the flip side there is room for extensibility when it comes to voice and radio and podcasts.

The current in-car Tesla media experience is a confusing medley of USB audio via flash drives, bluetooth from your phone, and a built-in hybrid of Slacker, TuneIn, Spotify and FM Radio. There is audio support but it much weaker than other options so people have resorted to keeping Android Auto in their car for the ease of stream playback and control via voice, or to installing Amazon Echos.

There must be a better way - I would love a world in which Roon is a music management system that can work at home, yes, but also on the go and in the car - it can provide a coherent front end and management mechanism for local storage as well as streaming media - moving beyond Tidal and Qobuz. Perhaps Tesla could provide the financial muscle to support an audio partnership, where the deals with the streaming providers can be separated from what is displayed in the car.

Does anyone else share this interest ?

And btw - I have used Android Auto extensively on my previous car - the main power is the voice control when it works, which is when you stay inside the Google Play Music world and app :slight_smile: The actual UI is not one I ever actively enjoyed using.

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I haven’t received my Model 3 yet but as a Roon user and fan the current choices for taking my library on a road trip are very disappointing. Why wouldn’t Tesla and Roon get together on an interface?

I wanted to plug in my SSD drive and have access to the entire library but I do not think I can do that in the Tesla.

Well, for starters it could get really complicated technically , which could be why it’s been so long since Roon mobile was floated as ‘on the roadmap’. What makes Roon so special is all the data it pulls in to complement a basic music stream. What makes Roon glitchy is spotty connections to these data.
Second, Roon is pretty small, and may not want to lie down with a lion like Tesla. There are potential plusses for sure, but it could get really miserable in a hurry given Tesla’s demeanor.
That said, automakers do a horrible job with music interfaces. They don’t seem to have a problem ‘outsourcing’ their premium audio systems (mine has Burmester). But their music interfaces look like they’re done by high school kids. Given the nice screen real estate on a Tesla it could be beautiful.

I would imagine the update process would be particularly cumbersome. Also, I am not sure what route Roon “mobile” might take. To be honest, if it is a stream from home feature like Plex, then it will useless for me and not what I would want in a mobile Roon app.

I have the Model 3 and running iTunes on a laptop sending a bluetooth signal to the head unit is producing very acceptable sound. As ROON users we all know that going back to the iTunes interface is problematic. Ideal setup would be the laptop running under a seat and controlling the interface through ROON on an iPhone talking to the laptop. Do any of you think this is possible. I have low expectations after minimal research.

This is an old thread. But thinking about a Tesla - why could Roon not generate a version for the Tesla OP system using the premium connectivity for Tidal and Qobuz with a 320kbs rate and an option to access the USB drive that is currently used for dashboard videos? That would be a win for Tesla and Roon.

Just got my Model Y and Roon came to mind immediately. The USB media player is complete trash. Apparently, they have actually been removing features over time. Roon and Tesla should really think about working together. Really obvious synergies there.

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what about integrating roon arc into tesla multimedia center? possible?? would be fantastic.

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As a Tesla owner, I have written an article about Tesla’s incomplete coverage of audio services and I made a very strong reference to Roon. Please see the article here: https://alexreusch.com/2024/02/22/teslas-lackluster-audio-experience-a-missed-opportunity-for-innovation/