Poll: What's your favorite streaming speaker to use with Roon?

Roon Software Discussion
1
How does your favorite wireless Roon speaker connect?
  • AirPlay
  • Chromecast
  • Sonos
  • Roon Ready
0 voters

Everyone loves a poll and I thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite streaming speaker to use with Roon in one place. I quickly realized it would be impossible to list all the speaker models individually; so instead, I decided to use connection method for the poll. Then we can discuss our favorite wireless speakers in our posts.

This isn’t a heated debate about which speaker is best (whatever that means), most/least expensive, has the best sound quality compared to others, also boils eggs, etc. It’s about our personal favorite and why it’s our favorite. There are no wrong answers. Please note that all the usual “don’t be a jerk to your Roon mates” community rules apply. Let’s have fun and be friends!

I’ll start! My favorites right now are…

JBL Authentics 500 - a megaton bomb of a speaker. It’s huge-sounding and incredibly powerful, like a Reggae sound system on steroids with massive bass depth. It offers easy connectivity, is relatively portable, and is super cool looking. It takes Roon DSP surprisingly well and is a serious party machine. It connects via AirPlay and will be Roon Ready. Some may say it’s a fun speaker and not for detailed listening, but I’ve trained mine to do both—plus other tricks. It mostly lives in my kitchen and living room, goes out to the patio, etc. I really like it, use it every day, and it’s so Rock-n-Roll.

The KEF LS50 Wireless II - Winner and still champion? Many think so. These powered stand mount/bookshelf speakers do A LOT and are a Roon Ready stalwart, but they also do AirPlay 2. These make a solid argument for why powered speakers’ integrated amplification works so well. Arguably, manufacturers have far greater resources, technical acumen, and determination for finding the correct synergy when it comes to matching drivers and power. I’m happy to let them fuss with all that and just enjoy the music instead. And boy-howdy, I do with these.

I recently set my KEFs up in the bedroom after a few months of nonuse, and wow—I forgot how much I enjoyed them. KEF’s whole Uni-Q tech (the speaker inside a speaker stylie) delivers serious goodness, in my opinion. The “sweet spot” these deliver is absolutely immense without toe-in. I feel like something magical happened when I moved them to a smaller room. It’s like the walls breathe music. It’s far out; I may leave them in there forever!

9 Likes
Best/Affordable WiFi Speaker to Use for Multi-Room Roon set-up?
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What can/does a Roon Nucleus Do and how do I play through Roon in another room?
2

Me, too. I have two sets — mains and bedroom. Clearest speakers I’ve ever owned.

*all four are wired with Ethernet

5 Likes
3

The ONLY wireless Roon streaming speaker I have is an old JBL Pulse.
On Chromecast.
All rest are wired :sunglasses:

7 Likes
4

Audio Pro C10’s, Chromecast (preferred), AirPlay 2? And C3’s (Ethernet cabled) capable of being portable.

4 Likes
5

None of the above, i use a JBL Boombox 2 over Bluetooth (through Roon ARC on the iPad or iPhone)

4 Likes
6

JBL charge 5 wifi. Very easy to carry around the house.

I also have an AudioPro C10 connected via ethernet (powerline) but I use it less frequently than the JBL speaker.

5 Likes
7

We have Elac Z3’s in most rooms, kitchen, office and bedrooms, for whole house music or individual listening.

Love the single box roon ready solution, size, sound and portability. The Z3’s can be wired or wireless but I prefer Ethernet to avoid the occasional interruptions.

6 Likes
8

Bang & Olufsen A9 via airplay. Looking forward to getting a second for a stereo pair. The A9 sometimes loses the connection to WiFi 🛜 but sounds amazing. Also have HomePod and mini HomePod. Thinking of getting KEF for the living room.

5 Likes
9

Can’t mention a favourite, but I can mention what I use and that is an Apple HomePod Mini. It sits in the kitchen and is grouped to my stereo in the living room, so I can follow whatever is being played there when I occasionally move into the kitchen.

Honestly I love this solution, even if sound quality on the Mini is nothing great, as a cheap way to create a Roon zone (or just Airplay 2 streaming of podcasts and what not). It does it job splendidly of filling in whatever I am missing from the big stereo when in the kitchen.

4 Likes
10

I run my LS60s with Roon exclusively. KEF connect is pretty spartan for music management and has been historically buggy with Qobuz for me.

7 Likes
12

Too right, @anon37652117! Good enough is plenty enough when the choice is between something and nothing at all. Being completely honest, I’d say most of my music listening time is spent on casual listening these days—and I enjoy it every bit as much as serious listening. I love connecting a few zones in the evening or on a weekend and swimming through sound as I move around the house. It makes you feel like you’re in a Tarantino movie with the camera tracking behind you whilst groovy tunes play. Who doesn’t love that?! And not wanting to sound too much like I’m tooting Roon’s horn…but it is so easy to do.

And I’m not surprised to see that Sonos currently holds second place in the poll. There are positively scads of folks who have Sonos kit bouncing along to the beat in Roon.

So many enthusiastic Sonos owners have written us lately upon discovering Roon - saying it’s essentially Sonos Mach II, but built by real music lovers. Not to get too misty-eyed, but it’s really inspiring. It’s what discovering and listening to music is supposed to be about - excitement, being carried away by the music, and having hours zip by while getting joyously lost in sound. Too often we apologize for casual listening when there’s really no need to. As you suggest, all listening is good and worthwhile. :pray:t2:

11 Likes
13

I only have a pair of Harman Kardon Citation One speakers. They are AirPlay capable when on their own. But they can be paired as a stereo pair and they then use Chromecast.

Even though Chromecast supports higher res audio I prefer AirPlay. As my home is mostly about Apple.

3 Likes
14

No need for “good enough”, the Sonos Five is audio nerd approved: it received a rave review a while back. [Personal experiences only, please. Link to review and reference to review site removed]

3 Likes
17

I use Bowers Formation Duo and Kef LS 60. Both integrate seamlessly with Roon. The Duo are bass heavy but very enjoyable. The Kefs,with matching subwoofers,are absolutely fantastic,they did a wonderful job with these speakers.’

4 Likes
18

KEF LS60 in the Living Room, Naim Mu-so 2 in the Home Office, Naim Mu-so Qb 2 in the Bedroom. We’re not short on wireless tunes in this household. :wink:

7 Likes
19

Truly wireless? :grin:

2 Likes
20

I have two wireless speakers currently in use and both use Chromecast

An LG SN 10YG ThinQ Soundbar:

soundbar
soundbar849×297 7.94 KB

A Sony SRS-RA3000 (semi) portable speaker - I hesitate to use the term “portable” since the speaker does not have a battery and must be plugged into an AC outlet.

Sony speaker
Sony speaker1200×1050 233 KB

3 Likes
21
  1. Kii audio 3 - main system
  2. Buchardt A500 - family room
  3. PSB Alpha iq - desktop
  4. Q Acoustics 2020 - Conservatory
5 Likes
22

Some wires are allowed! :joy: I edited the thread title to help prevent their exclusion.

2 Likes
23

there was a tall, battery powered, speaker that used to be available in the Roon store, but I don’t see it anymore. was very tempted for a while.

anyone recall what it was?

2 Likes