@PNCD you raise some interesting points.
I think the RoonReady partnerships will be great for Roon - it seems like there are quite a few people stuck with control points and players they dislike because they’re the only things that work with their hardware. Roon will change that.
Things aren’t quite that simple I guess - people who’s kit becomes ‘RoonReady’ can’t just swap to Roon by downloading from the App Store or whatever - they need to setup a computer server, as well as paying ongoing fees to use it (unless buying the lifetime upfront).
I actually do think there’s a market for hardware server appliances. A lot of people don’t have any interest in dealing with computers, and a lot don’t want one near their music systems, and so I think Roon would be more attractive to a whole host of people outside it’s current user base (of what I’d call predominantly the ‘obsessive audiophiles’ group at the moment) if there were an easier solution to getting up and running. But as with everything, uptake will be based on so many things like - design/pricing/marketing/simplicity/reliability/compatibility. I think the Elac ‘solution’ was quite confusing personally….
For Roon to change the world (assuming world domination is actually their goal ;)) I think a parallel strategy might be required. Although RoonReady expansion will be great, I don’t think it will be the catalyst for mass take-up - IMO that would come from embracing mobile and/or offering a cheaper (or free) ‘light’ type solution to get people hooked and show their friends. That would probability also require the removal of the ‘home’ server requirement. I’m guessing neither are trivial for Roon.
I dont think you need an expensive hifi to like listening to music, or for Roon to be an asset for that matter. I don’t personally think using Beats headphones implies anything about your music quality aspirations either - its most likely a simple combination of finances, and the ability to listen to music out of then house and enjoy it without obsessing. I actually often like the sound of my £12 bluetooth adapter on the end of the iphone cable in my car stereo, more than I like my home hifi…. For me music is partly a certain (cheaper) sound I grew up with, and partly what I can get from my hifi now. I think audiophiles obsess about these things too much (myself too of late). In any event I’d still like to use Roon in my car on my iPhone, rather than the Tidal ap or iTunes.
Right now I don’t think Sonos users are going to be jumping to Roon because of RAAT. Sonos have been really clever - they make streaming and multi-room music an absolute doddle - you buy the hardware and hook it up via an ipad or whatever and it pretty much does everything else for you, and you’re up and running in no time. I think the Roon offering would need to be more complete (i.e. a system someone can buy that gives them everything they need ‘out of the box’ including speakers), and become far simpler to setup to compete there. But RoonReady is a good start.
Personally I think the Roon guys should have tabled things like HQ Player until after they’d fully established RoonReady and RoonSpeakers etc, as they’ve effectively delayed their own product to satsify the desires of a load of whinging, audiophiles ;);), so we now have network endpoints for an integrated HQ player before Roon’s own, which doesn’t seem right - but it looks like all will be well in the end.
It would actually be interesting to know where Roon place themselves - is their aim ‘high-end’ audio only, or are they looking further afield? Where do they see themselves a few years down the line after RoonReady is established?