Roon Ready Certification

Expectations and how they are met.

deliver the highest possible quality audio but sometimes there’s more possible but because of false self-advertisement of capabilities you won’t get it (Google Cast) or the manufacturer restricts input formats over network (only stereo on multi-channel receivers for example).

and even allow volume control right from the Roon user interface! should there be a volume control at all and the manufacturer made the volume control accessible through RAAT.

But no more than the available drivers allow, which depends on the OS and might not be what the device is capable of.

For the Bluesound 2i series and the KEF LS50W/LSX, the best user experience possible might be unusable. Also Devialet users might get consternated.

It’s hard for users to find out about possible restrictions even if they do research. The only way to get reliable information seems to be to research for other users experience as one will mostly not find these information on manufacturers product (selling) sites. The early-adopters seem to be the losers in this game.

To be fair though early adopters have been up the wazoo in all tech, laserdisk, betamax…
As a really early adopter of roon it’s actually been amazing how much more it now does.
But I do get your point. And given the “my dealer said” threads on here, some right dodgy advice is being handed out.
Trouble is you need to have a solid IT and hifi background to be at an advanced roon level.

That is not limited to dealers only. If one does research in user forums one will stumble up on such advice all over the place. But as other resources are no longer available (dealers die out in favour of internet shops) or untrustworthy (dealers, manufacturers), where else should the unsettled customer search for information?

I guess most of the users (here) were operating IT/Network equipment in their homes for already quite a while before they started to use Roon. So they should actually have the needed IT background. But as the situation (manufacturers and their pre-sales advertisement-red herrings) in IT is (since decades) much the same as in HiFi (now), many (wanted to) believe in the fairy tale of the magical device that resolves all problems and just works as user expect it to (instead of as they were designed to) without any further knowledge about the matter. They should have better bitten in an apple themselves. Maybe some others should have enjoyed the look out of their own windows instead.

As my teacher used to say: “Even the simplest pocket-calculator is of no use if you don’t know the rules of arithmetic.”

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I dont think having Roon Ready and Roon Tested helps much either as these two constantly get misinterpreted and both have different levels of integration and control.

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Where Roon Tested is usually used for USB connected devices (where it doesn’t guarantee that a device’s capability regarding max. sampling frequency is supported) but seems to also get stamped on devices that include support for a network streaming protocol other than RAAT supported by Roon (like e.g. GoogleCast, AirPlay) – and sometimes even that is not true (see the example of the Roon Tested Devialet Phantom that don’t have AirPlay support linked above).

Hi, looks like your concerns have been addressed… it will be very interesting to see how this pans out.

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This will make life much harder for people who try new equipment. You have just put yourself on the back of the curve with early adopters. It that where you want to be.

Good news but will no doubt upset a load of users of Nad and Arcam that are still not certified. They needed to raise the standard as it causes them more support issues.

What it will mean is that manufactures of “Roon Ready” devices will make sure their devices are Certified before advertising them as “Roon Ready”.

I believe it will help to align their marketing departments with their R&D and QA and lead to a better user experience.

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A post was split to a new topic: Ayre QX-5 Twenty showing as uncerified Roon Ready

I feel your pain. I’m sure my Allo streamer isn’t tested and not if it ever will. Its made to be cheap.

How does Roipeee fit in , how many RPi bridges connect Roon to non certified DACs ?

There was a “sticky” post stating that effectively any non Roon Certified product would not be able to be Enabled

Funnily I can’t see that post any more …

Definitely Enabled , they seemed to have removed the post at the moment , I should have screenshot it

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/important-changes-to-how-roon-interacts-with-uncertified-roon-ready-devices/120204

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I read that post, which is sticky again, to say that if a manufacturer has advertised their device as being ‘Roon Ready’ but it has not yet completed certification, then one can’t enable it.

For devices that are not advertised as being ‘Roon Ready’ or for any device already enabled, there shouldn’t be a problem.

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It’s here

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/important-changes-to-how-roon-interacts-with-uncertified-roon-ready-devices/120204/5

Interpret as you may

The post has been updated. Everyone can breathe again!

This really seems as though it will be a bummer. I have a Salk Streamer. I don’t know what the cost is to be “Roon certified”. Hoping it’s not much or free.

But given that I signed up for a lifetime subscription and recruited others to do the same for the discount, this is kind of a crappy move. Very short timeframe given for MFG’s to get certified".

Love Roon, but on the surface this seems like a pretty crappy move given the time frame.

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Hoping it’s not much or free.

We don’t charge anything for certification.

This change prevents manufacturers from signing the Roon Ready license agreements, obtaining our SDK, building hardware using our technology, and then skipping our certification/review process and releasing unfinished, unreviewed products straight to customers.

We don’t charge for certification, but going through our certification process is a hard requirement for manufacturers to use use our technology. It is the only way that we can maintain the quality + support level that people associate with Roon Ready.

A tiny minority of manufacturers have released uncertified devices. We have been communicating with manufacturers about this coming change for over a year, and have provided ample time for them to come into compliance, and most of them have.

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