Oh sorry, I missed that. When you said “you can move between Core installations very easily”, I guess it didn’t register - still getting used to the terminology
An example scenario:
- I have a licensed Core running on a server in my home network.
- I have installed the full package of Roon (containing the Core, Control and Output components) on a laptop.
- I use the laptop as a Roon Remote + endpoint connecting to the Core on the server when at home.
- When travelling, I will start Roon on my laptop, and it won’t find the Core on my home network, but it will find the Core present in the laptop.
- I can deauthorise the Core in my home network (a remote connection is not necessary to do this - the switch is thrown in Roon headquarters as if by magic), and authorise the Core on my laptop
- I listen to music on my laptop.
- When back home, I deauthorise the Core on the laptop, and re-authorise the Core on the server.
What’s really neat about this is that TIDAL albums that I add to my library will be seen on both Cores automatically. Only the local content can vary if you wish. I have a laptop with sufficient storage to hold a duplicate of the library accessed by my Core on my server, so I have my complete library available both home and away…
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Thanks! That’s exactly what I needed to know 
That’s innovative thinking. Hopefully Roon stay OK with that until the mobile comes out.
I discovered Roon not so long ago. My story went like this:
I had a library of mostly MP3’s and more recently AAC’s bought off Apple when I bought a better pair of headphones (B&O H2’s). The effect was intriguing so I explored further and learned about DAC’s and got me an Audioengine D1. Another improvement. I upgraded to a pair of full sized open backed headphones (Philips Fidelio X2) and powered speakers (AE A5+). Another 2 improvements.
I then discovered and then visited our local high-end store (quite the shock) who advised me a AudioQuest Nightowl Carbon for my budget at the time. Another big improvement…
I started exploring further and realized my library was mostly lossy formats… So, I got a Tidal HiFi sub and experienced redbook versions of my lossy albums… Damn, why o why did I spend so much money on AAC’s from Apple…
And, how would those Masters (MQA) files sound?
I started experimenting with Bitperfect on my mac, and didn’t find an alternative I liked on Windows (I switch very often between a Windows desktop in my home office, and a macbook on the go and an iPhone in the car. I also needed a remote, which I had for iTunes, but lacked for Tidal.
Looking for a Tidal remote I learned Roon was getting so much praise and got a trial account. I really liked the consolidation of local files and Tidal, which is as the OP implies, one of Roon’s main selling points (it is also incredibly well done, that integration). Roon can unfold Masters files for the first part, and it was yet another improvement over 44.1kHz versions of the same tracks. I bought some 88.2 and 96kHz HDtracks versions of my favorite albums to try and get used to the quality differences. The signal path inspector is really nice in Roon to do comparisons between tracks, and endpoints.
It then looked like Roon was making my D1 stutter on higher bitrates, that or the D1 was defective. To make sure it was, I bought an AudioQuest Dragonfly Red to compare. The D1 is indeed defective, but I also found out the DF sounds much better, especially connected to my mac. I knew DAC’s would sound different but why was there such a difference in host devices??
It looks like my main desktop (rather beefy, overclocked, dual GPU watercooled machine) produces a lot of interference / noise… I hosted the core on the pc, and used the Dragonfly connected to the mac and streamed to it. That was way better compared the core and the endpoint on the same machine, but rather messy on my desk and really inconvenient for headphone use. Putting a Jitterbug in for testing reduced the noise on the pc a bit, but it was still worse compared to the mac. I also bought a camera connection kit for my iPad which works really well with the DF Red.
Macbook pro’s with touchbar often have issues with the AC / 5gHz Wifi band. Mine is terrible in our house for a reason I still have to troubleshoot. The 2.4gHz band is overloaded, so, I needed a wired dongle (that goes to sleep often and breaks connection with the core), + a dongle for the DF Red. + a power cord. I used a NAS to host my library on. I really disliked the need to have my macbook sitting on my desk connected to 3 wires to do some near field listening, controlled from my pc. I needed to solve that. I bought a lifetime on Roon, because the program itself is so good and my trial had expired allready…
The best way to remove the clutter, seemed to buy a NUC I could tuck away, and connect the DF straight to it, and into the second line input of my A5+'s. I run ROCK, for the best possible foundation on which to build. The DF on the NUC is at least equally quiet as the mac. No hissing is audible through the speakers even with it’s included switching psu. The Jitterbug is still on the D1. It’s also really nice to have a quiet space with no audible noise from a high-end pc workstation when I am listening from the couch, I shut the PC down but keep having Roon available! Awesome! The NUC’s hardware is not completely silent in it’s current factory enclosure, but nearly inaudible. A big plus for me over the normal pc.
I am slowly improving the quality of my local albums (I tend to try them out on Tidal, and eventually buy them in high res when available when I really like them. I still feel more comfortable having a local library for my most cherished music. Making those transitions is really easy with Roon where you can designate different copies from an album as primary. I do that when I have a local MP3/AAC album, for which a TIDAL lossless variant exists. I don’t delete the old one, but make the Tidal one primary until I buy a high-res replacement for the lossy files and do delete the lossy version. That way Roon allways selects the highest quality version when it shuffles your tracks…
Next up in this hobby is a solution for the defective D1, so I can use my headphones also with high res tracks again… (It is still ok for normal computing tasks but 48kHz and up creates nasty artifacts).
I got so used to the potentiometer on the D1 for volume control on my headphones and as a preamp for my A5+'s when I use my computer for most day to day things (calls, Youtube, etc… ), i find it really annoying not to have it when using Roon. When I am in not behind my desk, the digital volume control on Roon + the DF is awesome, but behind the desk, the analog knob beats it… The replacement of the D1 ideally has both. I know some DAC’s can do that…
Also: having a NUC with local storage now, I moved my library on there. It’s fast and convenient, but it also frees up my NAS to be used as a back-up again, instead of a primary storage for the music, much safer…
So, there are many reasons for me to like a dedicated Roon Server (in my case the ROCK NUC) instead of a pc / mac doing it all. My setup can be improved upon a lot. I intend to get at least a replacement / upgrade for the D1. I Started looking for better speakers and will likely get a networked endpoint for the dac that will be connected to those so I can put the ROCK in my utility room… (or active speakers with in-built Roon Readyness).
This hobby has escalated nicely so far 
I hope this story helps to clarify why I feel a standalone Roon (ROCK) server has a lot of extra value added for me.
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just to follow on from the questions at the start of this thread - what is the advantage of Roon server over the normal Roon app? don’t tell me Roon is like lego - tell me what the advantages of each are. Thanks!
Anyone? 
Ok here’s a starter …
It’s headless and runs on platforms [Linux] that the full Roon does not support.
I’ve just installed it and am trying it out. The only benefit I can see is that it’s headless and so uses less resource on the PC it’s running on.
One problem I’m seeing straight away - all the album edits which I made in Roon - they’re not carried over to the Roon Server install? I have to do it all again?
Yes and no … when the GUI is minimised the difference in minimal as Roon stops the rendering of the graphics.
[quote=“extracampine, post:49, topic:46398, full:true”]
One problem I’m seeing straight away - all the album edits which I made in Roon - they’re not carried over to the Roon Server install? I have to do it all again?
[/quote]The edits are in the Roon database, thus you need to restore your Roon backup to get them back (just like any Roon migration).
Can I restore a Roon back-up from my old Roon core to the Roon Server?
Then I’m struggling to see any benefit to the Roon Server? The Roon Core can be set to start up on PC restart also.
Roon Server, because it has no GUI, can be placed anywhere without the worry of someone messing with the Roon library.
OK…I can see that as a potential benefit. Not one that benefits me, as my PC running core is tucked away anyway.
I’ve already given one good example … but it seams you are now asking what is the benefit to me… for that you need to set out your specific terms of reference.
If this is case then it might be better for these posts should be split out … let’s see.
It runs on platforms that the full Roon does not support - I missed that - yes that could be a benefit to some also.