Roon, the audiophile music player, and music management software from Roon Labs, is starting off the new year with a new design, plus a couple new features. The new features, part of the Roon 1.6 update, include Qobuz integration, which will allow users to blend their own personal music libraries with uncompressed Hi-Res music (up to 24/192khz) streamed from Qobuz, similar to what subscribers can do currently with their Tidal subscriptions.
Unfortunately, most in the U.S. will have to wait for the addition of Qobuz, as the U.S. version is currently under BETA test, and only available to invitees.
Roon 1.6 also brings along with it Roon Radio, which creates auto-playlists made up of the user’s personal music files, along with music from the user’s connected music services. Radio stations can be started based on any Song, Artist, Album, or Genre, and music selection is made based on a combination of your personal favorites plus the favorites of other users who like the same types of music.
The new version of Roon will also have several UI enhancements including new Now Playing, Search, and DSP screens, which Roon Labs promises will make the software easier to read and use. For example, the new Search screen will let you toggle between music in your library and music from subscription services, so you can more easily tell them apart.
For more information regarding Roon 1.6, please visit the Roon Labs blog.
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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