Roon is the go-to software program for audiophiles who need to handle their music library, streaming companies, and audio gear from one central location. And as of November 27, it’s now owned by Harman, mother or father firm of JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, and Mark Levinson.
Roon is a subscription-based service that offers demanding audio followers the flexibility to handle huge collections of digital music whereas controlling the place and the way that music is performed on appropriate gadgets all through their properties. It’s a bit of like Sonos on steroids.
The corporate additionally makes and sells devoted media server software program and {hardware}, known as Nucleus.
Save on all the things from laptops and tablets, to espresso makers and air purifiers, and sensible residence necessities just like the Amazon Echo.
There are already greater than 1,000 gadgets from 160 manufacturers which were Roon licensed. These embrace wi-fi audio system, moveable media gamers, stereo receivers, community music streamers, and digital-to-analog converters (DACs).
Harman says that Roon will “function as a standalone Harman enterprise with its current workforce,” in keeping with the press launch.
“The workforce at Roon shares our ardour in bringing distinctive sound and connectivity to music lovers as they browse, uncover, and pay attention at residence and on the go,” mentioned Harman’s life-style division president, Dave Rogers. “We’re trying ahead to welcoming Roon, whose spectacular expertise will be part of the Harman household and bolster our already sturdy engineering capabilities.”
Having Roon’s multiroom streaming expertise in-house may enable Harman to compete extra straight with Sonos. The corporate’s JBL model just lately launched a household of Wi-Fi-enabled sensible audio system known as JBL Authentics. Whereas these audio system work with varied wi-fi applied sciences like Apple’s AirPlay and Google Chromecast, they lack a devoted platform for multiroom audio.
JBL additionally makes many standard wi-fi earbuds and headphones. Given the announcement from Qualcomm that its newest Snapdragon chipsets will carry Wi-Fi to this class, it’s attainable that Harman may use Roon to offer these gadgets audiophile-level capabilities when used at residence.
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