Lee Broderick, Author at Roon Labs

Roon Partner Update: February 2023

It’s been another busy month as we welcomed an array of new network players into the Roon Ready family from Cambridge Audio, FiiO, NAD, Primare and Volumio.

You can read all about them in our latest partner update below. For a full list of our partner brands – and every device that works with Roon – visit our Partners page on the Roon website.

Cambridge Audio

MXN10

The Cambridge Audio MXN10 Network Player brings the world of Hi-Res music to much-loved hi-fi set-ups and other audio systems with total ease. Thanks to its compact, half-width footprint, placing this network player in your system is a cinch. The MXN10 can stream Hi-Res music natively, via Roon Ready streaming, and even play your music that’s stored on USB and NAS drives too. You can conveniently control this network player with Cambridge Audio’s StreamMagic app, or from the native app of your preferred service.

AXN10

The Cambridge Audio AXN10 Network Player is the perfect piece for bringing a spectacular streaming music experience to your Hi-Fi system, taking you far beyond your prized collection of discs. In addition to integration with all of the best-known premium subscription services, AXN10 has stacks of free options, such as internet radio and even Bluetooth. Thanks to Cambridge Audio’s streaming know-how, you’ll soon be enjoying high-quality music easily from a variety of sources via their StreamMagic app, Roon Ready streaming, or through your preferred service’s own native app – the choice is yours.

FiiO R7

FiiO is arguably one of the most exciting audio brands in the world right now. The Fiio R7 – their first ever desktop grade digital audio player – is only set to raise that reputation even further.

The R7 is built on impressive foundations – under its sleek black exterior there’s a wealth of top-level hardware, including a premium Sabre DAC chipset, an 8 core Snapdragon SoC, and an exhaustive set of input and output options. Amplification comes from dual THX AAA 788+ desktop-grade chips, meaning there’s enough punch to handle even the most power-hungry headphones. Combine this superb quality build with great useability and Roon Ready capability built-in, and the Fiio R7 represents a truly complete all-in-one setup for premium desktop listening.

NAD – CS1

The NAD CS1 is a super flexible, super compact network streamer that delivers classic NAD looks along with their trademark high-performance sound quality. Analogue and digital audio outputs make the CS1 an easy solution for integrating streaming into any home HiFi setup. You get Roon Ready playback built in up to 24 bit / 192khz, and plenty of other playback options besides – with both Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 support provided as standard.

Primare I25 Prisma, I35 Prisma, I15 Prisma Mk 2

For three decades, Swedish HiFi manufacturers Primare have been instilling Scandinavian principles of design quality and aesthetic into every one of their beautifully produced audio products. We’re delighted to welcome three new Primare devices into the Roon Ready family.

Primare I25 Prisma

The I25 Prisma is a modular integrated amplifier and network player that offers serious power alongside truly versatile control. For the I25 Prisma, Primare have combined their DM35 DAC and SM35 Prisma network player with their award-winning I25 integrated amplifier platform. That potent combination delivers an impressive 100 watts of power per channel, whilst providing a naturally fast, clean and agile sound that really brings your music to life. There’s plenty of playback options available to you – you can stream Roon Ready direct from the I25, alongside hundreds of other popular music services. It really looks the part, too, with a simple but attractive design that will comfortably pair alongside pieces in your current audio setup.

Primare I35 Prisma

The Primare I35 Prisma offers many of the excellent performance, sound quality, and design characteristics of the I25 – but with a big extra kick. The Primare I35 once again pairs the DM35 DAC with Prisma’s SM35 network player – but this time they’ve combined those elements with the more muscular I35 integrated amplifier for a seriously punchy 150 watts of power per channel. Once again you get Roon Ready connectivity alongside hundreds of other music applications, and all of it comes presented in a beautifully slick-looking chassis.

Primare I15 Prisma Mk2

This compact network streaming integrated amplifier packs 60 watts of power per channel and serious versatility into a super slim, cool running chassis. The Primare I15 Prisma Mk2’s three-quarter size cabinet opens up a world of set-up integration opportunities, without ever compromising on build or sound quality. Powerful amplification and sophisticated DAC sections deliver every detail and nuance with power and precise control. Roon Ready playback comes built in alongside plenty of other music service options for superb usability.

Volumio Primo

The Volumio Primo is a network streaming DAC that brings the essentials of Roon Ready streaming seamlessly to your HiFi listening system. With integrated balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, and digital outputs that include USB, coaxial S/PDIF, and HDMI. The Primo is ready to be your complete media streaming hub, with support for USB storage, video output, and full access to the Volumio app platform – you’ll be able to stream your favorite music and movies no matter where they reside.

Roon Partner Update: January 2023

This month’s round up features new releases of classics from an iconic brand, a range of top-level DAPs, and more.

A new year, a new round of exciting products to welcome into the Roon Ready family. This month we’ve got classic designs relaunched for the modern music lover, revolutionary audio solutions that integrate seamlessly with your home’s interior design, and a range of DAPs from ‘entry level’ to ‘top of the line’. Let’s get started!

Naim NSC 222

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Naim Audio – a huge marker for one of Britain’s most iconic high-end audio brands. In celebration of a half-century of sonic excellence, Naim are relaunching their classic 200 series, harking back to some of their greatest hardware achievements whilst offering plenty of product enhancements for the 2023 music lover to really get their teeth into.

Right at the forefront of this relaunch is the Naim NSC 222 – a user-focused streaming pre-amplifier with dizzying functionality and uncompromising sound quality. Housed in a beautifully designed chassis, the NSC 222 utilizes Naim’s time-honored commitment to engineering excellence to get the very best from your music, comfortably handling bit-rates of up to 32bit/284kHz. The NSC 222 comes Roon Ready for easy and instant access to your Roon library, along with a host of other top-name streaming services and radio stations. True to their roots, Naim hasn’t forgotten about your analogue music collection, either. Amidst a full range of connectivity options there’s an MM phono input for integrating vinyl into your digital listening system.

Zuma Lumisonic

Here at Roon, we occasionally see a new product that looks like it’s a genuine game-changer. The Zuma Lumisonic feels truly revolutionary, offering music lovers a whole new and novel way to integrate high end audio into their home.

The Zuma Lumisonic is a ceiling light and a speaker, combining mood-sensory lighting and immersive sound to generate the ultimate ambience within your home. Zuma’s truly brilliant integrated sound and lighting solution potentially removes the need for cabling or big, bulky tech products within your home entirely.

The Zuma Lumisonic units may be small enough to fit into a standard recessed light fitting, but this doesn’t come at the cost of sound or build quality. An HD-audio Class D monolithic amplifier is controlled by a top of the line quad-core processor for high-end sound quality. Each channel is actively filtered by advanced DSP algorithms for a totally immersive audio experience. From Lumisonic’s custom-built app, you can control both sound and lighting harmoniously, and link the two for a fully sensory experience. All your favorite streaming services are supported via the app, including Roon Ready compatibility built-in for a seamless Roon experience.

PSB Speakers – Alpha IQ

If you’re a home HiFi enthusiast, cable clutter is probably one of your biggest everyday irritations. So when you find speakers that combine reduced cabling with great sound quality, it’s definitely a product worthy of your attention. The Alpha iQ Streaming Powered Speakers from PSB Speakers strike that balance perfectly – making it easy to enjoy PSB’s trademark ‘True to Nature’ sound from streaming services and legacy sources, with significantly less cable clutter.

The two powered speakers carry 180W of built-in amplification, backed up by superb build quality and real attention to sonic detail – resulting in a clean, consistent sound whether you’re sitting or standing. And to top it all off, the Alpha iQ’s now come Roon Ready for simple and straightforward connection to your entire Roon library.

Fiio M11S, M11 Plus, M17

Chinese portable audio specialists Fiio have become synonymous with on-the-go high performance listening in recent years, becoming a firm favorite for music lovers and audiophiles across the globe. We’re delighted to announce the introduction of four of their flagship portable music players to the Roon Ready family. Let’s take a look at each new addition in turn.

FiiO M11S

The FiiO M11S offers up Fiio’s trademark power and sound quality at a relatively budget-friendly price point, making it a great option for audiophiles exploring the world of DAPs for the first time. Under the sleek casing, the M11S is powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor, and great audio quality is guaranteed from two fully balanced Dual ES9038Q2M DAC chips. It all adds up to give the M11S a slick, immersive user and listening experience at an affordable price.

FiiO M11 Plus

The FiiO M11 Plus takes everything that’s great about the M11S and elevates it. An octacore Snapdragon 660 processor makes for lightning-fast useability from a 5.5inch touch screen display. Two balanced ES9068AS DAC chips take your portable listening to a whole new level, bringing a complete, rich sound to the music you love. It looks the part, too – it’s sleek black casing is further complemented by a unique, intelligent touch-panel volume system.

FiiO M17

The desktop-class FiiO M17 represents an entirely new chapter in digital audio players – quite possibly one of the most advanced DAPs available on the market today. It comes powered by two ESS ES9038PRO desktop-level dac chips, a seriously punchy THX 788+ headphone amp, and unrivaled gain and connectivity. It all adds up to give the M17 the output power and sound quality to rival and perhaps even surpass highly-rated desktop systems, but in a pint-sized, portable package.

SOULNOTE Z3

The SOULNOTE Z-3 is a Roon Ready bridge that provides network connectivity to audio devices using ZERO LINK, a new connection protocol developed in collaboration between Sforzato and SOULNOTE – two hugely popular brands among A-PAC audiophiles.

Utilizing their unique ZERO LINK technology, the SOULNOTE Z-3 maximizes audio quality by removing all asynchronous circuitry to create a significantly streamlined signal path. It can be used as either ZERO LINK or standard LAN to USB network transports. The Z-3 offers USB, SFP (RJ45 and optical input connectivity via SFP adapter) to USB or ZERO LINK output with support for up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD 512 formats. Besides as a Roon Ready device, the Z-3 functions also as a UPnP media renderer, an OpenHome renderer, and a Diretta Target (a proprietary audio protocol developed by Diretta). Control functions are facilitated via Linn’s Kazoo app for OpenHome.

Roon Partner Update: December 2022

A bumper round up of new Roon Ready products in this month’s partner update – from compact streaming speakers to elite level DACs. Check it!

Just in time for the holidays, we have a huge month of partner updates this December. We welcome two beautiful Volumio products to the Roon family, and reveal a new Roon Tested Astell&Kern DAC – the perfect hardware to take advantage of Roon ARC’s new Android USB driver. Let’s dive in and take a look.

ASTELL&KERN AK HC3

Audio giant Astell&Kern’s brand new portable DAC, the AK HC3, represents a seriously exciting addition to the vibrant portable DAC scene. This compact little USB-C DAC lets you experience high performance audio wherever they’re listening – a plug and play solution that levels up your mobile listening experience.

The AK HC3 comes Roon Tested and fully compatible with Android devices, making it a great product choice for Roon ARC users looking to experience bit-perfect playback with ARC’s USB driver. But it’s not just mobile listening where the HC3 shines. It’s fully compatible with Windows and Mac computers with a USB-C port, making the HC3 an easy, compact solution for elevated home listening, too.

BLUESOUND POWERNODE EDGE

The POWERNODE EDGE is the new entry-level streaming amplifier from audio heavyweights, Bluesound. It’s the easiest way to add streaming to a pair of speakers you already own and combines streaming sources (including high-res streaming with Roon Ready!) control and amplification in a sleek and affordable package.

HiFi ROSE RS520

If, like us, you’re a sucker for beautifully designed gear that does it all – you’re going to love the HiFi ROSE RS520. South Korean audio specialists HiFi ROSE have cultivated a reputation for their ‘lifestyle-led’ approach to audio. They specialize in high quality products that put the user experience first, and the RS520 comfortably continues this trend.

The RS520 is an all-in-one, audiophile approved streaming solution that takes a no-compromise approach to power and sound quality. By pairing top of the line ESS DAC technology with a cutting-edge GaN based class AD amplifier, the RS520 achieves pure, low-noise, ultra-high-res sound whilst outputting up to 250W. Control is where this really streamer comes into its own. The full-front-panel 12.6inch LCD touch screen gives you Roon Ready functionality through a beautifully designed, easy-to-use display. It all adds up to make the HiFi ROSE RS520 a seriously smart addition to your audio set up.

Rotel S14

The Rotel S14 is something of a game-changer in the high performance audio market. It represents Rotel’s first integrated amplifier with built-in streaming technology – making this a ‘just add speakers’ system that builds amplification, streaming services, wireless playback and connectivity into a single chassis.

Under the hood, a 150W AB class amplifier offers plenty of drive, and a large toroidal transformer demonstrates Rotel’s time-tested engineering and design practices. The Rotel S14 utilizes a Texas Instruments 32-bit/384kHz DAC with exhaustive tuning and hand selection of all critical components delivering a fuller, richer and more balanced presentation of your music. With Roon Ready tech built-in, the Rotel S14 is a near-perfect all-in-one HiFi solution.

VOLUMIO INTEGRO, RIVO

We’re delighted to welcome Italian audio specialists ‘Volumio’ to the Roon Ready family – with two of their flagship products now officially certified Roon Ready. Here, we’ll take a look at both of Volumio’s Roon Ready products in a little more detail.

VOLUMIO INTEGRO

The Volumio INTEGRO is a high performance, slimline, all-in-one integrated amplifier solution. Despite its compact size, the INTEGRO packs quite a punch – boasting a powerful speaker amplifier (70w RMS / 4 ohm), a dedicated dual-mono headphone amplifier, and dedicated subwoofer output. It features Coaxial and Optical S/PDIF inputs, an RCA analog input, and plenty of playback compatibility – supporting Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, Bluetooth and USB drive playback.

The INTEGRO has been designed in collaboration with Red Dot award winners Design Narratives, and is the first Volumio product to be 100% built in Florence, Italy. null

VOLUMIO RIVO

The Volumio RIVO is a highly flexible ‘digital bridge’ – designed for optimized performance while adding audio streaming to your existing setup. The focus of the RIVO’s architecture is simplicity – its digital signal path is built as clean as possible without any unnecessary stages. There are plenty of connection options with AES/EBU, Coaxial S/PDIF, and USB outputs all available. To ensure the lowest possible noise floor, The RIVO utilizes isolated power supplies for each function block and multiple power filtering 1:1 OFC copper grain oriented transformers – ensuring full galvanic isolation of the AES/EBU, coaxial, and USB outputs.

Roon Partner Update: November 2022

A bumper round up of new Roon Ready products in this month’s partner update – from compact streaming speakers to elite level DACs. Check it!

We’ve got an absolutely bumper partner round up for you in November – with some seriously exciting new additions to welcome into the Roon Ready family.

There’s something for everyone this month – from compact streaming speakers that pack a punch, to an elite-level streamer DAC running Roon OS built-in. Let’s dive in.

Bluesound Pulse M

Roon Ready

If you’re in the market for a compact streaming speaker that pairs slick design with great sound quality, the new Pulse M from Bluesound is a great bet. The Pulse M delivers clear, lush, room-filling audio from its pint sized chassis – giving you foot-tapping music streaming wherever it’s placed within your home.

It looks great, too. The subtle design and simple touch controls allow the Bluesound Pulse M to blend seamlessly into any room decor.

Metronome DSS 2

Roon Ready

From one aesthetically pleasing piece of kit to another – The Metronome DSS 2adds Roon Ready streaming to your HiFi system, and looks good while doing it.

Built in France, this sleek looking network streamer features an I2S output supporting rates up to DSD256. It comes featuring analog and digital connections for plenty of flexibility, and cutting-edge power supply circuitry for a cleaner sound. The DDS 2 now offers integrated WIFI and supports MQA playback.

Musical Fidelity M6x

Roon Tested

The Musical Fidelity M6x DAC bears impressive heritage. Going all the way back, the M6x is the proud successor to the Digilog model that started it all in 1988. The M6x USB DAC continues to build on Musical Fidelity’s rich legacy of world-class audio devices – providing superb build quality at great value.

Its Roon Tested USB input supports PCM playback up to 768 kHz, native DSD playback up to DSD512, and MQA Full Decoder functionality. It features the latest ESS DAC chips to deliver superb signal-to-noise performance. The built-in headphone amplifier delivers high bandwidth, extremely low noise, and up to 128dB of dynamic range.

Mytek Empire

Roon Ready

The Mytek Empire Streamer DAC is a seriously powerful streamer designed to challenge the most elite DACs on the market. The Mytek Empire comes with Roon OS built-in, brilliantly combining the power of a Roon core with Mytek’s legendary digital and analog audio designs.

It features two ultra-high performance ESS 9038PRO Sabre DAC chipsets in dual mono mode, powered by dedicated linear power supplies for each channel. The Roon OS and Mytek OS computer boards are fully isolated from the DAC and analog components with a faraday cage design and separate linear power supply.

For control, the Empire has multiple options available. On the device itself, there’s a neat little five-and-a-half inch touch screen that offers full control and browsing of Roon. Additionally, the Mytek Empire comes shipped with an iPad for control from anywhere around the home. It all adds up to make the Mytek Empire one of the most technologically advanced and best sounding hi-res music streamers available today. And it’s designed to be upgradeable, so you’ll be set for years to come.

AVM Inspiration AS 2.3

Roon Ready

Since the 1990s, AVM has cultivated something of a legacy for developing compact all-in-one devices that don’t compromise on sound quality. The AVM Inspiration AS 2.3 integrated amplifier confidently continues this legacy.

The customized AVM X-STREAM engine supports Roon Ready playback up to PCM 384 kHz and DSD256. The AS 2.3 makes a huge leap in sound quality from its predecessors – carrying a powerful 140 W amplifier based on the full-sized OVATION CS 8.3 design.

KEF LS60 Wireless

Roon Ready

Looking for a high-end, Roon Ready speaker solution that looks as beautiful as it sounds? Then the KEF LS60 Wireless is about to jump right to the top of your Christmas list. The LS60 Wireless takes KEFs reputation for forward-thinking design with a classic grounding to a whole new level. It’s a celebration of 60 years of sound innovation – with a clear eye on the future of high fidelity experience and design.

In terms of aesthetic, the LS60 Wireless really stands apart from the crowd. Its iconic slim structure makes for a beautifully contemporary addition to your living or listening room. But the LS60 doesn’t just look the part – it sounds sublime, too.

It supports high-resolution playback via Roon Ready streaming and includes flexible input options such as HDMI eARC, optical, and analog RCA connections. The LS60’s Single Apparent Source technology is adapted from the flagship KEF Blade loudspeaker. It aims to achieve the acoustic ideal of a point source. Where low, mid, and high frequencies radiate from a single point which enables coherent, precise, and clear sound across the whole audio bandwidth. The LS60 is a beautifully designed, no-compromise speaker solution for discerning audiophiles with a real eye for internal design.

KEF LSX II

Roon Ready

If you’re looking for KEF sound quality and performance in a smaller package, KEF has a compact, budget-friendly Roon Ready option available to you. The KEF LSX II – a beautifully designed small-scale WiFi speaker – reflects KEF’s continued commitment to top-end listening regardless of speaker size or budget. Under the hood, there’s plenty packed into these bookshelf speakers. The LSX II comes with built-in support for Roon Ready streaming up to 24-bit/384kHz and dedicated amplifiers inside each speaker for added punch.

The KEF LSX II is super flexible, too. It can connect to your TV via HDMI ARC, your laptop via USB-C, and even a turntable, CD player or games console. And if you want your movies, music, or gaming to come with extra bass, there’s a dedicated output to connect a subwoofer. This comprehensive compatibility is backed up by an unquestionably reasonable price point. The LSX II is all you’d need to assemble a truly world-class sound system.