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    The Computer Audiophile

    HARMAN Acquires Roon

     

     

        

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    HARMAN Acquires Roon, a popular Multi-Device, Multi-Room Audio Technology Platform

    Roon’s Audiophile-Quality Music Aggregation, Connectivity and Streaming Technology to Complement HARMAN’s Comprehensive Audio Offerings

     

    November 27, 2023 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

    STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HARMAN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer, and enterprise markets, today announced the acquisition of Roon, the music management, discovery, and streaming platform for music enthusiasts.

     

    Roon is a music player platform for music enthusiasts, which features a rich interface for browsing and discovering music, compatibility with almost any audio device, and a playback engine designed to deliver the best possible sound. Roon is available for all popular operating systems and manufactures a line of hardware server appliances called Nucleus.

     

    “At HARMAN we take great pride in our ability to create exceptional audio experiences for our partners and consumers around the world,” said Dave Rogers, President, Lifestyle Division, HARMAN. “The team at Roon shares our passion in bringing exceptional sound and connectivity to music lovers as they browse, discover, and listen at home and on the go. We are looking forward to welcoming Roon, whose impressive talent will join the HARMAN family and bolster our already robust engineering capabilities.”

     

    Roon will operate as a standalone Harman business with its existing team. All Roon operations will stay in place and continue to be dedicated to serving and growing Roon’s community of device partners and customers, under a joint mission to deliver engaging and personalized audio experiences across a universe of products and platforms.

     

    Aligned with its ‘work with all’ strategy, HARMAN is committed to growing Roon’s open device ecosystem which includes collaborating with more than 160 other audio brands, delivering audio to more than 1000 high-performance devices. Roon’s dedication to its loyal community and its exceptional UI/UX design expertise will continue to expand and flourish with the acquisition.

     

    “Our team is ecstatic to join HARMAN, a visionary company that has been leading the audio industry forward for decades,” said Enno Vandermeer, CEO of Roon. “By combining forces with HARMAN, Roon gains the incredible scale, resources, and reach of a global technology leader, while maintaining our independence to invest in the business’s growth and future. We look forward to continuing to bring our advanced data management, SaaS expertise, and consumer engagement capabilities to our broad ecosystem of partners, as we join forces with HARMAN to deliver even greater audio experiences to our customers.”

     

    ABOUT HARMAN

    HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.




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    My new Volvo has an infotainment system by Google and I hate it because I know for a fact that they track everything they can. It's the exact reason Porsche didn't have Android interoperability in their cars for so long. Google required privacy invading stipulations with it that Porsche execs didn't like. Personally, I would prefer a vehicle with no built in infotainment, but rather just let me plug in my phone, whether Apple or Android. It's better in every way I can think of anyway, and would release the auto manufacturer from either developing their own system, or getting it from someone else.

     

    I want to know how Kia knows people are having sex in their cars though.

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    13 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

    My new Volvo has an infotainment system by Google and I hate it because I know for a fact that they track everything they can. It's the exact reason Porsche didn't have Android interoperability in their cars for so long. Google required privacy invading stipulations with it that Porsche execs didn't like. Personally, I would prefer a vehicle with no built in infotainment, but rather just let me plug in my phone, whether Apple or Android. It's better in every way I can think of anyway, and would release the auto manufacturer from either developing their own system, or getting it from someone else.

     

    I want to know how Kia knows people are having sex in their cars though.

    Technology is a huge reason for people buying new cars. Even if the tech sucks, coming out with version 2 of sucky tech is better than version 1, and people want it. 
     

    Allowing customers to use the car’s screen as a display only, for CarPlay or Android Auto, is a far better experience but doesn’t move as many units for the auto manufacturers. 
     

    Starting to think Neil Young had it right with his 1959 LincVolt Continental. No tracking, electric, sweetness. 
     

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LincVolt

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    42 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

    I want to know how Kia knows people are having sex in their cars though.

    sensors & mics ?

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    41 minutes ago, DuckToller said:

    sensors & mics ?

    There is a camera on the rear view mirror, I think.

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    Also, I suppose Samsung now owns all the user data collected by Roon over the years. 
     

    My Samsung TV phones home once per second, 24/7/365. I stop it from reaching home.  

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    3 hours ago, DuckToller said:

    sensors & mics ?

     

    I guess they could correlate accelerometer data to gas and brake inputs to decide if the car is driving over a bumpy road or not...

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    1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

    Also, I suppose Samsung now owns all the user data collected by Roon over the years. 
     

    My Samsung TV phones home once per second, 24/7/365. I stop it from reaching home.  

     

    Same, the AdGuard Home stops so much crap it's amazing.

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    28 minutes ago, Markus8 said:


    That actually sums it up perfectly why there is no deeper discussion going on or even possible in their online forum. 
    Very sad and strange behavior to silence users when they come up with opinions that don‘t fit into Roon‘s views. 

     

    They own their forum and can do what they want but I agree it is a bad look.

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    Well I have been using online forums for over 30 years and never come across the way Roon is dealing with „communication“. 
    It happened to many users including me that were silenced, so instead of having an open, transparent communication to gag users won’t work in the long run. 
     

    And the Harman deal of course is another event that raises many questions. So no wonder when users get no answers, get blocked etc. and turn their back on Roon. 

     

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    On 12/9/2023 at 9:37 PM, AudioDoctor said:

    My new Volvo has an infotainment system by Google and I hate it because I know for a fact that they track everything they can. It's the exact reason Porsche didn't have Android interoperability in their cars for so long. Google required privacy invading stipulations with it that Porsche execs didn't like. Personally, I would prefer a vehicle with no built in infotainment, but rather just let me plug in my phone, whether Apple or Android. It's better in every way I can think of anyway, and would release the auto manufacturer from either developing their own system, or getting it from someone else.

     

    I want to know how Kia knows people are having sex in their cars though.

    Volvo is Chinese …….complicated.

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    On 12/9/2023 at 9:54 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

    Technology is a huge reason for people buying new cars. Even if the tech sucks, coming out with version 2 of sucky tech is better than version 1, and people want it. 
     

    Allowing customers to use the car’s screen as a display only, for CarPlay or Android Auto, is a far better experience but doesn’t move as many units for the auto manufacturers. 
     

    Starting to think Neil Young had it right with his 1959 LincVolt Continental. No tracking, electric, sweetness. 
     

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LincVolt

    What’s the destination with that car without a QR? Follow the driver, not the car.

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    1 hour ago, Adamus said:

    What’s the destination with that car without a QR? Follow the driver, not the car.

    I don’t understand. 

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    2 hours ago, Adamus said:

    Volvo is Chinese …….complicated.

     

    Still built in Gothenburg

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    The first Roon / Harman product has been announced. 

     

    Press Release:

     

     

    Roon Labs and Harman International Unveil Groundbreaking Nucleus Titan at CES

    2024

    Nucleus Titan melds cutting-edge performance with breathtaking aesthetics, delivering

    the ultimate platform for Roon music software.

     

    LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (January 9th, 2024) -

    Roon , the world's most innovative listening experience for music lovers, in conjunction with Harman International , is thrilled to announce the arrival of Nucleus Titan - its next-generation high-performance Nucleus server at CES 2024.

     

    Nucleus Titan maximizes recent advances in manufacturing processes and hardware customization to deliver an unparalleled premium device specifically intended for Roon's library management, music exploration, and multi-room music player software.

    Nucleus, long recognized as the first choice of those seeking the best possible server/streamer

    option for Roon, takes a giant step forward with Nucleus Titan. Titan supersedes the Nucleus

    Plus with updated hardware and performance - providing effortless set-up and worry-free

    operation paired with design aesthetics that demand admiration.

     

    Nucleus Titan is Roon's new flagship server. It fuses precision manufacturing and hardware

    customization with unsurpassed design. Customers choose from three customizable shell

    material options – metal, stone, and wood – to create a one-of-a-kind server/streamer statement

    piece perfectly matched to their tastes and listening space. Nucleus Titan, starting at $3,699.00

    (U.S.), is the only choice for those seeking a premium Roon server that promises a superlative

    Roon experience paired with breathtaking visual appeal.

     

    ● Nucleus Titan features include:

     

    ○ Precision-machined billet aluminum enclosure crafted from a solid block of

    premium metal.

     

    ○ Stunning aesthetics, designed for display and admiration.

     

    ○ Available in three elemental shell finishes: metal, stone* (composite), and wood.

     

    ○ Elegant self-cooling design with silent, fan-less operation.

     

    ○ Customizable internal solid state storage: 2, 4, or 8 TB options.

     

    ○ Upgraded connectivity: two USB-C, two USB-A, and two audio-only HDMI ports.

     

    ○ Accommodates the most voluminous music libraries and multi-zone audio

    configurations.

     

    ○ Exterior design echoes Roon's music discovery features and the eclectic nature of

    music collections.

     

    ○ Nucleus Titan is the only premium server/streamer designed specifically for Roon

    by the team that created Roon.

     

    “Nucleus Titan continues our long-standing goal of providing customers with Roon server

    options that correspond with their specific needs and desires. CPU and SSD technology has

    evolved significantly since we first released Nucleus, and we’ve taken advantage of those

    innovations. With Titan, we’ve created a high-performance device that fuses precision

    manufacturing with aesthetics that evoke the interwoven nature of our music collections and

    Roon’s finesse for music exploration. We’re very excited with the results and our ability to provide our customers with the ultimate Roon software platform”

     

    said Enno Vandermeer, Roon

    CEO & Co-Founder.

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    My 2012 MAC Mini, that I run on 12 VDC will kick this Nucleus' ass....Fast and silent.....

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    1 minute ago, firedog said:

     

    Basically, you are paying 1500-$2000 for the aesthetics. Not putting that down, just giving perspective. That's the only unique/added feature over what you can get elsewhere by other PC vendors.

    If it's like the current Nucleus, it will also offer integration with Crestron and possibly other limited features not available on DIY installs. If that's worth it or not is up to each person obviously. 

     

    Would be good to get the specs on the new internal parts. 

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    3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

    If it's like the current Nucleus, it will also offer integration with Crestron and possibly other limited features not available on DIY installs. If that's worth it or not is up to each person obviously. 

     

    Would be good to get the specs on the new internal parts. 

    I think if it looks really good it will sell. Like I said, not putting it down. I understand the looks are very important to some people.

    As far as specs and performance, I'd be interested to see how powerful it is. Can it do serious upampling and DSD conversion etc for HQP users? Few fanless silent PCs can, without getting very hot.

     

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    This will be a difficult market position: good looking is also a Mac Mini and also most likely more performing - at the latest with the new M3 (Pro). And of course for DIY power users who are configuring their own machine. 
     

    Actually strange to do such an announcement without any concrete performance specs. 

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