Article: Roon 1.7 With Valence Is Released

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50 minutes ago, misterspense said:

Upped the lifetime membership to 699???? 🤨 For getting a bit better recommendations, and easier liveradio? To be honest, with Roon 1.6 liveradio was not optimal, you needed to add the URL by hand. Dor instance Euphony, Volumio and LMS have selectable stations, no need to search for the URL's yourself. And they dare to ask 200 euro more for this added functionality???

Although I subscribe to Roon, I have balked at the lifetime price tag in hopes of a different solution. It is not that the $500 is that much, but in that the features Roon offered aren't enough. The search engine is a bit tweaky and you have to be VERY specific with spelling and such. The Roon radio is(was?) simply awful compared to the likes of Spotify and many others. Oh sure there is some artist info and if you take the time to click about the "followed by" or "influenced by" you can find some nice stuff, but even still, Amazon seems to sorta have that down as well in the "you might also like". My primary reason for using Roon is the streaming>HQPlayer DSD integration. Roon was already over priced, and this seems like a money grab for function they should have included before.

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5 minutes ago, firedog said:

 

 

Roon said straight out at their forum that the $500 lifetime was/is a money loser for them and not a sustainable model; they used it at the beginning  to get a cash injection that prevented them from needing more loans or investment. Acc'd to them, they want to end it totally but haven't done so...yet.  The large increase in  the "lifetime" price is actually designed to discourage people from becoming lifetime subscribers. Note that they haven't upped the yearly subscription fee, which is what they want people to subscribe to. They will, at some point in the not distant future get rid of the lifetime option. 

Are we to feel sympathetic that they cannot figure out how to make a profit despite their software being 5x the price of something like Audirvana or most other player programs?

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1 hour ago, firedog said:

No, and no one is asking you to. You are free to think the price is sky high and not worth it; that doesn't change the reality that the "lifetime" model is a bad one for Roon, no matter what you think. 

 

Just use one of the other programs if you think Roon is too expensive. 

 

There's lots of stuff - from audio to alcohol to liquor to watches to clothes  and furniture - that are all non essetial luxury items - that I don't buy because I think they are too expensive. I buy a less expensive alternative and am happy with it. 

 

Why should software be any different? 

 

I never said it should be different. I simply stated that I didn't find a lot of value added for the price increase. This is a discussion forum and I have expressed my dislike for the reasoning behind a price increase as a present user. Are you suggesting then that I do not have the right to let my opinion be known in a forum where Roon seems to monitor, and others might see this and consider creating alternatives?