Streaming - Roon Labs - Arcam

Streaming music has rapidly become a very popular choice for music lovers as part of a good sounding hi-fi system, thanks to huge improvements in streaming sound quality and the wealth of music available. The term "streaming" basically refers to the fact that you're playing music from a digital device stored elsewhere - be it your NAS drive (which can store your CD collection, high res files and other music), from online services (Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, or the thousands of internet radio stations available), or from files stored your Mac or PC (iTunes or Media Player). Even if you have a large vinyl collections, you can "rip" these onto your Mac or PC for easy access at the touch of a button.

Roon Nucleus music servers are a central hub for your music, allowing you to stream your music to Roon network players (Sonos, Devialet, KEF LS50 Wireless, Meridian etc) to fully enjoy stored music, and control it from the Roon app.

Roon Labs was founded by the team responsible for the award-winning Sooloos system, Roon Lab’s aims to provide the listener with the richest and most engaging interaction with your music. Using a Roon Labs server opens up the composition, performance and recording of your music.

The start of these innovative products was in the late 1990’s, when an A&R representative, a record-label owner and a software developer got together with the problem of easily accessing their large music collections. The trio proposed a computer-based platform to that would be able to store and organise a music library giving music lovers the ability to explore their collections in a simple manner.

Nine years after the trio proposed a central database solution to music collections, they conceptualised a music server called Sooloos which was launched in 2008. Sooloos demonstrated the power of computers for accessing music. Meridian Audio subsequently bought Sooloos and two of its original founders remain to continue with product development.

In 2015, the companies agreed that the software developer behind the Sooloos needed to be spun off into a separate company which became known as Roon Labs, with the aim to bring to market software for managing and accessing a music library on any Mac or Windows PC.

The Roon software, expands the Sooloos experience, making it universally available to anyone with a computer. Roon software works by recognising devices and ports them audio which is enhanced for their individual capabilities. The central devices from Roon are the servers from their partners, including a Roon Server pre-installed or available as an option that is installable. With these products, you will be able to enjoy Roon without a PC or Mac.

Arcam is an award-winning British hi-fi brand widely recognised as an industry leader. The highly reputable brand prides themselves on producing hi-fi and AV equipment which will last, both in terms of technology and build quality.

Operating since 1972 in Cambridge, Arcam products are designed with purity and simplicity in mind, which has resulted acclaim and loyalty from music lovers. Their products are built with a simplistic design philosophy in mind helping their products stand the test of time and surpass even the most progressive competitors. Whether it is their DAC units, AV receivers or the new miniblink, Arcam continually impress us with their innovation.

Arcam’s focus is to bring simplicity and quality together through their products, and to unite customers with their music through this philosophy. Their audio solutions enable enjoyment of uncompromising music from numerous sources whether you're working, travelling or playing. Their commitment to engineering products that deliver a level of audio performance so convincing and lifelike it engulfs you in the emotion of the music and movies. They expanded into home cinema developing DVD and Blu-ray players engineered from decades of experience in CD players to ensure better delivery of all-round performance than other brands.

Their FMJ home cinema and stereo range is perfect for audiophiles seeking flagship acoustic performance, rSeries is the ideal bridge between the newest audio formats and your hi-fi or home cinema set up while the design of the HDA series exploits all of Arcam’s previous experience. Solo redefines the look and sound of compact Hi-Fi & Movie systems bringing Arcam's signature audio into 'non Hi-Fi' homes. From their budget products, DAC’s, mini blink and rblink Bluetooth receivers, right up to their high-end amplifiers, and AV equipment, Arcam products are built with perfection in mind, both in terms of their build quality and audio quality.

Hi-fi and home AV systems are forever evolving and Arcam keeps up to speed with the latest developments. The brand is confident they can engineer systems for the absolute best reproduction from whatever format is available. Arcam is delivering countless more ways to adopt to the fast-changing entertainment world and producing new products to make the most of whatever the future brings.

All Arcam models are available to listen to in our showroom. Please call or e-mail us to arrange.

Streaming and Multi Room audio is the pinnacle of simplicity and innovation. Imagine enjoying the same track in every room as you move throughout your house, or changing what you are listening to from the comfort of your sofa via an app or smartphone/tablet.

We offer a range of NAS (Network Attached Storage) servers and devices, which allow you to rip and store even the largest of CD collections to one place, in high fidelity lossless audio quality. When connected to a streamer or multi room device, you can access an entire music library at your fingertips.

Our range of digital streamers and network players let you access your digitally stored tunes, and are designed with audio quality and hi-fi principles in mind, enabling you to modernise your hi-fi system and bring streaming to your hi-fi without worrying about any degradation of audio quality.

We also offer a range of wireless adaptors, enabling you to add wireless and Bluetooth functionality to an existing hi-fi or AV setup, and start enjoying wireless and streaming audio. As always, we are always happy to offer any advice or support you may need in selecting or trying a product.