Roon 2.71 and Roon ARC 1.81 Are Available – Daily Picks, Higher RoonServer Performance and Numerous Bug Fixes

Roon Labs is distributing two closely related Production releases: Roon and RoonServer 2.71, accompanied by Roon Remote 2.71, and Roon ARC 1.81. The update combines one clearly identifiable discovery feature with maintenance work intended to improve the reliability and consistency of the entire Roon environment.

Key Facts Roon 2.71 and Roon ARC 1.81

• Roon and RoonServer 2.71, Build 1680
• Roon Remote for Apple iOS and Google Android 2.71, Build 1678
• Roon ARC 1.81, Build 425
• New Daily Picks recommendation feature
• Three to five personalised recommendations every day
• Improvements to RoonServer, Qobuz Sync and Live Radio
• Fixes for playback, downloads and operation in Roon ARC
• Production release with automatic updates for existing installations

Daily Picks Connects Listening History with Music Discovery

Daily Picks occupies a prominent position on the Home page in both Roon and Roon ARC. Every day, it provides between three and five recommendations derived from the user’s own listening habits.

Not every suggestion looks at the same period of activity. Some are prompted by music played during the previous few weeks, while others reach further back into the listening history. The latter can return albums or artists to view after they have gradually disappeared from everyday listening. Daily Picks may also occasionally point towards a new release from an artist the user plays regularly.

Roon explains the reason behind each selection rather than presenting it without context. Opening a Daily Pick does not lead solely to one album; it reveals a broader collection of relevant releases that can be browsed, played immediately or stored under Listen Later.

The complete selection changes every day. Daily Picks requires a sufficiently extensive personal listening history and a streaming service connected to Roon.

A More Durable Fix for RoonServer Responsiveness

The most significant technical work in Roon 2.71 concerns the way RoonServer behaves over prolonged periods. The issue was most apparent in systems where several Roon Remotes repeatedly accessed the same central server instance.

After several days of continuous operation, RoonServer could become slower to respond. According to Roon Labs, this was particularly likely when multiple Remotes had been connected and used extensively. Resources assigned to a Roon Remote should now be released correctly when that client disconnects and subsequently reconnects.

This change is intended to preserve fluid navigation through large music libraries even after the server has been running continuously for days. It should also prevent several connected control devices from placing an unnecessary long-term burden on server responsiveness.

Qobuz Sync Problems Traced to Timing

Two separate timing-dependent problems could disrupt communication between Qobuz and Roon. One caused Qobuz playlists to appear in Roon without their contents. The other could prevent Roon from completing a full synchronisation of the user’s Qobuz library.

Roon Labs traced both cases to race conditions, where processes occurred in an unfavourable sequence. The company describes the corresponding changes in its changelog as potential fixes.

Live Radio Moves Back into Step

Roon 2.71 addresses an HLS streaming fault that could place certain Live Radio stations around 30 minutes behind their actual programmes. The software should now also recognise correctly when the selected playback device enters standby during an active Live Radio session.

A separate correction concerns listening history. Tracks identified by Roon during a Live Radio broadcast should no longer be entered incorrectly under Played Recently or added to the user’s personal History.

Roon ARC 1.81 Concentrates on Everyday Mobile Use

The changes in Roon ARC 1.81 cover several areas that could interrupt or complicate mobile playback. Roon Labs has corrected a problem affecting classical compositions, as well as a fault that could prevent Roon Radio from being started from a track within a playlist.

Filters selected in the Downloads browser now remain in place. The Available for Download filter should also operate correctly again. Roon Labs additionally lists a potential solution for incorrect cover artwork in the Now Playing view when downloaded music is played offline.

Genre pages receive two further corrections. The missing More button has been restored to Artists In My Library, while a fault affecting the main image on these pages has also been addressed.

Corrections to Playback and Signal Processing

Several fixes deal directly with the handling of audio. Volume Levelling could previously apply excessive attenuation; Roon 2.71 corrects this behaviour. In the parametric equaliser, the selected gain could also be applied incorrectly across different channels.

MQA 2x content was affected by inconsistent processing that prevented Roon from handling it correctly in every case. That behaviour has now been revised. MP3 files using CRC error protection should also cease to be identified mistakenly as corrupt media.

Android and Windows Interface Problems Addressed

Colours in Roon Remote could appear oversaturated on certain Android smartphones, including individual models from Samsung and Google Pixel. This could reduce the legibility of text. Roon 2.71 contains a potential correction for the display problem.

A different fault affected ARM-based Windows PCs using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Text and the cursor could remain invisible within the search field; the new release is intended to resolve this issue as well.

On Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS, the title bar now follows the selected Roon UI Theme. Scrolling through long content lists has been revised, while touch operation on mobile devices has also been improved. The volume icon in the Now Playing footer now indicates the mute state correctly.

Smaller Fixes Across the Roon Interface

Playlist links now appear on album pages without requiring the page to be refreshed first. When users move from an album page back to the details of a playlist, Roon should restore the previously selected position correctly.

The procedure for re-entering credentials for a scrobbling service has been revised. Compilations once again appear on artist pages when a streaming service is active. After a previously unidentified album has been identified manually, Roon should also be able to retrieve the corresponding cover artwork again.

The Most Important Advantages at a Glance

• Fresh listening suggestions every day: Daily Picks supplies three to five personalised recommendations on a daily basis.
• Older favourites return to view: Recommendations consider both recently played music and material that has not been revisited for some time.
• More consistent server performance: RoonServer should correctly release resources when a Remote client disconnects.
• More reliable Qobuz synchronisation: The release addresses empty playlists and library synchronisations that fail to complete.
• Live Radio without the previous delay: Certain HLS streams should no longer lag roughly 30 minutes behind the actual programme.
• Corrected audio processing: Fixes cover Volume Levelling, the parametric equaliser, MQA 2x content and CRC-protected MP3 files.
• Improved mobile operation: Roon ARC 1.81 resolves problems involving classical music, playlists, downloads, filters and offline playback.
• Cleaner presentation across platforms: The update addresses oversaturated Android colours and invisible search-field content on ARM-based Windows PCs.

Price & Availability

Roon 2.71 and Roon ARC 1.81 are available now through the Production channel. Existing Roon Core or RoonServer, Roon Remote and Roon ARC installations already using the Production channel should be updated automatically.

The new versions for Apple iOS and Google Android have been submitted to the respective app stores and are expected to become available there shortly.

Getting to the Point

Roon 2.71 is not defined by an extensive collection of new features. Daily Picks provides its visible centrepiece and could prove particularly useful for listeners whose libraries have grown over many years to contain far more music than they regularly remember to play.

The less conspicuous corrections are at least as important. A RoonServer that remains responsive during continuous operation, dependable Qobuz synchronisation and Live Radio playback without an erroneous delay all have a direct bearing on daily use. Roon Labs LLC has therefore concentrated this release on areas where sustained product maintenance delivers a more meaningful benefit than another feature used only occasionally.

Technical Specifications