Plexamp is a FREE ALTERNATIVE to Roon

[@bergamasq]

WiiM have just announced that they're running an open beta of their plex integration in 2 weeks time and are aiming to have it implemented by the end of this month.

[@kingkongz88]

Thanks for the good news

[@rosssmith8481]

I see Aphex Twin "Xtal" on your streamer and think:"This man's got good taste in music."

[@DarkoAudio]

UPDATE! Just as I was about to hit publish on this video, I got an email from Plex explaining that Tidal integration will end on Oct 28th.

[@BrianM180]

Oh man... I literally just subscribed to Tidal a few weeks ago. I love how i can stream songs on my Plexamp App from Tidal in case they are not in my library. It filled the few gaps I had for my listening experience and it worked really well for me

[@roa5359]

That makes it a no go. Will continue to pay Roon.

[@smccrode]

I just signed up for Tidal a month ago to use OpenAI + Plexamp + Tidal. I was really enjoying it.

[@mcal27]

And I just ended my years long tidal subscription in protest at that. Huge dealbreaker for me as far as Tidal is concerned

[@SpyderTracks]

Somethings going on with Tidal, they do seem to have pulled out of most partnerships over the last 6 months.

[@sloopchrisp3440]

As someone who only rips CDs and streams them (other than free Spotify for browsing) and doesn't subscribe to a streaming service I found this really helpful in evaluating my choices

[@theonlyegg]

I don't use it at all for music, but my collection of movies and TV shows lives on a Plex server and man, it's fantastic.

[@SteveHuffer]

Plex, for me, has been absolutely rock-solid.

[@michael-4k4000]

Plex is the best software I’ve ever bought. Plex forever, I bought a lifetime pass no joke I almost got 6000 movies.

[@markloughtonUK]

Plexamp also works with Android Auto. You get cover art and easy controls in ya mota 😊

[@tedolson2775]

And PLEX does all of that for local video, photos, and even dvr for live TV with a networked antenna! I use it every day!

[@jmr]

I just wish it still had a Tablo plugin.

[@stephenclark8772]

Olaf's 'b-roll' definitely deserves multiple Espressos. Thanks for another great set of reflections. Plex would be my choice.

[@jmr]

Gapless playback is what made Plexamp my favorite option.

[@sjc1204]

I use Plexamp as a sanctuary for avoiding terrible remasters. When away from the house and an album I want to hear is a brick-walled remaster on TIDAL, I bust out Plexamp and listen to a glorious non-remaster stream of my CD rip. I greatly prefer it over ARC (I use Roon at home). I've never been able to get Plexamp and a pair of KEF LS50 Wireless II to work well (Google Cast). Streams will often repeat every few seconds. I think I am doing something wrong.

[@buddhamack1491]

Yes, so true. So sick of remasters and them burying the quality original versions. They replaced some of the Bee Gees original versions on KZbin with horrible pitch corrected versions recently.

[@Martin2002tii]

Roon user here. The seamless integration of streaming and local library is what got me in the door. But only recently did I start to use Roon's DSP. I use Focus Fidelity room correction software to make convolution filters for Roon. It's pretty awesome.

[@bokolobs1264]

Is there a tutorial video you can point me to for this? Thanks!

[@FabianEuresti]

As a lifetime Plex Pass holder, Plex Amp is great!

[@bergamasq]

For anyone else pondering getting a Plex Pass, they usually go on a heavy discount once or twice a year. I bought mine for roughly $90 at the start of the pandemic so that I could allow more friends to access my server and I'm glad I did, with the additional Plexamp benefits that they subsequently rolled out (Plexamp itself used to solely be restricted to Plex Pass until very recently etc).

[@richardreich8044]

Watching this video with my new(ish) Lintons flanking the TV is a bit mind warping.

[@below30mhz84]

After watching this video, I decided to try setting up a Plex server on an old 2011 MacBook Pro that was just lying around. I guess it's the excitement of something new, but I've gone several days without using my Tidal account, and honestly, the Plexamp apps for iOS are pretty solid

[@niceguyjoe]

Plexamp is also great on CarPlay

[@bokolobs1264]

I have both Plexamp and Roon. Would just like to add a some more differences: 1) Plex sends the stream as flac to the Plexamp endpoints and the endpoints will do the decoding. Totally fine as rpis can handle decoding with no issue with an added benefit that it's less of a bandwidth hog than Roon, which sends the stream as decoded PCM to endpoints. 2) You have to play with the settings to get bit-perfect playback in Plexamp. You have to do this for each endpoint. In my experience, bit-perfect is default in Roon. 3) From what I can tell, you need to refresh/rescan your library every time you add new music to your Plex server or at least set a schedule for rescanning. Roon updates the library automatically. 4) Plexamp via Google Cast is not gapless, but Roon is. IMO, Plexamp is just better than Roon (Arc) outside the home. They are the same for playback sound quality at home in my use case. Roon's UI is king.

[@spizzy7996]

Can you explain why Plexamp is better than Arc outside the home? I have neither but am looking at both.

[@andersdalsgaard7412]

You can set Plex up, so it updates every time there is a change in your libraries

[@bokolobs1264]

@@spizzy7996Hi! Simply put, Plexamp is more reliable. Plexamp just works as it should outside. Plex has nailed streaming from the home server to phones hopping many networks. I tried to make Arc work, but just like what John said, it would stop streaming and connecting to my home server.

[@bokolobs1264]

@@andersdalsgaard7412thanks. I set it up this way, but it doesn’t always refresh. Especially with new music.

[@Lacking_something]

Love that Scuba album! Not heard of him before (or knowingly encountered any flavour of dubstep).

[@EricNoël-g7d]

Thanks John for sharing. My experience with Plex is really good so far. My need was simple: my CD transporter died and I had two choices. Replace it or rip my CD only albums (not on tidal or Spotify). So I did. I have a synology (NAS) with Plex server installed. Using UPNP protocol, I stream directly to my Yamaha R-N2000A (fantastic BTW) and I use the Yamaha MusicCast app has my remote. Uber simple. Really happy with my setup. Keep the good work! Both of you. Cheers!

[@kostasjezuz4846]

As a Yamaha user, exactly what I was thinking! Simplest solution yet!

[@kaavik47]

Besides no Tidal being a deal breaker, I tested both Plex and Roon, and Roon was 100% more usable and configurable in my Android ecosystem. I ended up buying a lifetime membership to Roon.

[@mikescott4008]

I tried Roon for a short while, but didn't see the value. So I setup plexamp as I already have 10Tb of films in Plex. Circa 1Tb of Music now in there too. VPN connection back to home and job done. I also already had Plex Pass. Orbital, what an album. Saw them earlier this year in Southampton :)

[@RandySmith-iz1ml]

Plexamp all day long. So many of these different services are overpriced and many of those will be changing in the next couple of years because of products like Plexamp! Thanks for the insights!

[@RalphPantuso]

Nice video, I really enjoyed it. I use both Roon and Plex/PlexAmp. Roon is great for streaming music when at home and does a great job of managing one's music library, something that Plex does not do well with music. Plex is great for streaming videos when at home or away. Plex does a great job of managing one's video library. PlexAmp is great for streaming music when not at home. Roon ARC is pretty much worthless - never works whereas PlexAmp always works. So..... Roon when at home and PlexAmp when on the go.

[@BrunoP]

Glad to see Plexamp getting visibility! Great video, can't wait to see 9000N review Hopefully Bluesound will implement plexamp natively

[@miffmaff1]

Nice timing with the Tidal integration ending XD I've been using plexamp for some years now, and i really like the idea of streaming music from my own server to myself. Overall very happy with this app.

[@arshute]

Perfect timing bought a WDE EX 2 the other week and just started setting up my music library using plex amp.

[@bocrux]

Roon lifetime subscription. Just take the one time financial hit and be happy.

[@RobWooten]

Same. But I always think how they should have a donation area/button on the desktop version. It’d be nice to give a little extra from time to time. I’m hoping Plex and Plex amp stick around for a long time !

[@llchristubell]

Plex lifetime costs the same as Roon for 1 year.

[@bergamasq]

@@RobWooten if I paid the lifetime fee for Roon, I certainly wouldn't be giving them another penny after that 🤣

[@callumelcombe3703]

What happens when Room goes under?

[@jimf5160]

that is what I did....very happy with it.

[@FabianEuresti]

Just bought a copy of R-CNVX2! Just uploaded to Apple Music and it’s now in my Plex library too. Love your taste in music, Sir!

[@TheRobyMann]

Wow that *gap* *gap* *gap* edit was both very satisfying and very annoying simultaneously 😂

[@sebarosca]

“Sponsored by ROON” - they sure invested in a nice video 🥴

[@WiiNV]

L🤫L

[@parkerscott2822]

I ripped all my old CDs last year and created a Plex library on my NAS. I had just been using the Plex app, but the PlexAmp is way more music focused. Nice find!

[@andrewbarton1538]

Roon.... I'm still on my 2 week trial, but I have bought a NUC, and I'm not going back! Needless to say, I am very impressed!

[@0303stuba]

Hi John, huge fan of your content. As a audiophile of 59 years I'm engrossed in analogue/CD/on the cusp of streaming but I'm embarrassed to say I never got into Roon - or even understand it! Can you recommend a KZbin video to help me learn and understand the basics please? Cheers

[@aa5az423]

I don’t mind the price of Roon, I am a annual subscriber. With that being said, I have only gotten ARC to work with one router, and when I switched to a new ISP service that ended that. To add to the frustration, I have had a PC go down twice, and I switched the core over to a MacBook Pro, which is dedicated entirely for the use of Roon and I have a lot of problems with the core; I have had so many problems that two or three days ago. I just threw my hands up and quit. Right now I have been using the Blue Sound Node app on my phone and I hate that thing with a passion. My subscription renews in January and at this point I’m pretty certain that I am going to cancel the renewal.

[@julianwiggins]

Have loved Plex for years going to give plexamp a go thanks to this video.

[@MikesGigDiary__]

Currently I'm using Roon for home steaming and Plexamp for when I'm out of the house. (I just can't get Roon Arc to ever work!)

[@eespinosa64]

I second this. Arc has been awful. Plexamp works every time!!

[@juicythedj750]

Just a heads-up John: I've had a bad experience with the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra literally frying my drives! They were idling at 55 degs even though I kept the (tiny) fan clean. Swapped it with a Synology DS220+ and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Their software is a dream, it's plenty powerful for Plex (including video with transcoding) and has a properly-sized fan. The drives are idling at 33 degs in the same setup and room. Even at the "cool" setting, it's practically silent apart from the mechanical noise of the drives themselves. It probably goes without saying: make sure you have a backup of your Western Digital, maybe over its built-in USB port.

[@Rudi-Mhz]

.....free Alternative, i take one of my albums on vinyl and put it on the record player.....simply turning the piece to hear Musik ! Thank you👍

[@knockshinnoch1950]

how does that work out for you on the go in your Ford Model T...

[@MichaelCaspar-lj7wo]

By the way: Plex is integrated in my Eversolo DMP-A6 and i can stream for the first time multi-channel- and DSD files (and of course all other kinds of music-files).

[@AndreasLarzon]

Interesting. Did you have to install PlexAmp yourselves or was it installed when you bought it or through firmware uppgrade?

[@RobertSuttonOfAnacortes]

The MAIN Roon Core feature I use is the ability to stream the same program to MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS endpoints on my local network (I have seven, wired and WiFi). And, Roon will time-sync the streams endpoints so I can walk from the back office, to the living room, to the garage, to the barn, to the loft and NEVER miss a beat (literally, lol). Can PlexAMP do that?

[@luisnieves5717]

Your piece was very enlightening. I’ve been on the fence, trying to make a decision on Whether it was worth getting Roon. But this gives me a new option thank you very much

[@Mark-pk1fm]

Just love the artist/music tips really, all the tech is beyond me!!!

[@wakajawaka44]

As a newbie to this hi-fi lark this is all very complicated! In fact this guy speaks a different language (German as well probably). I think this is going to as difficult as learning a new language. Nevertheless a very informative video, little of which I can understand (at the moment). Thank you for uploading.

[@kennztube]

Trust me it does sound odd to a beginner but stick with it and use the many videos on here to buy and set up the gear, it's easier than you might imagine.

[@mwheelonh]

Been using Plex to manage my video library for nearly a decade, but had dismissed the music side years ago. Time to take another look.

[@gameconsoletherapy4434]

@@mwheelonh it will change you! :)

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS JOHN 🤗 for sharing what will probably be a popular idea for the budget and building a library to be used anywhere😎💚💚💚

[@User_not_found_403]

Thanks for covering this and giving us options!

[@yovy182]

It works on HEOS as well. I use it on my Marantz NR1200. Same config: NAS running Plex server

[@undyingforce]

Know all about Plexamp but had to hear Darko’s attitude towards it ;)

[@samlsecond8200]

Long time Plex customer with a lifetime membership. That one time fee was small enough for me to justify. Roon just seems too darn expensive, And I’m not enough of an audio file by any stretch of the imagination to justify the roon cost. Something I haven’t figured out with Plex amp is how to do playlists. I have a bunch of playlists already built in a Windows application called musicbee, and I’d love to bring those playlists into Plexamp maybe someday I’ll figure it out, because I think it is supposed to be possible Love the bloopers at the end . I’m always amazed at how well spoken some of you KZbinrs can be, and I’ve tried myself to make videos, and I know just how dang hard it is to get the perfect take.

[@thisispw]

Great info and music as always. B roll nailed as always.

[@drnewbury]

Jellyfin is the open alternative I am loving.

[@andersdalsgaard7412]

Iv'e never tried Jellyfin or Emby. For movies and shows, they seems to be the same, but does Jellyfin have something like Plexamp?

[@sailingairtime]

+1 for Jellyfin. I have it running in a docker container on an old Linux box in the basement. I find that on an iOS device Finamp works great as a client. Also, from a privacy perspective, Jellyfin doesn't need my private details - i don't have to have a Jellyfin account to use it.

[@bergamasq]

@@andersdalsgaard7412 there are a number of apps under active development that are centered around jellyfinn music libraries for iOS and Android. None are as good as plexamp though, imho.

[@TheRealPossumJenkins]

Thanks for the swallowing right into my ears with the cuppa, much appreciated

[@ShouPow]

Honestly ive never felt better about my lifetime sub to roon & plex. 🙏🏾

[@casperunnerup]

6:30. You can get USB-C cables that split into 3 connectors. One with both power and data for the device. One with only power to the charger and one with only data to the DAC. I've used this on Android phones before. But I must say, I don't know if iPads support this feature.

[@Penguin_117]

I love Plexamp.....easy to use, very reliable. All by NAS music is available to me remotely and in the house...its great...and free!

[@AndrewWardell]

@DarkoAudio Loving that Convextion EP! Thanks for the recommendation :D

[@gerry73155]

I'm a bit sorry to see the Tidal integration go away, but most of my devices have Tidal Connect anyway so its a duplication for me. I do enjoy and pay for the 'extras' and think it is a great alternative to Roon (never understood the value proposition). My system is blended audio and home theater so I also like the Plex streaming content available. It just really works fantastic for my collection of ripped CDs and downloaded music files. A thumbs up to your great review, Hohn!!

[@nymarty]

Thanks, John. Great video. I"m sticking with Roon, despite the price, because it integrates with Qobuz. I like that I can play music from my library and from Qobuz at will. I'm also able to, in some cases, play better versions of what's in my library because Qobuz has a higher rez (or better original) recording.

[@brettjensen4760]

I'm a big fan of Plex, too. I use pkexamp for my music and enjoy Plex for media as well. I have the server running as a docker image on Linux.

[@mephistoGR]

Tried Plex + Plexamp + Tidal and was a mess. Using Roon + Tidal + DSP = killer compo. Plex without Tidal? Not a chance! Also tried Audirvana but it was a pain in the a$$. Hope Roon drops its price but it's in my home to stay.

[@theLiveChive]

I’ve been using Plex amp for years. It also works great with Apple car play. My only criticism is that not many devices support it for base streaming.

[@seanpburke]

Great video. I use Plexamp for out of the house, especially CarPlay. Roon for in-house for the bit perfect playback, if I didn’t have a Roon ready endpoint, I wouldn’t bother though. (Roon Arc is an absolute joke and should be ignored)

[@starbase218]

I did not actually know exactly what Roon was in the first place, so thanks for that. Having said that, I'm not sure either is worth it for me. I have a 256GB iPhone with still plenty of free storage. Although... this does integrate everything quite neatly, and you can also use it to download music to your phone. If I'd have to choose, well I don't like to be on a subscription for software, so it'll be Plexamp for me.

[@starbase218]

It turns out you can't download music with a PlexPass subscription. However there seems to be a lifetime option available for which you pay once. I might be tempted.

[@orwhat24]

Best intro of all time. Pop pop.

[@johnkat949]

Always loved your perspective....but today with that KLF background, a little more❤

[@dixieflatline1189]

Past the Saturday morning cinema that lies crumbling to the ground and the piss-stinking shopping centre in the new side of town. Those underpasses? 😊

[@DarkoAudio]

This is the 51st State...

[@shinnoskenohara7037]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! This recommendation has solved my problems (quest)!! Got it for 4 days (same day of this video!), already LOVING IT! So much so, I am thinking of getting a NAS just to run this instead of leaving my little laptop on all the time! I would really appreciate it if you can point me into the right direction for picking one. Thank you again!

[@michaelbutterworthphotographer]

Most of the NAS solutions have the ability to run Plex Media Server as a stadard package.

[@CardioRoy]

Plex amp all the way. Tried Roon on a mac with Roon Arc for just over a year. Nothing but issues, and tech support was laughable, and that was AFTER I paid for one year in advance.

[@KeenanWagner-u9i]

Without using Plexamp or Plex, I think I might stick with Roon. I think that the UI, as well as the meta data and signal path info makes Roon a better option for me. If I were more about listening to headphones on the go then Plexamp might be more applicable to me. I don't use Roon ARC as it is, so I don't have a need for better on the go playback

[@luisnieves5717]

I was on the fence whether to purchase a subscription to Roon. I like this option better thank you 15:01

[@psyclobe]

There is NO WAY I would spend a dime on Roon ; life long plex member here!

[@pryan37bb]

Regarding your comment on keeping the iPad charged while using it as a "Now Playing" screen, you could use Apple's "Lightning to USB Camera Adapter," which has outputs for USB and Lightning (the former for data transfer, the latter for charging). Not only can you keep your iPad charged the whole time, you also wouldn't need a separate USB-to-Lightning cable to connect to the DAC.

[@bradfordivie]

Plexamp is the winner for my use case. Roon and my ISP (Starlink) not working.

[@diegobalzarini1994]

Thanks for the tip about the EP

[@eleventhvolume9362]

Scuba publishes a good podcast too (Not a Diving Podcast). You talk briefly about interface frustrations - if ever using Apple Music, would highly recommend Marvis Pro as a hugely configurable front-end on iPad and iPhone. Sadly Apple's APIs are too restrictive for a MacOS version.

[@JKadison]

I've been considering doing something like Roon or Plex and this video helps to explain what might be best! Thank you

[@gameconsoletherapy4434]

Plexamp and Plex for me. Been waiting for WIIM to add it. Been running a RoppieeXL on raspberry pi for now its tucked away and out of the way. Works great.

[@jimf5160]

i went with Roon for the great organization features and Roon Ark

[@Thomas-tf4cm]

Scuba is amazing one of my favourites heavy bass! Love Triangulation. You got a excellent music taste!

[@Mr.P001]

Finally I stop scratching my head as to why my PlexAMp is not 'Bit Perfect', as listening from my Windows PC/Android phones, Grrrrrr

[@TPQ1235]

JD, very, very helpful. PLEX should ditch their internal how-to content and replace all of it with a link to this Darko Audio episode.

[@mariuszkot9738]

Hello, can you tell me what acoustic Panels you have in the background on the Wall? I like them very much. Do you have a link or can you tell me what Panels they are? Thank you very much!! Greetz an best whishes from Austria.

[@brianr.8888]

Plexamp has worked well for me. I can cast lossless music quality to my Chromecast audio at work, or through my car stereo system. It has worked well almost every time I've used it. Roon Arc was never reliable for me.

[@isoseismic]

Thanks for the video! I will try out Plexamp for out of the house use. I was never so excited when Roon announced Roon Arc, but have been so completely frustrated with it not working that I gave up on it. It would be great to have reliable access to my music when out and about.

[@akastewart]

I already use Plex, and this has got me wondering whether I should retire my Apple Music Match subscription and move my library/archive, which contains some obscure early ‘90s electronic gems that aren’t available elsewhere) over to my NAS instead. (I actually use the same NAS as you, though I’ve never used it for music.)

[@foldspacenavigator6011]

Plexamp is a great tool and value though prefer ROON and the way & what it provides. Thanks John!

[@PROPAWELKOZLOWSKI]

This is so great, I have to try it, the PLEX. Thx John❤

[@harri6810]

I have been using plex for several years now, the server is on the same rasperry Pi machine as the LMS, and some time ago I noticed that the plexamp application is free and I switched to using it when I am away from home, i.e. at home I use LMS and outside the home I use plex

[@MH-rl9ep]

Roon has always interested me but the stumbling block was always the price, so thanks John for explaining what Plex does in detail. If I understand this correctly though, Plex does not integrate your streaming library with your home server library (it used to with Tidal, but not anymore, correct?) And so no integration with, in my case, Apple Music either. Still, the ability to cast/hand-off from my iPhone to my connected iPad is awesome! Wish I could do that with Apple Music!

[@jongottesman1263]

Roon for me, but just because it works with all my current hardware.

[@bergamasq]

Roon is defo the best experience for home listening, but Plexamp got to the point that it was "good enough" for me to stop paying the monthly Roon tax 🤣

[@morganrowe]

Love the music recs, thanks man 🤙

[@TheBJW88]

Saw triangulation by scuba in the thumbnail. Had to listen.

[@barrymiller3385]

Blimey! Whilst I'm sure this is all very clever - but it does seem an almost absurdly complicated way of playing music.

[@bergamasq]

If you have a digital music library that's well organised and has decent metadata stored on a PC that you're happy to leave on in perpetuity, then setting up a Plex server and pointing it at said music library is a real breeze :)

[@kristophergurley585]

If Volumio had an "out and about" function, I'd use that over either. I never got Roon Arc to work during my trial so if I had to choose between the two, I'd go with Plexamp I guess. However, with all my local files hosted in Apple music, I really don't have a need for Plexamp. Now with them dropping Tidal support then it is really a non-starter for me.

[@bergamasq]

@@kristophergurley585 you could just run navidrome for the remote listening side of things, tbh. There are plenty of decent clients on Android and iOS.

[@itsmetimmee]

How does one obtain a copy of the KLF Chill Out Desktop wallpaper please?

[@matthewhoult1350]

OK so Tidal is pulling out maybe the door is now open just enough for Qobuz to squeeze in? The Plex systems looks great it also supports video streming

[@AndrewWardell]

12:52 I haven’t tried Roon so I’m not sure if it’s a like-for-like comparison, but Plex Dash (a separate first-party app) can supply most of the signal path information for the stream from the server to the client. Slightly annoying to have it as a separate app, but since you can do more then just music with a Plex server it does make a modicum of sense :)

[@kingkongz88]

Thanks for the great video. So many good tips.

[@akastewart]

Off-topic question: What’s the make and model of the thick-rimmed black glasses, that you’re wearing for the to-camera bits in the apartment. Quite like them and wouldn’t mind checking them out for myself, if you’re ok sharing the info. TIA. 🤓👍

[@OigresAviap]

I use Plex and I love it.

[@callumelcombe3703]

I really hope you have a proper backup solution and your library isn't only on ypu NAS box.