Roon vs SXFI App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roon
This app serves as a controller for a Roon Server, enabling users to browse and play their music library. It offers a rich metadata-driven interface for musical discovery, connecting to over 1,000 compatible audio devices for seamless playback.
- Music library browsing and playback
- Rich metadata for musical discovery
- Connects to 1,000+ audio devices
- Seamless in-home audio connection
- Access music library remotely via Roon ARC
- Bit-perfect playback and format support
Read full descriptionHide full description
*** The Roon experience requires a Roon Server on your network. *** The Roon App is another controller for your Roon Server. You browse and play your music library on over 1,000 compatible audio devices, and provides a seamless in-home connection. You can install the free Roon App on as many devices as you like. What is Roon? The very best way to experience your music: Roon reshapes the way you browse and explore music. Powered by rich metadata, Roon's interface invites you on a new journey of musical discovery every time you log in. Your music library becomes the starting point on a vast map of performers, composers, influences, and genres. Follow the path emanating from the music you love to discover exciting new sounds and reconnect with long-forgotten favorites. You can delve even deeper through lyrics, artist photos, bios, reviews, and tour dates - then continue the journey with recommendations specifically tailored to your tastes and listening habits. Listen anywhere, on all your gear: Roon lets you play from your collection of music files and TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX libraries on thousands of Roon Ready, Airplay, Chromecast, and USB devices from one app inside your home. Meanwhile, Roon ARC provides access, playback, and precision audio control for your entire Roon music library directly from your phone, wherever you are in the world. Flawless playback. Everywhere, every time: Roon is built to ensure your music sounds perfect every time you hit play, no matter where you are. Roon guarantees the best possible sound quality from every piece of audio gear - our MUSE sound engine delivers bit-perfect playback, exhaustive format support, and precision audio control for a fully customizable and flawless listening experience. From headphones to your home hi-fi, and everything in between.
SXFI App
This app uses advanced technology to map your unique ear and head shape, transforming audio for a personalized, immersive listening experience. Enjoy holographic sound that feels like it's coming from outside your headphones, with customizable EQ settings for local music files.
- Super X-Fi holographic audio
- AI-powered head and ear mapping
- Tailor-made audio profiles
- Local music file playback
- 10-band equalizer
Read full descriptionHide full description
Imagine capturing the listening experience of a high-end multi-speaker system in a professional studio, and recreating the same expansive experience - with the original depth, detail, realism, and immersiveness – in your headphones. Welcome to the magic of Super X-Fi with SXFI App! Super X-Fi technology works by mapping the head and ear shape, and transforming audio based on those parameters, for the individual. It allows you to experience audio as if it’s coming from outside the headphones, and the headphones seemingly disappear! Leveraging on leading-edge precision technology that maps the distinct acoustics of an audio system projecting sound to the human ear in three-dimensional space, the SXFI App utilizes Super X-Fi technology to deliver a holographic audio experience that intelligently translates that complex information into an identical breath-taking listening experience for the headphones. In addition, everybody hears sound differently in the real world, depending on the shape of one's ears and structure of the head. The SXFI App’s Super X-Fi technology further uses Artificial Intelligence to map the individual's ear shape and head profile, then utilizes a computationally complex algorithm to transform and custom tailor the audio to each individual, so that it sounds perfect to each and every one, and like what they hear in the real world. Key Features: * Built-in Super X-Fi technology lets you magically experience audio as if it’s coming from outside your headphones. * Easy-to-use smart device camera-enabled head mapping that captures your unique ear and head features for a tailor-made audio profile--get the most natural headphone listening experience! * Supports playback of local music files stored in your device. * 10-band Equalizer for further audio customization. Need help? Talk to us at team@sxfi.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Roon at 3.6 against SXFI App's 2.1. Roon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Roon holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roon has 556 ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Roon's written reviews are positive against 23% of SXFI App's.
Roon ships an update every 3 weeks, SXFI App monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roon | SXFI App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (556 ratings) — better | 2.1 (41 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 32.6% of reviews — better | 23.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 556 — better | 41 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 616 MB | 194 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Roon Labs | Creative Labs Pte. Ltd. |
Customer experience
Roon
SXFI App
Bugs and requests
Roon
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on search
- Audio devices disappearing
- Volume issues after updates
- Inability to find Roon core
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Offline music playback
- Better Tidal/Spotify integration
- Improved metadata editing
- Apple Watch support
SXFI App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Roon
No in-app purchases
SXFI App
No in-app purchases









