Comparison

KEF Stream vs Roon ARC

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KEF Stream

Stream high-resolution music wirelessly to compatible speakers. Access local libraries, media servers, and popular streaming services. Create and manage custom playlists for an enhanced audio experience.

Highlights
  • High-resolution audio streaming (192kHz/24bit)
  • Wi-Fi streaming to KEF LS50 Wireless and LSX
  • Stream from local library, media servers, TIDAL, Spotify Connect
  • Create and save custom playlists
  • Control speaker system with KEF Control app integration
Features
Read full description

Play music content up to 192kHz/24bit resolution over Wi-Fi to your LS50 Wireless and LSX This app allows you to play music content up to 192kHz/24bit resolution over Wi-Fi to your LS50 Wireless and LSX. Together with the KEF Control app, you can have full control over your speaker system. Key features: • Stream music from your local Library, Media Servers, TIDAL, and Spotify Connect. • Create and save custom playlists Note: to play Apple Music purchased from iTunes store (this excludes Apple Music Streaming Service) and your own music collection imported to your iTunes Library, you must first download it offline to your device before you can stream it to the LS50 Wireless. If you experience any issues with the app, please use the Send Feedback option in Settings > About with a short description of the issue you are encountering.

About

Roon ARC

Access your entire Roon music library and streaming services on the go. Enjoy personalized recommendations, offline listening, and advanced audio controls with a familiar interface.

Highlights
  • Access Roon library anywhere
  • Stream TIDAL, Qobuz, KKBOX
  • Offline music downloads
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Advanced audio controls (MUSE)
  • Car integration
Features
Read full description

*** Roon ARC requires a valid Roon subscription *** ARC puts the best possible on-the-go music experience in your pocket and lets you enjoy your Roon library and all of Roon's immersive features wherever you are in the world. ARC is a custom-built streaming service powered by your Roon system at home. Explore your complete collection of artists, albums, playlists, and personal music files, plus TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX streams. Discover added content from Roon's music experts and smart features, such as staff-curated playlists, Daily Mixes, New Releases for You, personalized recommendations, and Roon Radio. You can add albums to your collection, build playlists, set favorites, create tags, and more, just as you can in Roon. Offline listening lets you download your personal music files to keep the music playing wherever your adventures take you – even if you're off the grid entirely. ARC offers remote access to Roon's captivating library of in-depth artist bios and album articles, revealing the stories that take us deep into the heart of our favorite music. And there's more… Ready to hit the road? Your Roon library is too! Roon's browsing and discovery features fully integrate into your car's controls for safe and convenient playback. With ARC within easy reach of the wheel, every road you take is a journey in sound. ARC makes the driver's seat feel like your listening chair at home. ARC is designed to look and feel just like Roon. You get the same intuitive, aesthetically rich Roon interface you know and love, fully optimized for your phone. No more switching between streaming apps; ARC compiles all your music in one place for easy access and maximum enjoyment. And now, Roon's audio shaping suite and pristine sound quality have arrived in ARC - with bold styling never before seen in a mobile app! MUSE delivers the precision audio control of Roon when you're on the go or running a streamlined mobile setup with ARC. It places radically unique EQ handling, optimized balance control, precision volume leveling, FLAC, DSD & MQA support, crossfeed, headroom management, and sample rate conversion in the palm of your hand. You can customize sonic qualities to your specific tastes with MUSE, then save or apply them with a few clicks. To top it all off, MUSE even remembers your presets and reapplies them when you reconnect to a known device. The MUSE Signal Path display provides complete audio signal transparency as the music flows through your device - from source media all the way to your speakers. ARC offers artful design, sound quality, and a music listening experience unmatched by any other music app. Best of all, it's included free with your Roon subscription.

Screenshots

KEF Stream4 screens
Roon ARC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Roon ARC at 3.3 against KEF Stream's 1.3. Roon ARC also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 8%). KEF Stream's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Roon ARC holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 1.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 199 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of KEF Stream's written reviews are positive against 36% of Roon ARC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KEF Stream ships an update every 6 weeks, Roon ARC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
KEF Stream versus Roon ARC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKEF StreamRoon ARC
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.3 (96 ratings)3.3 (199 ratings) — better
Positive reviews8.3% of reviews35.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings96199 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB122 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGP Acoustics International LimitedRoon Labs

Customer experience

KEF Stream

All ratings96 ratings
Positive4.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative91.7%
Written reviews242 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral5.8%
Negative86.0%

Roon ARC

All ratings196 ratings
Positive54.6%
Neutral8.7%
Negative36.7%
Written reviews224 reviews
Positive35.7%
Neutral11.2%
Negative53.1%

User reviews

KEF Stream

From 96 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth streaming
  • 👍 Intuitive app design
  • 🔒 Reliable connection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections
  • 🔇 Poor Tidal integration
  • 🤖 Buggy and unstable
  • 🕰️ Slow response times
  • 🔍 Difficult to find speakers

Roon ARC

From 199 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless integration with Roon
  • 🌍 Access music library anywhere
  • 🔊 High-quality audio playback
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 💡 Useful feature additions like EQ presets

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🤖 Unreliable performance, especially on mobile networks
  • 📱 Lack of iPad-optimized interface
  • 🔌 Requires complex network setup for remote access

Bugs and requests

KEF Stream

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Tracks not playing
  • Playlist issues
  • Compatibility problems with iOS updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Apple Music integration
  • Gapless playback
  • Volume control in app
  • Equalizer settings
  • Multiroom support

Roon ARC

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Corrupted media files
  • Disappearing playlists
  • Inability to select external storage for downloads
  • Inconsistent connectivity to Roon server

Requested features

5 requests
  • Native iPad app
  • Siri integration for voice control
  • Improved browsing and search capabilities
  • Automatic offline downloads
  • MQA decoding support

In-app purchases

None

KEF Stream

No in-app purchases

None

Roon ARC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KEF Stream free?
KEF Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Roon ARC free?
Roon ARC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KEF Stream or Roon ARC?
Roon ARC is rated higher. KEF Stream averages 1.3 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while Roon ARC averages 3.3 from 199 ratings.
Do KEF Stream or Roon ARC have ads?
Neither KEF Stream nor Roon ARC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KEF Stream or Roon ARC?
KEF Stream ships an update every 6 weeks, and Roon ARC monthly. Most recently, KEF Stream was updated on October 23, 2026 and Roon ARC on October 24, 2026.

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