Comparison

DS audio 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

DS audio

Stream your music library from your Synology NAS to your iPhone or iPad. Enjoy offline playback, organize music by various criteria, create and share playlists, and even rate your tracks. It can also function as a remote control for streaming to home stereo speakers.

Highlights
  • Stream music from Synology NAS
  • Offline music playback
  • Browse by albums, artists, genres
  • Create and share playlists
  • Rate music tracks
  • Remote control for home speakers
Features
Read full description

**You must own a Synology NAS to run this app, and be running the Audio Station 6.5.0 package to get the complete set of features** DS audio allows you to stream music stored on your DiskStation with an iPhone/iPad wherever an Internet connection is available. Better yet, with the offline mode you can listen to songs stored in the device’s local memory for when no network connection is available. You can browse music by albums, artists, folders or genres, create your own playlists or share them with your friends, and even rate your music! And if you have dedicated stereo speakers at home, DS audio can also become a remote control to stream music to them. Find all detailed features about the app on our website: www.synology.com > NAS > DSM 7.1 > Apps > Mobile Apps > Software Specs https://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/7.1/software_spec/video_station#affiliated_utility__ds_video_mobile__feature

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

DS audio4 screens
Roon ARC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Roon ARC at 3.3 against DS audio's 2.7. Roon ARC also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). DS audio's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 211 and 196 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of DS audio's written reviews are positive against 36% of Roon ARC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS audio ships an update every 3 months, Roon ARC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
DS audio versus Roon ARC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS audioRoon ARC
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (211 ratings)3.3 (196 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.9% of reviews35.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings211 — better196
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB122 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.Roon Labs

Customer experience

DS audio

All ratings206 ratings
Positive34.0%
Neutral17.5%
Negative48.5%
Written reviews280 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral23.6%
Negative47.5%

Roon ARC

All ratings196 ratings
Positive54.6%
Neutral8.7%
Negative36.7%
Written reviews223 reviews
Positive35.9%
Neutral11.2%
Negative52.9%

User reviews

DS audio

From 211 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Streaming music from NAS
  • 👍 Allows offline playback
  • 💡 Integrates with home audio systems
  • 👍 Provides access to entire music library

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Unreliable connectivity and login issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance and skipping songs
  • 🐛 Outdated and cluttered user interface

Roon ARC

From 196 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

DS audio

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App randomly closes or stops playing
  • Fails to remember playback position
  • Incompatible with latest iOS versions
  • Issues with downloading and caching music

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Dolby Atmos and surround sound
  • Implement gapless playback
  • Improve playlist management and editing
  • Add search and sorting functionality
  • Provide better integration with CarPlay and Chromecast

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

DS audio

No in-app purchases

None

Roon ARC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DS audio free?
DS audio 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, DS audio or Roon ARC?
Roon ARC is rated higher. DS audio averages 2.7 out of 5 from 211 ratings, while Roon ARC averages 3.3 from 196 ratings.
Do DS audio or Roon ARC have ads?
Neither DS audio nor Roon ARC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS audio or Roon ARC?
DS audio ships an update every 3 months, and Roon ARC monthly. Most recently, DS audio was updated on October 20, 2026 and Roon ARC on October 15, 2026.

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