Prize giveaway #10: Roon for your room

I woke from a nightmare. I was sat, alone in a room, a pair of 2m-tall floorstanding loudspeakers bearing down on me with all the force of “Tin Pan Alley”; snaking from the car engine-sized monoblock amplifiers that internally flanked each loudspeaker were 2-inch thick power cords; sitting further back, a double-width rack with power conditioner, pre-amplifier and outboard power supply, phono stage and outboard power supply, tube-loaded D/A converter and a high-mass turntable whose platter would be heavy enough to sink a small boat; bass traps were judiciously placed in each corner; a 2m square diffusion panel adorned the front wall; absorption panels lined the side walls.

Why the nightmare? 1) I was sat in the only chair in the room and 2) there was no sign of music: no vinyl, no CDs, no wall art, no tablet or PC for streaming control, no books, no ornaments — just a hi-fi system in a treated room. The acoustic guitar leaned against the left speaker? Pure pose.

Me? I prefer listening rooms that are lived in. Where CD cases lay strewn across the floor. Where multiple stacks of vinyl records lean 25 deep against the rack, speakers or side walls. Where there are potted plants and coffee cups. Where there exists more than one place to sit. To hell with the sweet spot when friends drop by — music often sounds better when it is shared.

In other words, before it can be a music listening room, it has to be a room I’d want to sit in in silence.

If you think as I do about listening rooms, you might want to stick around because we’re giving away a one year Roon licence* for anyone game enough to share a photo of their listening room on Twitter or Instagram** with the hashtag #DarkoRoonGiveaway. We won’t see your photo if it’s posted without the hashtag. Don’t know what Roon is? Catch up here.

A few specifics to prevent Internet skullduggery: your photo entry must show 1) your hi-fi system, 2) your favourite album (CD case, LP sleeve or computer/table/smartphone) and a 3) piece of paper with “Darko.Audio” written on it.

All entries will be judged by myself and a Roon team member*** when the competition closes a month from today (19th July). The winner**** will be notified via their social media platform of choice a week or so after that. Remember to follow us on Twitter or Instagram so that we are able to send you a direct message.

Terms and conditions beneath the Roon video.

Further information: Roon Labs

* No cash value alternative. Cannot be added to an existing Roon subscription.

** Sorry, no Facebook.

*** The judges’ decision is final.

**** All entrants consent to their photos being published on Darko.Audio.