I got a Zen Stream for a location I visit occasionally, as it was the only streamer I could get overnight before Christmas then. I don’t use it a lot because I’m not often there, but when I do, as I’m doing now, I have the brief stutters. All wired network, UniFi router, Roon server on a Mac Mini M2 (I had the same stutter problem with a Linux mini PC that went belly up). A Linn System 3 speaker system runs from the same Roon server, no stutters. It’s the Zen Stream, for sure. But then I’m not totally surprised, Volumio is too bloated for its own good.
Have you tried disabling any services you don’t use? It takes a little of the bloat away and Roon only mode (or HQPlayer only mode were a big improvement for me).
Also I limited my SPDiF output to 24/96 in Roon and the small shutters went away
I don’t use it a lot anymore as it’s relegated to a place where I have other options available for listening but it still works well and generates good audio to the headphone amplifier
Yes. But Roon-only mode selected with the back screw switch does not work. The device is seen by Roon, Roon sends tracks, but no sound.
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Oh I did a walk through on that in the Zen Stream thread sometime ago along with screen shots to walk users through it.
It defaults to SPDIF from memory after each update.
There is a mini web server that is running for Roon only mode that if you click on configure button in Roon Settings ->Audio for the device, you can change the output from SPDIF to USB again.
I have no Idea why they changed this halfway through the lifecycle, but hopefully you can change it and fix your issue at least.
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Are you on the latest firmware? Roon Mode wasn’t working with the previous one. This was corrected with the current one
Glad to see/ hear that you really are still The Zen Master 
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No point fighting fate is there 
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Latest.
I can’t find that setting. The settings panel shows that the USB DAC is recognized, but the device info on the main Audio panel shows “SPDIF” as the output for the Zen Stream. If I switch the screw in the back to AIO, the DAC is recognized. Both Roon and Zen Stream have the latest software releases.
I have just a couple of days with this setup before traveling, I’m pretty much convinced now that the Zen Stream is not worth wasting even more time on, on to another streamer. I could try to remember to bring a SPDIF cable here (I have some elsewhere) but it’s just too much hassle for what’s basically a poorly designed and/or build gadget. Life is too short.
Fernando I kept these screenshots from last year and just managed to find them. In settings->Audio click on the device info text, it’s a button that is badly layed out.
That will launch a an information popup that gives you a config window to change the Zen settings.
You can then change the output from here
Hopefully this helps
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Fernando I also just noticed that there is a new update for the stream.
If your version is quite out of date it might be worth taking it out of Roon only mode and updating it as there were some bad updates in 2023.
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Thanks for all the advice! I do have the latest version. That “DEVICE INFO” button escaped me, it looked like a label for the information below. Finally got to the config page appears, it’s a bit broken in that it silently fails to switch to my USB DAC unless DSD is disabled – I guess that makes sense since this DAC does not accept DSD, but at least a warning would have been nice.
Thanks again, playing without stutters so far, but it needs more time before I’m convinced.
Update: Oh well, there it was again, the brief stutter. This is silly. Wired network, new Mac Mini M2 Roon server (not the old mini PC), playing local files stored in a new Samsung USB SSD. RoonServer logs show nothing of note.
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Glad to have helped and it has worked for me when I have used it previously.
This is difficult solution as it is non obvious for almost anyone to find.
Hopefully it continues to work for you
I too have this exact problem with my ifi Zen Stream with Roon.
After a couple of months of trying the Zen Steam in different setups and now with the latest August 2024 firmware, I have finally got the sound drop-outs down to about 1 every 15 to 20 minutes of listening. This is bearable but still annoying. I find it more noticeable and annoying when listing to classical music than with pop/rock.
A couple of things I have found:
- Power supply seems to be important - I swapped the 12V/1A supplied with the ifi for a 15V/2.8A and the drop-out frequency reduced.
- Restrict sample rate to a maximum of 24/96 - above this the problem becomes much worse.
I really hope ifi can fix this problem once and for all with a quick new firmware update.
In the mean time I’m looking for a new streamer.
In the light of these problems, should Roon be reviewing the “Roon Ready” certification of the Zen Stream? It was really this certification that convinced me to buy the Zen Stream and I feel that I have been misled.
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I’m using now a 12V/2A power supply I had from a spare cable modem. I have the every 20-30min stutter at any sample rate. Nothing that I can correlate the stutters with on Roon logs. I agree that this device is not Roon Ready.
Since I need just Roon ethernet in and USB out for this setup, multi-output streamers have hardware and complexity I don’t need. I’ll probably just put together a Pi for Ropieee and be done with it.
In the early days, especially with 24/192 output over SPDIF, these stutters were every 5-10 seconds and very noticeable. I often listen to black and death metal so truthfully I would not notice the stutters every 15-20 minutes 
I do have the iFi Power X 15v power supply which I think improves things with it, but the hardware was already outdated when it was released and was already running an out of date Linux kernel that was never going to be updated
As to the recertification, Roon has no process for this as I have raised it with them in the past about other devices that have become broken. Once a device is certified it stays certified for life and Roon can only apply some pressure on the manufacturer.
I bought the Zen Stream on day one as it was meant to have everything I possibly needed, originally including Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Roon and HQPlayer which covered everything I needed as t that point. Well that all fell off a cliff and it become a problem child device, that also happened to sound much better than a Pi (as I had several of those as well).
The lesson was to only buy a device for what it does the day I bought it and not for future promised functionality. Since then I have patiently waited for RR updates to drop before purchasing.
I have a couple of Pi’s running Ropieee so that I can use HQP, Roon, LMS or PlexAmp and the addition of a reasonable iFi power supply and a small Hifime USB isolator brought the sound level up to the quality of the Stream through USB into my DAC.
It does give quite a lot of functionality for the low price of free.
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When I listen to these stories about the ZS I wonder what have I done to be so lucky. I’ve had mine for over two years, without issues, no dropouts, stuttering, nothing. I’m still using it (with Ipower X 12v from the beginning) and love the device. I’m not being sarcastic. I really wonder why is it that different people have such different experiences with one streamer. Is it hardware related, meaning that different batches may not have consistent production quality? Is it the communication with the DAC downstream? Could be the software, but this is the same for everyone. Who knows?
Edit: it is very easy to make mistakes with the settings of the ZS, which are far from straightforward, but this does not seem to be at stake in the complaints above.
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Personally I haven’t had too many problems, but the initial thread I set up when I bought mine has thousands of posts, so that should tell you something.
They also released several broken updates and some updates that destroyed peoples streams so some of the issues are real and impacted quite a lot of users.
I did have an update break one of mine but thankfully the USB recovery solution worked for me perfectly well.
I also suffered through the Roon only mode not working at all which took about 6 months to fix and that would be my biggest complaint about the quality of firmware updates.
I also had the SPDIF output stuttering at 24/192 but the impact was limited due to the fact that almost exclusively used SPDIF for my daily use besides when I was helping users with issues like this. The Easy solution was to switch to 24/96 as the maximum output.
I have actually enjoyed my time with the ZS since a couple of days after release to now and I still keep it running. Sadly the hardware was a little underpowered for what they were doing and the OS was probably a little heavy for all that they were trying to do.
As a Roon only streamer in my mind it is still a great choice, especially over USB output and if you can get it at a discount. That way there are no updates and nothing to go wrong.
The upgraded iPowerX power supply that many bought were also really good upgrade for the Stream.
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Michael, I agree with everything you’ve said. However, I believe that most of the messages that still pop up in the Head-fi forum are triggered by mistakes made by the user (e.g. press the wrong button or press it too long), which is what I meant when I said this device was not straightforward. You need to know your way around it (sounds like marriage!). This gives the ZS a very bad reputation and it’s hard to understand why iFi do not correct it with a brand new product. The firmware updates have been a bumpy ride indeed, even though I could use Roon without problems in AIO mode during the time when Roon Mode was broken. What surprises me is the fact that a number of people are still having trouble with the ZS in its current stage. Anyway, I guess iFi have to do much better with regard to funcionality and reliability in a market now crowded with streamers for all tastes and pockets.
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Difficult to argue with that, I don’t hang around in those forums myself, but I have seen users holding in buttons and causing issues that they have struggled to get out of.
I would personally like to see another equally well made but maybe better thought through (in terms of board and Linux compatibility) streamer from iFi. The question is whether they feel a little burned by this experience and put off from having another go. There was nothing at the price point on the market when it was released, but it was probably released publicly about a year too early and that left seriously mixed reviews, some of which were too high in praise and some were just bad reviews (looking at you Randy thecheapaudioman who I generally really like)
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