TrendNet switch, eero Pro 6E mesh system, fully wired backhaul
Connected Audio Devices
Linn Klimax DSM 3.0, ethernet connectivity
Number of Tracks in Library
60,000
Description of Issue
When I first tried ARC I thought I could use it for library access in my second home. I envisioned running ARC on an iPad and using Airplay to connect the music to my second system. So I’ve been experimenting at home.
Sadly, I’m experiencing dropouts when I push ARC playback through Airplay (the Airplay receiver is my Linn DSM). The dropouts last for only a few seconds, they occur sporadically, and happen whether my phone is still or moving. I can’t replicate this behavior when I steer other sources from my phone to the Linn over Airplay.
I do not know if this is an ARC issue, or Linn, or my network, or (most likely) something involving multiple bits. But I wonder if anyone else has seen similar behavior. As things stand, my hopes of using ARC to play to a system in a second home are pretty moribund.
@Nelson_Wright, ARC should hand off perfectly fine to Airplay. Indeed, I do this with a Bluesound Node, and it works flawlessly.
I suspect this is a network issue. However, I don’t understand why you’re using ARC when it would bbe simpler to enable the Airplay device in your library under Roon Remote > Settings > Audio. That way, audio is sent direct to the device rather than from core to iPad to device.
Thanks for the clarification, @CrystalGipsy. I still think it could be the home network that it is the cause of the problem, although it’s not entirely clear how everything connects. If the second home has a simple network, i.e., single modem/router, it will most likely work.
Yes, I am trying to avoid a duplicate library in my second home (thank you @CrystalGipsy). The fact that you are able to stream ARC > Airplay > Bluesound flawlessly is very interesting, because that’s what I’d like to do (although with a different endpoint). It suggests that Linn’s implementation of Airplay is faulty, or perhaps there’s an odd interaction going on. I will experiment with a different Airplay endpoint.
It could be you just get more wireless interference and congestion at your main home. Is it in more of a built up area? Same equipment will not guarantee same results at two different locations, Wi-Fi is affected massively by local environment. Is not going to be your ISP as when in the house ARC uses your local Wi-Fi to connect to core not via the internet so it definitely points to a local network issue here. Can you try using a different app to AirPlay to the linn from the iPad to check if it works as it should? Try using Qobuz or Tidal apps if you use those services.
I have reproduced the dropout problem using the Qobuz app on my iPhone, which pretty much rules out ARC as the root cause. Between my iPhone, my wifi network, and Linn/Airplay, I suspect it’s the network. I use a mesh network and conjecture dropouts result when the access points are swapped. In any case, having ruled out ARC as the culprit, I will stop worrying about it until I can try it in the environment of interest.
Depending on your mesh setup I might have some suggestions.
Some will allow you to separate the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. I highly recommend this to avoid interference and the fact that sometimes the routers don’t do well with their implementation of smart select. If you can’t separate them, changing to channels 1, 6, and 11 can help eliminate interference. For 5 GHz, the defaults have always worked for me.