Audio Drop Outs to RopieeeXL Endpoint

Support
1

Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)

Intel NUC5i5MYHE with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD running ROCK
OS: Version 1.0 (build 186) stable
Sever: Version 1.7 (build 537) stable

Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)

Verizon FIos Gigabit -> Google Mesh Wifi Router -> TP Link Gigabit Switch (TL-SG108) -> Intel NUC and Raspberry Pi

Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)

Audio device that is experiencing drop outs is a Raspberry Pi 4B/4GB with HiFiBerry DAC+ DSP attached. The pi is running RopieeeXL v2.493. The Audio HAT is set as HifiBerry DAC in the Ropieee settings. 2 active monitors are connected via RCA from the DAC.

Description Of Issue

I’m consistently getting audio drop outs playing Tidal to the Raspberry Pi. I’ve tested a number of different things:

  • Happens whether I use my macbook via wireless or the Intel NUC as the Core.
  • Happens whether I play via Roon or Airplay to the Pi.
  • Happens whether I play the Pi in a grouped zone or not.
  • Happens whether I play Master quality or standard FLAC from Tidal.
  • Tried removing the switch and wiring the Pi directly to the router. Either way I get ~350 mb/s download speed and still get drop outs.
  • No other drop outs or issues playing to Macbook, iPhone, or Sonos via Airplay or directly via Sonos.

When I checked the output of vcgencmd get_throttled I get 0x20000. I believe that means that the soft temp limit has been hit. I can see is that I am running ~76C. My understanding, though, is that this does not mean the Pi is throttled.

The only other thing I can think of is that the HifiBerry DAC+ DSP is not officially supported by Ropieee. However, it seems like it should be supported using the HifiBerry DAC drivers as noted in this thread: Hifiberry DAC+ DSP.

Any help would be appreciated.

2

FWIW, my RPi4 running RoPieeeXL idles at 41-42˚C and averages ~48˚C when roon is playing. It is in a SmartPi Touch 2 case with the included fan connected at low speed. (The fan is not audible over the ambient noise in my home office.)

4

Thanks, @cwichura. I’ll check out that case. I’m also planning on getting a new power supply to truly eliminate that as a potential issue.

5

Note that the case I am using is for an RPI plus the official 7" RPi touchscreen display.

6

So you mention explicitly Tidal.

What about playing local content?

7

Oh. And I will add the correct driver for RoPieee’s next release.

8

Awesome. Great to hear the driver is coming in the next release. I haven’t tried local content, as I primarily want to stream, but I’ll give that a try and report back for completeness.

9

Tried with local content and still experiencing the same issue with drop outs.

10

ok thanks.

Can you send feedback?

So play some audio (including drop-outs), then go to RoPieee’s webpage, the ‘advanced tab’ and there you find a button ‘send feedback’.

Post me the UUID so I can have a look in the logs.

Thanks

11

4b77c7b62d44f8e2

Appreciate you taking a look.

12

I’m confused. I see a lot of Airplay activity, but no Roon.

Can we decrease the set of parameters? Disable Shairplay-Sync in Xl and try again via Roon.

13

Ok. I just disabled all the XL functionality and played some audio via Roon. Drop outs present.

14

76 degs is rather toasty for a RPi and I would make sure you get something to bring that way down to under 60 if you can. Have you applied the usb firmware upgrade for the rpi 4 it’s an option to install from ropieee GUI

15

Thanks. I took it out of my cabinet and got it down to ~64. I’ll add a heatsink / fan to it as well.

I have applied the USB firmware upgrade option in the GUI.

16

Ok, so can you send me feedback now?

17

fa5f86656e218523

Oh sure. Sorry. Didn’t realize I had to resend.

18

It seems fairly normal, except that I see a disconnect by the server. That’s … unexpected I guess.
But here it ends for me: time for @support to have a look.

19

Thanks for taking a look!

20

Hello @eyecue72,

Can you please reproduce this issue and note the exact local time + date + track it next occurs on, and then manually send me a copy of your Roon logs by using these instructions?

The best place to upload them would be Google Drive / Dropbox / Send.firefox.com but if you don’t have either service just let me know and I can provide an alternate upload location.

21

Thanks.

Just experienced it on Charles Mingus - Invisible Lady at 23:08 Eastern. Playing from Tidal to an AirPlay grouped zone.

It was pretty bad at the beginning of the track and then seemed fine. Then seemed to occur again at 23:11.

Also was bad at the end of the previous track but seemed fine until then.

Support package is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aMbJNai4pTKci5msI2tAvNJJx_QABWLL/view?usp=sharing