· Audio interference and distortion when streaming via Devialet Air. Noise and distortion in the audio output from the Devialet Expert 120. During launching the Roon client app on a computer, phone or tablet increased distortion appears on speakers. When we are not performing any action within the app, it is as though the interference is reduced or does not occur at all. Significantly greater interference occurs with music sampled at 96kHz and higher than at 44.1kHz. With other end devices, such as the SONY TA-AN1000 receiver, the problem does not occur even at 96kHz. The same issue arises with both the local library and streaming from TIDAL. It seems to be bigger problem after last few updates of Roon to version 2.62. Any change to the buffer size degrades the sound quality.
Tell us about your home network
· Roon server based on a ROCK-type computer (i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD), OS version 2.1, Roon Server version 2.62 (has been running for 7 days). Wired Cat 6 Ethernet network, Lanberg 1000Mbit central switch in a rack cabinet. End Device: Devialet Expert 120
Thanks for writing in and for sharing your report! This sounds like a classic case of network timing jitter or packet flooding specifically affecting the Devialet AIR protocol. Since your Sony receiver (likely using RAAT or Chromecast) works fine, we can isolate the issue to how Roon and the Devialet Expert 120 are “shaking hands” over your network, especially under the higher data loads of 96kHz+ files.
Many modern switches (like your Lanberg) use “Green Ethernet” features to save power. These features put ports into a low-power sleep state during micro-seconds of silence. For high-res audio, this causes tiny delays (jitter) that the Devialet AIR protocol is notoriously sensitive to.
Action: If your switch is managed, disable IEEE 802.3az on the ports connected to the ROCK and the Devialet.
Test: If it's unmanaged, try a "dumb" non-green switch between the Devialet and the main Lanberg switch as a buffer.
The Devialet AIR protocol is an older bit-streaming method. If your Expert 120 has been upgraded with the Core Infinity board, it is Roon Ready.
Action: Go to Roon Settings > Audio. Look for the Devialet under the "Roon Ready" section rather than the "Devialet AIR" section.
I’d also temporarily move the Devialet (or the ROCK) so you can connect them directly with a single Cat 6 cable, bypassing all other network gear temporarily.
Let me know if any of the above help, thank you @wojtek.klyz!
Sony Works with Chromecast or Airplay2. I have no problem at all.
Devialet Expert 120 is old but still heart beating with sensual audio. Stand alone device with latest upgrade but unfortunately no longer supported by Devialet side.
Pretty sensitive as a matter of fact. Therefore, I did what you have been suggested.
Previously I have used local unmanaged tiny switch Cisco Linksys, and I have re-used it… The result is that there are no distortions or dropouts while streaming (Roon Server and Devialet Expert 120 with direct switch without any other devices). For the time being it help.
Unfortunately, my old Devialet Expert 120 is recognized as Roon Tested device. I am not sure there is any chance to have still any upgrade with the Core Infinity board to have Roon Ready Device.
Unfortunately, the problem still exists. After three days of trouble-free operation, the issues described earlier have come back. Restarting the Roon OS server significantly improves the situation, but the question is: for how long?
I’m sorry to hear you eventually experienced the same issue again. Feel free to share a more specific timestamp, and name of the track playing , we’ll take another look at a fresh Roon Server diagnostic report to see if there are any additional clues.
The problem appears after 3 days of operation of Roon OS with server. Reboot of the server solve the issue for next 3 days. Periodical distortion appears at the moment of lunching Roon Client application on phone, tablet or PC, more sensitive at 96kHZ or higher files are played, despite of local or tidal source. When I do nothing at Roon app, the music can even be played without disruption however the whole devialet air streaming is pretty sensitive for further sound distortion.
Because Roon generates thousands of lines of diagnostic data every minute, finding the exact underlying error without a precise timestamp is nearly impossible. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Could you please let the server run until the issue returns, and then provide us with the exact time (down to the minute) and the track name when the distortion happens?
Once we have that exact minute, we can pinpoint the exact cause in your logs!
Thanks for sharing the above timestamp @wojtek.klyz!
Based on the Roon Server logs provided, the primary issue is a high volume of network packet loss specifically affecting the communication between your ROCK and the Devialet Expert 120.
The logs are saturated with [devialet] NAK (Negative Acknowledgment) entries. In the Devialet AIR protocol, a NAK indicates that the Devialet has missed a specific audio packet and is requesting the server to re-send it.
The constant stream of NAKs confirms that the “distortion” you hear is likely the result of the Devialet failing to receive and reassemble audio packets in time.
The issue is more prominent with 24-bit/192kHz tracks (like the Christopher Cross and Steely Dan examples in your logs) because these require significantly higher network throughput and more precise timing than 44.1kHz files.
The logs show library activity and image fetching (metadata updates) occurring alongside these NAK errors . This confirms that the network traffic generated by your Roon Remote (phone/tablet/PC) is competing with the time-sensitive audio stream, causing the Devialet to drop packets.
Some next steps in troubleshooting for you:
Managed or semi-managed switches like Lanberg models can often interfere with the Devialet AIR protocol.
Disable Flow Control: I know I mentioned this above, but ensure "Flow Control" (IEEE 802.3x) is Disabled on all ports of your Lanberg switch. This is the most common cause of NAK issues with Devialet devices.
Check IGMP Snooping: If your switch has IGMP Snooping enabled, try disabling it temporarily. If it must stay on, ensure there is an active "IGMP Querier" on the network.
Green Ethernet: Disable any "Energy Efficient Ethernet" (EEE) or "Green Ethernet" settings, as these can cause micro-latencies that trigger packet loss.
Try testing a switch between your ROCK and the Devialet is a 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) switch, or use a port that is manually capped at 100 Mbps.
Why it helps: By capping the link speed to 100 Mbps, you physically limit the “burstiness” of the network traffic, giving the Devialet’s processor more time to distinguish between audio packets and “search” data.
You mentioned that changing the buffer size degrades quality. In Roon, go to Settings > Audio > Devialet Expert 120 > Device Setup.
Check the "Max Sample Rate": Temporarily cap this at 96kHz. If the distortion during searching stops, your network infrastructure (likely the switch or the way it handles multicast) is the ceiling.
We’ll be on standby for your reply and results, thank you!
