Is the affected network Zone connected with Ethernet or WiFi?
· WiFi
Does the issue affect all file formats?
· The issue affects *multiple/all* file formats.
Which network audio protocol is the Zone using with Roon?
· Airplay
Since this is an Airplay Zone, have you tried toggling Airplay Compatibility Mode for this Zone in the Device Setup window?
· There is no change in behavior.
Does the device show up at all in Roon Settings -> Audio?
· The Zone shows up as expected as an AirPlay 2 zone.
Does the device play audio from another source when using the same connection?
· The device has no problems with another audio source
Have you checked that Roon is whitelisted in any firewalls?
· I've checked the firewall and the issue remains
If the device has multiple output options, do the other options work as expected?
· Multiple output types are affected
Is the device using the latest firmware as per the manufacturer?
· Firmware is up-to-date but the issue remains
What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?
· See above.
Describe the issue
I have a HomePod (2nd gen) pair set up as audio output from my 2nd gen AppleTV 4k. The AppleTV shows up as an AirPlay target, but at some point in the last few weeks (this is the first time I've tried using Roon with it in that time), it's started having audio issues.
What's specifically happening is that the right HomePod cuts in and out frequently before both HomePods go silent. This happens only with Roon, and not with any other source.
For environmental info, I'm running tvOS 18.2, HomePod software version 18.2, and Roon server 2.0 build 1483 on RoonOS 2.1 build 271. RoonOS is running on a NUC10i7FNH. Both the AppleTV and NUC are connected via a cabled connection, with the NUC connected to a Ubiquiti Unifi Switch 8, and the Switch 8 connected to a Unifi Switch 16. The AppleTV is also connected to the Switch 16.
It’s my understanding that you’re using the HomePod pair as the TV’s selected output independent of Roon, and then selecting the ATV as the Airplay Zone in Roon.
In this configuration, there are actually two separate daisy-chained AirPlay control/audio chains:
AirPlay in Roon (Nuc) ← Unifi 8 – Unifi 16 → Airplay in TV ↔ Airplay in HomePods
Diagnostic logging show timeout in the RTSP requests between RoonServer and both the HomePod and ATV Airplay2 instances - this means that the Airplay2 protocol is failing to connect between these devices, possibly because of corrupted or mistimed packets.
In the managed switches you’ve listed in your topology below, make sure that IGMP snooping and multicast forwarding are enabled. If possible, bypass these switches entirely. Depending on the spanning tree configuration, these switches might be delaying device announcement packets in an attempt to optimize pathways between devices on the network.
I would similarly make sure that the Airplay2 Zones have compatibility mode toggled on in Roon. Disable the HomePods Zone entirely, since you’re routing output via the TV.
So, I don’t actually have any HomePod zones showing in Roon. Just the AppleTV (which is probably because I have the HomePods set as the AppleTV’s audio output).
But, I was able to get this resolved. The pointer that the RTSP requests were timing out was really helpful, since I was able to spot them in the logs myself.
As far as what I did to resolve things, I didn’t have IGMP snooping or multicast forwarding turned on for some reason, so I turned those on, but what finally resolved it was noticing that my STP priorities had been reset at some point (they were all set to the same value for each switch) and getting them configured back to what they should be. Honestly, now I’m just confused as to how I haven’t had more issues with other things.
Regardless, it seems to be working now. I do still see occasional packet loss and retransmissions in the Roon logs, but I imagine that’s always going to be the case regardless, and I’m not seeing any more of the timeouts you noted.