Ayre QX-5 and Roon - DSD Playback [Update - The issue was identified by Ayre and they will be addressing it accordingly]

Hi Eric

Just to clarify that the direct USB connection has not exhibited the DSD dropouts. It only occurs using the network connection.

I will test with both the NUC and QX-5 attached to the router in the next few days.

Thank you.

1 Like

Hi Eric -

This evening I plugged the QX-5 and NUC directly into my router and experienced the dropouts with DSD64.

Thank you.

Hi @fourxmotion ----- Thank you for giving the proposed test a shot and sharing your observations from that troubleshooting exercise.

Moving forward, I would like to get some more feedback from our techs in regard to this behavior and have scheduled a meeting to discuss later this week. In light of this, I would like to ask you for the following materials:

  • Log Set #1 - DSD64 Failure:

  • Please reproduce the issue, note the time when the observation is made, and then use these instructions to send us a set of Roon and RAATServer logs. Please title this upload: “username_Failure_Logs”

  • Please also provide a screenshot of your signal path during the failure.

  • Log Set #2 - DSD64 Success:

  • Please reproduce a successful playback (QX-5 directly - > USB - > Core), note the time when the observation is made, and then use these instructions to send us a set of Roon and RAATServer logs. Please title this upload: “username_Success_Logs”

-Eric

Hi Eric -

I will try and get this done in the next few days. With regard to “note the time” are you asking that I note the time of day or the track number and time of playback?

Thank you.

Hi @fourxmotion ---- Time of the day when the issue occurs. Thanks!

-Eric

Hi Eric -

Had some dropouts this evening 8/22 at 8:50pm. Attached is a link to the logs you requested for failure. I did not havw time to do Success.

https://community.roonlabs.com//roon-community-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/original/3X/8/5/8526f6938b278e9127999476726b145db72204fa.jpg

Thank you.

Hi @fourxmotion ----- Thank you for the follow up, confirming that the logs have been received and are in our queue to be evaluated by a member of our tech team.

Once my report has been updated and passed back, I will be sure to share the team’s thoughts/findings with you in a timely manor. Your patience is appreciated.

-Eric

Hi @fourxmotion ---- Thank you for your continued feedback , and more importantly, thank you for your patience.

Our tech staff has completed their analysis of the traces found in your logs and according to their update, the behavior being exhibited by the QX-5 by seems to be related to some sort of networking issue. This theory would explain why the QX-5 had no issue with DSD64 content, when mounted directly to your NUC via USB.

In light of this, the team has asked me to gather the following information from you:

  • Please verify the make/model router you are currently implementing in your setup.

  • The team has noted that they are seeing multiple instances in the log traces that show the core dropping off the network as well as remote devices disconnecting from the core. Can you verify any of these behaviors?

  • As a test, you can you try to play some FLAC files (cd quality) with DSP engine upsampling to DSD64 for a couple of days and verify if you run into the same problem.

-Eric

Hi Eric -

I am running an Apple Airport Extreme but my NUC and QX-5 are attached directly to a Netgear GS105Ev2 switch. I have also tried a Netgear GS108 and a HP J4097C. I did bypass the switch and plugged the NUC and QX-5 into the router and the same issue occurred.

I can not verify any of this behavior as playback of PCM FLAC files works flawlessly. This only happens with DSD64.

Playback of PCM FLAC files up-sampled to DSD64 produces the same dropouts as native DSD64 files.

Thank you.

Hi Eric -

I would like to add another troubleshooting step I took. The QX-5 works with uPNP and the Mconnect app too. I fired up Asset uPNP and used the Mconnect app to send DSD64 to the QX-5 and the same issue occurred.

I hope this helps

Thank you.

Hi @fourxmotion ---- Thank you for the feedback and the insight, very appreciated!

I know in the past we have seen some issues with Apple products such as the Airport Extreme as mentioned in this post by our CTO Brian. Now, I am not saying that this is the cause of this behavior here but definitely something worth considering moving forward in our troubleshooting.

I know you’ve swapped out a few different switches, but have you tired with a different router in place by chance?

-Eric

Thank you for the info -

The QX-5 and NUC are not plugged into the apple router so I do not see how this would cause any issues. They are plugged into the Netgear switch so the flow of traffic should only occur between the QX-5 and NUC through the Netgear switch.

Hi Howard, did Ayre send a replacement network card?

So why don’t you try to disconnect switch ( with both devices attached to it) from the rest of the netwrok and see if the issue still occures.

Hi vova -

I did do that and the issue still occurred.

Thank you.

Hi @fourxmotion ---- Thank you for touching base with.

I just wanted to re-confirm the results of the test @vova had proposed in his post with you. So with the NUC and the QX-5 both still connected to the switch and the switch disconnected from the Airport Extreme, there were still “pops” when playing back locally stored DSD 64 content, correct?

-Eric

Hi Eric -

Correct - there were drops playing native and up-sampled DSD64 content.

Thank you.

Hello

Just to give and update. Ayre has been able to replicate the issue in their lab now. This should be fixed in a future firmware update.

Thank you.

Thanks for the heads up @fourxmotion!

-Eric