Roon Core Machine
Connected Audio Devices
Benchmark DAC2HGL
Benchmark DAC3
Number of Tracks in Library
Description of Issue
I’ve been happily using Roon for a few years now. For the past couple of years, my core has been a NUC7 (from the recommended list) with ROCK installed. This is hard-wired vie ethernet cable to the router provided by my ISP. That machine acts as my core and also as the endpoint for my main living room system. It is driving a Benchmark DAC3 connected through USB.
Some time ago, I converted a small fanless PC (the mintbox or fitlet) to an endpoint connected to my old Benchmark DAC2 HGC. That machine is running windows 10 with roon bridge installed and is connected to my network wirelessly. That setup has worked well for some time. The only drawback is that sometimes the windows OS can be a little quirky and requires some troubleshooting with a monitor and peripherals attached. Also, if I power down the DAC2 and power amp and then turn them back on, the endpoint sometimes disappears unless I disconnect and reconnect the USB cable. To attempt to streamline this, I bought a NUC 11 from the recommended hardware list and installed ROCK with the intention of using it as an endpoint for my secondary bedroom system. Initially I forgot to factor in the lack of wireless. To solve this issue, I bought a small TP Link travel router that has a client mode that allowed me to connect to my existing wireless network and provide the NUC with a wired connection. That was working great for a week or two until I disconnected the setup to do some wiring clean up. After that I could see the core kit in Roon settings and the endpoint shows up among the audio zone choices but when I try to play through that endpoint, It cycles through all of the tracks in short succession and then states “Too many failures. Stopped Playback.”
I originally suspected a networking or firewall issue. Long story short, I have since tried a higher end travel router with similar capabilities and a mesh system with the same result. As a diagnostic process, I now have everything hard-wired via ethernet to my main router. Either of the NUCS will play through my DAC3 fine. If I try and play through the DAC2 using either of my NUCS, I get the same issue–cycling through songs quickly without making any sound and then giving me the “Too many failures. Stopped Playback.” Error message.
Notably, if I attach the DAC2 HGC to the windows PC running Bridge, it plays fine whether it is hardwired to my ISP router or whether I have it plugged into one of the routers on my mesh network. Bottom line, there is something that is preventing playback through my DAC2 HGC using either of my NUC/Rock builds, but that DAC works fine through a windows PC.
I think this eliminates networking issues since this issue persists no matter what the network configuration, but is consistent any time I try to play through the DAC2 on a NUC/Rock box.
Please help. Thank you.