Bricasti M5 Streamer + Bricasti M1 DAC = no sound via USB

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

ROCK Version 1.0 (build 183) stable

Intel NUC8i3BEH, 2x 4GB RAM, 256GB Adata SX8200 SSD.

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

ASUS RT-AC1200G+ (latest firmware) via Ethernet

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

Bricasti M5 Streamer firmware version 1.2
Bricasti M1 DAC firmware 1.41

Bricasti M5 connected to Bricasti M1 via USB and Ethernet

Description Of Issue

I just bought a life time membership to Roon last week. Installed ROCK on NUC BEH813 which installed and setup just fine. All my library on Synology NAS DS418j were recognized fine.

I initially connected the M5 to M1 via AES. It worked perfectly. Then I switch to USB, initially no sound only very quiet static or switching sound for a fraction of a second. I then rebooted the NUC/ROCK and then it worked.

However, after tinkering and trying to get familiar with how things work in Roon. I reset database and reinstalled Rock (from the browser UI). It went fine.

However, I could not get sound from USB. I switched to AES and I got sound. Switch back to USB, and no sound. Even after rebooting the ROCK/NUC, rebooting the router, rebooting NAS too. Nothing worked. I switched back to AES and it worked. Switched back to USB and rebooting everything again, and nothing worked. I always turn off the M1 DAC and the M5 streamer before I plug and unplug USB cable.

I then connected the M1 DAC to MacBook Pro via USB to test if the M1 USB worked. It worked fine.

I then turn both the M1 and M5 off and plug the USB cable to connect M1 and M5 and still no sound from USB. When I switched back to AES, it worked perfectly.

Can you please troubleshoot the problem? Thank you.

Use the web interface to the M5 and switch to USB in the Web interfaceThe turn off completely - power down - and disconnect everything. Turn off your core server, too.
Then turn on the server and after the M5, with just USB connected. Make sure the M5 is set up in Roon and all the settings are correct. The M5 can’t be “on” for both USB and AES, which I’m sure you know.
If that doesn’t work, contact Bricasti.

Hi Danny,

Thank you for your quick response. I tried the method as you suggested. But still no sound.

I then tried to connect a different DAC to M5 also using USB. I tried SimAudio Moon 230HAD headphone amp/DAC that I have. It worked perfectly through USB, it even recognized the model number perfectly without my intervention.

Knowing that it worked through USB, I turned off everything again, literally everything. Unplug all the cables, replaced all the cables again including the USB to M1 DAC. And still no sound. Turned the DAC and M5 off and switch to AES cable, and it worked.

I guess I will have to call Bricasti and hope they could respond quickly. I will update a follow up as I get any update.

But, if any other members familiar with Bricasti M1 and M5 could share their experience that would be great.

Thank you.

Hogio

Yesterday, I moved my NUC into the music room so that I could connect the M1 DAC directly to the ROCK NUC via USB. Roon detected the M1 via USB. And I could use Roon output from NUC to play files to M1 DAC via USB using the direct USB connection.

Changing back the USB connection via M5 still did not produce any sound. Although I noticed that when I played DSD files, the status display on M1 shows IN4 176 (showing Input 4 for USB and 176.4 kHz sampling), not DSD as expected.

So, I have tried the following combinations:

  1. M1 and M5 via AES = works
  2. M1 and M5 via USB = no sound (display status shows 176, not DSD)
  3. M5 with a SimAudio Moon 230HAD via USB = works
  4. M1 and MacBook Pro + Jriver via USB = works
  5. M1 and ROCK NUC via USB (bypassing M5) = works (although there is a faint switching noise at the begining of a play for a fraction of second everytime I play a file, same with M1 + M5 but that combination produce no sound)

Any idea?

Have you contacted Bricasti?

Yes I have contacted Bricasti via email. Brian Zolner has responded my email yesterday evening. He assigned one of his people to contact me but I am still waiting for a response. Hopefully I will get a response by Monday morning (Eastern USA Time). I am at the opposite site of the world, so I am 12 hours early compared to them.

Too bad they do not seem to monitor this forum as you do. But, it is weekend so it is quite understandable that they have not responded. You go extra mile monitoring this support site. I must give two thumbs up to you.

1 Like

Someone from Bricasti sent me an email suggesting I look at the following document:

“Please check and make sure you have DoP enabled under device set-up: https://kb.roonlabs.com/Audio_Setup_Basics

However, I don’t see that option when I connect my M1 to M5. I think I did see that option when I connected the M1 to my ROCK NUC directly via USB (using my ROCK NUC as a Server and Output), but not when I connect my M1 to M5 (using M5 as a RAAT I believe).

Did I do something wrong? Am I supposed to find that option when I connect my M1 DAC to M5 Streamer? Even if I did not choose the correct DSD as DoP option, I should still get sound from PCM files, shouldn’t I?

Here are the screenshots from my iPad screen of my setup.

The followings are when the M1 are connected to M5 via AES:

And here are my screenshots when I connect M1 to M5 via USB:

And this is my screenshot of my Signal Path for USB which shows USB output but still no sound from USB

Did I do anything wrong with my setup?

Thank you and best regards to all.

Hogio

AFAIK that option is not applicable to Roon Ready device from network.

That was what I thought too. I already emailed them back stating that in my setup the M5 is set as a RAAT.

When I connect the M1 DAC directly to ROCK NUC, I basically using ROCK NUC as a server/core and one of its USB as an output. When I use the M5, I basically use ROCK NUC as server/core only.

I am stil puzzled that they don’t quite grasp that idea. But I also don’t have any clue what is wrong with my setup. All the combinations with some of the equipments that I have at my disposal had worked, with the exception of the M1 as a DAC and M5+USB as a RAAT.

Any other idea what I did wrong?

I am still running a MinimServer on my NAS. Before this I use BubbleUPnP as a control for the NAS+MinimServer. Could that cause a problem? Should I uninstall Minimserver? Although I don’t think that could be the problem so since any other combination that I tried work.

Regards.

See if @support can replicate your setup.

Hi @Oggie,

The DoP setting would need to be enabled via the ROON Configuration screen shown in the Web UI in your screenshots. This option does not appear in Roon for Roon Ready devices. If you set this via the web UI that should be all you need to do.

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