Brief static when starting each new album

[Andrew_Rocker]

I have added a Nucleus to my system and each time I select a new album to listen to there is a brief static sound coming from the speakers. I have not found anything in the forum here about that issue. Does anyone have any experience with this effect?

Thanks

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Thanks for contacting support, I’d be happy to assist here. Can you please let me know some more information regarding your setup? I kindly ask for the following:

• What DAC/Endpoint are you using on the Nucleus?

• How is your Nucleus connected to the DAC/Endpoint? USB/Ethernet/Optical/Other?

• How is your Nucleus connected to the network? Is it plugged in directly to your router or are you making use of a switch or other networking gear such as Range Extenders or Powerline adapters?

• Have you noticed the same issue irregardless of the type of content? Is both TIDAL content and local content affected by this issue?

• Do you notice anything regarding the sample rate of the tracks? Are higher-bitrate tracks affected more regarding this issue or are lower bit-rate tracks also affected?

• Have you tried rebooting all your networking gear and Nucleus?

Please let me know your reply when possible and we can continue from there.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

Hi Noris
I rebooted the NAS and that seems to have solved the problem. I am using a PS Audio DirectStream DAC with Bridge II streamer. It is connected via Ethernet. The Nucleus is connected to a switch which is connected to the router. I rarely use Tidal so not sure. If problem starts again I will check sampling rates to see if that effects problem.
Please let me know if you have any ideas for optimizing my set up.

Andy

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Glad to hear that rebooting the NAS has resolved the issue. As for optimizing your setup, I would make sure that you follow our Networking Best Practices Guide, but since everything is already connected via Ethernet you have most of that already set up properly.

Another great feature of Roon is our DSP Engine which you can use to tweak the audio to your liking using Parametric Equalizer, Sample Rate Conversion and a few other built-in features.

If the issue occurs again with the static, please let me know and if you can trace it back to Sample Rate switching then it may be a good idea to add a slight Re-sync Delay (listed towards the end of the KB article).

Hope this helps but do let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

Hi Noris
The loud static issue has begun again. I am now using a Nucleus with internal storage. It comes both at the start and end of an album. I believe it began after the latest software update. I have the Re-Sync delay set at 50 ms. If I reboot the day it helps for awhile, but then seems to come back again. Have you had any other reports of this issue?

Thanks

Andy

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Thanks for letting me know. We have had a similar report with PS Audio DirectStream DAC and to verify if you are experiencing the same issue I would kindly ask for you to try the following test:

• In your Roon Settings -> Audio Tab -> press the Coghweel Icon next to the affected endpoint -> Device Setup -> Advanced -> and set Max Bits Per Sample (PCM) to 16. Then Reboot Roon and your DAC.

• The Device Setup menu looks like this:
  

  

Please note if the same issue still exists after setting the max bits to 16 and let me know your findings.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

Hi Noris

I made that change and seem to have no issue. However lots of other strange things going on. After I restarted Roon it found some albums that it had not previously seen on the NAS or when I transferred the files to the internal drive on the Nucleus. Strange. For awhile the DirectStream Bridge said it was not finding the network ( red on the display) yet played perfectly. Rebooted Bridge and now sees network. Reset to 24 bit and seems to be working ok. Thanks for the help. I will let you know if problem shows up again.

[Andrew_Rocker]

Noris
Unfortunately the noise is back. I am also now having trouble with the database. I am trying to delete a duplicate album that has suddenly shown up and nothing is happening. I will try rebooting the system again.

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Just to confirm here, the system played as expected when you left it using 16-bits as the max bit-rate? I would try rebooting the system & NAS as you wanted to do so before. Please let me know if the reboot helps.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

It seemed to work at 16 and I went back to 24. It worked for awhile and then came back later, played an album and no static at start, but loud static when album stopped. No rhyme or reason. Also, when you say restart, do you mean restart the software or the Roon Nucleus? Also, not using NAS but internal storage on Nucleus.

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Thank you for letting me know that the system works as expected when using 16-bit mode.

The team is in the process of investigating next steps here but the behavior you’re seeing is very likely related to this issue:

DAC issues with XMOS usb chipset and Roon on Linux

There seems to be a growing number of support threads all relating to the same thing. Roon is hanging the DAC when bitrate switching. It only seems to effects endpoints running Linux and the DAC has the XMOS usb chipset. This can be endpoints running Roonbridge on dietpi, Ropieee, Rock and even the Nucleus itself amongst others. Its been ongoing for months now. I myself have had to mention this on a lot of threads that this keeps coming up on, I have lost count of how many but it’s been 3 in the…

For now, feel free to keep an eye out on the XMOS thread I linked above, and I will also be sure to also let you know here of any other developments regarding this issue.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

The static is only happening now at the end of an album and does not seem to happen on 16 bit recording. Just to be clear, this was not happening until the latest Roon software update a few days ago.

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Thanks for confirming that information for me. You mentioned that you are using the PS Audio device via Ethernet and not USB, correct? The link to the XMOS thread above has only been proven with a USB connection to the DAC and not Ethernet, this is the first report of Ethernet static and I’m not so certain anymore that these two reports are linked.

I’d like to proceed with the following:

1. Please let me know the full topology of your network here? Please be sure to list your Router model/manufacturer and the model/manufacturer for any switches/range extenders/powerline adapters you may have.

2. Is your PS Audio DirectStream DAC on the newest firmware?

3. Can you please verify if the same behavior occurs if you temporarily host Roon on a different Core?

Please let me know your findings when possible.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

Hi Noris

My system architecture is as follows:

Frontier FIos > Buffalo WXR1900DHP > Netgear GS105E > PS Audio DirectStream DAC/Bridge II w/Snowmass firmware > Naim Supernait 2 > Focal Sopra 2

I will try to reconfigure my setup with a PC instead of the Nucleus. In the past I had this issue with the PC until I restarted the NAS and then it went away.

[Andrew_Rocker]

Similar discussion on PS Audio forum. Problem occurs at end of 24 bit albums. Watched on display as album ended, the bit rate changed from 24 to 16, a couple of seconds later, the static noise occurred, and then the display showed 24 bits again.

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Can you please share the link you discovered from the PS Audio Forums? We have only seen this XMOS issue occur with a USB connection to the PS Audio DAC and seeing it through a Bridge II may be a symptom of a different issue.

Have you had a chance to try test the behavior when hosting the Core on your PC instead of the Nucleus? Does the same issue still occur? Please let me know your findings when possible.

Thanks,
Noris

[Andrew_Rocker]

Here is the link:

Strange Bridge 2 Roon issue

It is a bit of work to re-set up the PC, but I will try to do so over the weekend. This issue first arose with the PC and simply re-booting the NAS stopped it. I am no longer using the NAS as I have an internal drive in the Nucleus. I have only tried restarting the Roon software. I have not rebooted the Nucleus.

[noris]

Hello @Andrew_Rocker,

Thanks for confirming that information for me. I have spoken to the support team regarding this issue and we have confirmed that this is not the same XMOS issue that I linked above.

We are working with PS Audio on a resolution to this issue and we will be updating the linked thread with further information when it is available. In the meantime, you can try enabling Roon’s “Headroom Management” feature in the DSP Engine settings which may help avoid this behavior until a fix is released.

Thanks,
Noris

[Mike_McElyea]

Hello

I am the one that started the thread in the PS Audio forum. Im still having this issue and tried enabling the headroom dsp to no change. If there is any other questions or things I can try please let me know. I look forward to a update and in the mean time I have to go to USB.
Just to confirm from the other thread it is only using the bridge2. Only on 24/96 files. I do have a lot of them though. A burst of static occurs a couple seconds after each song ends or if I pause a song. The Directstream display goes from 24 to 16. When the static burst comes it shows 24 again.

Thank you for looking into this.

Mike

[noris]

Hello @Mike_McElyea,

Thanks for confirming that headroom management has not resolved the static at the end of 24-bit albums. Have you by any chance reached out to PS Audio support regarding this issue yet?

Thanks,
Noris