What best describes your playback issue?
· The queue is skipping tracks
What type of Zone is affected by this problem?
· *Network Zones* are affected.
Does the issue affect all file formats?
· The issue affects *multiple/all* file formats.
Does the issue happen with local library music, streaming service music, or both?
· *Only local library *music is affected.
Where is your local content stored?
· On the same machine where RoonServer is running, internal drive
Please try playing content of a lower sample rate (44.1kHz or 48kHz), does this work as expected?
· No, lower sample rates are still affected
Do you have an approximate timestamp of when the issue last occurred?
· The most recent controlled test occurred on 2 September 2026 between approximately 18:02 and 18:05 Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2). At approximately 18:02:15, I started “Schatten in die Haut tätowiert” by Peter Maffay in the Google Cast zone “EG LAN”. At approximately 18:03:38, I manually changed to “Schiff in der Nacht” by Peter Maffay. Roon was ready immediately, but the Cast group did not request the new stream until approximately 18:03:54. Audible playback took approximately 30 seconds to start and was followed by long dropouts. An earlier affected test occurred on the same day between approximately 17:20 and 17:25 CEST.
What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?
· The affected audio devices are Loewe klang mr speakers with integrated Chromecast/Google Cast support: Loewe klang mr1 Loewe klang mr3 Loewe klang mr5 The speakers are used as Google Home speaker groups, which appear in Roon as “Google Cast Group” network zones. For the controlled “EG LAN” test, only Ethernet-connected Loewe speakers were included. They were connected through the local Ethernet network and Netgear switches. The Wi-Fi-connected bathroom/shower speakers and the Gym speaker were excluded. The problem occurs with several different Google Cast group configurations, including the original group and newly created groups. The same Ethernet-only group works correctly when controlled directly through YouTube Music. The long delays, stuttering, dropouts and skipped tracks occur when Roon uses the group through Google Cast.
Describe the issue
I am experiencing severe playback problems when using Roon with Google Cast speaker groups. The system worked correctly before a major Synology DSM update. The problems began only after that update.
System information:
Roon Server: Synology DS923+
Processor: AMD Ryzen R1600
RAM: 32 GB
DSM version: 7.4.1-90080
Roon Server version: 2.71, build 1683
Roon Remote version: 2.71, build 1683
Synology package: Christopher Rieke’s Roon Server package, shown in DSM Package Center as version 20220216
Music library: approximately 129,400 local tracks
Endpoints: several Loewe klang mr1, mr3 and mr5 speakers
Playback protocol: Google Cast speaker groups
Almost all speakers are connected by Ethernet. Only the bathroom/shower speakers normally use Wi-Fi.
The Gym speaker was excluded from the tested groups.
Description of the problem:
When starting playback through a Google Cast speaker group, Roon often takes between 15 and 31 seconds before music becomes audible.
Manual track changes take approximately 14–30 seconds. Playback frequently stutters, the timeline stops temporarily and then jumps forward, and there are sometimes several audible dropouts. In more severe cases, Roon skips several tracks automatically and eventually displays:
“Too many failures. Stopping playback.”
Errors visible in the RoonServer logs include:
LOAD_CANCELLED
INVALID_MEDIA_SESSION_ID
Track Stopped Due to Error
StoppedEndOfMediaUnnatural
Tests already completed:
Original Google Home group “Full-House 1te Floor”
Newly created Google Home group “EG”
Newly created Ethernet-only group “EG LAN”
Gym speaker excluded
Wi-Fi bathroom/shower speakers excluded from the Ethernet-only group
Resync Delay tested at 0 ms, 1000 ms and 1500 ms
MUSE sample-rate conversion enabled with all formats converted to 48 kHz
MUSE and all DSP processing completely disabled
Roon Server restarted
Local FLAC and MP3 files tested
Existing and newly created Google Home groups tested
None of these changes resolved the problem.
Important comparison test:
The same newly created Google Cast group plays correctly when used directly through YouTube Music.
After initially selecting the group again, all speakers played together without dropouts. Starting playback and changing tracks worked normally.
This indicates that:
the speakers can play synchronously,
the Google Cast group itself is functional,
the Ethernet network can carry the group stream,
and the problem occurs specifically when Roon establishes or changes the Google Cast media session.
Relevant log tests:
Test 1 – 2 September 2026, approximately 17:20–17:25 local time:
Roon prepared the local files immediately and reported a 100% buffer. However, the Google Cast group did not request the stream from the Roon Server until approximately 13–16 seconds later.
During later attempts, the logs recorded LOAD_CANCELLED, INVALID_MEDIA_SESSION_ID, and several tracks stopping unnaturally.
Test 2 – 2 September 2026, approximately 18:00–18:06 local time:
This was a clean test after restarting Roon Server.
Configuration:
Newly created Ethernet-only group “EG LAN”
Resync Delay: 0 ms
MUSE/DSP: disabled
Local music files
Observed behaviour:
Approximately 31 seconds from pressing Play until audible playback
Roon’s timeline repeatedly stopped and then jumped forward
Approximately 30 seconds after manually changing tracks
Long audible dropouts immediately after the track change
The log shows:
At 18:02:15, Roon opened the local file successfully and started providing it.
At 18:02:18, the Cast group requested the stream.
Roon reported a processing speed of 32.9x and a 100% buffer.
Despite this, playback progress remained delayed and irregular.
At 18:03:38, Roon opened the next track successfully and was ready immediately.
The Cast group did not request the new stream until 18:03:54, 16 seconds later.
Playback then remained around 0:00–0:02 for an extended period despite the 100% Roon buffer.
The Roon Server therefore appears able to access, decode and buffer the local files fast enough. The delay appears during the Roon-to-Google-Cast session setup and track transition.
Clarification regarding the form selection:
Only local MP3 and FLAC files were used for the controlled Roon tests. I have not tested TIDAL, Qobuz or another streaming service inside Roon. YouTube Music was used only as an independent direct-Cast comparison.
The Roon logs show that the local files were opened, decoded and buffered successfully, so the symptoms do not appear to be caused by slow storage access.
Relationship to the DSM update:
This installation worked correctly before the major update to DSM 7.4.1-90080. The problems started only after that update.
Roon Server itself is fully updated to version 2.71, build 1683. However, it is currently running through Christopher Rieke’s Synology SPK package, shown as version 20220216.
Could the older Synology SPK deployment be incompatible with DSM 7.4.1, particularly regarding networking or Google Cast session handling?
I understand that Docker/Container Manager is now the supported deployment method for Roon Server on NAS devices. Before migrating, I would appreciate your assessment of whether the DSM update or the legacy SPK environment could explain these symptoms.
I have the relevant RoonServer log files available and can provide the complete zipped Logs folder if required.
Please investigate the Google Cast session timing, the repeated invalid media-session errors, and the possible relationship to the DSM update and legacy Synology package.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Describe your network setup
The network uses a Swisscom Internet-Box as the main router and DHCP server. All devices are on the same local subnet (192.168.1.0/24). No VLANs or separate guest networks are used for Roon or the audio devices. The Synology DS923+ running Roon Server is connected by Ethernet and currently uses the local IP address 192.168.1.169. The network also includes Swisscom WLAN-Boxes connected by Ethernet and operating as network bridges/access points, as well as several Netgear Ethernet switches. Almost all Loewe klang mr speakers are connected by Ethernet through the local network and Netgear switches. Only the bathroom/shower speakers normally use Wi-Fi. For the controlled “EG LAN” test, the Wi-Fi speakers and the Gym speaker were excluded, so only Ethernet-connected speakers were used. All Roon Remotes, the Synology server and the Google Cast endpoints are on the same subnet. The same Ethernet-only Google Cast group plays correctly and changes tracks normally when used directly through YouTube Music. The delays, stuttering and track skipping occur specifically when the group is used through Roon.