Dropouts from QNAP to Arcam ST60 regardless of resolution played (ref#CXI0WK)

[Benedikt]

What best describes your playback issue?

· Music stops playing unexpectedly

What type of Zone is affected by this problem?

· *Network Zones* are affected.

Is the affected network Zone connected with Ethernet or WiFi?

· Ethernet

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?

· *Both streaming and local* *library* music are affected.

Do you encounter any playback errors with the "System Output" Zone?

· The System Output has *no problem*, it's only my other Zone.

How is the affected Zone connected to your RoonServer machine?

· Network - Ethernet

Which network audio protocol is the Zone using with Roon?

· RoonReady

Does the device show up at all in Roon Settings -> Audio?

· No, it does not show up there

Does the device play audio from another source when using the same connection?

· The device has no problems with another audio source

Is the device using the latest firmware as per the manufacturer?

· Firmware is up-to-date but the issue remains

What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?

· See previous answer

Describe the issue

Since a few weeks I’ve been experiencing continuous audio dropouts when playing music via Roon.
Previously, playback was completely stable for a long time with exactly the same setup — no changes were made on my side. The issue appeared suddenly.

Symptoms:
Short audio dropouts (0.5–2 seconds) during playback of both local FLAC files and TIDAL streams.
Dropouts occur randomly, sometimes multiple times per track, regardless of resolution (44.1 kHz or 96 kHz).

My setup:
• Roon Core: QNAP TS-673A with 32 GB RAM
• Roon Version: latest (please add build number if known)
• CPU Load: ~15 % during playback
• Roon Endpoint: connected via LAN directly to FRITZ!Box 6591 Cable
• Network:
• NAS (Roon Core) connected via LAN to a FRITZ!Repeater running in Access Point / LAN-Bridge mode
• Repeater connected via LAN to FRITZ!Box 6591 Cable (main router)
• Endpoint and Core are in the same subnet (192.168.178.x)
• All devices are on the latest firmware.
• No DSP or volume levelling is active.
• Problem occurs both with local and streaming playback (TIDAL).

What I’ve already tried:
• Restarted NAS, FRITZ!Box, Repeater, and Endpoint.
• Verified all LAN cables and ports.
• Disabled Mesh Steering in FRITZ!Box.
• Moved NAS and Endpoint to different LAN ports (no improvement).
• Disabled all DSP processing in Roon.
• Confirmed stable CPU load and sufficient NAS resources.
• All devices confirmed to be in same IP subnet.

Observation:
Playback was stable for months. The issue started suddenly — possibly after a recent FRITZ!OS or Roon update.
Network itself seems stable; no other connectivity issues.

Request:
Please assist in identifying the cause of these audio dropouts.
I can provide Roon logs and exact timestamps of the events if required.

Describe your network setup

See previous answer

[Rugby (aka Daniel or Big Dan)]

Fellow user here:

@Benedikt

Endpoint.

What is the endpoint?

Since, I can’t see your logs, if I were to suggest something, it would be to remove the Repeater from the chain and see if the dropouts still occur.

[Benedikt]

Arcam ST60. Are any Problems known with this device?

[noris]

Hello @Benedikt ,

Thanks for your message. There aren’t any specific issues around Arcam ST60 that I am aware of, though I did see one in a quick search that was related to using a non-gigabit Etherent port. Is the Arcam the only zone imapcted? From your reponse it sounds like this might be the case. If you temporarily switch your Roon Server to a different one, does the same issue reproduce when it is connected in the same way as the QNAP?

[Benedikt]

My Arcam was connected to an unmanaged switch. I connected it directly to the gigabit port of my Fritz Box. Now it’s running well again, and the audio dropouts are gone.