Roon Core Machine
Apple Mac Mini, M1, 8GB RAM, macOS 12.3.1
Networking Gear & Setup Details
Google Wifi four-node mesh network
Connected Audio Devices
NAD C 658
Number of Tracks in Library
35,572 tracks
Description of Issue
I’m having a weird (and annoying) issue using Roon with my NAD C 658 streaming DAC-preamp, which is Roon Ready.
Here’s a description of my setup. The C 658 is in my main-floor living room, and the Apple Mac Mini that I use to run Roon Core is in my second-floor home office. I use Roon to play music from Qobuz and Tidal, and to play music from my own library, which is stored on a LaCie RAID system connected via Thunderbolt to the Mac Mini.
I have a four-node Google Wi-Fi mesh network. The Google Wi-Fi access point in my office is connected to my Internet router, and to the Ethernet port on the Mac Mini that runs Roon Core. Wi-Fi is turned off on the Mac Mini. I have another Google Wi-Fi access point on the equipment rack in my living room; it’s connected to the Ethernet ports on the C 658 and on the breakout box for my Samsung Frame TV.
Here’s the issue: When I stream to the C 658 from Roon, I get momentary dropouts. They’re frequent enough to be distracting. This happens with music streamed via Roon from Qobuz, as well as music stored on the RAID system connected to the Apple Mac Mini. But it doesn’t happen with music from Qobuz that I play through the C 658 using the BluOS app. So that would seem to rule out my network as the source of the problem.
But the dropouts don’t happen with music that I stream from Roon to other Roon Ready components in the same room as the C 658, so that would seem to rule out the Mac Mini as the source of the problem.
I have tried restarting my network several times, but that doesn’t help. The Google Home app reports that the Google Wifi access point in the living room has a “great connection.” I have even tried disconnecting the network cable from the C 658 and streaming to the C 658 via Wi-Fi instead. The dropouts persist. When I do this, I check the Wi-Fi signal strength in the Diagnostics menu of the BluOS app, and it’s either good or excellent. Software on all devices is up-to-date.
I’m posting this query on both the Roon Community and BluOS support forums. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I’m stumped.