Roon does not work when using my Hifi Rose RS250a when using an HDMI output to my AV Receiver from the RS250a. However, the digital optical output does work. Also, there is no problem if I play directly from the RS250a to the receiver using the HDMI out.
Describe your network setup
I'm using a direct Ethernet connection from my Xfinity XB8 modem into the RS250a. I have (theoretically) 1 GB of download speed.
Welcome to the forum and thanks for reaching out! Can you please confirm the exact error state, does it look like music is playing and nothing is heard, or do you get an error messsage when playback is trying to start? Is there a way to set the output input on the Rose settings menu? Does the HDMI output work with other sources that are not Roon?
It looks like music is playing, but no sound comes out. At first, there was sound, but the music was unplayable, cutting in and out. Eventually, there was no sound at all. Yes, I can adjust the output settings on the rose. I’m confident they are correct. If I play Tidal directly from the Rose using the same settings, the sound is fine. The issue only occurs when using the Roon app.
Thank you for your message. Can you please use the directions found here and send over a set of logs to our File Uploader? Once logs have been uploaded, please let us know so that we can check the server for your files, thanks!
Sorry, I can’t find the log files in Windows Explorer. I followed your instructions and searched multiple times, including This PC as well as Windows (C). I used the prompts `%localappdata% , Roon and logs in my searches. Nothing shows up. This computer is definitely the server.
No problem, thanks for giving that a try! An important note here - while the Rose RS250 is certified Roon Ready, the 250a is unfortunately not Roon Ready or Roon Certified.
An option for you could be to use optical or coax from RS250A → AV receiver. This should reliably work with Roon over AirPlay/Chromecast.
Surely also the RS250A is Roon ready, but the HDMI out on all Rose devices (I’m using two RS250, one RS150 and a RS451) is a very special thing and should IMHO only used for video out (Rosetube or showing metadata).
What are your settings for the HDMI out on the device?
This is false, unfortunately. Please do not spread misinformation - the 250a is not Roon Ready, but our partners team has reached out to Rose directly to see if they’re interested in starting the certification process.
@Alan_DiStasio have you tested playback outside of HDMI?
We wanted to revisit this case since we hadn’t seen a response but we’ve so far generated neither an explanation nor a resolution.
Looking back through logs on Dec 10 when you first posted, we see several playback failure events with the HiFi Rose in question. However, in all cases, these occur because the Tidal API returns an unauthorized response to a URL requested by Roon. This is common if content is geographically restricted by distributors or unavailable to your Tidal account tier. It can happen if you’ve accidentally logged out of Tidal within Roon. Usually, restarting RoonServer resolves it.
This doesn’t match the symptom you reported, which is that Roon showed playback proceeding, but the actual audio either failed to start, or stuttered. This occurred when using this chain:
RoonServer → Rose (Roon Ready) → HDMI to receiver.
Have you tried enforcing a sample rate (48Khz, not 96Khz) via Sample Rate Conversion (Muse) or Device Setup? This might help distinguish if this is a clock sync issue. That’s a possible mechanism for outputting silence like you’d originally reported.
Hifi Rose states that you cannot use the HDMI out for video while simultaneously sending an audio signal via the OPT out to a receiver. You can only activate one or the other. As I stated in my original post, Roon does work with the Rose using the OPT out, but I only get the audio, no video. HOWEVER, I ran both cables out (HDMI to TV input and OPT out to my receiver) and activated the HDMI output in Rose. I now have sound and video streaming from the Rose App, including Tidal as well as Rose Video (!!!???). I then opened the Roon app and can play all my server content on Roon, including Tidal, using the Hifi Rose as the music player. The only issue is that Roon metadata does not display on the TV. I simply receive a static image of the album cover with streaming data, just as I do when streaming directly from Rose. Not an issue, as I use a tablet to run Roon, which provides the metadata. Not a big deal, not having the metadata display on the TV when I have it on my tablet.
For all intents and purposes, I’m fine with this setup. Thank you for your follow-up. Much appreciated.
See my latest response posted a few minutes ago. Roon does operate using my Hifi Rose as the player. I do not get metadata on the TV, but that is really not an issue, because I have it on a tablet which use to run the Roon app. Therefore, Hifi Rose is technically Roon ready, unless you want the metadata displayed on an external monitor.
Thank you for the detailed follow-up — that clarification helps a lot.
What you’re seeing now aligns with the expected behavior of the HiFi Rose implementation:
The Rose can output audio either via HDMI or via Optical (OPT), depending on which output is active in the Rose settings.
When HDMI output is enabled, the Rose uses its own HDMI UI and video pipeline, regardless of whether playback is initiated from the Rose app or from Roon.
In this mode, Roon functions purely as the control and streaming source, while the Rose handles on-screen display. As a result, Roon metadata is not rendered on the TV, and you’ll see the Rose’s standard static album screen instead.
This is expected and does not indicate a Roon playback issue or a limitation in Roon Ready certification. Roon Ready ensures correct audio transport and control — it does not require third-party devices to display Roon’s metadata or UI over HDMI.
Since:
Audio playback via Roon is now stable
TIDAL and local content play correctly
Video output works as intended via the Rose interface
Metadata is available on your tablet running Roon
There’s nothing further to troubleshoot on the Roon side, and your current setup is operating as designed.
If anything changes or new questions come up, feel free to reach back out. Glad to hear you’ve landed on a configuration that works well for you.
I used a Roku device to stream my tablet to the TV, but it caused issues switching between inputs. Google Home, for some reason, does not work. However, I no longer need that option. I’m fine with the metadata being displayed on my tablet.
As suggested by @tripleCrotchet, if you’d like to explore an alternative way to display Roon metadata on a screen, you might consider using the Chromecast as a Display feature:
This allows you to cast Roon’s Now Playing screen (with metadata) to a TV or monitor using a Chromecast device. It won’t change how the HiFi Rose handles its HDMI output, but it does give you a way to see full Roon metadata on a larger screen while you enjoy your audio.
