Intermitant problem playing 96kHz content

Support
1

Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)

Roon Core on Intel NUC

Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)

Cat 6a around the house with Netgear switches

Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)

Allo Digione, connected via Ethernet to Roon Core to an Arcam irDAC II onto Adam F5 speakers, its my office set-up.

Description Of Issue

I have an intermittent issue when playing 96kHz content. When I try and play it, I most often, 99% of the time, get pops and crackles and the music jumps. This does not happen with content both above and below 96kHz (see below). However, occasionally, it will play with no issue. I did some testing and found the following;

Native

Music on NAS

  • Will play 48khz/24 bit
  • Will play 88khz/24bit
  • Plays 96khz/24 bit – but jumps, pops/crackles – happens 99% of the time
  • Will play 176khz/24 bit
  • Will play 192khz/24 bit

Music via Qobuz

  • Will play 48khz/24 bit
  • Will play 88khz/24bit
  • Plays 96khz/24 bit but jumps, pops/crackles – happens 99% of the time
  • No 176khz/24 bit content to test
  • Will play 192khz/24 bit

Upsampled by Roon

On Qobuz

  • Will play 44khz/16 bit upscampled to 176khz
  • Will play 88khz/24bit upsampled to 176khz
  • Will play 48khz/24 bit upscampled to 192khz
  • Will sometimes play 96khz upsampled to 192khz, sometimes pops crackles, sometimes silence.

Can anyone offer any advice? My workaround has been to downsample 96kHz stuff to 48kHz but I would like to fix if possible. Thanks.

3

Hi @tahsu,

  • Is this behavior limited to your Digione + Arcam zone?
  • Do you have the newest firmware for your Digione + Arcam zone?
  • Are you able to experience this behavior on any other zones capable of playing 96kHz content?
  • Does the bit-depth matter? Are you able to properly play 96kHz/16-bit properly?
4

Yes, I think so.

Yes, running Dietpi 6.28.0

No, it plays normally. In my kitchen, same core, via ethernet to a Allo USBridge to a Topping DAC onto Ruark Mr1’s.

I don’t think I have any content I can test with. Any suggestions?

5

Hi @tahsu,

Thanks for the info.

I was going to suggest up-sampling some 44.1/44 content to 96, but I tried on my end and it’s automatically converted to 24bit from 16, so this won’t be very useful.

If you temporarily bypass the Allo Digione and connect the Arcam directly to the Core, do you experience the same behavior?

6

This is difficult, as the Core is in an upstairs cupboard and the DAC in the downstairs office. I wonder if I could bring the core down. I have a chromecast Audio kicking around somewhere, could I try that via its optical connection?

7

Hi @tahsu,

Do you by any chance have another PC which you can install Roon Bridge on and perhaps connect this to the Arcam via USB instead of the Digione?

Otherwise, temporarily moving the Core downstairs would provide some more useful data.

8

Of course! My main pc is connected to the same DAC, sorry, anyway…bit slow today.

Right, so I enabled an endpoint on the PC (Asio via optical) and my test album plays - Concrete and Glass by Nicolas Godin a 96khz 24bit album on Qobuz. It plays fine. I then switch over to the Digione, and I then tried the same album. For some reason I had the album set to upsample to 192khz, which played fine, I then set it to default, and the 96khz native version started jumping again. Then, I went back to the office PC endpoint (just changing inputs on the DAC for this) and played the same file again - fine, and then back again to the Digione again, and right now the album is playing at 96khz where previously it has jumped.

So the PC plays no problem, and the digione plays intemitantly. Its very odd. Any thoughts?

9

Hi @tahsu,

It sounds like the Digione has an issue with 96kHz content in that case. Have you by any chance reached out to Allo regarding your report?

If you want maybe it’s also useful to try another distro on the Digione if it supports it (like Ropieee?)

11

I just tried Ropieee, and exactly the same problem.

12

Hi @tahsu,

Can you please reproduce this behavior and note the exact local time + date + track you experience this behavior next on? I wonder if the logs indicate anything, once I have the timestamp + track, I can enable diagnostics mode and take a look for any additional clues.

13

Hi @noris,

I played the track Concrete and Glass, from the Album Conrete and Glass from Nicholas Godin at 8.36 UK time.

It played find initiailly just before this time, I selected off on to something else and then back and the reproduced the skipping behaviour.

14

Hi @tahsu,

Thanks for that timestamp, I can confirm logs have been received and I requested some feedback from the technical team regarding them.

In the meantime I had another thought regrading this issue:

If you try setting the max bit-rate in Device Setup and upsample 44.1/48kHz content to 96kHz, do you still experience this behavior on 96/16?

15

Hi @tahsu,

I spoke to the technical team regarding this issue and the Roon logs show normal behavior when outputting 96kHz content, indicating that this issue is occurring after it has reached the endpoint. You may want to reach out to Allo and/or Arcam regarding this behavior to verify compatibility on 96kHz content for these devices.

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