Windows 10 Pro
NUC8i7BEH
Intel Core i7-8559U / 16Gb RAM
Roon 1.7 (build 528)
Connected through Ethernet Gigabit
Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)
Deco M5 wi-fi network with an unmanaged linksys gigabit switch
Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
JBL Playlist spearker - connected through wi-fi
Description Of Issue
After successfully having some google chromecast audio workin with Roon, all playing well at 96khz/24 bit, I decided to purchase a JBL Playlist in order to use its built-in chromecast audio for the same purposes.
The JBL Playlist specifically states supporting 96khz/24bit:
Is there anything I must to in order to use the full capabilities of the JBL’s chromecast audio? Searched around here and although I’ve seen some people with these speakers it seems no one happened to face this problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Sadly, that probably means that JBL did not enable chromecast according to google specifications. There is a switch that tells Chromecast to enable HI Resolution playback. Most softwares do not check for this switch and will just send the high res stream anyway.
However, Roon DOES check for the switch and obeys what the device responds. So when Roon queries the device for what resolution it can do the device is telling Roon it is limited to 48. JBL will need to fix it, if they even care to. The Chromecast Audio does have this switch correctly set.
Thanks Rugby! That’s what I feared to read. I hoped to have a way to force it through Roon available. I knew JBL’s implementation where not perfect but not being able to keep up with an advertised feature is sad… I will try JBL’s support but not keeping my hopes up. Thanks again for your help.
I have made some further tests and other apps such as VLC, mconnect, Qobuz all seem to be able to play flac files at 96khz/2bit to it. From what I read in other foruns it would play nothing if the speaker did not have this capability.
The problem is none of these softwares are so good as Roon is in informing exactly what is happening on the signal path. It makes it difficult to even argue with the JBL team why this is not working “only” with Roon (or maybe the other sources are being downsampled without me knowing?).
Is there no way to temporarily disable the switch checking from Roon? That would help at least with troubleshooting this and making my case to the support (or making strong reasons for returning this…)
Hi Marcelo, as I mentioned in my first post, other software usually do not check for the flag, they just send the stream. So, they probably are sending it in 24/96. And your unit is probably playing it back in 24/96. It works because both sides are ignoring the specs, the chromecast manufacturer is not setting the flag, and, the other softwares do not check for the flag.
Sadly, a majority of non-google chromecast implementations all have this issue. If you search the forum, you’ll find threads talking about this for a long time.
Rugby, Ged, thanks for all the information, again. It makes sense and I understand (and agree) that if Roon starts ignoring the protocols for one case all its reliability would soon be lost.
It is a pity that JBL could not make it right with their implementation. I will try with their support but without much hope a solution will come that way.
For now I am plugging a chromecast audio puck to the JBL Playlist (oh the irony ) - fortunately the aux in of the JBL can wake it up when audio is detected so it is a decent workaround if anyone finds a problem like mine with this JBL speaker in the future.
Thanks again for your patience and clarity! It helped me so much.
) - fortunately the aux in of the JBL can wake it up when audio is detected so it is a decent workaround if anyone finds a problem like mine with this JBL speaker in the future.