No sound on Intel NUC over Toslink (ROCK endpoint)

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

Ubuntu Server NUCi5 with latest Roon

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

Ethernet

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

NUC5CPYH Celeron N3050 with ROCK only as a Roon endpoint

Description Of Issue

The NUC5CPYH as a ROCK endpoint works great over HDMI but not over the Toslink output. I’ve tried several cables with several adapters (3,5mm to Toslink). I can see all 3 types of connection in Roon (analog, digital and HDMI). I can not see llight on the optical fiber, so the connection is there but no transmission.

I would like to use the HDMI for the speakers and the Toslink for headphone listening.

@dylan

Could You please have a look on my issue. Thank You.

What do you mean “ROCK” as a Roon endpoint.
Have you tried RoonBridge on this machine?
I ask because this configuration is not supported as a ROCK device. That is to say, there are parts of the install that may not work. If you are only using it as an endpoint, Roonbridge should run fine on Linux.

I use my powerhorse i5 NUC for Roon Server but my Celeron NUC with ROCK only as an endpoint. I don’t want to use another Linux system because ROCK is great for use as an endpoint and offers some advantages.

However I don’t get a signal from the Toslink outpout even though the output is shown as an audio zone in Roon. HDMI and USB works fine…

I understand. I suppose it is possible the Optical driver for the Celeron machine doesn’t work using a ROCK install. This might be a tough one to get Roon to troubleshoot since they don’t support ROCK on Celeron processors. But they may have lots of other information and insight.
Good luck fixing it.

Hello @Enno14,

I have moved your post over to the #tinkering section since this model of NUC is not part of our supported hardware list. Please see the following note from the hardware article which applies in your case:

We have only tested with the above-mentioned NUCs. It may work with other machines, but the drivers needed may not exist there. Try it out and let us know. We can not comment on whether any different hardware will work, as we have not tested it. We will not make any guesses, educated as they might be. If you do manage to get it to run, that’s great, but we can not guarantee it will continue to work with future builds. Consider yourself warned.

Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but I ran roon for windows 10 on a tiny celeron pc, and it worked like a champ thru toslink.

Yes it seems to be a driver problem. But on Roon I can see the output. Too bad as I need a optical output on that machine.

Thanks for info but Win 10 is not an option. :wink:

Try RoonBridge on Ubuntu.

Like Peter said, RoonBridge on Unbuntu or another suitable Linux distro might work. BUT, I’m almost 100% sure there are others that use the NUC5CPYH just as you do (as an endpoint-only ROCK installation), and they may already know the answer you’re looking for or might be willing to try their unit’s TOSlink-out for you.

I use a NUC6CAYH in just the way you use your NUC5CPYH. It works great, but its wireless card is not supported by ROCK. It’s probably a simple $15.00 change to a supported wireless card that may solve that (but I don’t even use wireless). With Toslink, probably no similar simple change (part of the hardwired motherboard). But others may have dealt with this before and know of a solution. There are converters to Toslink (HDMI, for instance) that may also be able to be used for the application you desire.

PS [Additional Edit]. I’ve got a moderately expensive Atlona unit that I use with my bedroom Marantz SR6014 AVR setup precisely the same way you want to use your NUC Roon endpoint. It has pass-through for HDMI audio and video, but it also strips-out and downmixes Dolby bitstream and other encoded-multichannel audio formats to 2-channel PCM toslink which I use for headphone listening. However, there are much cheaper units that can do the same with simple HDMI PCM multichannel or 2-channel audio sources.

Thanks guys. I think I will change to Ubuntu Server with auto update option as I don’t want to maintain the system. Unless a Roon employee tells me that they will include a driver in the next ROCK update.

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