Does the issue happen with local library music, streaming service music, or both?
· *Both streaming and local* *library* music are affected.
Do you encounter any playback errors with the "System Output" Zone?
· The System Output has the same problem as my other Zone.
Do you have a complex network setup?
· I have a *mesh network* with devices connected to multiples points
Your local network might need some re-arranging to support Roon.
· None of the suggestions have helped me. I'd like to submit a support request.
What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?
· Macbook M1; USB to: SMSL D-6s DAC
Describe the issue
Too many errors. Stopping playback.
I am using Roon Remote version 2.0 (build 1470) production running on a Macbook M1 Pro.
I am connecting via my home network to a Roon Core, which is connected directly to my broadband router. My Macbook is connected to the same network as the Core via wifi, as I do not have ethernet in the study I work in.
I am using an SMSL DAC connected via USB which is recognised under "Audio - This Mac". This is connected to an amp & on to my headphones.
My specific use case involves me pausing playback in Roon & switching into Chrome to join a Google Meet video call, which I do several times a day. When I switch back to Roon typically after 30 mins or an hour on a call I get the, "Too many errors. Stopping playback" error when I try to restart playback. After some unspecified period of time (but not immediately), when I retry, it works again.
This is really spoiling my experience of Roon on my desktop (where I spend most of my time).
Describe your network setup
Router: unmanaged; ethernet connection to Access Point: UBIQUITI NETWORKS; wifi to my Macbook UBI-UAP-AC-PRO
If you try to exit out of RoonServer and reopen it, does it fix the issue? If you try to disconnect the SMSL, are you able to reproduce the behavior using only System Output (Mac’s internal speakers)?
If you try to exit out of RoonServer and reopen it, does it fix the issue? No, it doesn’t
If you try to disconnect the SMSL, are you able to reproduce the behavior using only System Output (Mac’s internal speakers)? Yes, I can reproduce the behaviour after doing this.
Temporarily, can you connect your MacBook via an Ethernet cable to your router and try to reproduce the issue? If the issue remains, then we may be able to trace it a MacBook issue, but if it goes away, then the issue is probably related to a network connection.
I connected to ethernet temporarily & I couldn’t reproduce the issue.
Having spent another day with this, it seems that if I turn my DAC to standby & then back on, I can playback from Roon, until some period of activity & then when I go back to start playback again I get the errors.
I also connected my Macbook directly to the router wifi to bypass the mesh wifi setup I have in my house. This has made no difference.
I used another Macbook connected to wifi successfully with no issues when connected to my DAC.
How can I resolve this problem please? I want to use the Roon app to run a local desktop hifi system on my main Macbook, connected via wifi. Am I really going to need to buy a Roon ready streamer to achieve this, rather than use my desktop to stream. I feel certain that this would work but it’s not how I want to use Roon in this case. I want to listen to music when I’m not working by switching between the Mac OS X Roon app & Google Chrome (where I do all my work).
You need to connect your Roon server, whatever it is, to your router by ethernet. You can also connect it to a switch that is connected by ethernet.
It is sometimes possible to get an acceptable situation using a WIFI connection to your Roon server, but that depends on the signal strength and interference, etc.
Your Roon end-points can be ethernet or WIFI, at least, in most cases.
My Roon server is connected by ethernet to a switch, which is connected by ethernet to my router. I can use the OS X screen sharing app to connect to my Roon Server over my wifi connection.
My Macbook is connected by wifi directly to my router. As I wrote above, I have successfully tested another Macbook connected to the same DAC, on wifi.
Also - see screenshot below - my Roon Server ‘sees’ my Macbook in its Audio Settings:
Again, each time I get the error, if I turn my DAC to standby & back on, then I can playback again. It seems to me that there is some kind of issue between my Macbook & my DAC (S.M.S.L D-6s), which is new.
Hi Jason,
Please delete the audio source names of the mac from the Roon settings and return the “Default” and the “D-6s” sources to Roon’s default settings “UNNAMED) then close and reopen Roon. I’m asking you to try this on a lark.
I know it’s an odd request but I’ve seen your error reproduced when I neglected to name my audio source. The dash in your sources name has me wondering that as well even if it may have been acceptable. I’m wondering if any crud is cached. At this point were trying to see what sticks to the wall. You can reopen the app and return the sources to their prior settings later.
Next: Uninstall Roon and clear the cache.
Step 1. Perform a backup and shutdown all endpoints and your router (this will only take a few minutes).
Step 2. Delete Roon
Step 3. Reboot
Step 4. Open the “Go menu” located in your Apple menu (Finder) select the drop-down “Go to folder” and then enter each line below in turn in the field to reach a given directory. Once there delete each parent directory that references the name “Roon”.
Example: When performing this action on my Macbook using “~/Library/Saved Application State” it reveals the hidden directory “com.roon.Roon.savedState”. In my example, you would select this directory for deletion.
~/Library/Application Support
~/Library/Saved Application State
/Library/Caches
~/Library/Caches
Step 5. Power up your router and reinstall Roon
When reinstalling you should see a prompt requesting that you Allow “Roon” to find devices on local networks. Select “Allow”
Step 6. Reinstall your backup and check your endpoints for connectivity.
Thanks for your patience, and thank you @Singleton for the helpful troubleshooting steps you’ve listed out above!
After reviewing a recent diagnostic report from your Roon Server machine, we can see that the failure seems to have occurred due to a failed attempt at syncing the endpoints clock. With this, let’s also see if the below troubleshooting steps help:
Test with another USB cable if available.
Try different USB ports on the source device to rule out hardware issues.
Update SMSL USB AUDIO Firmware. Ensure the SMSL endpoint has the latest firmware installed.
Disable Exclusive Mode in Roon to see if playback works without clock synchronization.
Lower the audio quality temporarily to test if the endpoint struggles with high-resolution audio.
Test with Another Endpoint (my apologies if this has already been glazed over) - If another endpoint works correctly, the issue likely lies with the SMSL device specifically
I know this is all repetitive but that’s what trouble shooting is. I’ll pass on something that often works for me. Sometimes it takes double, triple checking and more to get things right.
Sometimes I overlook or overthink. Heres a method that I sometimes resort to that often works.
Unplug everything. Disconnect my Ethernet cables, remove them from their power source (yes I go to the extreme) shutdown the system for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure I get fresh IP’s then I plug everything back in again. “Again that would apply to all of your network devices.”
If you decide to give this a try power equipment on from the outside-in, based on your network map. Because I only want to do this one time I would once again clear the cache on my computer before I begin.
Also in your router settings disengage IPv6 if its not already to see if that improves things.
Ok, I have just re-tested with my headphones connected directly to the headphone port on my Macbook & using the Default Audio option:
Using EQ settings active (Parametric EQ + Headroom management) I see the “too many failures” error after playing back some music, pausing, putting the headphones down for 5 mins, then switching to another track & restarting playback.
With no EQ settings active, it’s the same result.
So, the cause can’t be the SMSL DAC. I suppose it could be the network but what you’re suggesting @Singleton is a lot of work & disruption to my family…
