Is the affected network Zone connected with Ethernet or WiFi?
· Ethernet
Does the issue affect all file formats?
· The issue affects *multiple/all* file formats.
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 *no problem*, it's only my other Zone.
How is the affected Zone connected to your RoonServer machine?
· Network - WiFi
Which network audio protocol is the Zone using with Roon?
· Airplay
Since this is an Airplay Zone, have you tried toggling Airplay Compatibility Mode for this Zone in the Device Setup window?
· There is no change in behavior.
Does the device show up at all in Roon Settings -> Audio?
· The Zone is listed under the wrong protocol
Does the device play audio from another source when using the same connection?
· The device has no problems with another audio source
Have you checked that Roon is whitelisted in any firewalls?
· I've checked the firewall and the issue remains
If the device has multiple output options, do the other options work as expected?
· Only one output type is affected while the other output type works as expected
Is the device using the latest firmware as per the manufacturer?
· Firmware is up-to-date but the issue remains
What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?
· Yamaha R-N600A
Describe the issue
I'm still on a trial license, as I'm trying to ensure this is the setup I want to use on a permanent basis. I'm experiencing playback stops while listening to music either local or via a streaming service (Qobuz).
Roon is running on a Synology NAS, playing back on a Yamaha R-N600A audio receiver. The NAS is on ethernet, the Yamaha is on WiFi. All playback is over local network, no firewalls. During playback I see the NAS resource usage as averaging: * CPU a bit over 50% (51% right now) * Memory use at a bit over 60% (62% right now) * Network usage averaging around 250 KB, with the occasional spike to half a meg. * Disk reads around between 2-4 MB/s
Music playback will stop, no error that I can see in the remote control app. When playback stops unexpectedly, I see the NAS resources drop to negligible usage, as the NAS isn't otherwise doing much else.
Describe your network setup
Synology NAS connected via ethernet to Verizon router, Yamaha receiver on WiFi
Hi @Tommy_Foster,
Thanks for reaching out about this issue. I think the next step here is to enable some diagnostics on your account so our technical staff can get some more insight into what’s going on here.
However, before I enable this feature, I’d like to ask for your help ensuring we gather the right information.
First, can you please reproduce the issue once more and note the time at which the error occurs. Then respond here with that time, and I’ll make sure we review the diagnostics related to that timestamp.
It’s kind of amusing, in a way? Because I was just about to respond with, yeah I’m listening to music right now I’ll let you know, and it just stopped playback. I’m looking at about 2:32pm ET.
This seems like an incredible amount of resource usage. When I am running Roon on my DS1522+, I rarely see CPU usage higher than 2%; it is typically running at 0-1%.
A few questions:
What else are you running on your NAS?
What model is it? How much RAM is installed?
What is the size of your library (local/Qobuz)? Is Roon done with its initial analysis/scan of your collection?
This is a new NAS I set up last week after my old one died. I moved all my music onto it, and that’s been it so far. Audio Station is running, but not in use.
Model is DS224+ Intel Celeron J4125 1 CPU 4 cores, 6 GB DDR 4 RAM (came with 2 and I added 4). Looking at task manager on the NAS this morning as I’m streaming from Qobuz, the Roon service is consuming about 54% of the CPU, with the next highest usage coming in at about 3% use. Memory use is about 3.5 GB, with the next highest usage coming in at 3 MB.
Roon tells me that my local library is 77,358 tracks that were imported and it finished earlier this week. The issue I am seeing happens whether I am using my local library or streaming from Qobuz.
I’m not familiar with the ffmpeg build. Is that run as a separate service on the NAS? What does it do?
To add to the discussion - I have noticed when I try to play music from the local library, when it stops playback, I have noticed in the remote control app that it is waiting on a response from the Roon server, at which point it dies completely. I have to wait a bit for contact to be restored, and it starts to scan the local files again (though it happens much more quickly than the initial scan).
ffmpeg provides the latest codecs for your music collection. It’s mostly germane if you are playing licensed formats like AAC. More about my build and ffmpeg is here.
Well, the thing is, I’m seeing that kind of usage even without the local library in play (indeed, before I even connected Roon to my local library). I was seeing the playback stops in Qobuz when all that was hooked up to Roon was Qobuz, nothing else.
Well, that is something many other people do report problems with, regardless of platform. One of the experts in this is @CrystalGipsy and perhaps he can chime in here. He’s a user just like you and me.
I’m wondering if there is some kind of buffering issue. Like, the buffer doesn’t keep up with playing audio for some reason and when the buffer runs out, playback just stops. Like with satellite radio, you lose signal but you still get a few seconds of playback before it cuts out because you’re still getting what’s in the buffer.
I don’t see network dropouts so it’s an imperfect analogy, but it’s what I’m idly speculating whilst hoping for some additional assistance before my trial runs out.
@Tommy_Foster I am wondering if your Celeron CPU may be struggling with a relatively large Roon database (the database scales with both local and streamed files). Between the Celeron and limited RAM your Synology may be peaking in what it can support.
Now that you have your database created, is it possible to load Roon Server on a more powerful computer, restore your Roon database on that computer, and pointing Roon Server to your NAS for access to the music files?
Note my Roon memory usage for my 2.4TB library. This is why your 6GB might be a big part of the problem. Unfortunately, that looks like the max your DS224+ can take…
4gb is way low if you ask me given the os and other apps need a chunk of it. I’d never give Roon less than 8gb it’s a memory hog and doesn’t always release it nicely. Mines consuming 3.5 and I have way less in my library than the op does.
One thing I want to point out is that before I even added a local library - when the only thing configured was qobuz - I was having playback stops. I can even remove the library from the equation once more if consensus is that it would help. I’m just trying to figure out if this is a permanent solution for me before I decide to subscribe or not.
It’s still going to struggle with a large amount of streaming titles only as they are still part of Roons database and it has to fetch all the metadata the same, local or streaming all take up memory. Are you sure it’s fully finished updating metadata etc as this can take quite some time as will analysing your local files although the analysis would not affect Qobuz only. I fear the machine really is under resourced to manage Roon and other activities. Your definitely have the db on an SSD?
So the RAM total is 6GB, not 4. The drives are SSD, they’re the only drives in the unit. Here’s what the top usage stats look like on my unit right now.
