Problem with Pro-ject Stream-box Ultra playback

Support
1

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

Intel NUC8i7BEH2 running Roon ROCK 1.7 build 528

**Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethern

  1. Router : Huawei B593s-22 , ethernetcable Cat 5e to:
    2a. Win10 i7-3770K CPU Main PC
    2b. Switch: TP-Link TL-SG105E, ethernetcable Cat 5e to:
    Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)

3b. Streamer: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra, Supra USB cable to:
4. Usb-Dac and Dsp : DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core, S/PDIF to:
5. Amplifier : Denon PMA 2500NE S/PDIF inpu

Description Of Issue

Problem nr 1.
When I play music in Roon (from both via Tidal and wav files on the nuc) there is a glitch in the sound every tenth, fifteenth second if I use the Pro-Ject streamer as a bridge from the network to the dac (Dspeaker Anti-mode). If I connect the Nuc directly to the streambox there is no problem. And if I bypass the Dspeaker dac and goes directly into my amps dac there is no problem. Only when I try to use the streamer as it´s intended ie playing files or stream from my network the glitches occur.
I have tinkered with settings in Roon and the Streambox with no luck.

Problem nr 2.
If I use The Streamboxs interface/ software to play music it can´t find my files om my Nuc or on my main PC , it locates the folder but don´t see any musicfiles there, (ca 99GB wav files). Is there an issue with Linux vs Rock/ Win10?

I have contacted both Dspeaker and Pro-Ject support with these issues but are still awaiting answers.
I have checked the settings in the router and switch so they are open and non-restricting,
and disabeled firewalls etc , all the files are shared. Everything is as shared I can set.

3

Hello @Johan_Larsen,

A few questions:

A. are you using the USB bypass feature on the StreamBox S2 Ultra when you say you are connecting directly?

“If I connect the Nuc directly to the streambox there is no problem.”

B. Are you able to log into Tidal using the Stream Box S2 Ultra web interface? Do the “glitches” happen when you are streaming Tidal using the Stream Box S2 web interface?

C. What happens when you connect the DSPeaker to the NUC without the Stream Box S2 Ultra in the path at all?

Regarding the Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra being unable to find your music files, I recommend handling this with the Pro-Ject support team as they would be best positioned to assist you with their product.

-John

4

Hello John, thank you for helping me.
The answers are as follows.
A. Yes , i use the bypass feature.
B. I can log in to Tidal and Spotify. Yes the glitches happens when I stream from both services.
C. Everything works well with only the Dspeaker and the NUC connected together.
I have got some feedback from DSpeaker, I will copy here:

From DSpeaker : ""Asynchronous USB Audio 1.0 provides a feedback value to tell the host how many samples per frame it wants. Latencies in the USB stack and audio driver mean that the audio device needs to have enough buffer.

Also, we have seen that the audio drivers are sometime very particular in what values they expect is the USB descriptor. Sometimes the host is ends up not reading the feedback value.

The latest Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core firmware should be the most compatible in this respect.

It’s a bit hard for me to picture the different configurations, so you could you “translate” for me which device is acting as the USB host for Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core in the working and not-working cases? If it’s the same device, what’s the differences upstream between the cases? “”

I wrote this to DSpeaker:
Thank you for your response.
I´m afraid I´m quite bad at expressing my setup clearly. I will try again.
I have two playback software programs to choose from, Roon and Pro-Ject Play but I want to use Roon.
So in Roon I choose the Streambox as the bridge with the Anti-Mode as the output. If I let the streambox take the files or stream through the network
I get the glitches. If I instead usb-hardwire the Nuc with Roon directly to the Streambox (still with the Anti-Mode as the output) it works fine.
But the whole purpose with a networkbridge / streamer is that I just connect it to the network and play all my files there.

In The Pro-ject settings , General playback Options , I have maximum audio buffer size 12mb, and max buffer Before play, 40%.
In Roon ready playback options (still the streambox) i have max audio buffer size .500 , audio resampling on , target bit depth 16, 44.1kHz sample rate.
I found this regarding the streambox: ””Pro-ject are quite open about the Stream Box S2 Ultra (Stream Ultra) being based on the (CM3 industrial version of a) Raspberry Pi running a customised Volumio operating system.””

I cant find any relavant settings within the Roon software to control the usb output from the streambox.
I am still waiting for Roon support to answer.

I hope this helped a bit, small steps perhaps towards a solution…
/ Johan Larsen

I have gotten a link to Pro-Ject Austria, since the retailer of Pro-Ject in Sweden can´t help me
and I will write them in the evening.

/ Regards Johan Larsen

5

Hello @Johan_Larsen,

Given that the issues occur with other streaming services as well, it’s safe to say that the issue lies somewhere between the Stream Box S2 Ultra and the DSpeaker interface. We won’t be able to provide any useful feedback here, we do not have the DSpeaker device in-house.

If you have any questions specific to Roon Ready playback, we’re happy to assist.

-John

6

Thank you for your feedback. Of course, if I have the same problem with Spotify then it´s not a problem with Roon playback, I should have thought of that!
So there is no setting in Roon that I can adjust to better facilitate “Asynchronous USB Audio 1.0” ?

Do you have any idea why the Streambox can´t find my musicfiles on my Roon Rock NUC?
There is between 90-100 gb wav files ripped from JRiver. My Win10 computers in the network all find the files. Could it be a Linux/Windows compatibility problem?

Many Thanks in advance, Johan

7

Hello @Johan_Larsen,

Could you send a screenshot of the server address you are entering on the StreamBox?

ROCK uses an industry standard SMB implementation. It should work across all three major operating systems.

-John

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