Random Dropouts Over Airplay 2 (ref#ATEVNN)

Support
1

Hi! What’s not quite right with Roon?

· None of the above quite fits

None of the above quite fits

· None of these quite match

Tell us what's going on

· Random drop outs over Airplay 2

Tell us about your home network

· wired

2

Roon server running on Intel i3, 13th gen. Music library on Synology NAS. Network is wired. Stereo hw is Sony STR-AZ1000 ES.

When playing over Airplay 2, there will be random cutouts for maybe 1-2 sec every 5 min or so.

When playing over chromcast, everything is perfect.

3

Hi @Paul_Klebek,

Thanks for reaching out with your report. Before we go further, a few things would help us narrow this down:

  • What router or mesh system is handling your network, and are there any switches between the Roon Server and the Sony?
  • Is the Sony STR-AZ1000 ES connected by Ethernet or WiFi?
  • Does the dropout happen with every AirPlay 2 zone, or only this Sony?
If there are any AirPlay-specific settings on the Sony, such as network standby or power saving features, it would also be worth noting whether those are enabled.

We will also enable diagnostics here. The next time a dropout happens, please note the exact local time, date, and what track was playing, then reply here so we can review the logs around that moment.

There may be one more clue in how AirPlay is presenting the device, so if you know whether Roon is seeing the Sony as AirPlay 1 or AirPlay 2, let us know that as well.

4
  1. The router/gateway is the Verizon CR1000A.
  2. Ethernet
  3. I don’t have any other Airplay zones. Everything else is sonos which works very well.
  4. Not sure about any airplay settings on the sony. Should be factory default if there are any.
  5. Roon sees the Sony as airplay 2. If I put it in compatibility mode, it stops working at all.
5

Brief drop out happened at approx 8:38 PM. Shortly after, roon updated. No more drop outs for at least 15 min.

6

Hey @Paul_Klebek,

Thanks for the timestamp! From a fresh diagnostic report, these appear repeatedly across the log period, and they’re clean disconnects, not Roon crashing, but the AirPlay session itself terminating unexpectedly. Here are the timestamps from April 28-29 that stand out:

  • 04/28 06:15:33 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/28 06:18:53 — [airplay] disconnected (3 min later)
  • 04/28 06:27:33 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/28 06:44:33 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/29 17:33:43 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/29 18:48:03 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/29 18:53:23 — [airplay] disconnected (5 min later)
  • 04/29 20:14:03 — [airplay] disconnected
  • 04/29 23:22:03 — [airplay] disconnected
The pattern fits your description exactly: random, recurring, roughly every few minutes during active listening sessions.

Additionally, there are repeated Chromecast mDNS TTL=0 events for the Sony specifically:

04/29 19:54:25 [cast] lost device STR-AZ1000ES ... TTL=0 mDNS packet
04/29 20:01:50 [cast] lost device STR-AZ1000ES ... TTL=0 mDNS packet
04/29 20:05:01 [cast] lost device STR-AZ1000ES ... TTL=0 mDNS packet

These indicate the Sony receiver is actively advertising its own disappearance from the network (TTL=0 is an mDNS “goodbye” packet). This is the Sony itself resetting or cycling its network stack.

Overall, the disconnections are almost certainly originating at the Sony STR-AZ1000ES, not Roon. The receiver is periodically resetting its network/AirPlay stack and sending mDNS goodbye packets. This is a known behavior with Sony ES receivers and can be caused by:

  1. Sony's power management / eco mode cycling the network stack
  2. IP address instability — if the Sony is getting a new DHCP lease periodically
  3. The Sony's AirPlay 2 implementation timing out or renegotiating the session
  4. Firmware bugs in Sony's AirPlay 2 stack
The fact that Chromecast works flawlessly but AirPlay doesn't points away from network infrastructure and squarely at the Sony's AirPlay implementation.

Let’s see if any of the below steps may help:

1. Assign the Sony a static IP / DHCP reservation (highest priority) In your Verizon CR1000A router, find the Sony’s MAC address and assign it a permanent DHCP reservation. Fluctuating IPs can cause exactly this symptom on AirPlay 2 devices.

2. Disable Sony’s “Fast Start” / Network Standby / ECO mode On the STR-AZ1000ES: Settings → Power → set Network Standby to Off, and disable any ECO/auto-power-off features. These modes cycle the network interface and terminate AirPlay sessions.

3. Check for Sony firmware updates Sony has released several firmware patches for AirPlay 2 stability on the AZ series. Go to Settings → System → Software Update on the receiver.

4. Try disabling AirPlay 2 and re-enabling it on the Sony In the Sony’s network settings, toggle AirPlay off, save, reboot the receiver, then re-enable. This forces a full re-registration with the network.

5. Check Verizon CR1000A mDNS/Bonjour settings The CR1000A has known issues with mDNS multicast forwarding. Look in the router’s advanced settings for “Multicast” or “IGMP Snooping” — try disabling IGMP snooping, as this can interrupt the mDNS traffic that AirPlay depends on for maintaining the session.

6. As a test: try with Roon’s AirPlay buffer settings In Roon Settings → Audio → your Sony zone → gear icon, look for any latency/buffer adjustment. Increasing the buffer can mask intermittent disconnects while you identify the underlying cause.

We’ll be monitoring for your reply! :folded_hands: