Roon can't "hold onto" my DAC

[Trevor_Nathan]

Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)
Mac Mini (mid 2010), 2.4 GHz Intel Core Duo, 8GB RAM
Mac OSX 10.12.6
Running Roon Server Version 1.7 (build 528)

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

Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)
Topping D10 connected to Core Machine via USB

Description Of Issue
Whenever I hit play on my remote device the sound output on my core machine switches from D10 to Internal Speakers (see screenshot)
So I am not getting any sound out from my D10 DAC

[Carl]

Hi,

Using the Roon app … you need to setup a D10 audio zone for that USB connected DAC.

Then select that D10 Roon zone on remote Roon control device, before you hit play.

[Trevor_Nathan]

Sorry I should have mentioned the history.
I have set up the audio zone and used the D10 successfully for over a year. This issue seems to happen intermittently and then goes away.
There doesn’t seem to be a reliable fix for it when it happens. I try rebooting the core machine, I try unplugging the D10, I try shutting down and reopening roon server, I even try adjusting settings in Audio Midi setup on my mac mini. Then I give up and play some records and come back a day or so later and it seems to be fine again

very frustrating

[noris]

Hi @Trevor_Nathan,

• When this issue occurs, is the D10 still visible in Roon Settings -> Audio?

• Do you see any error messages when trying to output to the D10 right before it switches to the internal speakers?

• How do you have the D10 configured in Roon? Are you using the D10 driver or are you routing the audio stream through System Output?

[Trevor_Nathan]

To answer your questions:
Yes the D10 is still visible in Roon Settings > Audio

No error messages

Not sure I understand the question: Here is a screenshot of the device setup in Roon

[noris]

Hi @Trevor_Nathan,

Thanks for clarifying the issue.

@Trevor_Nathan

Whenever I hit play on my remote device the sound output on my core machine switches from D10 to Internal Speakers (see screenshot)
So I am not getting any sound out from my D10 DAC

You mention you have a “remote device” in this setup, is this another MacOS PC? Does the same behavior occur if you connect the Topping to the Mac remote or does it only occur when the D10 is connected to the Core?

[wizardofoz (Mr Fix It aka The Wiz)]

a 2010 Mac mini is woefully under spec for a core machine…I would only use this spec Mac as a roon bridge endpoint. Try to run a core on a better machine then see how it fairs

[Trevor_Nathan]

So the remote device is a MacBook air.
When I plug the d10 into the MacBook air and configure it (via audio > settings) as an output for the D10 it works without any problem.
Plugging the D10 back into my core machine results in no sound.

As another data point, if I play something directly on my core machine, say on youtube, I do get sound through the D10

Just to be clear, when the D10 is plugged into the core machine, my remote device “thinks” music is playing - the time advances on the progress bar down the bottom - but no sound can be heard

[noris]

Hi @Trevor_Nathan,

Did you ever use Time Machine to restore the live Roon backup to either of these Macs?

Using Time Machine can cause this behavior and we do not recommend restoring the Roon live database through it, as mentioned in our Backup documentation.

If you haven’t used Time Machine, do either of the Macs have a Touch Bar installed? That’s possibly another reason why this behavior can occur.

[Trevor_Nathan]

No time machine backups have been done and neither machine has a Touch Bar (the core machine is a Mac mini and the remote machine is a MacBook Air that predates any Touch Bar)

[noris]

Hi @Trevor_Nathan,

I’ve followed up via Private Message.