Roon on Ubuntu 18.04 bluetooth issue

[Santanu_Sinha]

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

OS: Ubuntu 18.04 (kernel 5.3.0-62-generic #56~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP)
Software info: Dell 7300 laptop (1TB NVME, 32GB RAM, Intel i7 processor (Intel® Core™ i7-8665U CPU @ 1.90GHz)
Tidal Version:

• Core etc: 100700571 1.7 (build 571) stable
• Controller - Roon controller on android on Sony XZ1, local Roon windows app running on upsteam wine stable (5.0.1~bionic)

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

Netgear Genie Wifi 802.11n (2.4/5Ghz) with 1Gbps FTTH

Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)

1. Schitt Modi 3, Schitt Magni 3, Sennheiser HD 650
2. B&W PX Headphones with Bluetooth and USB mode
3. Sony XB-22 protable speakers
   (Other home audio systems, irrelavent here)

Whenever I connect the PX or the XB-22 over bluetooth, Roon doesn’t detect it … mostly I believe it’s due to ALSA. It’s difficult to fathom why in this day and age, bluetooth gear is not supported.

I’d like to have a solution. Are you guys planning to move to PulseAudio anytime soon? I like the software, but it’s kinda no go for me in this state.

[noris]

Hi @Santanu_Sinha,

If you try playing to your “System Output” zone, does that not start playback on the Bluetooth zone?

@Santanu_Sinha

OS: Ubuntu 18.04 (kernel 5.3.0-62-generic #56~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP)

I’m wondering if the Ubuntu OS might have something to do with the issue, if you try to load up Roon or Roon Bridge on a Windows/Mac PC and connect via Bluetooth to that instead, do the headphones/speakers work as expected?

[Santanu_Sinha]

I don’t have access to a windows or mac machine unfortunately as all of my systems run linux. I do not see “system output” as option.

Add

images

Really dumb question… am I missing some obvious place to configure System Output from? Or is it supposed to appear in the Audio section itself?

Another one. who detects the system output?

• Is it the Core + Endpoint running natively (it seems to be detecting ALSA devices as seen from screenshot)
• Or the controller? The controller runs on wine.

Do let me know, I’ll try to debug accordingly … Bluez has stopped support for ALSA … so i need to route the audio through Pulseaudio (which does AptX-HD with B&W PX) somehow.

I’m gonna setup a NUC running ROCK this weekend and move the Schitt stack to that. Would really want to be able to use my B&W wireless on the laptop to listen while working in another room. Carrying around the USB cable is irritating.

[noris]

Hi @Santanu_Sinha,

Are you able to use Bluetooth to the B&W from any other apps in this Linux environment?
If you try to enable your Intel PCH Zone in Roon, does that play to the PC’s internal speakers? Maybe you don’t have System Output because you’re on Linux, let me check with the team on this.

[Santanu_Sinha]

Yes B&W does work perfectly fine with in both HSP/HFP and AptX-HD mode with other apps. This includes meetings on zoom/Google meet (HSP/HFP) as well as DeadBeef, Spotify etc (AptX-HD).

Check attached screenshots.

[noris]

Hi @Santanu_Sinha,

I spoke to the hardware team regarding your case and they have confirmed that only drivers that expose ALSA zones work with Roon.

Our Audio on Linux Guide provides some more detail regarding this, but unless the B&W zone exposes an ALSA driver, adding it to Roon will not be possible.

Some users managed to get Bluetooth zones working with a 3rd party ASLA integration, but we have not tested this and we cannot endorse it, so if you want to give this a try, it’s at your own risk/troubleshooting effort: https://github.com/Arkq/bluez-alsa/issues/325

[Santanu_Sinha]

Ok thanks for the information.