Hi,
Have roon running on my mac and outputting via USB to an Audeze Deckard feeding Shure 1540 headphones. At any time after a track has finished Roon will just lose all output to any speakers stating No Audio Zone found, please select an audio zone. When I go to my system preferences I find that all output sources are missing. I have to then shut down the computer and start all over again. Is this a computer issue that would be solved by having an external source holding my music.
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- Thank you for the report and sharing this observation with us. The feedback is appreciated!
Moving forward, to help aide in my evaluation of this behavior you’ve experiencing, may I kindly ask you to please provide me with the following:
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The model and specs of the Mac device hosting your Roon core.
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When you notice this issue, do you receive any error messages inside the application?
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During your troubleshooting of this problem, have you tried…
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Bypassing the Deckard and playing directly out to the 1540s via “system output” + the head phone jack on the Mac device. If so, what was the experience like?
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Tested with a new USB cable?
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Tried a different USB port?
- Do you notice the same behavior while using another USB based audio device directly connected to the Mac?
-Eric
Hi Eric,
thank you for your reply, there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason when it happens. Somedays it will play music all day and start straight away the next day. other times it does it when I change to another artist, and then it will stop straight after a song finishes. It does not stop mid music. When it stops then all zones vanish apart from the Sonos which is connected wirelessly.
I have 2 zones connected by 2 separate USB cables. One is the Deckard feeding my headphones for more intense listening, and the other is a Meridian Explorer2 feeding powered speakers for listening while I work. I have tried various combinations but they will play fine, and then at some point it will stop and there are no speaker outputs present. They even vanish from my System Preferences sometime. If I’m lucky and pull out the USB and re insert it the zone will show up again. But most times I have to turn off the computer and reboot and even then Roon will sometimes open with no zones or speakers apart from the wireless Sonos. This makes me suspect the mac maybe the problem.
The mac is a 27” late 2013 with 3.4 GHz intel i5 with 16gb memory.I am looking in the future to move my albums and Tidal subscription to a separate streamer and iPad control so that the mac is not part of the system. But until then I am frustrated with the setup. I love Roon it is a beautiful way to have ones music available.
Kind regards
Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- Thank you for touching base with me and providing the requested feedback. Having some further insight into this behavior is very appreciated 
Moving forward, you mentioned that the devices even disappear from your system preferences at times, and my assumption is that you are making this observation while the application is open and in an active state. Do you ever notice this while the application is NOT active?
Furthermore, I would like to propose the following two tests to see if we can trigger a change in behavior here. Please see below.
- Testing with a new RAATServer folder in place.
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Without the application running, please locate your RAATServer folder which will be in the same directory as your Roon database.
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Once located, please rename your RAATServer folder to “RAATServer_Old”.
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Please relaunch the application and let me know how things hold up.
- Testing with a different device acting as your Roon core.
- You’ve mentioned some frustrations that you are feeling with this current configuration. Is it possible for you to test (temporarily) with your Roon core on another device? I’d be curious to see how things holds up. Let me know.
-Eric
Hi Eric
Roon was fine just now and found my zones. I did as you suggested and relaunched with the new RAATserver. and no zones were found apart from wireless Sonos. The outputs showed up ok in my System Preferences and in my Audio Midi setup. I reinstated the RAAT folder but still no zones. I restarted roon again and my Audeze zone reappeared but not my explorer2 even though it is showing in my system preferences.
I will keep trying.
Regards
Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- Thank you for touching base and sharing the observation you have made during the first proposed test. Very appreciated!
Moving forward, have you given any thought to temporarily trying to host the Roon core on another computer to see how things behave? Furthermore, I’d assume that you’d see wider spread issues if this were the case, but can you please confirm that there are no active firewalls or antivirus application currently running anywhere in your setup.
-Eric
Hi Eric,
I don’t have anything else apart from my mac at the moment. I am beginning to suspect the explorer2 may be the problem because over the last few days I have turned the Audeze Deckard off when I finish listening and when turning back on Roon finds it straight away. Roon doesn’t seem to find the Explorer unless I turn off the mac completely and then restart, and even then it doesn’t always find it.
I want to invest in some good quality shelf speakers but don’t know whether to run them from the Deckard or a separate amp/dec. The Explorer2 seems to be the weak link.
Regards
Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- No worries 
Moving forward, you have started to touch on a theory I have been having after reviewing my notes on your support case. If you use only one of the DACs at a time how do each behave independent of one another?
Furthermore, may I very kindly ask you to please provide me a screenshot of your “audio plug-ins” folder.
-Eric
HI Eric,
here are 3 screenshots showing my setup. i have to point out that the zones did not show the explorer2 for the last 24 hrs and just as i was about to take the screenshot that particular zone just popped in. The audeze shows up all the time but the explorer is hit miss whether connected singly or with the audeze.
3 Screenshot 2017-08-19 17.43.20
Screenshot 2017-08-19 17.45.52
Screenshot 2017-08-19 17.46.47
Hi @Eric_Thompson — Unfortunately it appears that the screenshots did not post 
Can you please give it another go?
Many thanks!
-Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- Thank you for the follow up and yes I do see the screenshots this time but unfortunately (as mentioned) I am looking to see the contents of your “audio plugins” folder.
“Furthermore, may I very kindly ask you to please provide me a screenshot of your “audio plug-ins” folder.”
With the above in mind, would you kindly please provide screenshots of:
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL
-Eric
Hi Eric,
The folder library/audio/plug-ins only contains these 3 folders, and they are all empty.
Eric
Hi Eric, it’s strange but since I bought my Deckard 2 weeks ago and connected it to the USB port next to the Explorer2, that I haven’t had any loss of speakers from Roon or my system since then. I can easily transfer zones across and can switch back without trouble.
Saying that, I have probably jinked it now.
Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ----- Thank you for touching base with me and providing that insight.
I just want to back up here for a second, because I must admit that I am touch confused and could use some clarification. I have briefly summed up the “timeline” of this report below.
10 Days ago: “At any time after a track has finished Roon will just lose all output to any speakers stating No Audio Zone found, please select an audio zone.”
9 Days ago: " I have tried various combinations but they will play fine, and then at some point it will stop and there are no speaker outputs present. They even vanish from my System Preferences sometime. If I’m lucky and pull out the USB and re insert it the zone will show up again. But most times I have to turn off the computer and reboot…"
6 Days ago: “I am beginning to suspect the explorer2 may be the problem because over the last few days I have turned the Audeze Deckard off when I finish listening and when turning back on Roon finds it straight away. Roon doesn’t seem to find the Explorer unless I turn off the mac completely and then restart, and even then it doesn’t always find it.”
Latest: “it’s strange but since I bought my Deckard 2 weeks ago and connected it to the USB port next to the Explorer2, that I haven’t had any loss of speakers from Roon or my system since then.”
When you had made this report 10 days ago it sounded as if the issue (i.e loss of outputs) was still very present but your latest states, that as of 2 weeks ago you haven’t had any issues. Please forgive my confusion, I just want to be certain that I am addressing the correct issue and providing you the help you need, should it be needed 
-Eric
Hi Eric,
sorry if I have confused you, when I say the Deckard was bought 2 weeks ago I was being vague. When I bought it more like 10 days ago and connected it everything worked, but later that day Roon lost all the speaker outputs, which it has been doing every other day for a long time. In order to restore the outputs I had to turn off the whole computer and restart.
I had been putting off contacting Roon but when it happened as well with the Deckard I decided to contact your support.
But since contacting you and having both the Explorer and the Deckard connected I have found that for the last week there has been no drop out of either speaker, which is the longest session it has gone. Normally it would only last a day or even sometimes an hour and then Roon would lose the speaker output.
I don’t know why it has become so stable, but it has, and the only difference to my setup is the Deckard. I’m sorry if I have caused you some confusion but I am pleased that it has been resolved.
Thank you
Eric
Hi @Eric_Thompson ---- Thank you for follow up and clarification, no apologies necessary I too, am pleased that things have been stable and functioning as expected.
I am going to be closing this thread and marking it as [Resolved], in the event that this behavior comes up again, drop me a PM and we can continue troubleshooting.
Happy listening!
-Eric
Cheers Eric,
Thank you for your help.
Eric
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