Greetings! I was hoping to gain some feedback regarding using some Squeezebox devices. I have three units that all stream Pandora just fine on my existing wireless network: the SB Touch, SB Boom and SB Radio. I’m trying to get Roon to stream to these units whatever I’m listening to on my main stack which consists of a Peachtree Pre and the corresponding separate Peachtree220 amplifier. The system sounds great - I’m using Roon Server on an ethernet connected PC (64bit and Windows 10) with digital coaxial output to the Peachtree Pre, no problems whatsoever.
My issue is that the SB units are recognized in Roon settings (via WiFi connection) and the SB units recognize the PC with Roon Server in my network (via ethernet). In fact, on the SB Boom, the Roon logo is displayed but none of the buttons work (it works fine when it’s NOT connected to Roon). However, no music and no internet radio stations are being sent to the SB devices. I’m trying to stream normal FLAC files. My router is working normally: NETGEAR AC1600 Dual Band Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (R6250). I cycled the power on and off and rebooted everything and restored the SB units to factory settings. No Squeezebox software is living anywhere on my network.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Is there something simple I overlooked? I followed all the instructions I could find here in the Roon forums.
I thought to do a group, all the devices had to be the same, not sure how you would group 3 SBs with a roon core (i could be wrong, i haven’t tested it)
For starters I would try to stream to each device individually, by selecting the device and choosing something to play (each device has it’s own queue). If they all work individually they will all need assigning to a group, like I said i think you could only do this on devices of the same type (all squeezebox or all roon for example)
Much appreciated - you guys sent me down the correct path. After grouping the SB devices together in Roon settings the music is now flowing. The devices are working together although the timing between them seems to stutter occasionally and then get out of sync briefly.
However, this forces me to use the SB Touch DAC chip in my main stack which is definitely not preferable over my Schiit Gungnir. I would rather use the SB Touch in a fourth room. The Roon Core on my PC, connected to my main stack, with all my FLAC files doesn’t seem to want to allow itself to be grouped together with the SB devices. Is there a reason for this? After all, Roon is sending bit perfect audio everywhere why not via the Roon Core? Or am I once again missing something obvious?
Only devices using the same transmission protocol can be grouped. Only squeeze boxes with squeeze boxes. Only Roon endpoints with Roon endpoints. Only airplay with airplay.
Damn, I figured as much. What about Tidal streaming everywhere instead? If Roon is compatible with Tidal and Squeezebox is compatible with Tidal…then doesn’t it logically follow that I could use Tidal to output the same bit perfect audio stream via the Roon Core as well as my 3 SB units and have them all work in sync? Or does the same transmission protocol rule apply with internet radio stations?
I could group my core which was windows 10 with a DAC attached via USB with my airplay zones so I think you should be able to do your core with one other type of devices.
I’ve moved to a different setup that is all RAAT so I can’t confirm this. Can someone else?
I had a similar problem, had two Squeezebox Touch, which linked fine to Roon. Actually I went into Roon because of that integration. I also experienced problems, as you mention that they cold only be synchronised with each other, but beside that that they had problems with some file types, that could not be transmittet without faults. I had some Raspberries, that I set up with Dietpi. I can recommend that, it works excellently with external dac’s, alternatively also with I2S dac’s, with the RAAT protocol. This is a very cheap solution that works excellent.
I think the cheapest solution if slightly unconventional would be to use a PI and maybe a digi hat for your main system and setup squeezelite, this would then show as a squeezebox, to all intents and purposes, to you roon core and allow you to group them all (as the are all using squeezebox protocol)
The perfect solution would be to have RAAT enable devices (PIs with roonbridge installed/bluesound etc) but that would be a wholesale replacement of your squeezebox based system.
Tidal won’t work, as all of the sound is routed and grouped, etc through Roon, so the usual limitations apply.
I had to look up the outputs again on the SB Touch which is not easy to do since the documentation originally offered is lacking to say the least. Apparently the the RCA outs will use the internal DAC chip but the optical outs are used for streaming and provide transparent passthrough to a Pre amp. What an amazing device and technological oddity. Too bad Logitech bought Slim Devices and then killed the innovation because their work was truly ground breaking at the price points offered.
I do have a RaspberryPi 3 with HifiBerry DAC+ Pro so will research that route too. Then again, perhaps it’s time to retire the SB ecosystem and move on. There comes a point of diminishing returns and the pain in the arse factor is getting very expensive.
Does anyone know of a good replacement for the plug and play SB ecosystem to use with Roon? Do all in one units exist yet with Roon connectivity built in? Like the SB Boom, it would be nice to just plug and play.
Correct. RCA is analog out. Optical and S/PDIF outputs serve bitperfect data stream to an external DAC. (Some preamps and receivers do have built in DACs). The Touch truly is an amazing piece of equipment. I’ve had many years of enjoyment of my squeezebox ecosystem.