The sound balance shifts to the right (and now it moved to the left)

Support
#1

Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)
Core on Mac Mini with macOS Catalina 10.15.2
Media library on an external WD USB drive.

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.)
DAC lynk Hilo USB.

Description Of Issue
Hello friends

I have problem with Roon on my computer. Periodically the sound balance shifts to the right on 1 or 2 dB, after an any time, everything normalizes, then again shifts to the right again.

I checked DAC, preamplifier Accuphase C2850, amplifier Accuphase A 75 and speakers Sonus Faber Stradivari everything is Ok.

I also tested another DAC Burson the result is the same. Reinstalling the system did not solve the problem.

Best regards
Yury

Nucleusplus+ Sound balance
Sound balance of Nucleus+ shifted to the left
#2
#3

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

I listed your post in the support section of the forum and I’ve tagged @support to follow up with you.

#5

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

Have you tried rebooting your Core yet? If not, I would give this a try.
Does this behavior happen only on specific types of tracks?
Are you using any DSP at the present time?

#6

Hello friends.
I do not using DSP and i rebooting Core many times also reinstalled the system
During playback aiff or flac files the sound stage shifted to the right. For example 5 tracks play normally and in the middle of the sixth or seventh track the balance shifts to the right on 3-5 dB. Sometimes the balance shift occurs immediately after the starting to play of music. After that, if i return to the first track of album, the balance remains shifted to the right. after that the sound shifts to the right of other albums in the media library. After optimizing the system with CleanMyMac, everything normalizes and then repeats again.

Mac mini macOS Catalina 10.15.2 ram 8 gb. Library on the USB WD my book duo 6tb.
Best Regards
Yury

#7

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

If you try using the Mac’s 3.5mm output and route the audio to your “System Output” zone in Roon, do you experience the same behavior?

Do you have another PC around the house which you can try hosting the Roon Core on? Does the behavior reproduce there as well?

#8

I use regular USB 3.0 in my computer for connect to the DAC Lynx Hilo and the External drive. The computer has no other USB ports.
I installed the roon on a laptop with Windows 10 for the experiment and everything worked well. Problem only with Mac.

#9

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

Can you please share a screenshot of your Signal Path when there is audio playing via the Mac?

#10

3.5mm has the same problem.

#11

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

Have you by any chance tried reinstalling the Roon app yet on the Mac? I would give this a try:

  • Make a Backup of your current Roon Database
  • Exit out of Roon
  • Navigate to your Roon’s Database Location
  • Find the folder that says “Roon”
  • Rename the “Roon” folder to “Roon_old”
  • Restart/Reinstall the Roon App to generate a new Roon folder
#36

Hello.
Some weeks ago i bought Roon Nucleus+. It worked 3 weeks normal but now i have the same problem with sound balance in Nucleus+.
After connecting my USB disk with music to the Roon Nucleus +, the sound balance began to shift a little to the right, including the traks from Tidal. Before connecting the USB disk, everything was work fine.
The same thing happened when using the Mac mini as the core. I found a way to fix this problem for not a long time on the computer.
After deleting this files
/Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist
/Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist
from Mac mini, for a while the sound balance normalized and then over time shifts to the right again. I double checked all my system including cables the problem the software.

#37

Hello
I renamed the “Roon” folder to “Roon_old” in computer.
it’s a big surprise for me that the same thing happened with Nucleus +
Yury

#38

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

What kind of USB disk did you connect to both the Nucleus/Mac before this behavior started?

Can you please share a screenshot of your Signal Path when Roon is in this state?

#39

Screenshot_20200220-122010_Roon
Screenshot_20200220-122010_Roon1080×2220 372 KB

#40

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

Thanks for the screenshot, can you please confirm the USB aspect as well?

What is the model/manufacturer of the USB disk?
Without the disk connected does this behavior not occur?

#41

I was wrong. The USB disk does not affect the Nucleus+.

The balance is shifted to the right if I use the Mac mini for control the Nucleus+.
Also, the balance shifts to the right if I use the Mac Mini as a core.

#42

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

This behavior does not occur when you are using another Roon Remote to control the Nucleus?
Where is the DAC connected to, the Nucleus or to the Mac Mini?

#43

This behavior only if i use mac to remote control the Nucleus and if i use Mac as a core. DAC connected to the Nucleus.

#44

Maybe, a virus in Mac?

#46

Hi @Yury_Kochetkov,

I don’t think it’s a virus but it is not clear what exactly is triggering this behavior. I spoke to the support team regarding your case and we have an idea of how to troubleshoot further:

  1. Please download a DSD64 file from the 2L Test Bench

  2. Try to start playback of this DSD64 file via the Mac to your Hilo zone via DoP. DoP playback will require bit-perfect transmission, so if there are any playback issues or the output is not bit-perfect, it will be evident pretty quickly.

  3. Create a loop-back recording of the DAC output when/if the drift occurs and send it to me for further analysis.